Chapter 216: The Indifferent God
He vaguely sensed the crucial point,
watching the moment when Red-Haired Shanks boarded the Moby Dick and said, "According to the original course of fate, I was supposed to meet Shanks in the New World."
"But now, I'm in the East Blue instead."
"Is it your appearance that changed the course of what was once destined?"
Whitebeard, unconsciously, began addressing Fang Yi with respectful formality.
The power the Game Merchant had displayed was worthy of respect.
"That's right."
Fang Yi nodded with a smile.
Talking with someone sharp was always easier. If it had been someone like Straw Hat Luffy, even if he were bursting with potential, Fang Yi wouldn't have bothered to explain anything.
"To me, the past, the present, and the future are all a lifeless, unchanging sea."
As Fang Yi touched the star that represented Whitebeard again—seeking out some more interesting moments—he added,
"If I wish it, anything can be changed."
The image froze.
It was a memory from the Rocks Pirates era, when Whitebeard had followed Rocks to attack God Valley.
Whitebeard's face showed a touch of nostalgia.
That battle had indeed shaken the world—it had drawn in Pirate King Roger, the top brass of Marine Headquarters, Imu's Divine Knights, and the Four Emperors who ruled today.
"Mr. Fang Yi…"
Whitebeard's expression shifted to one of shock,
as he watched Fang Yi reach out and touch a moment in the river of time—precisely when he had clashed with the Divine Knights.
The enemy had been overwhelmingly strong. Even at his peak, Whitebeard had sustained multiple serious injuries in that fight.
He instinctively placed a hand over his chest, where one of those injuries had left a deep scar.
Then suddenly,
Whitebeard froze, cold sweat breaking out across his brow.
He looked down quickly—and found that the scar, one that had remained even after all other wounds had healed, was gone.
Since his youth at sea,
he had remembered every fight, every enemy, every wound in clear detail.
Yet now, the two scars he remembered most clearly on his chest… had vanished.
No.
Not vanished for no reason...
Whitebeard's eyes shot up in horror, locking onto Fang Yi's hand as it hovered over the star.
A memory—long buried and faded—resurfaced in his mind.
Back during the battle at God Valley,
there had been a strike from a Divine Knight that should have severely injured him.
But at the last moment, a mysterious man had stepped in and blocked the blow.
That man's face…
slowly overlapped with Fang Yi's.
"This kind of thing…!"
Whitebeard shook his head violently. But the more he remembered, the clearer the scene became.
After a while,
he gave up, sighing with a bitter smile. "It seems the World Government has vastly underestimated your power."
No matter how strong someone was—
whether they shattered cities, destroyed islands, or even sank the Red Line…
Even if they forged phantom Marine Headquarters from thin air…
Fear had its limits. Even if Fang Yi could split the seas with a single punch, Whitebeard could still comprehend it.
But this—
bending time, touching the past, rewriting the future… What kind of power was this?
It could only be the power of a god.
"So this is the truth. And the World Government actually dared to try negotiating with you…"
Now that Fang Yi had revealed his power to twist time, the previous negotiations and threats from the World Government felt laughable—
like an ant baring its claws at a dragon.
Fang Yi didn't respond to that. Instead, he steered the conversation back on track.
"If, in your eyes, everything in the river of time is destined—what would you do?"
"Me?"
Whitebeard hadn't expected the Game Merchant to ask him.
After a moment of serious thought, he said in a deep voice, "If I had power like yours, I wouldn't sit and wait. I'd change things myself."
He wasn't someone who could sit still.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have created the Whitebeard Pirates, or gathered such a large family of sons.
It was as if he had touched on something. Whitebeard's eyes widened suddenly.
"You're right."
Fang Yi smiled. "Even with overwhelming power, if everything around you is an unchanging sea of stillness, it becomes boring."
"If I have any purpose at all, it might be to give lives like yours—those trapped by their native world—a power that can alter the future."
And that wasn't wrong.
Without Fang Yi's interference, the fate of these worlds was sealed.
They would all be consumed by the Corrupted Worlds.
"Just like… when I raised my sons?"
Whitebeard recalled similar emotions.
On the Moby Dick, many of his sons had once been hunted by the Marines, bullied by other pirates, and driven to despair.
Only after encountering him had they clawed their way out of the mud and discovered a greater world.
"Very similar."
Fang Yi nodded. "But I don't have your patience. I don't guide players to grow."
"I simply give those who believe in the Reincarnation Game a chance to break their shackles."
"Whether they succeed, or get swept away by the torrent—
I won't offer any further help."
"Fate rests in their own hands."
Even those overflowing with potential—like Luffy, Sasuke, or Naruto—
would eventually run out of origin energy.
The origin energy of a Tier-1 world could only help them grow to its peak.
What came after… depended on them.
"Gurarararara…"
"Is that so? You're truly a cold-hearted god."
Whitebeard let out a hearty laugh. Rather than discouraging him, Fang Yi's words only stirred his fighting spirit.
"In that case, I, as their father, will be the one to help my sons grasp their futures and break their chains!"
If it were only for himself,
Whitebeard wouldn't have had the motivation. As a remnant of the old era, he no longer cared to chase power for himself.
But if it meant protecting his crew from becoming obsolete—
if it meant ensuring his sons weren't shackled by fate—
Then he'd fight to the death without hesitation.
"As a Pirate Emperor, any island you fully control can be exchanged for reward points."
"For example, Fish-Man Island—where your name offers symbolic protection only—cannot be fully redeemed, though you can extract partial rewards."
Seeing Whitebeard so energized, Fang Yi nodded in satisfaction and explained.
This was exactly the drive he needed.
If Whitebeard could maintain that momentum, his deep reserves of power would allow him to break into the top ranks among players.
"I won't trade islands I only protect in name."
Whitebeard shook his head. "Fish-Man Island belongs to King Neptune. Every year, he gives the Whitebeard Pirates countless undersea goods—far more than what protection fees would cover."
His nature was straightforward.
He hated dirty tricks and shady dealings, which was why so many islands had willingly accepted his protection.
And while he could draw from their essence, it went against his principles.
"The treasure we've accumulated over the years should be enough.
And there are plenty of islands under our real control."
Though he hadn't interacted much with the Reincarnation Game yet,
Whitebeard had already begun planning in his mind.
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on January 2, 2026.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1