Whitebeard caught the faint confusion in Kaito's eyes. With a slight shake of his head, he tossed a bottle of fine sake to Kaito. "Why did you join the Rocks Pirates, Kaito?" he asked plainly.
Kaito caught the bottle, feeling its weight in his hands, but the directness of the question made him pause. His mind briefly flashed back over the strange day he'd had. Golden Lion and Charlotte Linlin had both tried to recruit him. Rocks had personally sought him out, striking a deal and recognizing his potential. Now, here was Whitebeard, standing outside his door, asking a question that felt both simple and loaded.
"What is it with everyone today?" Kaito muttered under his breath. It seemed like each senior member of the crew had decided to corner him within his first twenty-four hours aboard. He looked back at Whitebeard and answered with a counter-question. "Before we get to that, Captain Edward, why are you standing outside my room?"
Whitebeard folded his massive arms across his chest, an imposing silhouette in the moonlight. "It's nothing too serious," he said. "I just thought I'd give you a piece of advice."
Kaito tilted his head, one eyebrow raised. "Oh? What advice might that be?"
"Rocks is dangerous," Whitebeard said without hesitation. "Don't let his promises blind you. If you ever become a threat to his ambitions, he won't hesitate to crush you. No matter what he says now, remember that his interests come first."
The sincerity in Whitebeard's voice was palpable. He stepped closer, resting a hand on Kaito's shoulder as if to emphasize his point. "You're still young," he continued. "You don't yet understand how cruel this world can be, and how deep people's ambitions run. Just be careful, kid."
Kaito didn't reply right away. Instead, he studied Whitebeard's expression. This was a man who would one day be known as the world's strongest, yet there was no malice in his eyes—only experience, tempered by a hard-earned understanding of the pirate world's brutality.
Whitebeard's warning had merit, Kaito knew. The Rocks Pirates were a fractious crew, filled with dangerous individuals who each had their own agenda. Rocks himself was a force of nature, but his ambitions made him as treacherous as the seas they sailed. Still, Kaito's goals were his own, and his time watching the series had left him all too aware of how things would unfold.
He smiled lightly. "I appreciate the concern, Captain Edward."
Whitebeard seemed satisfied, though not entirely convinced. "You'll have to decide for yourself, Kaito," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."
With that, Whitebeard turned and walked away, his broad back disappearing down the corridor. Kaito watched him go, wondering why a man of such strength and future renown had taken the time to offer a warning.
Whitebeard's words revealed a glimpse of his own disillusionment. He had joined the Rocks Pirates in search of companionship and family but had only found chaos and bloodshed. That lingering desire for true camaraderie made Whitebeard reach out to someone he saw as a kindred spirit—a fellow pirate walking alone on a treacherous path.
Kaito leaned back against the doorframe and sighed. "Edward Newgate," he murmured. "Whitebeard…" He opened the sake Whitebeard had given him, taking a long sip before stretching and heading to bed.
---
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the window, casting a warm glow across Kaito's room. He stretched, yawned, and went through his morning routine. When he stepped onto the deck, the atmosphere had changed. A group of crew members had gathered, their excited voices echoing across the ship as they discussed something with great enthusiasm.
Curious, Kaito walked over, his mind turning over the events of the previous day as he tried to piece together what new intrigue might await him.