Encounter!

Kuri, the castle of the daimyo.

"What! Lord Oden is missing?! And the Whitebeard Pirates, docked at Ida Port, have set sail?!"

Upon hearing the news of Oden's disappearance and the departure of the Moby Dick from the Kuri beach, the group returning from Flower Capital felt a sense of unease.

"Izo is missing too, and even Nekomamushi and Inuarashi are gone."

Kikuzo's eyes welled up with tears out of worry, as he and Izo had always relied on each other.

"Before considering the worst-case scenario, let's search the entire country. Right now, all we can do is pray that those damn Whitebeard guys didn't take Lord Oden with them out to sea!"

Denjiro, the one with the sharpest mind among them, spoke first, though he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, and yet he had no clue where to start.

"Dad! Is that guy really okay?! He won't die at sea, will he?" On the deck, Marco, squatting at the rail, turned to Whitebeard, watching Oden struggle in the waves.

Oden had been in the sea for almost half the night, and he looked battered and bruised from crashing into a reef earlier. At a glance, one might mistake him for some exotic sea creature.

"Don't worry about it. And Marco, notify everyone to prepare for a banquet. After all, we're setting sail again!" With his naginata in hand and a bottle of sake, Whitebeard drank heartily, ignoring Oden struggling in the moonlit sea.

"Hey, Whitebeard, you better pull Oden up soon, or he'll die!! That guy is supposed to shoulder the hopes of countless people in the future of Wano!" Bound tightly, Izo watched with anger as Oden struggled in the sea, shouting furiously at Whitebeard. To him, this was an insult to Oden and to the whole of Wano!

"Gurrararara!"

Hearing Izo's words, Whitebeard burst into laughter before squatting down and speaking seriously to the bound Izo.

"Kid, you've seen me refuse him several times, haven't you? But despite that, that guy is still trying everything to set sail. So, let's abide by the rules of the sea. Since he's chosen the sea, there's no room for titles here!!!

I won't let such a dangerous guy just come on board, endangering the safety of our family. If you can persuade him to give up, then go ahead. After all, it's not too far to return safely to Wano with Oden's strength.

But you've got three days!"

Then, Whitebeard approached the stern and looked at Oden, who was struggling in the sea, and spoke.

"Listen, Oden! If you hold onto that iron chain for three days straight, I'll allow you on board to become one of us!"

"Gurarara!"

"Ha ha! A gentleman's word!"

After taking a deep breath, Oden shouted loudly.

"Of course, a swift horse needs but one whip."

Whitebeard responded loudly. Clearly, Oden's determination to sail at all costs touched him, and he was willing to give him a chance.

"Dad, a fleet has been spotted in the port side direction!!!" Amidst the raging storm, as everyone watched Oden struggle in the sea, a lookout's cry came from the Moby Dick's crow's nest.

Upon hearing the sound, all the members of the Whitebeard Pirates on board immediately entered high alert. After all, encountering a strange ship in the New World could mean encountering enemies.

"Captain, a pirate ship has been spotted on the starboard side."

"Open the cannons! Prepare for battle!" Battling at sea required the utmost care to keep gunpowder dry, especially inside the cannons, which were covered with oilcloth until it was time for battle.

The lookout kept a close eye on the large ship ahead. As it drew nearer, the ship's image became clearer, and through the telescope, the lookout also saw the Whitebeard Jolly Roger flying on the Moby Dick and Whitebeard himself on board.

"It's Whitebeard!!!"

With a terrified shout from the lookout, everyone on board the ship immediately went into high alert. After all, encountering Whitebeard in the New World was enough to intimidate anyone.

Their fleet consisted of medium-sized ships, but they were powerful in terms of firepower, with each ship equipped with at least thirty cannons and over a hundred crew members. Ordinary pirate crews wouldn't stand a chance against them.

But they had no illusions about facing Whitebeard. He was a monster capable of destroying an entire fleet single-handedly.

"Inform the fleet to change course and avoid them. Our goal this time is to transport goods. We mustn't engage in conflict with them! If we fail to deliver the goods on time, the consequences will be no different from facing Whitebeard's crew head-on!"

With the captain's order, the entire fleet quickly changed formation and sailed away.

"Dad! They're changing course!" From the mast, the lookout called out to the Whitebeard crew on deck.

"Should we pursue them, Dad?"

Marco asked Whitebeard, wondering why they didn't plunder the ships they encountered at sea, which was standard pirate practice.

"Let it go. Since they're avoiding us, we'll stick to our planned course!"

Whitebeard said, and with the storm raging, the two fleets passed each other.

...

In the castle of Kuri.

"How is it? Any news of Lord Oden or Izo?"

Kanjuurou asked anxiously.

"There's still no news for now. I've asked Lord Yasuie from the Shimotsuki family, as well as Lord Fugetsu and Lord Tempura, to keep an eye out. We've also dispatched our men to search every corner of Kuri."

Denjiro looked at everyone and spoke.

"We can't keep waiting like this. You guys stay in Wano. I'll find a way to get a boat and chase after the Whitebeard Pirates. If Oden is on Whitebeard's ship, I'll bring him back intact!"

After saying this, Kinemon was about to leave to catch a boat and set sail.

But before he could take a step, he was grabbed by the collar by Denjiro.

"You think things aren't chaotic enough already? How do you plan to sail out? Haven't you heard what Whitebeard said about the dangers of the sea outside? Even their huge pirate ship has encountered mishaps at sea. Do you expect to chase after Oden with a small boat?"

"What do you suggest then!?" Kinemon retorted angrily, pushing Denjiro's hand away. He was frustrated.

"First, let's return. Then, take care of everything in Kuri. Kuri must not have any problems before Oden returns. Also, keep an eye on Flower Capital and any incidents happening in Wano."

Denjiro's glasses gleamed with a sharp light.

"???" Kinemon and the others were puzzled by Denjiro's words.

"I have a feeling that someone in Wano is plotting something behind the scenes! Anyway, caution is our top priority!"

However, Denjiro didn't elaborate further. He had no evidence; most of it was just his intuition.