"Pops! This is bad! Teach killed everyone in the Fourth Division and escaped!"
On the Moby Dick, Marco stood before Whitebeard, who sat receiving an IV drip. The air felt heavy with dread.
The words struck like thunder.
Whitebeard shot up from his chair in disbelief, the needles tearing from his arm. He swayed, his eyes wide.
One of his own sons… had slaughtered their brothers?
"What about Thatch? How is he?"
Marco's fists clenched as his eyes welled with fury and grief.
"Thatch was the first to die... Teach killed him for the Devil Fruit he found."
The blood surged violently from Whitebeard's mouth. His already fragile body trembled as he collapsed to one knee, gripping his chest.
Marco lunged forward and supported him, gently easing him back into his chair. His heart was pounding with panic.
If something happened to Pops now... the Whitebeard Pirates would fall into chaos.
Whitebeard slowly caught his breath. His chest still burned, but he managed to speak.
"I always knew... that Teach had ambition. But this…"
"…I never thought he'd do something this vile."
Marco's face was a mask of rage. He couldn't forgive Teach—not now, not ever.
"Pops! Let me go after him. Let me make him pay. He has to answer for what he's done!"
But Whitebeard raised a trembling hand and shook his head.
"No… don't rush. Teach has hidden his true strength for decades. And now he has the Devil Fruit he wanted. He wouldn't have done this unless he was sure he could get away with it."
"So what? We let him walk free?!"
"We'll avenge Thatch... but not yet."
Before Marco could press further, Jozu ran in breathlessly.
"Pops! Red-Haired Shanks is here!"
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed.
"Shanks? What's he doing here now?"
Before the thought could finish, Shanks stepped aboard, walking toward them with firm, steady steps.
Whitebeard glared at him.
"Red-Haired brat… I'm not in the mood today. If you're here to talk about Purple Kirin, save it."
Shanks shook his head... then nodded, clearly torn.
"I heard about Thatch. I'm sorry, Whitebeard."
Whitebeard growled. "If you came just to say that, I appreciate it. You can leave."
"I came to say more."
Shanks looked Whitebeard in the eye, his voice firm.
"Don't send anyone after Teach. That man is far more dangerous than you think."
Marco's expression twisted with fury.
"Don't meddle in our affairs! We'll avenge our comrades, whether you approve or not! I'll bring Teach back in chains!"
Whitebeard watched Marco's outburst, then looked at Shanks.
He had been trying to protect his sons. But now…
Was he, Whitebeard, going to sit quietly while one of his sons murdered the others?
Shanks could say "don't pursue him"—because those weren't his brothers who died.
But Whitebeard couldn't.
He turned to Marco, eyes filled with conviction.
"Marco... you're right."
"This vengeance belongs to us. Go find Teach—and bring him back!"
Shanks stepped forward quickly, pointing to the scars across his left eye.
"Whitebeard! You don't know how deeply Teach hides his strength! These scars… they came from him!"
But Whitebeard said nothing.
He simply rested a hand on Marco's shoulder.
Marco's voice cracked.
"Pops... I'm leaving now. Please take care of yourself while I'm gone."
Whitebeard gave a rare, gentle smile.
"Go. If anything happens... I'll be here. Because I am Whitebeard! Gurararara!"
Marco turned around. He hesitated for only a moment—then flames burst from his back.
His arms became massive, flame-covered wings, and his body morphed into his Phoenix Zoan full-beast form—a blazing, sky-blue bird.
With one powerful flap, he shot into the sky, wind howling in his wake.
Shanks watched Marco vanish into the clouds, face grim.
"You'll regret this, Whitebeard."
"Hmph. You don't get to interfere in the affairs of the Whitebeard Pirates, brat."
A massive pressure rocked the Moby Dick.
Two Conqueror's Haki collided in the air—Whitebeard's and Shanks'—causing the ship to tremble and sending weaker crew members collapsing around them.
Jozu's heart pounded. He feared that if this continued, an all-out battle could erupt.
But after a moment, Shanks sighed and withdrew his Haki.
Whitebeard followed suit.
Shanks took a breath and said, "If things are going to spiral out of control… then let's try to fix what we can."
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?"
"You remember I told you... Admiral Purple Kirin can possess more than one Devil Fruit ability?"
"Tch. Yeah, you said that nonsense."
"It's not nonsense. He's extremely interested in powerful Devil Fruits. I don't know exactly what fruit Teach got, but if it was enough to make him defect—it's no ordinary power."
Shanks' eyes gleamed.
"Let's leak the news. Tell the world that Teach obtained a Devil Fruit of unimaginable power. I'm sure... Kirin will come for him."
Shanks wanted to use Uchiha Chiga, now Admiral Purple Kirin, as a blade against Blackbeard.
Because even though Blackbeard bore the name of "D."... he wasn't like Luffy or Ace.
No—he reminded Shanks of Rocks. The same darkness... the same hunger.
And Rocks, the monster of God Valley, could never be allowed to rise again.