Chapter 190: The Blackbeard Defection Incident
New World,
Like a white whale, the giant ship parted the waves and cruised over the blue waters.
“Damn it!!”
His fist slammed heavily onto the gleaming deck, the raging flames of anger in his heart nearly burning away his reason. Ace couldn’t understand why? Why did this happen? Why? Why exactly… did Teach, that bastard, commit such an unforgivable evil act.
The corpse of Fourth Division Captain Sachi was laid out in the middle of the deck.
Companions filled both sides of the ship’s side, the oppressive and heavy atmosphere replacing the usual laughter and chatter. Whitebeard sat in that large chair, his lowered right hand gripping the hilt of Moyagarare, the bulging veins on the back of his hand twisting like small snakes. Hearing a faint sound nearby, he turned his gaze over,
“Marco?”
“Old Man, the Dazhmu Pirates… confirmed disappeared from their territory, probably already destroyed by that bastard Teach.” Marco’s eyes were red, his hand holding the Den Den Mushi trembling slightly.
“…Fled to the East? Planning to go to Paradise?”
The Dazhmu Pirates were one of the affiliated Pirate Crews under Whitebeard, their guarded territory being the farthest east.
“Old Man!!!”
Suddenly,
Ace, kneeling before Sachi’s corpse, stood up.
“Ace! Don’t be impulsive.”
Marco’s expression changed. He couldn’t afford to grieve, feeling both angry and anxious. He could guess with his toes what Ace wanted to do, or rather… every companion standing here harbored the same thought.
“Old Man, Teach… that traitor, leave him to me to deal with!”
Ace ignored Marco’s dissuasion, his bloodshot eyes looking at his respected ‘father’.
“…Ace, my son, have you made your decision?”
“Teach was my subordinate, Sachi’s… death is partly my responsibility. Executing him is something I must do.”
“…Responsibility… so that’s how you think!”
“Old Man, let me go!”
Ace’s expression was utterly grief-stricken,
Anyone could see that Ace’s heart now harbored a volcano on the verge of eruption. If not on the Moby Dick, the raging flames would have long spread everywhere, venting that irreconcilable, inexhaustible rage.
“Ace, remember, everyone must take responsibility for their decisions.”
This was agreement.
“Old Man!”
Marco grew anxious.
He glanced at Ace, who had turned to pack his luggage, and said urgently: “Old Man, Ace… his mindset isn’t right now, he’s likely to suffer a loss.” Honestly, he didn’t think Teach was Ace’s match, even if Teach was an old crew member of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Ace’s talent was right there!
Compared to Teach, who had been around for over a decade and was still just an ordinary crew member, they were completely different.
As for Sachi’s death… all wounds were on his back, a most despicable sneak attack exploiting trust between companions. Otherwise, with Sachi’s abilities, how could he lose his life so easily!
Marco wanted to stop Ace out of worry that he might fall into a trap in his impulsiveness.
After all,
That scumbag Teach seemed to have planned it long ago: sneak-attacking and assassinating Sachi, stealing the Devil Fruit Sachi had recently obtained, then fleeing at top speed. By the time Sachi’s body was found and the perpetrator confirmed as Teach… it was already too late to chase.
The most direct evidence was the Dazhmu Pirates, at least a day and night’s forced march from their current position, being wiped out.
This series of actions didn’t match the impression of the crude, straightforward, brainless Teach at all! Thinking deeper… it made one suspect if Teach’s behavior on the ship was a facade. If so… just in terms of mentality, he was a very terrifying guy.
If that scheming scumbag teamed up with Beasts, BIG·MOM, or the like, Ace alone couldn’t possibly be their opponent.
Of course, that was the worst case, with very low probability.
But Ace’s super unstable emotions now was undeniable reality. Charging off recklessly to hunt Teach… his intuition felt uneasy.
“Marco, Ace is the Second Division Commander.”
“What does that matter? Teach was already on the ship before Ace joined.”
“It has nothing to do with who came first. As Ace said, this is his responsibility as captain. If Teach were in the First Division, Marco, what would you do?”
This question silenced Marco.
Whitebeard didn’t speak again.
He looked down at Sachi, whose eyes were forever closed, his eyes filled with heartache and sorrow… He would never taste Sachi’s food again, the son who reminded him daily not to forget his medicine would never speak again.
Immense sorrow overwhelmed his heart.
It wasn’t just Ace who harbored a volcano on the verge of eruption; Whitebeard accumulated rage in his heart enough to burn mountains and boil seas. He wanted to personally deal with that bastard Teach… but he couldn’t. He couldn’t easily leave the New World.
He knew every move he made would affect countless people’s nerves.
If he were ten years younger, he wouldn’t fear anyone’s opinion; he would cleave a path of vengeance with his naginata in hand. But time couldn’t be reversed; he couldn’t go back ten years… Now he no longer had the strength for reckless actions.
So,
No matter how angry he was, he could only endure, waiting for Ace to truly grow up, to take over the great flag from his hands, to protect the other sons… Then he could finally go all out in one last rampage!
Ace moved quickly; he simply packed his luggage and launched his assault boat.
“Old Man, I’m off.”
“Go!”
A brief farewell between father and son.
Ace looked at Marco and the other captains, nodding lightly in greeting, then—
Resolutely turned and left,
He jumped onto the assault boat, blazing flames erupting fiercely from the rear. The small assault boat shot out like an arrow from a bow, leaving a long white trail on the sea surface. Under the gaze of over a thousand Whitebeard Pirates crew members, it gradually vanished at the horizon’s edge.
“…Safe travels, you idiot son!”
Whitebeard closed his eyes, sending blessings to his departing son.
————
The shocking news spread like it had grown wings—no, more accurately, riding the express train of bio-waves via Den Den Mushi. Whitebeard Pirates Fourth Division Captain—Sachi, murdered by his shipmate Marshall Teach. This news instantly swept the New World.
This wasn’t because the Whitebeard Pirates lacked secrecy awareness.
It was simply impossible to keep secret. The Whitebeard Pirates had over 1,600 people from top to bottom, plus forty-three affiliated Pirate Crews under them… Moreover, there was no point in secrecy for such a matter. They couldn’t skip the funeral just to prevent leaks, right?
Of course, this news spreading would be embarrassing.
After all, compared to the BIG·MOM Pirates bound by blood ties, the Whitebeard Pirates seemed more like a true family to many.
Unfortunately, this legend of familial closeness was now shattered.
In short,
The matter quickly reached the ears of various powerhouses in the New World, including some in Paradise who also received the news.
BIG·MOM laughed gleefully upon hearing it, mocking Whitebeard’s foolishness in front of her children—adopted sons could never be as loyal as blood children, and so on;
The drunken Beasts shed sad tears, ranting mad talk like Whitebeard was about to die and he wanted to personally send him off;
Heavenly Yaksha sat by the window, gazing into the distance, lips curling into a crazed and ferocious smile… He smelled the scent of war; the symbol of the old era was finally about to fall, and a new era was coming soon!
The Navy, this colossal entity, needed no mention; the Whitebeard Pirates were always under specialized intelligence units. Such a major event naturally reached Marineford immediately.
Navy Headquarters was shaken.
“Real or fake? That Sachi… dead? He was strong like a monster.”
“…If it hadn’t really happened, I wouldn’t believe something like this could occur in the Whitebeard Pirates.”
“…Will the New World descend into chaos?”
“Hard to say! The other Pirate Emperors are surely watching eagerly for Whitebeard to show weakness! As long as Whitebeard isn’t senile, he definitely won’t act rashly at this time…”
“Ha? You talk like you know Whitebeard so well. I’d say, Whitebeard is famously protective of his own; this… Marshall Teach is done for soon.”
In the hallways of the headquarters building, in the cafeteria, in the smoking room… everywhere, officers were heatedly discussing.
Fleet Admiral’s office,
“Marshall Teach, do we have info on this guy?”
Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked the Rear Admiral in charge of the intelligence units.
“Yes.”
“I’ve prepared it.”
The prepared Rear Admiral of the intelligence unit respectfully handed the kraft paper bag to the man at the top of the Navy.
It must be said that Whitebeard, as the only still-active member among the three legendary pirates, received the highest level of attention from the World Government and Navy, who established a dedicated intelligence unit to investigate and monitor the Whitebeard Pirates.
From Whitebeard and the various captains down to the newly joined apprentice pirates, all were under investigation—even pets had their backgrounds checked.
Marshall Teach, as an ‘old-timer’ of the Whitebeard Pirates, naturally had his info collected long ago by the intelligence unit.
“…Joined the Whitebeard Pirates twenty-four years ago? Marshall Teach, nickname Blackbeard…”
Sengoku had no particular reaction to the nickname Blackbeard; he’d seen many similar ones—Tea Beard, Peach Beard, Bluebeard, Curly Beard, Spring Beard, Damascus Beard… endless varieties.
“…From the intel, nothing particularly stands out!”
Sengoku set down the documents.
“This… Whitebeard Pirates has sixteen divisions and over 1,600 people; it’s impossible to do deeper investigation on an ordinary crew member…” The Rear Admiral was helpless too—who could’ve known this Marshall Teach would dare commit such a earth-shattering act.
“That’s it for now!”
Sengoku didn’t pursue any responsibility; strictly speaking, there was no negligence or dereliction. Anyone managing the intelligence unit would likely yield similar results.
They couldn’t demand subordinates to be clairvoyant.
That would be unreasonable.
“Alright, you’re dismissed!” Sengoku adjusted his frog glasses, gaze toward the door, “Zephyr, Tsuru, come in!”
The Rear Admiral bowed obsequiously to the two big shots, carefully retreating and gently closing the door.
“Where’s Garp?”
Zephyr looked around.
He hadn’t seen him in the cafeteria, thinking Garp might be here mooching food and drink from Sengoku again…
“That bastard went back to East Blue.”
Sengoku said irritably.
“…Back to East Blue? At this time? Why?” Zephyr scratched his head, unable to figure why go to East Blue at this unremarkable time.
“Said he’s visiting his grandson.”
“Eh? But didn’t he just go back recently?”
“…”
Sengoku’s face darkened in silence.
Zephyr shook his head, giving up the questioning.
With their minds, they’d probably never understand Garp’s wondrous thought processes in this lifetime.
“Sengoku, about the Whitebeard Pirates matter… what do you plan to do?” Vice Admiral Tsuru sat on the sofa, straight to the point asking Sengoku’s intentions.
Zephyr sat beside Tsuru.
“This might be a sign.”
Sengoku lightly stroked his beard.
“Whitebeard… is really old! If it were before, the traitor would’ve been dealt with by him long ago; no need for a captain to hunt down a traitor.”
The intel that Fire Fist was going solo to hunt traitor Blackbeard had reached the Navy.
Not just Sengoku,
Zephyr and Tsuru had also received this intel.
“Sengoku, do you plan to move on Fire Fist?” Tsuru frowned, “Provoking Whitebeard at this time brings no benefit!”
A wounded beast is even more dangerous.
This was simple reason.
“I’m not that impatient.” Sengoku shook his head in denial, “If we move on Fire Fist, we’ll draw all of Whitebeard’s wrath onto us Navy… For Whitebeard’s matter, my opinion is to let it be, but… the Holy Land’s opinion is the exact opposite.”
“Holy Land? Hmph! What do those bureaucrats want?”
Zephyr’s attitude was hostile.
“The Holy Land believes Whitebeard is old now, the best chance to deal with him—destroy Whitebeard and his entire Pirate Crew before a second ‘Whitebeard’ emerges.” Sengoku expressionlessly relayed the Holy Land’s will.
“Have they gone mad? Are the Holy Land idiots’ heads full of horse dung? Do they think a dying Whitebeard is some pushover anyone can step on?”
Zephyr slammed the table, cursing.
Tsuru’s brows were tightly furrowed too.
The Navy wasn’t incapable of annihilating the Whitebeard Pirates, just wary of Whitebeard’s astonishing large-scale destructive power—enraging him might collapse the Red Line, and… the Navy couldn’t eliminate a Pirate Emperor without losses.
Even if they crushed the Whitebeard Pirates at a cost, the New World still had three full Pirate Emperors.
Plus rookie pirates surging into the sea more each year… The Navy must maintain sufficient deterrence at all times, or once weakness shows, not just the New World—Paradise, Four Seas… all would descend into chaos.
“Sengoku, has the Holy Land made a decision?” Tsuru stopped Zephyr’s table-slamming.
“No official order yet, but no room for change.”
“What about Fleet Admiral Kong? Does he know the Holy Land’s orders?”
Zephyr asked.
“Fleet Admiral Kong can’t change the Five Elders’ collective decision either.”
At this point,
Zephyr and Tsuru understood there was no leeway; the Holy Land seemed determined to eliminate the Whitebeard Pirates this time.
“…They’re making the Navy fill the pit with our lives? Taking down Whitebeard… hmph, easy to say… I wish those bureaucrats would try facing Whitebeard themselves to see how terrifying he is!”
“Zephyr, that’s enough. Complaining isn’t a good habit; if the Holy Land hears, it’ll be trouble.”
Sengoku’s expression was poor.
He too opposed this risky idea; the Navy bore the heavy duty of safeguarding peace on the sea, couldn’t take unnecessary risks on a whim… But clearly, the Holy Land big shots thought differently. To them, the Navy was just the World Government’s chess piece, a blade controlled by the Holy Land.
Chess pieces or blades didn’t need their own thoughts.
Just obediently follow orders.
“So, what does the Holy Land plan? Capture Fire Fist Ace to force Whitebeard to suicide?” Zephyr’s face was taut, coldly mocking; his disgust for the Holy Land deepened. Whether the military should think independently he didn’t know, but he knew the Holy Land didn’t care about civilians’ lives.
They simply didn’t grasp what chaos the New World would fall into without Whitebeard.
More accurately, they didn’t care.
“Fire Fist’s target is too small; solo actions make tracking hard… Holy Land’s intent is to first eliminate Whitebeard’s affiliated Pirate Crews, clip his wings, then Three Admirals plus Seven Warlords, full force to exterminate the Whitebeard Pirates.”
Sengoku said this with eyes closed, not daring to look at Zephyr and Tsuru’s faces.
“Haha! They really think Whitebeard is a stationary wooden man.”
Zephyr didn’t get angry this time, instead laughing.
The plan sounded plausible, but to Zephyr it was pure crap. Why would Whitebeard follow their script? Clip his wings… believe or not, the Moby Dick rams right under the Red Line, then regret after a massive earthquake hits the Red Line…
“…Sengoku, this plan has zero feasibility.”
Tsuru firmly rejected it too.
The Navy couldn’t waste strength on such a foolish plan.
“I know, I know. The issue is the Holy Land… they reacted too fast this time. We just got the intel, yet they’ve already decided…” Sengoku frowned, “The Five Elders contacted me directly. Official orders will come later, but… they’ve already demanded we immediately start preparing specific strategic and tactical plans.”
Tsuru’s eyes widened instantly.
Zephyr forgot mocking the Holy Land big shots’ madness; he sensed something abnormal.
“…Any leads?” Tsuru asked quietly.
“None, totally in the dark.”
Sengoku sighed.
If there were clues, fine—but even he, the Fleet Admiral, didn’t know what madness gripped the Holy Land!
“In any case, Zephyr, Tsuru, complain all you want, I don’t mind, but… necessary work can’t be delayed. Zephyr, don’t slack on new recruit training; we need enough manpower to replenish consumption—best see results soon. Tsuru, take the staff officers and work out the specific action plans!”
Sengoku issued orders.
The two on the sofa nodded silently.
In their minds, scenes of mountainous corpses and rivers of blood quietly emerged… Who knew how many this time wouldn’t return home!
