Chapter 36

"It's alright, Whitebeard-san. I am sure Kaidou wouldn't dare pull anything within Wano. Wano is a land of warriors, and if Kaidou thinks he can control Wano by force, then he is a fool," Oden reassured, his confidence in the resilience of Wano evident. He didn't worry much about Kaidou taking refuge in Wano, understanding that he didn't have the right to intervene as he was a pirate himself, having left Wano behind to fulfill his dreams.

"Well, in case you want to crush that brat, just let me know anytime. I will go to Wano and kick that brat and teach him not to mess with my brother." Whitebeard laughed heartily, offering Oden his assistance if needed regarding matters concerning Kaidou.

"No, Whitebeard-san. Even if Kaidou tries something in the future, I am more than capable of handling him. It wouldn't be in line with my samurai code if you fought my battle for me," Oden jovially declined Whitebeard's offer. He was a warrior at heart, committed to facing his own challenges without relying on others to solve his problems.

While Whitebeard and Oden were discussing taking a short break on the island and matters relating to Wano, a commotion caught both of their attention. Whitebeard sent the little kids playing by his side back to their mother, who nodded gratefully and left the area. Noticing Marco, an subordinate under him and a member of the first division he recently created, Whitebeard gestured for Marco to approach and explain the situation.

"Marco, what seems to be the commotion out there?" Whitebeard gestured in a certain direction while taking a gulp of wine.

"Pops, it's an orphan kid. He says he wants to join our crew." Marco quickly briefed Whitebeard on the situation. An orphan kid was insisting on meeting Whitebeard directly to join their ship. Although many of the other division commanders had offered to take the kid under their wing, the child was adamant about meeting Whitebeard.

Whitebeard had a soft spot for orphans; most of the young ones in his crew were once orphans whom Whitebeard had taken under his wing and raised as his own sons. So, when Whitebeard heard that there was an orphan kid who wanted to join his crew, his curiosity was piqued.

"Come, Marco, let's go and see who the kid is. Maybe you'll have a new brother today." Whitebeard rose from his seat and walked in the direction where the orphan child was, followed by Oden.

As Whitebeard and Oden approached the commotion, they were met with a scene that stirred something deep within them. Amidst the chaos stood a seemingly orphaned child, his eyes filled with determination and longing. The child's gaze met Whitebeard's, and there was an unspoken plea in his eyes.

With a gesture from Whiteberad, the crew parted, and a small figure emerged from the crowd, its tiny frame barely noticeable against the backdrop of towering buildings and bulky pirates. The child, with dirt-streaked cheeks and torn clothes, approached the legendary Whitebeard with a mixture of trepidation and desperation. With each step, the child's determination seemed to waver, but an inner resolve kept pushing him forward.

"Please, sir... Please let me join your crew." The child's voice was barely a whisper, choked with emotion as tears streamed down his cheeks. He fell to his knees, his hands clasped in a plea for acceptance.

Whitebeard regarded the child with a mix of curiosity and wariness. He sensed something unusual about this seemingly ordinary orphan, something that tugged at the edges of his intuition. But beneath the gruff exterior of the feared pirate captain lay a heart of compassion, a soft spot for those in need.

"Why do you wish to join my crew, child?" Whitebeard's voice rumbled like distant thunder, his piercing gaze fixed on the trembling figure before him.

The child's eyes brimmed with tears as he struggled to find the words. "I... I have nowhere else to go. My parents are gone, and I have no family left. Please, sir... I want to be strong like you. I want a family."

Whitebeard's expression softened at the child's earnest plea, but still, he hesitated. There was an unspoken weight to this encounter—a sense of destiny unfolding before his eyes.

"And what is your name, child?" Whitebeard's voice was gentle now, a stark contrast to his fearsome reputation.

The child took a deep breath, steeling himself for the revelation. "My name... My name is Marshall D. Teach."

********************************************************

"Are you sure that's the ship we need to target?" A man pointed out a ship that was sailing calmly under the night sky. A pirate ship was stealthily following a World Government vessel, engaged in a risky endeavor. However, this mission wasn't undertaken without reason. A new underworld power in North Blue was offering a hefty reward of 20 million Belly for every child rescued and delivered to the Donquixote family in North Blue.

The Donquixote family had recently emerged as a dominant force in the North Blue, thanks to their revolutionary weaponry. Their influence was spreading across the seas, with their arms trade expanding into the Grand Line. Many kingdoms sought out their weapons, paying a premium for their quality. These pirates had been approached by a member of the Donquixote family to rescue children from a specific ship.

This ship was transporting children destined to become child soldiers for the World Government. While the task seemed reckless, the promise of a substantial reward outweighed the risks. The Donquixote family had provided precise details about the target vessel, raising questions about how a mafia family acquired information about a World Government operation. Nonetheless, for these pirates, money spoke louder than questions of morality or legality in this unforgiving world.

"Yes, that's the one mentioned. But Captain, why don't we just capture some random kids and then send them to the Donquixote family?" A crewmate questioned his captain regarding switching the children. After all, the Donquixote family had offered a staggering 20 million Belly for each rescued child. As long as they captured a random hundred children and handed them over, they could earn a total of 2 billion Belly, a fortune in the current era.

"Smack!" The captain quickly smacked his subordinate hard across the head, causing him to sprawl on the deck.

"Are you a moron? Do you think the Donquixote family would have shared such specific details if they didn't know what the ship was carrying? For all we know, they are looking for a specific child among the bunch. And what if we couldn't deliver the right child from among the bunch? Then all our effort would go down the drain." The captain knew the risks that accompanied this near-suicidal mission.

However, he and his crew needed money, and the Donquixote family's offer came at the right time. They were prepared for the next phase of their journey: the New World. They weren't planning to kill the World Government agents aboard the ship, if possible, but rather to grab all the children and escape.

Meanwhile, in North Blue, Doflamingo was eagerly awaiting an update regarding a certain matter they had assigned to another pirate crew. He was seated cross-legged, while Diamante sat opposite him, both staring at the transponder snail placed on the small table in front of them.

Diamante had no idea why Doflamingo was paying so much attention to this particular matter. They had taken absolute care to ensure that their involvement was not disclosed. Doflamingo had even avoided using the Underworld channels to contact the pirate crew assigned to this mission.

"Doffy, tell me, did Ross tell you something special about this particular World Government transport? There are so many World Government ships that transfer child soldiers to the Grand Line, so why target this one in particular? We had to shell out so much money to bribe the officers to get you the details you were looking for, Doffy." Diamante couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer.

Recently, Doflamingo had been bribing Marine and World Government officials in charge of child soldiers within Paradise left and right, and almost after three months, Doflamingo declared that he wanted to rescue all the children on this one particular ship without disclosing their involvement.

"Tell me, Diamante, what's the rarest resource in this damned world?" Doflamingo looked at Diamante and questioned him with a smile.

Diamante was confused. How was he supposed to answer such a vague question without knowing Doflamingo's train of thought? So, he simply shook his head.

"Talent, Diamante, talent. In this world where might makes right, talent and potential are the rarest resources, and my brother has given us a chance to acquire one of the apex talents in this world," Doflamingo said with delight evident in his voice. As Doflamingo grew and learned about how this world works, he started realizing the true worth of the information that Rosinante shared with him.

When Ross shared that they had a chance to get their hands on a child who would be hailed as the greatest genius in the past eight centuries and who had yet to give his loyalty to the World Government, Doflamingo immediately wanted to bring the kid under the Donquixote family.

Doflamingo was already sure that his brother had some kind of prophetic ability and was able to peek into the future, or maybe get a glance at it. If not, there was no way Ross could give him such information. So, he wanted to guard his brother's secret even more now. He had already buried this secret deep in his heart and was resolved to take it to his grave if need be.

Diamante was taken aback by the sudden revelation: a genius never before seen in the past eight centuries. How did Doflamingo even come up with such a conclusion? But the way Doflamingo was handling the situation, Diamante could feel that what Doflamingo said might have some truth in it. He now felt more and more sure that following Doflamingo was the right choice. Originally a teen who couldn't survive the horrors of the New World, he retreated back to the safety of North Blue and became part of a criminal gang, but now he has a chance under Doflamingo. He could soon enough step into the New World and grow to be a powerhouse one day.

"But Doffy, I understand the need for all this secrecy, but haven't you left this task to a pirate group? What if they choose to betray us later and disclose that it was our family that targeted the World Government ship? And such a genius—do you think that the World Government will not pursue?" Diamante couldn't help but ask in confusion because the pirates assigned to the task were a loophole.

"Hahahaha, Diamante, do you think I would make such an amateur mistake? Those bastards think that I do not know they were the ones who attacked one of our weapon shipments in Paradise. We will simply eradicate them after they hand over the children. As for the World Government, they still do not know the true talent of this kid yet, so I am guessing they wouldn't really care much about a single shipment. And even if they want to target someone, they will only go in circles," Doflamingo said with a cruel smirk on his face. His expression really did not match his young demeanor; it was as if Doflamingo had been possessed by the devil itself.

Just then, the transponder snail on the table started ringing. With Doflamingo's permission, Diamante picked up the call and had a brief conversation with the other side before disconnecting.

"Doffy, it seems like those pirates came through. They have the children, but the ship had close to five dozen children. Are you sure that you want to take everyone in? All these children are under three years old. We will turn ourselves into a little orphanage at this rate, Doffy," Diamante couldn't help but ask. Despite being cruel to the bone, Doflamingo cared for his family and had a strange habit of caring for the abandoned ones who had the will to strive and survive in this cruel world, taking them under the Donquixote family's wing. Originally, the Donquixote family had only six members in total, but now it was one huge family, although the inner circle was the only one Doflamingo truly cared for. The inner circle already had more than a dozen people.

***********************************

Dear readers and fans,

For those eager to dive into the next chapters of our One Piece saga before anyone else, I invite you to join me on Patreon. By becoming a patron, you'll not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our narratives and much more.

Currently updated until Chapter 50.