The silence on the deck gave way to a rising murmur. Hundreds of eyes—filled with astonishment, fear, and hopeful admiration—stared at Marco and me. The blue radiance emanating from Marco's back outshone the sunlight, painting the deck in celestial azure. As for me, every muscle fiber in my bare torso stood taut like a fortress carved from stone; each breath from my lungs echoed like the calm before a storm.
"Oyaji?" Vista adjusted his elegant mustache, his hand instinctively moving toward his sword hilt. His eyes scanned Marco's melted brass telescope and the still-smoldering hole in the ship's wall. "This... how is this possible? Marco's power..."
"*Has changed*, Vista," I replied, my voice calm but ironclad with resolve. "Just like mine. Ace's time is running out. The World Government prepares to spill our son's blood. And we... will elevate our preparations to a new level."
Jozu crossed his massive diamond arms, brows furrowed. "We're ready, Oyaji! We'd set sail for Marineford today if needed! But this power... Is it an Awakening? Or..." His gaze shifted to Marco's faintly glowing form.
"*Prime*, my sons," I explained. "The ultimate potential slumbering within us. The seed each of you carries... my new power can instantly sprout it into its most glorious tree. Permanently." I turned to the entire crew. "For Ace! For Thatch! For all our lost sons... and for our future! Today, the Whitebeard Pirates will be reborn as the strongest force history has ever witnessed! Division Commanders... step forward!"
Vista took the first step. His eyes burned with a swordsman's pure desire – to transcend limits, to reach higher. He stood gracefully before me, drew his sword, and placed it respectfully on the deck. "What is my potential, Oyaji?" he asked, his voice trembling with uncharacteristic excitement.
In my mind, the "Prime" ability activated. I *saw* the titan within Vista: Mihawk's equal, perhaps his superior. A being one with the soul of the blade, whose edge could split atoms, whose Haki could feel the fabric of the universe. "Sharpness to challenge the title of World's Greatest Swordsman, Vista," I murmured, placing my giant hand on his shoulder. At the touch, that cosmic energy flow became palpable again. "Ready?"
Vista took a deep breath, closed his eyes. "Always, Father."
"***REACH PRIME!***"
This energy explosion was different from Marco's. Sharp. Predatory. It sliced through the air like a blade. *SHIIIN!* Vista's body was enveloped in blinding white light for an instant. Then, the light subsided, replaced by a concentrated *presence*. Vista opened his eyes. His irises had turned steely grey, swirling with tiny, spinning sword-like glints. The air around him vibrated as if constantly sliced by invisible blades. The sword on the deck trembled and leapt into the air as if summoned. Vista guided it with just his gaze, no hand movement. The sword floated around him like a silent, deadly serpent.
"This… feeling…" Vista whispered, touching the edge of his blade with a finger. Not a scratch, not a drop of blood. But where his finger touched, the blade's steel *gleamed* as if its sharpness had doubled. He looked up, gazing at the distant horizon. He raised his hand, flicked his index finger lightly into the void. *Viyuuuut!* An invisible slash tore across the sea's surface, erupting in a giant plume of water kilometers away. The Moby Dick tilted slightly. Vista blinked at the magnitude of his own power, then turned to me. His shock gave way to profound gratitude and lethal calm. "Thank you, Oyaji. I eagerly await the look on Mihawk's face."
Next was Jozu. The massive man strode forward, shaking the deck. His face lacked Vista's elegance, showing only raw, uncontrolled anticipation. "My turn, Oyaji! How strong can I be?"
I sensed his potential – pure, unbreakable resilience. Strength beyond all physical limits. "The world will be your plaything, Jozu," I laughed. "Ready?"
Jozu thumped his massive fists against his chest. "BRING IT ON!"
"***REACH PRIME!***"
Jozu's transformation was an explosion. *BOOOM!* Deep cracks opened on the deck beneath his feet. His entire body instantly transformed into diamond – purer, denser, more luminous than his own, like a meteor glowing in dark space. Muscles bulged beneath the diamond armor; veins pulsed like rivers of light filled with energy. He roared – not in pain, but in the ecstasy of raw power. *POOOOWEER!* His voice sent out a shockwave that staggered nearby crewmen. He raised a diamond fist and brought it down into the void. *KRAAAK!* The air *shattered* like glass at the point of impact, leaving invisible cracks for a split second. The pressure wave created a tsunami dozens of meters high.
"HAHAHA! NOW THAT'S POWER!" Jozu bellowed, admiring his new body. He stomped his feet lightly. *THUD!* The deck groaned, cracks widening. Marco raised an eyebrow and waved his hand. Blue flames danced over the cracks, instantly repairing and strengthening the wood. Jozu tapped his diamond forearm with a diamond finger. *Ting!* A clean, crystalline sound rang out. "Vista! Try it now!"
Vista raised his hand elegantly. With a flick of his index finger, he 'swiped' toward Jozu's diamond arm. *SKREEEEEK!* A high-pitched, grating screech echoed. On Jozu's arm, a thin, misty line appeared where Vista's attack landed. It faded in less than a second. Jozu stared, then burst out laughing. "UNBELIEVABLE! You, *you* could barely leave a mark!"
It was Izo's turn. The marksman captain of the Spade Pirates stepped forward with his usual calm demeanor, but a hidden fire burned in his eyes. "My potential, Oyaji?" he asked softly, his voice laced with curiosity.
I saw the latent power within him: incredible speed, flawless accuracy, an almost telepathic bond with firearms. Every bullet could be a curse seeking its target. "A sniper who can shake islands with one bullet, Izo," I said. "Ready?"
Izo closed his eyes, touched his heart. "For Ace. Yes."
"***REACH PRIME!***"
Izo's transformation was silent but profound. His body didn't become invisible, but his presence blurred, becoming almost transparent for a moment. When his eyes opened, his irises had turned gold, with swirling rings of intense focus. The pistols at his hips flew from their holsters into his hands. As he touched them, the weapons were coated in a thin golden light, looking more aerodynamic, more *lethal*. Izo turned his head slightly. His gaze locked onto a seabird soaring kilometers away on the horizon. Without hesitation, he raised one pistol and fired. *BANG!* The sound was sharper, higher than expected. The bullet vanished like an invisible beam. A second later, the tiny speck of the bird exploded into a puff of feathers in the distance. Izo spun his gun gracefully and holstered it. "Interesting," he murmured, his golden eyes still focused afar. "The wind's curve, gravity... it's all in my palm now. Sakazuki's head will be the next target."
A wave of euphoria swept the deck. The other captains and crew cheered and applauded at the miracles they'd witnessed. "OUR TURN, OYAJI!" "WE'LL SAVE ACE!" "WHITEBEARD FLEET!"
I smiled. This passion, this unshakeable faith... this was my family. "Steady, my sons!" I roared, my voice rising above their cheers. "All commanders will be empowered! The entire fleet! When we storm Marineford to take Ace back, the World Government will learn the true meaning of terror! Marco!"
"Here, Oyaji!" Marco appeared beside me, his blue energy absorbing the sunlight.
"Send an urgent summons to all division commanders and allied fleet captains. These last weeks before Ace's execution... we will use to transform into Golden Age warriors. All ships, set course for the Moby Dick. Saving Ace is just the beginning. We..." I clenched my fist. A simple motion, but it created a *thoom* sound and a temporary vacuum in the air. "...will change the balance of this world!"
"Understood, Oyaji!" Marco's wings unfurled in a storm of blue flame. "The call will go out!" He hovered for a moment, then shot into the sky like lightning, leaving a blue trail. His speed was blinding compared to before.
Vista swung his sword gracefully, creating a palpable 'slicing' sound in the air. "The Marines will need their 'Sword Masters.' I shall prepare them."
Jozu slammed his diamond arms together, sparks leaving small scorch marks on the deck. "I'll reinforce the ship! Even these little tremors are unacceptable now!" He bent down, driving diamond fingers into a fresh crack on the deck. *Screech!* The crack sealed rapidly under his raw power, the wood seeming to come alive.
Izo leaned against the deck railing, his golden eyes scanning the horizon. "My eyes... see much farther now," he whispered to himself. "The towers of Marineford... I could pick off a sentry there right now." His other pistol vibrated slightly in its holster, as if in response.
A revolutionary wind blew across the deck. Fear had given way to unshakeable confidence, despair to boundless belief in power. In the eyes of each son, alongside the desire to reach Ace, burned a new fire: the fire of what they could do with this new strength.
I walked to the bow of the Moby Dick, my new muscles flexing and relaxing with fluid motion. Before me stretched the vast blue of the New World. But within me, illuminated by the "fan's" knowledge, a much clearer map shone: Marineford's defenses, the Admirals' powers, every corner of the battlefield... and Ace's path from Impel Down's deepest level to the execution platform.
*Soon, my son,* I thought, clenching my fist. The fresh, powerful air filling my lungs swirled like a tempest. *Very soon. Your father is coming. And this time... no one... nothing... will take you from me. Gurararara!*
The sea foamed silently beneath the Moby Dick. But the silence was deceptive. The storm was gathering. And we were the lightning bolts of the Golden Age at its heart.