A dagger fell from the sky, landing with a soft thud in Whitebeard's large hand. He studied it with a hint of confusion, his massive fingers dwarfing the tiny weapon. The dagger was barely a dozen centimeters long, with half of its length taken up by the handle. Compared to his towering 6.66-meter frame, the blade looked more like a toy than a weapon.
"What's the meaning of this?" Whitebeard asked, his voice gruff with skepticism.
"Stab yourself, and I'll agree to your request," Edie repeated, his tone as calm and composed as ever.
Whitebeard eyed the small blade, turning it over in his hand. "This little toy won't even scratch me. Is it poisoned?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The idea of injuring himself with such a tiny dagger seemed absurd, especially when ten billion Berries were on the line. He wondered if this was Edie's way of humiliating him, perhaps a mocking gesture knowing Whitebeard couldn't actually produce the money.
Though it sounded far-fetched, there was some truth to his financial limitations. Whitebeard had grown up in a poor country that couldn't afford the Celestial Tribute, and he'd taken to the seas as a pirate at a young age. Most of the treasure he'd accumulated over the years had been sent back to his homeland, with only enough kept to sustain his crew. Of the three Yonko, Whitebeard was undeniably the poorest.
"No poison. Don't trust me?" Edie replied, shaking his head. "You can refuse, but I'll stay here and watch your fight until the very end."
Whitebeard chuckled, his deep voice resonating. "No, I trust you!" With a swift motion, he plunged the dagger into his abdomen. The blade was so small that he barely felt it. Compared to the countless injuries he'd suffered in battles over the years, this was nothing more than a scratch.
"Dad…! This has to be some kind of trap!" The voices of his concerned crewmates echoed from the ship, with Jozu glaring furiously at the dragon hovering in the sky.
"Gurarara... there's no need for concern," Whitebeard laughed heartily, pulling the dagger out with ease. It was so small that he could only hold it between two fingers. "I've done as you asked. Will you keep your word?"
"Of course," Edie nodded, turning to his dragon. "Chenlong, let's move ten kilometers back. Zishu, retrieve the dagger."
With that, Chenlong turned and flew away from the beach, retreating as promised. Zishu, with a flick of his wings, descended swiftly, arriving before Whitebeard in an instant. There was a glint of disappointment in Zishu's eyes as he reached for the dagger.
"Hand it over."
"Are you [Zishu]?" Whitebeard asked, his voice cold as he gripped his naginata with his left hand. Without waiting for a response, he slashed at Zishu.
Zishu's sword was up in a flash, blocking the attack. A red energy ball formed at the point where their weapons should have met, a fierce clash of Conqueror's Haki reverberating through the air.
"Hahahaha, trying to stretch your muscles with me? I like that!" Zishu grinned with delight.
"Just saying hello." Whitebeard smiled, his voice casual, though his eyes remained sharp as he quickly withdrew his attack, tossing the blood-stained dagger aside. He had tested Zishu's strength, and it was formidable—his Haki was on par with Whitebeard's own. The encounter reminded him of an old friend, though he couldn't place why.
Zishu caught the dagger mid-air, his expression eager. "Are you sure you don't want to spar with me? Just a warm-up?"
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed as he noticed the black wings on Zishu's back. "Are you from the Lunarian clan?"
"I'm pure-blooded, as are all twelve of the Earthly Branches," Zishu replied, his tone tinged with disappointment. "Idiot," he added under his breath before turning to fly away.
"Pure-blood Lunarian?" Whitebeard muttered to himself. He had never heard of such a distinction within the Lunarian race, though he was familiar with them. After Roger became the Pirate King, he had shared many secrets, including those of the Lunarians.
Seeing that Edie had indeed retreated as promised, Whitebeard temporarily set his concerns aside, focusing instead on the battle that awaited him.
"Come out, Kaido! Don't play dead in there!" Whitebeard's voice boomed across the battlefield, echoing through the forest.
A mocking laugh responded from the shadows. "Oh haha haha... Do you really want to kill me, Newgate?" Kaido emerged from the treeline, his massive frame shouldering his signature spiked mace. The Beasts Pirates followed close behind, led by Queen, their numbers swelling as they approached.
On the Moby Dick, Jozu and the other captains wasted no time. They leaped from the ship, landing beside Whitebeard, their individual abilities flaring up in preparation for the battle. The tension escalated as the two royal pirate groups faced each other, ready for an all-out confrontation.
"Gurarara... Let's settle this, Kaido!" Whitebeard roared, his voice full of determination.
At his command, the pirates on both sides charged, their forces clashing in a violent explosion of power and fury.
Meanwhile, ten kilometers away, Edie stood atop a mountain, observing the battlefield with a detached interest.
"Whoops... Dr. Edie, are you planning to clone Whitebeard now?" Caesar Clown's voice trembled as he flattered his superior, his fear evident.
Caesar wasn't merely pandering; he was genuinely unnerved. Watching Whitebeard—one of the world's mightiest emperors—forced to harm himself at Edie's behest had left him shaken. He had tried to imagine a way for Whitebeard to turn the tide, but as long as Edie and the Earthly Branches lingered nearby, Whitebeard would be forced to split his focus. This disadvantage, coupled with facing Kaido, was a significant handicap.
"Send the artificial fruit users over," Edie instructed calmly. "Use this opportunity to evaluate their combat effectiveness."
"Eh? You want me to go alone?" Caesar's voice quivered, his face pale as cold sweat formed on his brow.
"Yes, you're going alone," Edie replied with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I promised Whitebeard I'd stay out of the ten-kilometer range until the battle was decided. You don't want me to break my promise, do you?"
"I... I understand," Caesar stammered, his fear palpable. "But could you at least send someone to protect me? I'm not much of a fighter! The battlefield is dangerous!"
Edie dismissed Caesar's concerns with a glance, not bothering to respond to the plea. Resigned to his fate, Caesar reluctantly gathered a large bag of artificial fruits and began his cautious trek toward the battlefield, anxiety evident in every step.
Yamato, lying on a nearby rock, watched the distant battle intently. Even from the top of the mountain, at a distance of ten kilometers, she could just make out the fierce combat between the two pirate crews.
Edie, too, kept his gaze on the battlefield, his eyes cold and calculating as he analyzed the unfolding chaos.
The observation continued for an entire day. The relentless combat between the two pirate groups showed no sign of slowing, their clashes echoing through the night. Neither side paused to rest, resulting in countless casualties.
At the center of the carnage, Kaido and Whitebeard's battle raged on, each blow between the two titans shaking the very ground beneath them. The intensity of their fight was unparalleled, a true clash of emperors that would shape the fate of the battlefield.
Despite Kaido's overwhelming strength, it was clear that he was struggling against Whitebeard. The legendary pirate was pressing his advantage, forcing Kaido to fight defensively.
"Strange…" Edie mused, watching the battle unfold from his distant vantage point. He noticed a peculiar phenomenon: the fighters, both from the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beasts Pirates, were consuming their Haki in battle, yet it seemed to regenerate after a short time.
Edie couldn't shake his confusion. The mechanics of Haki had always fascinated him. Typically, an ability user's powers are fueled by physical stamina, and once that stamina is depleted, their abilities become harder to activate. But Haki was different. It was consumed rapidly in combat, yet it seemed to recover naturally over time.
He recalled an example from the original story of Monkey D. Luffy. Two years after his initial journey, Luffy's fourth gear heavily taxed his Haki. Once his Haki was exhausted, he would revert to his base form, only to have his Haki replenish itself after a short period, allowing him to use fourth gear again. The same phenomenon was evident on the battlefield before him.
"What is the source of Haki's energy?" Edie pondered. "What supports its continuous consumption and subsequent recovery?"
He considered various possibilities. Could it be tied to a person's vitality? But that concept felt too abstract. Was it purely physical strength? No, that didn't seem to fully account for it either. The mystery of Haki's regenerative properties eluded him, leaving him both intrigued and frustrated.
As the battle raged on into the night, Yamato, who had been watching the fight with great interest, eventually succumbed to fatigue. She curled up on a nearby rock and fell asleep, her face peaceful and innocent despite the chaos around her. A small line of drool trailed from her mouth, suggesting she was dreaming of something delicious.
Edie glanced over at her and sighed, slightly exasperated. "What is this little girl doing here?"
"Heavenly Father, should I take her back to the Flower Capital?" Chenlong suggested.
"No, let her rest," Edie replied, a note of fondness creeping into his voice. He removed his white coat and draped it over Yamato to keep her warm, even though he doubted she'd catch a cold with her robust constitution.
Turning his attention back to his own plans, Edie retrieved the blood-stained dagger he had acquired earlier in the day. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to proceed with cloning the fifth Earthly Branch. He had one simulation saved, initially intended for Haki research, but today's events had provided him with something even more valuable: Whitebeard's bloodline factor.
Activating the simulation, he set the parameters:
[Simulation Project]: "Research on Biological Cloning in the Pirate World: Human (Edward Newgate) Bloodline Gene 813 Subcloning Technology"
[Necessary Conditions]: Blood Factor Theory, Newgate's Blood, Lunarian Blood
[All Conditions Met]
[Simulation Begins!]
[Year 1]: You have mastered cloning technology. You establish a cloning base on Beehive Island and begin the project...
[Year 3]: With ample funds from Kaido's annual research grant of 20 billion beli, you continue the cloning project with significant progress. Whitebeard No. 1 is created but is ordered to commit suicide. He complies without hesitation.
[Year 5]: Whitebeard No. 2 is successfully produced. Like Chenlong, he is born with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit power. The project is deemed a success.
[End of Simulation]
Edie reviewed the results. Much like the [Weiyang] project, the simulation hadn't yielded any new groundbreaking knowledge. He bypassed the scientific accolades and funds spent, focusing on the final outcome.
[Additional Reward]: Whitebeard No. 2
[Do you want to receive it?]
Receive.
In a flash of white light, a towering figure appeared before Edie. The new Clone stood over two meters tall, with a face and body that mirrored Whitebeard's iconic appearance, right down to the impressive chin.
"Lord Heavenly Father," the clone intoned, immediately kneeling on one knee in deference.
"Welcome, compatriot," Edie said softly, a pleased smile on his face. "From now on, your code name…"
He paused, recalling the legacy of the man whose image this clone bore. Seventeen years from now, Whitebeard would lead his crew in a daring assault on Marineford to save Ace, meeting his end in a battle that would become legendary. Even as he was mortally wounded, half his face blown off by Akainu, he would die standing, without a single injury on his back—a testament to his unyielding spirit and heroism.
"Your name is [Wuma]," Edie finally declared, bestowing the new identity on the clone with a sense of reverence.