The remaining members of the Whitebeard Pirates were not all gathered at Sabaody Archipelago. As one of the Four Emperors of the New World—at least once a pirate crew of Four Emperors' caliber—they had skilled Coating Craftsmans aboard their own ship and were capable of doing the coating themselves.
Moreover, the Sabaody Archipelago, after all, lies right under the Marine's nose, and having too many people gathered there isn't exactly a good thing.
However, the Marines were currently overwhelmed by the chaotic situation across the seas. Whitebeard's final declaration was like a deep-sea bomb dropped into the sea, stirring up massive waves throughout the world.
In addition, the Marines had transferred elite forces from around the world earlier, concentrating their high-ranking officers at Marine Headquarters. As a result, other regions were left understaffed, and now the Marines at headquarters were scrambling to put out fires everywhere.
Knowing that Kaido and Red-Hair might not have left yet, they had no intention of provoking them at this moment. As for those remaining at Sabaody Archipelago, the Marines simply turned a blind eye, pretending they didn't see anything.
Even the stationed troops at Sabaody Archipelago had withdrawn into the Marine branch, turning a deaf ear to everything happening outside.
At this moment, one of the central figures of the Summit War, Fire Fist Ace, was sitting forlornly by the sea.
"Mr. Rayleigh, aren't you going to say something to him? He is, after all, Captain Roger's son."
"There's not much to say. Some things you have to work through yourself, and isn't his brother over there with him?"
"But what about you? Aren't you going to check on the boy you handed the Straw Hat to?"
"I already did. At the very least, he understands now; it's still too soon for him to enter the New World."
"Is that so? By the way, what about Buggy? I saw he also appeared at the Summit War."
"I actually invited him, but he said he had his own goals. So after we left Marineford, we went our separate ways."
Shanks and Rayleigh simply watched the two brothers from afar, not disturbing their time together. Instead, they chatted about past matters.
The previous encounters had only given Luffy a glimpse of true power. The Summit War, however, revealed just how cruel the world really was. Starting from Impel Down, he had encountered countless powerful enemies.
Even just the officers of Vice-Admiral rank on the battlefield were an enormous threat to him. If they were to enter the New World like this, it would be no different than marching to their death. Because of this, Luffy understood that they needed to train.
Now there was another problem. How to deliver this message to the crewmates who had been scattered by Kuma. Luffy couldn't think of a good solution for the moment, so he left that task to Hercules and went to have a heart-to-heart chat with Ace instead.
"Pops…"
Looking at the sea in front of him, Ace's heart was far from calm.
Aside from Marco giving him a stern talking-to at Marineford, the other members of the Whitebeard Pirates didn't say much. But Ace could tell; they still held some negative feelings about it.
When Ace had been captured, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates were willing to risk their lives to rescue him. But after Ace was saved, they also quietly harbored complaints about how it was Ace's actions that triggered the war in the first place.
This attitude wasn't contradictory. They saved him because he was family, because he was a part of the Whitebeard Pirates.
They blamed him because his impulsiveness had brought about the consequences they were now facing.
That's why not many members of the Whitebeard Pirates came to comfort Ace. Many of them didn't even know what kind of attitude they should have toward him.
Although it was Blackbeard who caused all of this, Ace bore responsibility for insisting on chasing him down. And even if no one else said anything, Ace himself couldn't forgive what he had done.
"Ace, actually… I think when Uncle Whitebeard passed away, he was truly happy in his heart."
"Luffy, what are you talking about?"
"I mean… Uncle Whitebeard left without regrets. His laughter came from the heart.
He wanted to save you, and in the end, he did. He even seemed to enjoy that fight with that guy Kaido….umm, I'm not good at this sort of thing!"
As he spoke, Luffy began to rub his head in frustration. Trying to comfort someone really wasn't his strong suit.
"Anyway, didn't Uncle Whitebeard's last order to you all was to live on? So if you live your life well, isn't that the best way to repay Uncle Whitebeard?"
"Oh come on, is it really your turn to lecture me now?"
Ace could see that Luffy had put a lot of thought into these words. And everything Luffy said—Ace understood it. But some things couldn't be let go of just by understanding them.
"Say, Luffy… once you're done with your training, how about joining us?"
After a long contemplation, Ace suddenly said to Luffy.
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Join the Whitebeard Pirates."
"But Uncle Whitebeard's already…"
"Pops is gone, but the Whitebeard Pirates are still here. It's the family Pops cared about most, and I want to keep it going… if everyone is still willing to accept me."
"They definitely will, but I still won't join you. I have my own journey, and my own goals!"
While the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were still waiting at Sabaody Archipelago, members of the Beasts Pirates had already arrived at Fishman Island.
Parting the sea was much more convenient than using coating, and you don't have to worry about the dangers lurking beneath the surface of the sea. Genesis made its way to Fishman Island through a waterway created by Arceus.
"Dad, this must be your first time coming to Fishman Island, right?"
Basking in the light provided by the Sunlight Tree Eve, Yamato was admiring the underwater scenery, when she suddenly remembered something: Arceus seemed to have never been underwater.
"It is my first time. I've never had much interest in what's beneath the sea."
With the Magnet Rise move, Arceus usually just flew ships directly over the Red Line when traveling. It was far more convenient than diving underwater.
In fact, it wasn't just Arceus. Even Kaido hadn't been under the water for a long time. Ever since becoming a Devil Fruit user, he had relied on Flame Clouds to fly whenever he needed to travel.
If not for Fishman Island's strategic location the current significance of the Fish-Men race, plus the fact that Fishman Island also has an Ancient Weapon and it was on their way after the war ended, Kaido might not have even accepted Neptune's invitation; for such a matter, simply sending a subordinate would have been sufficient.
After all, he was just the king of a single nation. In the face of an Emperor of the Sea from the New World, that didn't count for much. For most kingdoms, even a single Shichibukai would be enough to change their fate.
Compared to the relaxed attitude of the Beasts Pirates, Neptune was far more anxious. He didn't even send his sons to greet them. Instead, he personally came to the entrance of Fishman Island to wait.
Right now, they had business dealings with the Beasts Pirates, but that didn't mean the relationship would always remain friendly. In Fishman Island's current environment, without the protection of a Four Emperors' banner, the consequences could be devastating.
"What a shocking entrance…"
Looking at the parted sea outside Fishman Island, Neptune's became nervous again.
"No need to be so nervous. That's the Lord's handiwork; he's actually very easygoing."
Sitting on Neptune's shoulder, Manaphy patted him gently, signaling him to relax.
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