In a certain island town within the New World.
BOOM!
"Ouch!"
On the street, a pirate slammed violently into a towering, massive figure. It felt like hitting a wall of solid steel. Stunned by the pain, he tumbled backward and collapsed onto the ground.
"Mommy, I bumped into someone!"
A dim-witted voice spoke. Edward Weevil scratched his head as he looked down at the fallen pirate.
"So you bumped into him. It's not like you killed him! Let's go!"
Miss Buckin shifted her gaze from the newspaper to the pirate on the ground, clicking her tongue in annoyance.
"Okay!"
Weevil nodded blankly. Clutching his massive naginata, he raised his leg to continue walking.
"Hey, you! What kind of way is that to talk?!"
The pirate was livid. Ignoring his pain and the massive physical disparity, he scrambled to his feet. His eyes fixed on Weevil's crescent-moon mustache, and he pointed an accusing finger at Buckin and the giant. "A midget old hag and a moronic man-child... You think having that mustache makes you Whitebeard? Apologize right now, or I'll—"
"I am not Whitebeard. I am Whitebeard's son!"
Before the pirate could finish his tirade, Weevil spoke up with immense pride.
"White... Whitebeard's son?"
The pirate froze. Even the onlookers in the surrounding area went stiff upon hearing Weevil's claim. They all stared at him, dumbfounded.
A few seconds passed...
"Pffft—Bwahahaha!"
"He says he's Whitebeard's son! Hahaha!"
In an instant, the crowd erupted into raucous laughter, pointing at Weevil with mocking derision.
"If you're Whitebeard's son, then doesn't that make this shriveled old hag Whitebeard's woman? Hahaha! You're killing me!"
"Actually, I'm Whitebeard's son too! Hahaha!"
"Lmao, I'm his damn brother then!"
"The Whitebeard Pirates are his sons. What kind of joke are you supposed to be? Hahaha!"
Mockery, irony, contempt... the reactions were universal.
Though Whitebeard had passed away, his name still commanded the respect of countless pirates. The idea of a complete nobody claiming to be his biological son was simply ludicrous.
At a nearby street corner, two men in black suits were hiding in the shadows. They, too, were stunned by Weevil's words before finding it hard to suppress their own smirks, their eyes filled with ridicule.
Weevil might be slow, but he wasn't brain-dead. The blatant mockery from the crowd stung.
"Dammit! What's so funny?! I am Whitebeard's biological son!" Weevil shouted back. He lowered his head toward Miss Buckin. "Mommy, Mommy, I am Whitebeard's son, right? My mustache is white!"
"That's right, son. The Whitebeard Pirates were just playing house. Only you truly inherited the bloodline of the former World's Strongest Man!" Miss Buckin acted as if she couldn't hear the insults. She said with arrogance, "And I am the woman Whitebeard loved!"
"Uh-huh!" Weevil nodded in agreement.
"Hahaha! Stop, my sides! Hahaha!"
"She was Whitebeard's woman? Hahaha! When you were in bed with him, did he satisfy you with just his pinky finger? Hahaha!"
The crowd was howling now, some laughing so hard they were in tears.
"Bastards!"
Miss Buckin's face turned black with rage. "Son! Teach them a lesson! Show them your power!"
"Yes, Mommy!"
Weevil was equally fuming. He gripped his giant naginata and suddenly swung it forward in a wide arc.
RUMBLE!
A massive roar erupted as the earth trembled violently. The stone-paved ground shattered into a million pieces. A wall of dust and debris surged into the sky, physically uprooting half the street and sending dozens of nearby people flying into the air.
"How... how is this possible?"
"M-monster—"
At the corner of the street, the two men in black suits stared at the scene in wide-eyed horror. The sight of half a street turned into a wasteland shook them to their core.
…
Marine Headquarters. Fortress of New Marineford.
"Miss Buckin, Edward Weevil... That surname. Brannew, are you pulling my leg?" Looking at the file in his hand, Sakazuki frowned. He looked up with displeasure at the green-haired man standing before him.
As the Commodore of Marine Headquarters, Brannew certainly didn't dare to trifle with Sakazuki. He replied solemnly, "Fleet Admiral, those are the names they used to identify themselves. He claims to be Whitebeard's son, and that woman claims to be Whitebeard's lover."
"Whitebeard's woman?! Whitebeard's son?! Is this a joke?" Sakazuki was irritated. "First, we have the son of the Pirate King, Roger, and now a son of Whitebeard appears!"
"It's precisely because of that claim," Brannew said seriously. "The pirates in that town didn't believe them. It just so happened that the Cullen Pirates, a crew under the Whitebeard's umbrella, were in town. A conflict broke out."
"The Kullen Pirates... and the result?" Sakazuki asked in a low voice.
"More than half the town was leveled. Weevil killed 'Faceless' Cullen with overwhelming force and crushed the entire crew. At least five hundred residents are dead, with even more injured," Brannew reported grimly.
"So scary, ne~ He's a real monster, isn't he?"
Nearby, Borsalino was leisurely sipping tea. He patted his chest with a mock-fearful expression.
"Considering he cut off Zephyr-sensei's arm, it's only natural he has this kind of strength," Sakazuki said, exhaling a ring of cigar smoke. A sharp light flashed in his eyes. "Based on his previous bounty, add another 80 million. Re-issue the wanted poster: 'Whitebeard Jr.'—Edward Weevil. Bounty: 480 million Berries!"
"White... Whitebeard Jr.?" Brannew looked at Sakazuki in surprise.
Even Borsalino's hand paused as he was about to take another sip of tea. He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of genuine astonishment crossing his face.
"That's right! Given the strength Edward Weevil has displayed, it would take the combined force of at least three Vice Admirals to ensure his subjugation," Sakazuki said coldly, puffing on his cigar. "But the World Military Draft has just concluded, and our forces are still reorganizing. Let's let others handle him for us."
Though he was a hawk and a hardliner, he wasn't reckless. His rise to the position of Fleet Admiral proved that the World Government valued not just his iron blood and courage, but his strategic mind.
"Understood!"
Brannew straightened his posture. After recording the order, he saluted and left the office.
———————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]