Banquet!

"What do you want to do, you bastard?"

When Marco spoke these words, his voice carried a hint of gloom, implying something beyond the surface.

But Nicholas, without even glancing at Marco perched on the nearby mast, simply spoke, "Little birdie, do you know how ridiculous you sound trying to be profound?"

"You!" Marco's voice brimmed with anger, unsure why this guy hitched a ride on their ship, and even more baffled that their captain approved it. But Marco had always felt that Nicholas was dangerous.

Nicholas seemed oblivious to Marco's words, continuing, "What do I want to do? It's none of your business."

He turned his head to give Marco a disdainful glance. "You're too weak."

"You're saying I'm weak?" Marco pointed to himself incredulously. He was among the top three since Oden left Whitebeard's ship. Even on the open sea, he was a formidable force, if not a contender, at least a strong player. Yet, Nicholas dismissed him as weak.

"Yes," Nicholas nodded, unabashed.

Seeing Nicholas' demeanor, Marco's initial anger subsided, as he recalled being overpowered by Rayleigh in the battle between Whitebeard and Roger's pirate crews. This man single-handedly held his own against his dad and Roger, nearly tipping the scales in a battle of titans.

Indeed, Marco had to admit, he was indeed too weak.

"What do you want to do? But whatever it is, I don't want you dragging Whitebeard's crew into it," Marco's voice dropped lower, a pressure that would make a lesser pirate cower.

But for Nicholas, it had no effect.

"In the coming turmoil, no one can easily stand alone. You don't want Whitebeard's crew involved, but perhaps when the time comes, without Whitebeard, you might not even have the qualification to get involved," Nicholas paused, then continued, "What makes you think Whitebeard's crew can dominate the New World? You don't think it's because of you weaklings, do you? If it weren't for you, Whitebeard might have been the Pirate King, not Roger."

As Nicholas spoke, Marco's expression darkened. During their discussions during the day, they lamented that Whitebeard, not Roger, should have been the Pirate King. Yet, Nicholas' words hit home, stirring doubts in their hearts.

"You... do you know what you're saying!" Marco barely uttered before several figures appeared on the mast.

"Thach, Jozu, Atmos, Blenheim, what are you all doing?" Marco asked with a frown, not wanting his comrades to get entangled with this dangerous man.

"You... you... and you... and you... are all too weak, even to pique my interest," Nicholas pointed at each of Whitebeard's captains in turn, his smile unchanged.

"You!" Thach, reaching for his kitchen knife, was stopped by Blenheim.

"Calm down, Thach!" Blenheim urged, realizing the gravity of the situation. He knew how terrifying this man could be.

"Relax, Thach. Let him be," Whitebeard's hearty laughter interrupted. "They're all my beloved sons."

"Like father, like son. Whitebeard, you still intend to shelter these guys forever?" Nicholas quipped.

As his comrades left, leaving only Nicholas and Whitebeard, Nicholas spoke again, "If you keep sheltering them like this, they'll never become true warriors. And if something were to happen to you, would they even be able to avenge you?"

"You're quite candid. But if even I can be taken down, I don't want these guys avenging me," Whitebeard chuckled.

…

"Marco, what's wrong?" In the kitchen, Thach was busy preparing for the feast, but Marco's usual lively presence had turned silent.

"Ah, nothing. Are we almost ready? If so, I'll go wake up those sleepyheads."

"It's almost ready. If you're done, then go wake up the others."

…

"Gurararara, I believe in my beloved sons. But, Nicholas, don't you owe me a favor for last time you got beaten up?" Nicholas retorted, knowing that without Roger and Whitebeard teaming up to snap him out of that state, he wouldn't be himself.

"Gurararara, forget about the favor! I enjoyed that beating last time. Let's just have the banquet now. And don't hold back on the sake, Thunder Lord!"

"My drinking capacity surpasses your imagination," Nicholas replied defiantly.

The tense moment passed, and the conversation shifted.

…

"Whitebeard, you still plan to shelter these guys forever?" 

Meanwhile, Marco, walking through the corridor, reflected on Nicholas' words, his eyes growing resolute.

"Are we too weak, dragging down Dad's legacy?" Marco's thoughts churned, his gaze firm as he traversed the ship's halls.