Although there had been some minor twists and turns along the way, in the end, Weevil still successfully reunited with his biological father—Whitebeard.
Weevil looked like a big, dim-witted oaf on the outside, but Whitebeard didn't dislike him in the slightest.
On the contrary, after accepting this fact, he became curious just how much of his own strength his son had inherited!
So without saying another word, he grabbed the big dumb kid and leapt off the Moby Dick to the nearby island to spar with him.
Marco could only look helplessly at the two towering figures fading into the distance.
Great.
The old man had thrown all the diplomatic work onto his shoulders again.
Ever since they'd signed that cooperation treaty on Fishman Island, this kind of task had always fallen to him.
He'd just gotten used to it.
"Why are you just standing there? Let's go watch the fun too," Michael said with a shrug. "If you've got any complaints, now's the time to bring them up."
With that, his four pure-white wings suddenly spread wide, and with a single flap, he soared straight up into the sky.
Marco shook his head, transformed into the phoenix, and followed after him.
"Seriously, Michael, bringing the old man's son back at a time like this—what exactly are you after?"
"After working with me for so many years, Marco, do you really not believe in even the most basic trust between allies?" Michael looked at him with a hurt expression, as if deeply wounded. "I can't believe doing a good deed means I get questioned by the family… If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have bothered. Wouldn't it have been better to just bring Weevil into the Marines with me?"
"Oh, cut it out, Michael. You never do anything unless it benefits you," Marco said with dark lines forming on his forehead, cutting off Michael's green-tea act.
"I might not know what exactly you're plotting right now, but I'm sure you already have something in mind. So just lay it out. Since Pops let me talk to you alone, it means he's given me full authority."
"Tsk tsk, Marco, sometimes you really aren't as dumb as you look."
"When have I ever been dumb, you bastard!?"
While they bickered, the two had already reached the sky above Whitebeard and Weevil, looking down from above at the 'monster' father and son's duel.
Whitebeard wielded his famed naginata, while the naginata in Weevil's hands—though Marco didn't know its name—was clearly no cheap weapon either.
After all, anything that could clash dozens of times with Murakumogiri without breaking couldn't possibly be of low quality.
"Tsk tsk, the power behind those swings… he really does have a bit of Pops' old style in him. Just from that strength alone, I'm convinced he's Pops' real son!"
"So just now, you weren't convinced?"
"You think I'd just blindly believe that some big dumb kid brought in by a Marine is Pops' son?" Marco sighed. "It's just that Pops chose to believe Weevil—and to believe you."
"Oi oi oi, don't tell me that old man Whitebeard still hasn't given up on adopting me as his son?" Michael twitched the corner of his mouth.
"I'm a Chief Inspector now, on the same level as the Admirals. Frankly speaking, technically, you're not even qualified to talk to me. We're not on the same rank or level, you know?"
"Can you go one day without acting like a show-off?" Marco gave him a look. "Go on then—what scheme do you have this time, and which unlucky bastard are you targeting?"
"You make it sound so bad. Can't I just bring Pops his eldest son and give the Whitebeard Pirates a little gift while I'm at it?" Michael smirked. "I really see a lot of potential in your Whitebeard Kingdom, you know…"
"What Whitebeard Kingdom? Michael, are you losing your mind? We're pirates, a pirate crew—what the hell are you talking about!?"
Marco reflexively shot back, then suddenly realized what Michael had just said.
For a moment, he forgot to flap his wings and plummeted straight toward the ground.
Michael reacted quickly and caught him in one swoop.
"That shocked you that much?"
"Holy shit! After what you just said, how could I not be shocked!?" Marco wiped the cold sweat beading on his forehead. "What the hell, Whitebeard Kingdom? Michael, what exactly are you scheming?"
"I'm just having a normal discussion with you guys," Michael said matter-of-factly. "Seeing if the Whitebeard Pirates have any interest in taking off the pirate label."
Michael was making an outrageous proposal to what was currently the strongest pirate crew in the world.
But he knew—no matter how powerful the Whitebeard Pirates were—the same principle still applied…
If people could live in peace, no one would want to be a pirate.
In the Great Pirate Era, many set out to sea chasing Roger's so-called "treasure."
But Whitebeard had never cared about that "One Piece" from the very beginning.
He'd only set sail in search of a family.
In other words, from the very start, Whitebeard wasn't a true pirate at heart.
His conduct and personality were very different from what most would call a "pirate."
Michael had always believed that the Whitebeard Pirates and Charlotte Linlin's Totto Land were less like pirate "territories"…
And more like feudal states with carved-out dominions.
No kingdom in name, but a kingdom in truth.
And they were two of the most powerful kingdoms in the world.
So Michael had always wondered—why not make these two powerful "kingdoms" official?
That way, not only could he secure two strong anchors on his side in the turbulent New World, but he could also carve out two massive chunks of pirate power.
If the two "Emperors of the Sea" really became kings, setting clear borders and maritime boundaries…
The next step would be a large-scale purge of pirates both inside and outside their territories.
That picture alone was terrifying.
And the Whitebeard Pirates absolutely had the foundation for building a nation.
Leaving aside that Whitebeard's protection already stretched from the New World to Paradise, just the forty-two allied pirate crews under his banner—if they were to follow him down the path of legitimacy—would be a massive boon to the world.
Marco stared at Michael in shock.
He'd thought of many possibilities when he followed him up here.
He thought Michael might be trying to make the Whitebeard Pirates do something the Marines shouldn't…
But he hadn't expected something this insane!
"Are you seriously… okay in the head?"
"The only problem with my head is that I didn't make you do this earlier," Michael shrugged.
"Honestly, don't look at all those countries in the New World… the happiest people are actually the ones living on your two pirate territories. Who can you even complain to about that?"
"So…"
"Why not let the ordinary people you protect…"
"Have their wish come true?"
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