"Is this really okay?"
Crane crossed her arms as she looked at Garp and Sengoku beside her.
Gulp.
Swallowing the food in his mouth, Garp waved dismissively.
"I don't have any objections to offering the Whitebeard Pirates amnesty. Personally, I think that old man Whitebeard isn't too bad."
"Although some of his subordinates have committed crimes, under his command, they've refrained from committing major atrocities."
"That's true," Crane nodded thoughtfully, her gaze falling on Whitebeard, who was holding little Klee below.
"The Whitebeard Pirates haven't committed unforgivable crimes in the New World. On the contrary, they've even protected some ordinary civilians there. If we can reform them, they could be a valuable asset."
"Riku and the others will eventually return to their world, and given our current navy numbers, it will take years to rebuild the necessary forces to handle the new era."
"Since the Whitebeard Pirates have members who can be reformed, let's proceed with this plan."
"Agreed." Sengoku nodded, sitting back down to observe the movements of the Whitebeard Pirates below.
Whitebeard accepted the jerky handed to him by Klee.
Sensing the immense and gentle energy waves from the jerky with his Observation Haki, Whitebeard curiously looked at Klee.
"Little Klee, where did this jerky come from? It's emanating energy waves that even surprise your grandpa."
"I've sailed the seas for years, but this is the first time I've seen glowing food with energy waves."
"Hehehe."
Klee, hands on her hips, proudly raised her head as she explained, "This jerky is made from the meat of a giant fish that Brother Hiroshi and I, along with everyone else, defeated."
Waving her hands to mimic the shape of the giant whirlpool beast, Klee continued, "That big fish was super strong! Sister Liyue, Sister Shuvi, and Sister Huihui all unleashed their strongest explosive magic to defeat it, and I helped too! Hmph!"
"Afterward, Brother Hiroshi prepared the meat, and we had a huge feast. So many people joined in!"
"This jerky was specially made by Brother Hiroshi. I usually snack on it when I'm hungry, but I always get distracted by the new food Brother Hiroshi makes."
Looking expectantly at Whitebeard, who was chewing on the jerky, Klee asked, "Grandpa Whitebeard, isn't Brother Hiroshi's jerky delicious?"
To Marco and the others' astonishment, Whitebeard's chest wound began healing rapidly. The injury contracted and closed, leaving no trace.
"It's delicious. Thank you, little Klee."
Without hesitation, Whitebeard handed the remaining jerky back to Klee.
"Little Klee, keep this jerky for yourself. It's amazing! Not only has it completely healed my wound, but it's also restored my body to its prime condition."
"Kurararara!"
The wrinkles on Whitebeard's aged face began to fade. His body, once ravaged by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and old injuries, regenerated to its peak form.
"I feel like my lifespan, which was nearing its end, has been extended. It seems I can continue sailing the seas for a while longer."
Laughing heartily, a white glow emerged from Whitebeard's hand.
"What kind of creature is this meat from? It's strengthened my bond with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and reduced its side effects."
Turning toward Sengoku and Garp on the high platform, Whitebeard raised his arm to speak.
"Grandpa Whitebeard," Klee tugged at him, prompting Whitebeard to look down.
"What is it, little Klee?"
"The big fish jerky," Klee said earnestly, placing the jerky back in Whitebeard's hand. "Brother Hiroshi said you have to eat all of it to fully recover and reach your best condition."
"So hurry up and finish it!"
"Kurararara!"
Shaking his head with a smile, Whitebeard replied, "Such a precious item—how can I eat it all? Keep the rest, little Klee. If you ever get hurt, you can use it to heal yourself."
"Hmph!" Klee pouted angrily.
"Grandpa Whitebeard, eat the jerky now, or I'll get mad! Besides, I have lots more, and Brother Hiroshi will make more for me."
Reaching into her little backpack, Klee pulled out more jerky, handing some to Marco and the others, who had been eyeing it eagerly.
"See, Grandpa Whitebeard? I have plenty!"
"Kurararara! It seems I've been overthinking it."
Laughing, Whitebeard finally relented, grabbing the jerky and eating it all.
Setting Klee down from his shoulder, Whitebeard's body emitted a radiant white glow.
Waves of vibrating white light surrounded him, growing denser and more concentrated.
Whitebeard's appearance transformed once again, his physique and face returning to his youthful prime.
Simultaneously, a dark blue aura with a tinge of black emerged from him, accompanied by a piercing scream. The white glow on his body coalesced into a ring.
Floating slightly above the ground, Whitebeard's perception of the world changed dramatically. Raising his hands, he felt the fully transformed power within him. He turned to Hiroshi and the others, a faint smile gracing his youthful face.
"I once claimed to be the world's strongest, but I see now that I was merely arrogant. This is the beginning of the true journey."
Descending from the sky, Whitebeard glanced at Kizaru before turning to Klee.
"So, little Klee, when you said you were strong, you weren't lying."
"Grandpa just barely caught up to you, huh?"
"Hehe, Klee is a good child," Klee said proudly. "Good children don't lie."
"Thank you, little Klee and Hiroshi, for giving me this precious jerky. It's allowed me to step into a new realm."
"No need to thank me," Klee said, holding Whitebeard's hand with a smile. "Grandpa Whitebeard is my grandpa, so there's no need to thank me."
"Well, but..."
Klee tilted her head. "Grandpa Whitebeard doesn't look like Grandpa anymore."
"Kurararara!" Laughing, Whitebeard's appearance aged back to his original state.
"Is this better?"
"Yes!" Klee nodded enthusiastically.
"You're Grandpa now. Next time, let's fry fish together. I love fish!"
"Kurararara, no problem."
On the high platform, Sengoku stood stunned beside Hiroshi.
Watching Whitebeard's transformation below, Sengoku couldn't help but exclaim, "What happened to Whitebeard?!"
"Nothing much," Hiroshi said with a smile, waving at Klee and Whitebeard. "He just became a demigod."
"A demigod?!" Sengoku stared in shock.
Hiroshi glanced at Kizaru, still lounging in the rubble. "Ask old man Kizaru. He reached demigod status not long ago."
"Hmm?!"