"Heh, don't be so tense. I don't have any ill intentions. But if we're talking about my purpose, then yes, this time I really did come for Whitebeard." Surrounded by famous pirates of the New World, the black-robed man still spoke with calm composure.
"So you really did come for Pops. If you want to make a move against him today, you'll have to get past me first." Makugai pointed his Western sword straight at the black-robed man.
"I already said I mean no harm. Are you really that nervous? On the Moby Dick of all places, do you seriously think anyone could hurt Whitebeard?" the black-robed man said with a light laugh.
"Even if no one in this world can hurt Pops, as a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, there's no way I'd allow someone to casually approach him," Makugai replied coldly. The Western sword in his hand was already poised to strike at any moment.
"You should know this as well. Among pirates, once one side draws a blade at another, it means war. Are you prepared for that?" the black-robed man raised his head as he spoke.
As his words fell, a chilling aura spread outward from his body.
Feeling that pressure, Makugai's brows tightened slightly. As expected, this was no ordinary opponent.
"Of course. From the day I joined the Whitebeard Pirates, I made up my mind that this life of mine exists for Whitebeard Pops!" Makugai declared, thrusting his sword toward the black-robed man.
Hearing those words, all the members of the Whitebeard Pirates smiled in agreement.
Even Whitebeard himself revealed a look of satisfaction, his expression proud.
With Makugai's gesture, the pirates surrounding the black-robed man immediately surged forward, intent on killing him.
"Since things have come to this, I guess there's no avoiding a fight," the black-robed man said calmly.
As he spoke, an overwhelmingly tyrannical wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from his body and spread outward in all directions.
The pirates charging toward him soon lost consciousness one after another, collapsing to the deck.
Even many pirates nearby, whose willpower was not strong enough, fell unconscious as well.
"What's going on?" a pirate cried out in panic as he looked around.
"What happened? Hey, are you okay?" another pirate who remained conscious hurried to check on a fallen companion.
"Don't panic. It's just Conqueror's Haki," Marco said calmly.
"Such powerful Conqueror's Haki. Even in the New World, that's rare," Jozu remarked.
"There's no helping it. The one who came isn't a simple character," Marco said with a smile.
"I didn't expect him to come here, and to appear so openly on the Moby Dick all by himself," Marco added.
"Conqueror's Haki, huh. That really does mean you're no ordinary opponent. All the more reason I can't let you approach Whitebeard Pops so easily!" Makugai said. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he still stood firm in front of the black-robed man.
Lightning crackled along Makugai's Western sword, whether from his Devil Fruit or from the power imbued through his swordsmanship.
The black-robed man's Conqueror's Haki put tremendous pressure on him. In the New World, the three great emperors, Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido, were all wielders of Conqueror's Haki.
The Pirate King of the previous era, Gol D. Roger, and Golden Lion Shiki had also possessed it.
Under the influence of such figures, pirates of the New World like Makugai were almost fanatical about Conqueror's Haki.
They believed that possessing Conqueror's Haki meant having the foundation to stand at the top, or at least the qualification to challenge the emperors, now or in the future. Knowing this only strengthened Makugai's resolve to stop the black-robed man.
With that thought, Makugai charged forward, his lightning-wreathed sword thrusting straight at his opponent.
Clang!
The black-robed man drew his long blade just a fraction from its sheath, perfectly blocking Makugai's strike.
"How is that possible?" Makugai cried out in disbelief as he looked down at the gash torn open across his chest, blood continuously flowing from the wound.
He could not believe it. With just a single motion of drawing his blade, the man had not only deftly blocked his attack, but had also used that same motion to release a slash of sword light that wounded him.
And the opponent had clearly held back. Otherwise, that strike would have left him either dead or completely unable to fight.
"Whitebeard, you've taken in a fine subordinate," the black-robed man said calmly.
"Kurararara. Of course. He's my beloved son," Whitebeard replied with a laugh.
"Makugai, step back," Whitebeard said as he rose to his feet.
"But Pops!" Makugai protested anxiously.
He knew that the other party had shown mercy. Otherwise, his injury would not have been so light.
Still, today was his very first day joining the Whitebeard Pirates. Being defeated so cleanly like this made him feel humiliated. How was he supposed to face the crew after this?
"Foolish son. He's no longer an opponent you can handle. You should know who he is. He's the man who defeated Golden Lion, the one people call the Dragon King. Even a half-crippled Golden Lion is still Golden Lion. He's not someone just anyone can defeat," Whitebeard said.
Hearing Whitebeard's words, Makugai stared at the black-robed man in shock.
It was a very young face. At first, Makugai had felt it looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. Now, with Whitebeard's reminder, the image from the newspapers flashed into his mind.
"He's the Dragon King, Rosinante!" Makugai exclaimed in disbelief.
That was right. This was the man whose name had recently shaken the seas, the one who defeated Kaido and Golden Lion, the newly risen emperor of the sea, Rosinante.
Many members of the Whitebeard Pirates also looked at the black-robed man in astonishment. The man before them was indeed Rosinante.
"Whitebeard, there's no problem with me asking for a cup of wine, right?" Rosinante asked with a smile as he sheathed his sword.
"Kurararara. Drinking is no problem at all. But before that, how do you plan to settle the matter of injuring my son?" Whitebeard said with a grin as he lifted his bisento and stepped forward.
"It seems a battle is unavoidable. Perfect. Then let me witness the world's strongest power," Rosinante replied as he drew his long blade.