New World — Aboard the Moby Dick, flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates
Following Thatch's murder and the theft of the Devil Fruit, Ace and Teach wasted no time. That very night, they took a fast ship and returned to the Moby Dick, bringing Thatch's body with them.
After several days of hard sailing, they finally arrived.
On the deck of the Moby Dick, Edward Newgate—Whitebeard, the man hailed as the strongest in the world—stood solemnly beneath the mast, staring at the bloodied, decaying corpse laid before him.
It had already been days, and despite Ace and Teach's best efforts to preserve the body, exposure to the harsh sea climate had taken its toll. Thatch's condition was… not pleasant to look at.
But Whitebeard didn't show the slightest disgust. He slowly crouched his massive frame and gently touched Thatch's stiffened form. After a pause, he turned, eyes dark and heavy, toward Teach—who was kneeling beside the corpse.
"Who was it?" he asked, voice like a rumble of thunder. "Who killed my son?"
Teach scowled, seething with apparent rage. "Pops… I saw his face. Some outsider I've never seen before. He suddenly appeared in the cabin—"
Of course, Whitebeard had already heard the story. Ace and Teach had told him the details several times on the way back.
But still, he listened again, carefully watching Teach's every expression.
Teach, prepared for this, delivered the story smoothly. His version was airtight, without a crack or slip. And Ace, who had never doubted him to begin with, stood silently beside them.
When Teach finished, the oppressive aura that had surrounded Whitebeard began to dissipate. Truth be told, he hadn't really suspected Teach.
After all, Teach had been with the crew for over twenty years. In that time, he'd lived and fought alongside his crewmates through countless battles, earning their trust. He was like family—no, he was family.
To say Teach had killed Thatch? Whitebeard wouldn't believe it. Not without ironclad proof.
After a moment of silence, Whitebeard stood, exhaled deeply, and suppressed his grief."Marco," he said, turning to his first division commander. "Send Thatch off. Let the sea take him home."
Marco, standing just behind Whitebeard with red-rimmed eyes, wiped away a tear and nodded."Yes, Pops."
Pirates lived with death. It was the nature of their world. Funerals, though sad, were usually simple affairs.
After giving his final orders regarding Thatch's remains, Whitebeard took a sketch from Ace and studied it for a long moment.
"A stranger, huh…"
The artist aboard the Moby Dick had done a remarkable job. Based on Teach's fleeting description, they'd managed to draw a fairly accurate likeness of Bane.
"Pops, that bastard killed Thatch. We have to avenge him!" Ace said, his voice burning with emotion.
Whitebeard nodded, his voice cold."No one harms my sons and walks away without paying the price."
Before Ace could say more, Whitebeard turned to Jozu."Jozu, send this image out. Contact all our allied captains. Tell them to search every corner of the sea."
The Whitebeard Pirates were more than just one crew. Dozens of independent captains operated under their banner, spread across the New World. Their reach was massive.
Then, before Jozu could respond, Whitebeard added,"Put out word in the Underworld too. I want this face on every wall in every black market. Five hundred million Berries—dead or alive. Find him."
Bounties weren't exclusive to the Marines. In the criminal underworld, bounties were placed on everything—from people, to Devil Fruits, to rare artifacts and forbidden knowledge.
The Marines just had the advantage of being able to post theirs in the newspapers, making them seem more official.
Once Whitebeard's orders were given, Ace stepped forward again."Pops… Thatch and I went out together, and only I came back. His death is on me. Please, let me be the one to hunt down that bastard. I won't forgive myself unless I do."
Teach chimed in immediately."Pops… it's my fault too. If I hadn't dragged Thatch into drinking so much, he wouldn't have been ambushed like that. I want to avenge him with my own hands!"
Of course, Teach didn't care about Thatch. He knew full well who the killer was—himself.
But the Yami Yami no Mi was his obsession. And from what he'd seen, that mysterious thief was a Devil Fruit user. No one else could just open a glowing gate out of thin air.
If that guy had the power to open portals… maybe he hadn't eaten the fruit yet. Maybe there was still a chance to take it back.
As far as Teach was concerned, the only way forward was to find the thief, reclaim the fruit, and kill him. After that, the rest could be handled however necessary.
Whitebeard thought for a moment, then nodded in approval.
Say what you would about the crew—but they moved fast. With Whitebeard's command issued, word began spreading across the seas within hours.
Marine Headquarters — Marineford, That Afternoon
At the top floor of the towering Justice Fortress, Fleet Admiral Sengoku received a new intelligence report from the Navy's surveillance bureau.
Reading over the file, Sengoku furrowed his brows in surprise.
"A commander from the Whitebeard Pirates was killed?"
Sitting across from him on the couch was Vice Admiral Tsuru, strategist of the Navy's Intelligence Division. Calmly sipping tea, she nodded."I was surprised too. But the report came directly from Whitebeard's own crew. They've even put a bounty out. Looks like it's real."
Sengoku nodded, then lifted the sketch of Bane from the desk.
"Who is this guy?" he asked, eyeing the image.
"No idea," Tsuru said flatly. "Name, age, background—nothing. According to the pirates' info, he might be a spatial-type ability user."
"Even our intel network can't find anything?" Sengoku muttered, clearly annoyed.
The Navy, backed by the World Government and supported by CP, had one of the most extensive intelligence networks on the planet. That they knew nothing about this person was… troubling.
Tsuru explained,"It happened suddenly. Even with our reach, it'll take time to gather data. I've already dispatched investigators. We'll have results soon."
Sengoku thought about it and nodded.
"Good. Dig deep. If this guy doesn't have a criminal record… maybe we can recruit him."
Tsuru raised an eyebrow, smirking."Recruit him? You're going to make Whitebeard your enemy?"
Sengoku let out a laugh."We're the Navy. If others fear Whitebeard, that's their problem. Not ours."
Lately, Sengoku had been feeling the weight of his age. His energy wasn't what it once was. He'd started to wonder if it was time to begin handing things over to the next generation.
But before that happened, there was still one more thing he wanted to do.
Break the Whitebeard Pirates.
He didn't have a complete plan yet—but he had a feeling. A sharp, almost instinctual sense that this event—this mysterious man and the chaos he'd sparked—might just be the key.
It wasn't time yet. But soon.
He would wait. And when the time came—
He would strike.