Chapter 182: Whitebeard Pirates

After the short visit to Dressrosa, Adrian continued toward his new destination based on information obtained from the Weapon Pirates.

Several days later, the Abyss sailed toward a desolate, rocky coastline devoid of any green vegetation. The barrenness made it appear lonely and bleak.

Adrian stood at the ship's bow, gazing into the distance.

This place was known as Hand Island, sometimes referred to as the "Five-Fingered Island."

This was a paradise of stones, a homeland of cliffs, with living conditions as harsh as the Gobi Desert.

In the distance, beneath a gloomy sky, an ancient, unnamed flint tower stood silently. Waves crashed against the rocks below it, creating a spray of fragments.

There were no twinkling lights or rising smoke; it had clearly been abandoned for a long time.

It was hard to imagine that this island would eventually become one of the Whitebeard Pirates' territories in the New World.

The salty sea breeze reached out like long fingers, tugging at the little fox's ears, causing her to involuntarily shiver.

Even though the shore was in sight, the desolate and barren landscape still made Love feel uneasy.

"Adrian-sama, is this really where Zou is?" she asked.

Adrian extended his hand and ruffled the little fox's head. "I'll go to the island and ask. Let's see if anyone on Hand Island saw the Zunesha a few days ago."

His form vanished instantly.

After several tens of minutes, he reappeared.

"Love, there's good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Love ground her teeth and said, "The good news."

Adrian smiled faintly. "The good news is that Zunesha did indeed stay near Hand Island recently. Even in the lowest, deepest parts of the island, people saw the colossal black flesh pillar—the leg of the Zunesha."

Love's eyes brightened. "And the bad news?"

Adrian shrugged. "The bad news is that it was some time ago. Zou's current location isn't near Hand Island. We'll need to continue searching."

Love asked hopefully, "Are we going to find the location of the Zou?"

Adrian grinned. "Since we're already come here, of course we're going to find Zou. Rumi, set sail!"

…

After sailing for some time and tirelessly searching through the Mini Ghost: Starry Patrol, the Abyss finally pinpointed the Zunesha's location.

Although Adrian had mentally prepared himself for the existence of the Zunesha, seeing this completely otherworldly being still shook him.

Regardless of its size, beauty, or magnificence, it was beyond human comprehension.

This instinctual yearning for life's transcendence was inherent in the human form.

"Rumi!"

Adrian declared arrogantly, "Bring the ship closer!"

Love asked curiously, "Adrian-sama, why do you intentionally style your head with such ugly-looking bull horns?"

"It's a tribute to a… well, a tough guy! Yes, a tough guy!"

After some casual chat, the Abyss gradually sailed toward the colossal elephant foot that could pierce the sky.

Adrian looked up at the black elephant limb resembling a celestial pillar and pondered, "If this world had encountered some mythological legend of the sky collapsing, the Zunesha might be the giant turtle whose limbs were cut off to support the four corners of the world."

His inexplicable thoughts wandered, but he quickly reined them in.

Adrian patted Love's head and whispered, "Alright, Love, let Rumi take you up to see it!"

"Huh? Adrian-sama, aren't you going to see Zou too?"

"Me?"

Adrian shook his head slightly.

"I've heard that the Mink Tribe isn't very welcoming to human guests. There are rumors that in their eyes, humans are merely hairless monkeys."

"Nonsense!" Love swished her tail indignantly. "Clearly, I love Adrian-sama!"

"That's because you're Love."

Adrian chuckled casually.

"Besides, while you all visit Zou, I can also meet the pirate guests who came searching with us."

"But that's… the ship of the world's strongest man!"

…

On the tumultuous sea surface.

On the massive pirate ship resembling a deep-sea whale, the black crossbones flag with white crescent-shaped whiskers fluttered in the wind.

Edward Newgate, Whitebeard, sat in the center of the deck on a large sofa, holding a barrel of alcohol.

His drinking style was bold—more like "gulping" than merely "drinking"!

"Marco, is it really okay for Dad to keep drinking like this?"

The tall, broad-shouldered man hesitated. His unique hairstyle featured a flat fringe and a ponytail. He wore an open deep blue shirt, with sword sheaths on both sides of his belt.

Marco, with his golden pineapple punk hairstyle, patted the speaker's shoulder, looking resigned.

"Vista, just let Dad enjoy his drink. Our visit to Zou has already been quite unpleasant for him!"

"In my opinion, we should head directly to Wano and confront that traitor!"

"Vista!"

Marco's expression changed. He glanced at Whitebeard, who was merrily drinking on the sofa, then turned to the speaker and quietly scolded, "Until Dad gives the order, Oden is still a member of our Whitebeard Pirates, still the second division captain!"

"What second division captain!"

Vista maintained his nonchalant demeanor, but he knew that Dad had been dissatisfied with Oden for the past half year. His voice was low.

"In my view, Oden has been completely captivated by the Roger Pirates' reputation. He's forgotten about our Whitebeard Pirates!"

Vista continued, "When we made the agreement, it was clear that after completing the journey with the Roger Pirates, he would return to the Moby Dick. But now?"

Marco frowned but remained silent. At this moment, he had no desire to defend Oden.

"Dad gave him a year!" Vista declared. "Dad gave him a year to complete the final voyage with the Roger Pirates."

"During the year it took the Roger Pirates to complete their journey, he didn't come back. A year after Roger's execution and the crew's disbandment, our second division captain still hasn't returned."

"For over three years, there hasn't been a single word from Kozuki Oden!"

"Is such a person still worthy of being the Whitebeard Pirates' second division captain?! When did we on the Moby Dick need a member who doesn't care about family?"

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should i also go for 100 powerstone = 1 chapter or just be consistent?