New World, near the waters of Aquino Island.
At this moment, the massive fleet of the Whitebeard Pirates was sailing through the area.
There was no denying the sheer scale of the Whitebeard Pirates' fleet. Aside from their flagship, the Moby Dick, and three escort ships of the same class, most of their other vessels couldn't compare to the Marines' standard warships in terms of size.
But numbers made up for everything.
The Whitebeard Pirates' core crew alone had sixteen captains. Although these captains usually stayed aboard the Moby Dick, they often traveled independently and each commanded their own subordinates. The fleet formed by these sixteen captains alone consisted of more than twenty pirate warships.
On top of that, Whitebeard also had over thirty independent pirate captains under his banner, including figures like the Ice Witch and the Great Vortex Spider. Some commanded a single ship, others several, and this time they had all been mobilized for the decisive battle.
As a result, the grand fleet heading toward Aquino Island now totaled nearly seventy warships.
When this vast pirate armada reached the waters near Aquino Island, the Moby Dick began to slow down.
As if everything had already been arranged, the thirty pirate warships at the rear of the formation lowered their sails and dropped anchor, stopping in that area instead of advancing further.
Aboard the Moby Dick, Newgate watched the scene and gave a quiet order.
"Have the rear fleet wait here and handle extraction."
As he spoke, a trace of complexity flickered through Newgate's eyes. The odds in this battle were not in his favor. The Marines had laid a net over the island, waiting for him to step straight into it.
But things had already come this far. He had no choice but to steel himself and walk this path.
No matter the outcome, he had to leave the Whitebeard Pirates with a final thread of hope. That hope was a route of retreat. The rear fleet existed for that very purpose. Whether they won or lost, they would have to withdraw from Aquino Island, and the Marines would never allow that to happen unchallenged. When that moment came, the rear fleet would be essential.
The ships assigned to the rear weren't fully loaded with personnel. They only needed enough people to keep the vessels under control.
All remaining combatants would be concentrated in the forward fleet to face the Marines head-on. So this wasn't an excessive division of forces. Combined with the pirates they had recruited recently, the Whitebeard Pirates could still commit more than fifty thousand fighters to the battlefield.
As the Whitebeard Pirates reorganized their formation, Marco, standing in the lookout atop the mast, suddenly noticed something.
"Oyaji! There's a ship approaching under our Whitebeard Pirates' flag, but it's definitely not one of ours. Should we take it out?"
Newgate paused.
Surely the Marines wouldn't use something this stupid to get close to him.
After a brief moment of thought, Newgate replied decisively,
"No need. Let that ship come closer. I want to see who dares to use my name so casually."
Before long, the pirate ship flying the Whitebeard Pirates' flag drew alongside the Moby Dick.
Standing high on the deck, Newgate could already see the figures aboard.
His brow furrowed slightly, confusion crossing his face.
Because the people who had arrived were none other than his former crewmate from the Rocks Pirates, the woman long rumored across the seas to be his secret lover… Buckingham Stussy, along with a burly man covered in scars. The only thing that truly stood out was the crescent-shaped mustache on the man's face, eerily similar to Newgate's own.
"Newgate!" Buckingham Stussy screeched sharply. "Hurry up and lower the gangplank! Let us aboard!"
Newgate looked at the two of them, then waved his hand.
"Lower the gangplank. Let them come up."
Soon, Buckingham Stussy boarded the Moby Dick together with her precious son, Edward Weevil.
Before Newgate could say a single word, Weevil rushed over with tears streaming down his face and shouted at the top of his lungs,
"Father!!!"
Newgate???
No matter how many times he'd said it before, he had to say it again in his own mind. Although the seas were full of rumors claiming Buckingham Stussy was his secret lover, he had never had any real intimate relationship with that woman.
Let alone having a child with her.
So where the hell did this son come from?
And even though the situation made him feel incredibly awkward… what was going on with that mustache?
Had he really gotten so drunk back on Rocks' ship that he'd unknowingly left a seed behind with Buckingham Stussy?
Newgate ignored Weevil and instead turned his frown toward Buckingham Stussy.
"Buckingham, what are you doing here?"
"Of course I'm here to lend you a hand!" Buckingham Stussy answered without hesitation.
At that moment, Marco climbed down from the mast and walked over to Newgate. Lowering his voice, he said, "Oyaji, since the beginning of this year, forces from the Dark World, the CP Organization, the Marines, and the Big Mom Pirates have all been hunting Buckingham and her people…"
"Was this Ortoren's doing?" Newgate asked at once.
After all, in the entire New World, the only person capable of mobilizing the Dark World, the CP Organization, the Marines, and the Big Mom Pirates all at once was Ortoren.
"It should be him," Marco nodded. "No idea how Buckingham managed to offend Ortoren, but it looks like he wants them dead. The bounty posted in the Dark World is dead or alive. As long as you bring back a head, you get the reward."
Hearing this, Newgate immediately understood Buckingham Stussy's intentions.
Throughout the New World, no one dared risk offending Ortoren by offering Buckingham Stussy protection. The Dark World wouldn't do it. Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin wouldn't either. Looking across the entire New World, the only force capable of sheltering Buckingham and her people was the Whitebeard Pirates.
The Whitebeard Pirates were already at war with the New World Marines led by Ortoren. They were enemies to begin with, so offending Ortoren made little difference.
And Buckingham could clearly sense it. In this upcoming battle between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines, the odds were not in Whitebeard's favor. If Newgate were truly defeated and killed here, there would no longer be a place for her anywhere in the New World.
In fact, once Ortoren won a decisive victory, there would be no path to survival for her anywhere in the world.
To this day, Buckingham Stussy still had no idea how she had offended this New World giant. But she had no way out anymore. Her best option was to gamble. Help the Whitebeard Pirates defeat the Marines. Not only would that resolve her immediate crisis, it would also allow her to formally join the Whitebeard Pirates through this act of timely support.
As long as she gained Newgate's approval, Weevil would naturally become his son. Then, once Whitebeard eventually passed on, with Weevil's overwhelming strength and her own guidance, wouldn't this massive pirate crew that dominated the New World fall neatly into her hands?
A gamble, plain and simple. Lose, and she would merely walk toward an already doomed end. Win, and she would gain unimaginable wealth and power.
Charlotte Linlin had always looked down on Buckingham Stussy, calling her a useless woman. But Buckingham had once sailed aboard the Rocks Pirates. When pushed to the brink, she still possessed the courage to stake everything.
"Even though you've always refused to admit it, Newgate, Weevil truly carries your blood," Buckingham Stussy said, waving her arms as her voice grew exaggerated. "Just look at him. Don't you see how much he resembles you? And look at how strong he is! I can say this with absolute certainty. Weevil is stronger than any of the commanders under your command. He will definitely be able to help you in this war!"
Newgate had no interest in arguing with her about Weevil's bloodline. After staring at Buckingham for a long moment, he finally spoke.
"Set sail. Continue toward Achino Island."
As Newgate's order was passed down, the Whitebeard Pirates' massive fleet began to move once more.
By not ordering Buckingham Stussy and her group off the ship, Newgate had already made his stance clear. He had agreed to work with her.
At this distance, as a top-tier powerhouse, Newgate could indeed sense something coming from Weevil. A powerful, oppressive presence.
Regardless of how strong Weevil truly was, or whether he really surpassed Newgate's commanders as Buckingham boasted, he was undeniably a usable fighting force.
Bringing him along meant one more source of strength against the Marines.
With matters having reached this point, Newgate had no reason to refuse.