Chapter 10 New Member

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"Old Bai, what do you think of this kid?"

While Marco was paying for the drinks, Larson asked Whitebeard with curiosity.

Whitebeard smiled and replied, "I like this boy very much."

"I see it." Larson raised his eyebrows.

Whitebeard leaned in and whispered, "You should know, this kid is actually a Devil Fruit user."

Larson was taken aback. Did Marco manage to eat the Phoenix Fruit at such a young age?

From this perspective, it seemed that his earlier rescue had been unnecessary. Even if Marco had been in danger, he likely wouldn't have been harmed.

But Larson feigned ignorance and asked, "Devil Fruit?"

Whitebeard nodded. "This kid just ate a Devil Fruit not long ago, and he doesn't yet know the extent of its power."

Larson smiled and asked, "Isn't that why you like him?"

"Of course!"

Whitebeard said proudly, "It's not just about the Devil Fruit. What I value most is that he dared to stand up in a moment like that. That kind of courage is what I admire."

Larson took a sip of wine. "So, you're just going to let him become your son?"

"Hahaha."

Whitebeard laughed heartily.

Larson suddenly asked, "What about the kid's family? Do they have any objections to him going to sea?"

"He has no family anymore," Whitebeard stated with a sigh.

Larson quickly realized Marco was yet another orphan!

At that moment, Marco returned, looking a bit sheepish after paying.

He saw Larson and Whitebeard drinking the wine he had just bought, and his heart ached thinking about how he had depleted his savings over the years.

"Come on, kid, sit down and drink," Larson invited, gesturing for Marco to join them.

Marco waved his hand slightly. "I don't know how to drink."

Larson raised an eyebrow, "There's no pirate who doesn't drink, right, Captain?"

Whitebeard smiled and nodded in agreement.

Reluctantly, Marco picked up a glass of beer and took a deep breath before drinking it.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

He immediately choked on the drink after gulping it down too quickly.

This elicited laughter from both Larson and Whitebeard.

"How does it taste, boy?" Larson asked with a grin.

Marco shrugged, his expression nonchalant. "Ahem, I thought wine would be something special, but it's no different from water!"

After several rounds of drinks, Whitebeard stood up, exclaiming, "Let's head back!"

Marco's eyes lit up with excitement as he asked, "Are we going back to our pirate ship?"

Larson nodded, smiling. "Don't forget to take the wine with you when we leave."

Marco, having just joined the Whitebeard Pirates, suddenly found himself tasked with carrying the burdens of Larson and Whitebeard, relegating him to the lowest status aboard the ship.

He looked at the large barrels of wine stacked behind him, his eyebrows knitting together in concern. "How am I supposed to move all of these?!"

Larson patted him on the shoulder. "It's up to you, captain of the first team."

Marco's eyes sparkled with determination. "I'm the captain of the first team. Can I just order my crew members to carry the drinks?"

Larson chuckled. "Sorry, you're the only one in the first team right now."

Marco was dumbfounded. "Then what use am I as the captain of the first team?"

"Don't say that," Larson said with a grin. "After all, you bought the drinks."

Marco sighed silently.

In the end, Marco did not move the wine back alone. Neither Larson nor Whitebeard was the type to exploit child labor.

The truth was, Whitebeard feared that Marco would spill the wine if he were left alone, so he went with Larson to assist him.

By the time they reached the pirate ship, Marco was so exhausted from his efforts that he collapsed onto the deck.

However, this didn't prevent the excitement in his eyes as he gazed at the ship. "Is this our pirate ship? It looks amazing!"

In contrast to Marco's awe, Larson simply smiled and kept quiet.

Both he and Whitebeard had little attachment to this pirate ship.

Whitebeard had spent years as a member of the Rocks Pirates and had witnessed ships far more magnificent than theirs, so he naturally felt little regard for a small ship.

And Larson shared that same sentiment; this modest pirate ship was completely incomparable to the legendary Moby Dick he hoped to command one day.

Only Marco, newly introduced to the pirate world, regarded the ship as a treasure.

"Let's go," Whitebeard said.

Larson nodded, aware that Whitebeard was referring to the little pirate.

He sighed, "It's a pity we still haven't found a good navigator on this island."

Without a navigator, there was no way to know where they would end up at sea.

Even though the little pirate's sailing skills were only basic, they were still better than nothing.

"Two bosses!"

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly called out in the distance.

Larson and Whitebeard turned in surprise, spotting the little pirate from before waving at them from below the ship.

Plank hurried up to them, seemingly oblivious to Marco's presence.

He looked at Whitebeard and Larson nervously. "Bosses, please let me stay on this ship! I'll work hard to learn navigation skills, and I promise to find every place you want to go!"

Larson and Whitebeard exchanged glances, and both noticed the navigator books in Plank's hands, realizing he had just gone to buy them.

However...

Larson had never heard of a navigator honing his skills solely through studying books.

Whitebeard picked up a barrel of wine, indicating that this decision rested on Larson.

Plank looked at Larson, his eyes wide with expectation.

Larson paused for two seconds, contemplating how to refuse without hurting the boy's feelings. "Plank, as you saw over the past two days, our pirate group has just been established and we really need navigators."

Plank's face lit up with excitement!

"But..."

Larson continued with a sigh, "Compared to being a navigator, I think you may be better suited for another role!"

Plank was bewildered. "Is there anything I could excel at?"

Larson turned to Marco, calling out, "Kid!"

"I'm here!" Marco rushed over quickly.

Larson smiled, "From now on, this little guy will be your captain."

With that, he turned to leave.

Since Plank was eager to remain on the ship, Larson didn't argue.

Gangplank stood stunned, processing the realization that he would have to follow Marco.

Then he felt a wave of exhilaration wash over him!

He found himself not caring whether he could become a navigator; what he truly wanted was to remain aboard this ship. Nothing else mattered!

He glanced at Marco, who was also taken aback, and declared with a serious tone, "Captain!"

Despite Marco being a child, Plank felt no contempt. Rather, he saw that strong men like Whitebeard and Larson could elevate a child to captain, highlighting Marco's extraordinary potential.

In that moment, Plank's resolve solidified. If he had been reluctant to stay out of fear earlier, now he was driven by a desire to prove himself worthy of remaining with these two pirates!

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