Shin pushed open the door, surprised to find Whitebeard looking at a chart with deep concentration rather than in his usual, jovial, drunken state.
To be honest, seeing Whitebeard—who was almost as large as a small giant—displaying such a serious and analytical expression was quite the contrast.
When he heard the door open, Whitebeard turned his attention to Shin and gestured to the stool beside him. "Sit down, little guy," he said.
Shin closed the door behind him, eyeing Whitebeard curiously. "Captain Whitebeard, you don't seem too surprised to see me here."
Whitebeard's iconic crescent-shaped beard twitched as he smirked. "You think an old man's haki is just for decoration?"
Shin was momentarily speechless. He had thought Whitebeard might have anticipated his visit for some reason, but it turned out that Whitebeard had merely sensed him with his haki! Still, the fact that Whitebeard's observational Haki could cover the entire ship, undetected by most of the crew, was impressive. In the original story, Whitebeard wasn't mainly known for this aspect of his Haki.
'These older-generation pirates really have honed their skills to the limit,' Shin mused. 'They don't just have a few mastered abilities—they've sharpened every one of their skills to the maximum.'
"Well, Captain Whitebeard, I'm sure you're aware that your sons are deeply concerned about your health," Shin began. "With the war on the horizon, you wouldn't want them to be preoccupied with worry, would you?"
"Hmph. True enough. They call me a baby. How much longer can I keep acting like one?" Whitebeard grumbled, clearly displeased but with a tinge of reluctant amusement.
Shin couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated. 'That's exactly the attitude of a baby,' he thought.
Whitebeard then looked at Shin thoughtfully. "Besides, Shin, you shouldn't be calling me 'Captain.'"
Whitebeard poured two bowls of wine—one large and one small—and handed the smaller bowl to Shin.
Smiling slightly, Shin accepted the bowl. "Then I'll be in your care... Pops Whitebeard!"
Well into his seventies, Whitebeard felt a natural fit as a father figure. Even if Shin combined the age of his two lives, calling Whitebeard "Pops" held no psychological barriers for him. Especially considering the way Whitebeard treated his sons, it was clear he deserved the title. Given Whitebeard's high standards, those who recognized him as their father could probably form a line all the way to Mariejois!
Beyond sentiment, Shin was also eagerly anticipating Whitebeard's "treatment." This was the first time he would have the opportunity to analyze the physical structure of a pirate of Whitebeard's caliber. He was confident that after examining Whitebeard, his physique enhancement could advance even further, unlocking greater potential within himself.
Although Whitebeard didn't possess the monstrous raw talent of individuals like Kaido or Big Mom, his physical strength and endurance were only slightly below theirs. In terms of raw power, he was definitely on par with them.
Even while seriously ill, Whitebeard could steady the entire ship with a single hand—a testament to the sheer power of his arms, likely capable of exerting force in the thousands of tons.
The actual treatment process was straightforward, with Whitebeard's size being the only challenge. When Shin used the abilities of the Munch-Munch Fruit to absorb Whitebeard's figure, his body grew several meters in height to accommodate the massive figure. Once he released Whitebeard, he shrank back to his usual size.
'Feels like my Devil Fruit is becoming a bit like Luffy's,' Shin thought with a hint of amusement. 'Changing my size at will.'
The procedure was routine to Shin, albeit intriguing as he analyzed Whitebeard's physiology. But for Whitebeard, the effect was profound.
As his body regained vitality, he felt a long-lost sense of relaxation and newfound strength. Overwhelmed by the resurgence of his power, Whitebeard's immense Conqueror's Haki burst forth.
Standing nearby, Shin narrowed his eyes and tensed his body as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Though the sensation quickly passed, it left him deeply impressed.
'Whitebeard's haki is astonishing,' Shin thought. 'He truly deserves the title of the world's strongest man.'
Meanwhile, the entire Moby Dick was thrown into chaos. Whitebeard's explosive haki caused some crew members to lose consciousness immediately, while for the veteran squad leaders, it simply acted as a cure for their hangovers.
"Who's there?"
"Are we under attack? This haki feels like it's from Pops!"
"Quick, check on Pops!"
In no time, a group of pirates burst into Whitebeard's quarters, only to find him sitting there, red-faced and relaxed, sipping from his wine bowl.
Seeing his sons rushing in, Whitebeard put down his wine with a huff. "What's with all the fuss? Can't an old man relax in peace?"
"Uh… Pops… we thought… you were under attack?"
"I'm just feeling a bit too lively, that's all!" Whitebeard snapped. "Thought I'd have a friendly spar with your new brother here. What? Do you think I'm so old now that I'd just drop dead in the middle of it?"
"No, no!"
"Of course not, Pops."
A group of seasoned pirates, some well into their forties and fifties, were now practically groveling like scolded children before their father. Whitebeard may have disturbed their sleep more than once with his haki in the past, but now it was they who were on edge.
There was no help for it—Whitebeard was their father, and they had to indulge him.
With a discerning look at Whitebeard's refreshed demeanor, Marco quickly pieced together the truth. When he heard Whitebeard mention their "new brother," his gaze shifted toward Shin.
"So, Shin has joined us officially. You're one of Whitebeard's sons now?"
Whitebeard chuckled, then realized he shouldn't discuss his recent health issues openly. Trying to keep it vague, he nodded. "That's right. In the end, it was you guys who convinced me."
He then paused, realizing that it sounded as though he had reluctantly accepted Shin into the crew only due to Marco's suggestion.
Reconsidering, he clapped his hand. "Alright, enough about this! This is my newly adopted son, Shin—your younger brother."
The squad leaders exchanged glances, clearly pleased.
Putting sentiment aside, the reality was that Shin's abilities alone were an invaluable asset to the crew, especially in combat, where his healing powers could act as near-infinite recovery.
And Shin's strength was nothing to scoff at, either. Among Whitebeard's squad leaders, he was easily in the top ten.
Honestly, given Whitebeard's character, the crew had thought Shin would have joined them much sooner. They were just surprised it had taken this long.
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