15. The Brotherhood Among the Division Commanders. Choosing a Devil Fruit.

│3rd Person POV│

[Grand Line, New World, Sphinx Island, Moby Dick…]

"Pops!"

Observing the situation, Ron discerned that the time for apologies was over.

Whitebeard had no intention of blaming anyone, and there was no need for Thatch and Ace to persist in apologizing.

Realizing this, Ron promptly stepped forward, steering the conversation in a new direction.

"After this incident, Commander Thatch has already recognized his own shortcomings and decided to consume a Devil Fruit to improve his strength. Commander said that we have some Devil Fruits in stock here. I wonder if you could provide one for Commander Thatch?"

As these words were uttered, the place fell silent for a few moments.

Marco and other Commanders gazed at Thatch in astonishment. They couldn't believe he was actually ready to eat a Devil Fruit.

Given their understanding of Thatch, although he kept saying that he was envious of others' Devil Fruit's abilities, he was pretty resistant to consuming one.

However, reflecting on the report given by Thatch and Ron's words made them realize that the recent Partridge Island operation had left an impact on Thatch.

He was now determined to obtain strength, and if he had to set aside his preference for it, he was ready to do it.

With this in mind, Marco and the others didn't hesitate, swiftly stepping forward in front of Whitebeard.

"Pops, please grant Thatch a Devil Fruit!"

"Yes, Dad, Thatch, as the Commander of the Fourth Division, has made significant contributions over the years. It's more than enough to warrant a Devil Fruit!"

"Pops, if Thatch's merits fall short, I'm willing to use the Seventh Division's quota to secure a Devil Fruit for him."

"Dad, and my Thirteenth Division..."

"Dad, and my Fifth Division..."

In an instant, all the Commanders voiced their support one after another.

While the Whitebeard Pirates operated with few strict rules, they weren't entirely lax either.

With Moby Dick serving as the main force, each Division was tasked with safeguarding a designated sea area, managing and protecting the Whitebeard Pirates' territory.

In this structure, the sixteen divisions annually contributed supplies to the base camp for Whitebeard to control and distribute according to his discretion.

The distribution priority was determined by each Division's merits in the past year.

After receiving the allocated supplies, Division Commanders would use a portion to reward the members of their division. Similarly, division members had to rely on their merits and contributions to obtain desired items.

As for how it was possible for Thatch to directly hand over the Copy-Copy Fruit to Ron?

In addition to Thatch obtaining the fruit all by himself, the more important reason was that no one in the Fourth Division competed for it at that time.

However, if another division's high-merit member competed for the Devil Fruit, even Thatch, one of the Division Commanders, couldn't unilaterally decide to give it to Ron.

"GURARararara~!"

Witnessing this scene, Whitebeard laughed even more contentedly.

He didn't care about merits, nor did he care about a single Devil Fruit. What he cared about was the harmonious and happy relationship between his sons.

Seeing that everyone was willing to make a sacrifice for Thatch, Whitebeard was extremely happy.

"Marco!!"

Whitebeard's call silenced the plea of other Division Commanders while Marco stood attentively, "Retrieve the box containing Devil Fruits from the warehouse. Let Thatch choose one."

"Yes, Pops!"

Hearing this, Marco felt elated and promptly turned around, heading towards the warehouse cabin.

As Commander of the First Division which was also responsible for protecting the base camp, Marco handled the job of Whitebeard Pirates' Treasurer.

"Thank you, Pops! Thank you, everyone!"

Thatch, moved by the situation, quickly expressed his gratitude. He now had the opportunity to choose from various Devil Fruits, increasing his chances of obtaining a powerful one.

Observing this, Ron, Ace, and others exchanged smiles.

Ron didn't say anything more but stood nearby, waiting.

About three minutes later, Marco emerged, holding a rectangular wooden box.

Upon reaching Thatch, Marco placed it directly on the ground, opened the lid without hesitation, and said, "Thatch, choose one. There are ten Devil Fruits here.

"While there might not be any Mythical Zoan-type or Logias among them, they are still good Devil Fruits. Originally, these fruits would have been competition rewards when Pops plans to gather various divisions at the end of the year. Choose one now, and we'll distribute the rest later."

Hearing this, all the Commanders except Marco exhibited expressions of anticipation.

Not that they cared much about the rewards, but they desired high rankings in the competition, hoping their teams would perform well.

For a moment, Vista and others mused to themselves, 'There are still three months until the end of the year. It seems I need to train our divisions rigorously during this time. I don't want those guys to have any slippage in the game. If my division ranks low, I'll be a subject of ridicule.'

"Good!"

Unhesitant, Thatch started contemplating his choice.

However, since he had not read any Devil Fruit encyclopedias in his life, he found it challenging to recognize any of them.

He was unfamiliar with the fruits and their corresponding abilities.

"Commander Thatch."

Observing this, Ron approached Thatch, who was deep in thought.

Given that Thatch had provided him with the Copy-Copy Fruit, giving him a chance to ascend to the level of the Four Emperors at the least, Ron wished to reciprocate the favor.

Arriving beside Thatch, Ron said, "We aren't well-versed in Devil Fruits, so why not invite Teach over?

"He has read the Devil Fruit illustration book. He should be able to identify some of the fruits. We can then choose a powerful one among the fruits we know."

"Yeah, that's right! I forgot that Teach had read a Devil Fruit Illustration book!"

Hearing this, Thatch's eyes brightened, and he responded, "Ron, go and ask Teach to come over. With Teach's assistance will come handy in this situation."

Teach's ability to recognize Devil Fruits stemmed from his perusal of the Devil Fruit illustrated book.

Although incomplete, his knowledge would prove invaluable in the selection process. Thatch was concerned about consuming a subpar Devil Fruit, and Teach's expertise would help avoid that outcome.

"Alright!"

Agreeing, Ron wasted no time and headed towards the area where the Second and Fourth Division ships were docked.

Soon, he located Teach at the First Division's meeting place. As the best-disguised member of the Whitebeard Pirates, Teach enjoyed strong connections not only within the Fourth Division but also in the other divisions, earning the goodwill of members from various divisions.

"Hey Teach! There you are."

Approaching, Ron swiftly reached Teach's side, grabbing his shoulders. "Follow me! We're going to see Pops. You were summoned to help identify some Devil Fruits for Commander Thatch."

"What?!"

Teach's astonishment was evident on his face.

'Recognizing Devil Fruits? Thatch wants to eat a Devil Fruit? When did this happen?'

Although he was confused, Teach did not refuse and followed Ron quickly to the location of the Moby-Dick.

While walking, Teach asked curiously, "Ron, Commander Thatch really wants to eat a Devil Fruit? Wasn't he uninterested in this thing before? Why does he want to eat a Devil Fruit all of a sudden?"

Hearing this, Ron rolled his eyes internally.

If Teach had fought against the Poison Wolf Pirates seriously this time, the losses wouldn't have been so significant, or there might not have been any losses at all.

In such a case, it would be impossible for Thatch to be stimulated to increase his strength and choose to get Devil Fruit powers under the persuasion of himself and Ace.

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