Chapter 2: Whitebeard's Pirate Crew

In the year 1520 of the Sea Circle Calendar, a young boy with a straw hat had already set sail on a small boat in the East Sea.

On the other side of the world.

The New World.

The sky was sunny, with blue skies and white clouds. The sea was calm, and a massive pirate ship with a whale figurehead sailed with the wind.

On the deck of the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates were having their daily feast.

Whitebeard himself sat at the head of the table, holding a bowl of sake. At the age of 72, he had entered old age, and even he, with his formidable strength, could not escape the ravages of time.

Years of battles at sea had left hidden injuries that forced this man to receive intravenous drips daily to alleviate the pain. He was accompanied by a team of medical personnel who took care of him.

But even so, nothing could stop this man from drinking.

In front of him were the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates' 16th division and the elites of the crew.

They sat on both sides, with delicious food and fine wine in front of them. They drank, made merry, and the atmosphere was lively and harmonious.

"Drink... Haha..."

"Watch me make you all pass out today..."

...

Ace smiled as he looked at his brothers around him. He enjoyed this time very much.

As the son of a criminal, inheriting the bloodline of that man, he had always yearned for this kind of life.

It was all thanks to this man.

Ace looked at Whitebeard, who sat at the head of the table.

He still remembered half a year ago when he had challenged the Four Emperors of the New World with youthful arrogance, only to be crushed and defeated. However, instead of killing him, Whitebeard offered to adopt him as his son and join the Whitebeard Pirates. Refusing to accept defeat, Ace attempted to assassinate Whitebeard repeatedly, but each time his attempts were thwarted by the formidable man. After one hundred failed assassination attempts, Ace gradually began to acknowledge the power of this great man.

Eventually, Ace revealed his identity as Roger's son, thinking that Whitebeard would kick him off the ship upon learning this. However, to his surprise, Whitebeard simply laughed it off. Perhaps being Roger's son didn't hold much significance to Whitebeard, but for Ace, it was a scar in his heart, making him feel insecure and questioning his own existence.

The identity of being a father was both something he yearned for and hated.

When Whitebeard laughed it off and still accepted him as his son, Ace was completely conquered by Whitebeard.

From that moment on, he decided to carry the name of Whitebeard and make Whitebeard's dream of becoming the Pirate King his life goal.

Shortly after joining the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace, with his outstanding performance and formidable strength, became the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division, becoming a core member of the crew.

As Ace looked at Whitebeard, Whitebeard also noticed Ace's gaze keenly.

Seeing Ace's gaze, Whitebeard grinned and said, "Ace? What's the matter? You want to have a drink with your old man?"

Saying that, Whitebeard raised his bowl toward Ace.

Ace smiled back at Whitebeard and, after finishing the drink in his bowl, expressed his concern, "Old man, your health isn't good. You should drink less."

"Guhahaha... Your old man hasn't reached the point where he can't handle his drinks. Do you want me to just watch you kids drink?" Whitebeard retorted, blowing his mustache and narrowing his eyes. "You brat, come on, keep drinking with me."

Ace sighed helplessly.

At that moment, a big man with a beard all over his face and a silly smile on his face approached and refilled Ace's bowl with liquor.

"Hehe, Ace, you should enjoy drinking with your old man. It's rare to see your old man this happy. And I have to say, ever since you, Ace, joined the Whitebeard Pirates, your old man's spirits have been getting better every day. It's all thanks to you," the big man said, laughing.

"Come on, Teach, stop talking nonsense," Ace laughed and scolded.

"I'm telling the truth," Blackbeard exaggeratedly said, looking at Whitebeard. "Old man, you know me. I, Teach, am an honest person. I never lie. The things I boast about, I don't do them. What I say is true, even more real than seastone."

"Guhahaha..." Hearing Teach's self-praise, Whitebeard burst into laughter, and the others around him followed suit. Ace also smiled and raised his bowl to toast with Whitebeard.

However, amidst the laughter, nobody noticed the faint gleam in Blackbeard's eyes as he amused everyone. In that moment, he lost his foolish appearance, but it vanished in an instant.

Others may not know Ace's identity, but Teach did.

When Ace went to Whitebeard's room earlier to reveal his identity, Teach happened to pass by and heard everything clearly. Ace was quite loud at that time.

Never would he have imagined that this brat was the son of the Pirate King, Roger. Quite interesting... Blackbeard narrowed his eyes.

Just as laughter filled the deck, a black fissure suddenly appeared in the sky above, spreading in all directions and forming a rectangular black curtain. Simultaneously, an invisible net unfolded from above, enveloping the entire Moby Dick.

This sudden turn of events immediately triggered a reaction from the Whitebeard Pirates.

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