The night sea breeze swept across the deck, carrying with it the faint, salty tang of seawater.
The very air seemed to freeze.
Marco, Jozu, and Vista—three of the Whitebeard Pirates' top division captains—stood like immovable mountains, cutting off every escape for Lucian Thorn.
The surrounding crew members fell silent. They felt the heavy pressure and turned their eyes toward the scene, filled with confusion and scrutiny.
"Lucian."
Marco's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority.
"Who exactly are you?"
"The power you displayed isn't something a rookie should possess."
Faced with this crushing interrogation, Lucian's expression didn't waver in the slightest.
He blinked, his youthful face first showing a blank, innocent confusion, as though he had no idea what Marco was even talking about.
But that confusion was swiftly replaced by an uncontrollable, almost fanatical excitement.
"Power?"
"What power?"
Lucian lowered his head, spread out his hands, clenched them into fists, then suddenly released them, as though marveling at some new toy.
"I don't know either, Brother Marco!"
He raised his head, looking at Marco with sparkling eyes, his tone brimming with the excitement of discovery.
"Ever since I joined the Whitebeard Pirates, I've felt like there's endless strength in my body every single day!"
"Especially… especially when I'm giving Pops a back massage!"
His voice grew louder, his gestures wilder. His naïve enthusiasm choked off the next line of questioning Marco had been preparing.
Vista frowned slightly, unable to detect any flaws in the boy's act.
Jozu remained silent, arms crossed, but in his deep eyes flickered a trace of doubt.
'This reaction… it doesn't seem fake.'
"Brother Marco, are you talking about Haki?"
Lucian suddenly slapped his thigh, as if he had figured everything out, his tone excited.
"I get it! I finally get it!"
He took a deep breath, his face turning red as he practically shouted his declaration of truth to the whole deck.
"I think… it must be Pops' Conqueror's Haki being too strong!"
"That presence, that majesty—it's like the blazing sun in the sky!"
"Being by Pops' side every day, bathed in that overwhelming Haki, breathing it in… even a pig would be molded into a tiger!"
The absurd logic left the entire deck in stunned silence.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Awakening Haki because you were 'marinated' by someone else's aura?
What kind of ridiculous excuse was that?!
And yet… they couldn't outright dismiss it—because the core of that reasoning was none other than their Pops.
Whitebeard.
Marco's eye twitched uncontrollably.
In all his years sailing across the seas, he had never once heard such an audacious, shameless explanation.
But Lucian's expression was so sincere, so natural, as though he were stating the most undeniable truth of the world.
"So!"
Lucian gave them no time to object. He thumped his chest hard, his voice brimming with pride.
"This tiny bit of power of mine must have been granted by Pops! I'm only basking in his greatness!"
"Yes! Or maybe… maybe I'm just incredibly gifted, able to grasp Haki in such a short time!"
He nodded furiously, as if sealing his own "genius" theory with the perfect conclusion.
Dead silence.
Vista opened his mouth but failed to say a single word.
Even Jozu's stone-faced expression cracked slightly.
Marco's temples throbbed painfully.
Just as he was about to interrupt this farce—
A booming laugh, like an avalanche crashing into the sea, erupted behind them without warning.
"Gurarararara!"
The laugh was filled with boundless might and pride, instantly scattering all the tension on deck.
Everyone turned sharply.
At some point, Whitebeard himself had appeared, holding a massive sake jug in one hand, laughing so hard his whole body shook, tears nearly streaming down his face.
"Well said!"
Whitebeard strode forward, each heavy step making the deck rumble. He came to Lucian's side, his immense shadow engulfing the boy completely.
"Gurarararara… as expected of my son!"
A palm the size of a fan slammed down onto Lucian's shoulder.
Bang!
Lucian felt a terrifying force crash into him. He nearly sank into the deck on the spot, his bones creaking in protest.
But he endured the pain, forcing an even brighter, prouder smile onto his face.
"Pops!"
Whitebeard was thoroughly amused by Lucian's outrageous "Haki marinade theory." To him, it was both an entertaining joke and the purest expression of a son's admiration.
He turned to Marco, whose face was still stiff.
"Marco."
"This boy is my son, Edward Newgate's son. If he's got talent, isn't that only natural?"
Though his voice was cheerful, the weight behind his words was unmistakable.
"Don't waste time doubting and investigating my new son over something so trivial."
With a single statement, Whitebeard's judgment sealed the matter.
Marco stared at Lucian for a long moment, then sighed helplessly and shrugged.
"Yes, Pops."
If Pops had decided, then the matter was closed.
The surrounding crew, seeing the crisis dissolve, burst into laughter, the atmosphere immediately returning to its usual rowdy warmth.
"Hahaha, so it's just Pops' Haki being too strong!"
"That's right! Just look at us—we're all stronger than any pirate out there, aren't we?"
"This new little brother is a real treasure!"
A crisis that could have exposed Lucian's identity was brushed aside by the most shameless, ridiculous excuse imaginable.
Not only that, he had shifted all credit onto Whitebeard, flattering him, hiding his secret, and even getting Pops himself to vouch for his "genius."
From this day on, his title as the "Monster Rookie" carried the most authoritative, unquestionable recognition possible.
Watching Whitebeard laugh heartily as he walked away, Lucian rubbed his aching shoulder and let out a long breath of relief.
'Lucian… you gambled right.'