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Near the end of the Sea Circle Calendar 1519.
In the New World, a massive pirate ship shaped like a colossal white whale raced across the sea.
Its sails bore the unmistakable flag of a white crescent-shaped skull, fluttering proudly in the wind. This symbol declared to all who saw it that the ship belonged to none other than Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors and the man known as the strongest in the world, with the power to destroy it.
In the delicate balance of power that currently defined the seas, the sudden emergence of the Moby Dick from the waters surrounding Sphinx Island had drawn considerable attention. The reason for this unexpected movement was clear: recent chaos caused by a bold young pirate.
The leader of this generation's supernovas, Fire Fist Ace, had entered the New World and clashed with one of Whitebeard's subordinates. After defeating them, Ace refused to leave. Instead, he publicly declared his challenge to Whitebeard himself, the man hailed as the world's strongest.
The news spread like wildfire, drawing the eyes of pirates, marines, and bounty hunters alike. Many scoffed at Ace's audacity, considering it pure arrogance.
No matter how remarkable Ace was among the new era of pirates, challenging Whitebeard was tantamount to madness.
Aboard the Moby Dick, the reaction from Whitebeard's crew was unanimous outrage. While Whitebeard remained calm, his "sons" were fuming, their righteous indignation filling the air as they demanded to confront the impudent upstart.
Though Whitebeard's strength had diminished with age and illness, he was still a force capable of destroying the world. If a fellow Emperor or a Marine Admiral had issued the challenge, it would have been understandable. But for a rookie to do so? To dare provoke the Whitebeard Pirates and insult their revered captain?
Such behavior could not be tolerated.
"Father, let me handle this," Marco said confidently, standing with his hands on his hips.
Marco understood that Whitebeard had taken an interest in the young Fire Fist Ace, but he couldn't allow such arrogance to go unchecked. This wasn't the first Logia user to storm into the New World with misplaced confidence, and Marco saw it as his duty to temper the young man's pride before he got himself killed.
"It's about time someone gave him a proper New World Haki baptism," added Jozu, stepping forward.
To the veteran crew members, Whitebeard was still the strongest man in the world, even if his health had declined. For a rookie like Ace to challenge their father was an insult too great to ignore.
Whitebeard chuckled, his deep laugh carrying across the deck. "Gurararara… I understand how you all feel," he said, his tone calm but firm. "But this time, I'll meet the brat myself."
A stunned silence fell over the crew.
"Father, you're going out in person?" Marco asked, his surprise evident.
It was almost unheard of for Whitebeard to personally respond to provocations, especially from someone of Ace's level. Only threats like an Admiral or another Emperor might compel him to act.
But Whitebeard's smile didn't waver.
"Since the brat wants to challenge me, let me go meet him myself. It seems he's got some spirit," Whitebeard said, his booming voice filled with both amusement and curiosity.
After confirming his suspicions, Whitebeard had a good idea of why this young upstart had come looking for him. He wasn't just any reckless fool—this one had a purpose. Whitebeard was intrigued, and he had his own plans brewing.
He wanted to see what the son of that man was made of.
More than that, he intended to make the son of Gol D. Roger his own.
Under Whitebeard's orders, the Moby Dick, which had been moored on the coast of Sphinx Island for months, set sail. Its destination: the island where the Spade Pirates were last reported to be.
There was no effort to conceal their movements. The Whitebeard Pirates sailed openly, a declaration of intent that quickly caught the attention of many factions.
"Challenging Whitebeard first, huh?"
Red-Haired Shanks looked over the headline in the newspaper, a small grin playing on his lips. There was no trace of worry in his expression—only mild amusement.
He knew Whitebeard's character well. Unless someone had committed the unforgivable act of harming one of his "sons," the old man wouldn't kill without cause. Ace might have bitten off more than he could chew, but Shanks didn't see this ending in disaster.
Meanwhile, far from the New World, Garp, who was on leave after a failed mission, sat with a newspaper in hand. Beneath his trademark dog-shaped hat, his expression turned uncharacteristically somber.
Ace's antics might have seemed like just another pirate's bluster to most, but to Garp, it was personal.
Back in the skies above the New World, Alex, seated in the Sky Kingdom, listened to Robin's latest updates with a bemused smile.
"A challenge?" he mused, chuckling softly to himself. "More like a recruitment drive."
The irony was not lost on Alex. Gol D. Roger had once taken Kozuki Oden—a loyal captain of Whitebeard's second division—onto his own crew. Now, over two decades later, Whitebeard was set to take Roger's son as his own, a twist of fate that bordered on absurdity. In the end, Ace would respect Whitebeard even more than his own father.
"Such a ridiculous turn of events," Alex muttered, shaking his head. "But it's precisely this chaos that makes this world so... entertaining."
The developments, while dramatic, fit perfectly into Alex's broader plans.
In his eyes, Ace's greatest value wasn't his strength or ambition—it was his lineage. As the son of the Pirate King, Ace's very existence was a ticking time bomb.
If Ace's true identity were exposed, the Marine would stop at nothing to eliminate him. They would see his execution as a way to reaffirm the "justice" of their actions in killing Roger, even if it meant triggering another massive conflict.
Ace was a powder keg, primed to ignite a war capable of reshaping the era.
His eventual place within the Whitebeard Pirates would set the stage for the Summit War and the chaos that followed. That war would not only devastate Marine forces but also provide an opportunity for Alex to achieve two critical goals:
Seizing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit after Whitebeard's death. Using Whitebeard's dying declaration—"One Piece is real"—to plunge the world into further upheaval.