The Tremor-Tremor Fruit power suddenly released by Whitebeard was compressed by his immense control into the tiny space beneath his palm.
Even so, the power originating from the world's strongest man still transformed into ripples that quietly spread across the land.
Not far away, Marine soldiers working alongside the people of Sphinx to clear the land almost simultaneously sensed the unusual tremor beneath their feet.
An experienced veteran immediately turned around the moment the ground began to shake, his gaze precisely locking onto the mountain-like figure.
The moment he clearly saw Whitebeard, his pupils abruptly contracted.
"Captain Rio! Whitebeard is here!"
A startled exclamation instantly silenced the bustling work scene.
All the Marine soldiers stopped their farming tasks, nervously gripping the swords at their waists as their eyes uniformly turned in the same direction.
Captain Rio set down his hoe, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and calmly looked over.
In his line of sight, the legendary world's strongest man was sitting on the ground.
The oppressive aura of one who ruled the seas was gone from him, replaced instead by the demeanor of a kindly grandfather surrounded by his grandchildren, a benevolent smile gracing his face.
Especially after seeing Whitebeard use his Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability to effortlessly till a large area of soft soil for the children, Rio chuckled to himself and waved his hand.
"No need to be nervous."
"You've all witnessed the Whitebeard Pirates' behavior during this time. Whether they've truly abandoned their pirate identities or not, as long as Orion-sama remains the Fleet Admiral, they wouldn't dare cause trouble."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the children cheering and rushing toward Whitebeard, then continued, "Most importantly, this is Whitebeard's hometown. According to the intelligence I've gathered, Whitebeard has been secretly supporting this land for decades. Someone who cares so deeply for his homeland would never start a war here."
No sooner had he finished speaking than from another patch of uncultivated land, children who had been following the adults learning to farm—though mostly playing in the mud—suddenly erupted with excited shouts as if they'd discovered a new world.
They scurried on their short legs in groups toward Whitebeard.
"Wow! Grandpa Whitebeard!"
"Wait for me! I want Grandpa Whitebeard to help too!"
In mere moments, Whitebeard was surrounded by a large, chattering crowd of children.
Upon learning that this tall grandfather could soften the soil in an instant, the newly arrived children grew even more excited, scrambling over each other to get to him.
"Grandpa Whitebeard!"
"Grandpa! You're so tall!"
"Grandpa, can we pull your beard?"
The clear, childish voices calling him "Grandpa" left Whitebeard utterly disoriented and dizzy.
He felt as if he were floating in a sea of joy, his entire heart melting from the sweetness.
And this wasn't even enough.
The boldest little girl crawled into his broad embrace, blinking her innocent big eyes as she looked up and asked.
"Grandpa Whitebeard, can you help us too? I want to clear a patch of wasteland and plant little watermelons!"
"Gurarara... Little watermelons? I like those too!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily and agreed without hesitation.
Seeing this, the other children swarmed over.
Those who couldn't squeeze into his embrace simply clung to his thick legs, while the bolder ones climbed up his arms and eventually settled securely on his shoulders.
"Grandpa! Grandpa! Me too!"
"Grandpa, I want to grow watermelons too!"
"Grandpa, I want to grow tomatoes!"
For a moment, cries of "Grandpa" rose one after another.
Whitebeard felt as if he were submerged by countless little kittens, completely overwhelmed by these innocent voices.
No matter how strange the children's requests were, he cheerfully agreed to all of them.
Soon, the man who once made the world tremble was covered in all sorts of little ones.
This scene made Marco, Vista, and the others who had rushed over from afar—worried about causing trouble—stare in disbelief.
"Pops, he..." Marco stood with his mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time.
"Is this still the Pops we know?" Vista rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was dreaming.
Just as the division commanders were collectively stunned, the children who couldn't squeeze into Whitebeard's embrace or cling to him suddenly changed direction.
Like a swarm of bees discovering a new target, they buzzed over toward them.
Before Marco could react, he felt a weight on his legs.
Three children had reached him—two clinging to each of his legs, and the third throwing himself directly into his arms.
The child lifted his grimy little face and called out in a milky voice, "Uncle! Can you help us? I have a patch of wasteland, but there are too many weeds there. I can't cut them all by myself."
"Uncle!"
"Uncle, please help!"
These cries of "Uncle" struck the softest spot in Marco's heart.
Seeing the children's tender faces and hopeful eyes, he felt he was about to cave in as well.
Finally, he sighed in resignation, picked up the child in his arms, and said straightforwardly.
"Tell me, where is the wasteland you want to clear?"
One of the children immediately pointed excitedly to a weed-covered patch of land not far away.
Without another word, Marco leaped into the air and flew over.
As azure flames of the phoenix surged, the weeds in that patch of wasteland were instantly burned away, turning into fertile ash.
"Wow—so amazing!"
"It's blue fire!"
This dazzling display left the other children envious.
Two little ones exchanged a glance, then immediately ran up to Vista.
Tilting their heads back, they said in overly sweet voices, "Handsome Uncle, can you help us too? The land I want to clear has so many trees. My father and the others have been chopping for a whole day and still haven't finished!"
"Easy peasy." Vista was overjoyed by the title "Handsome Uncle" and tossed his head stylishly.
"Watch this."
Before the words had fully left his mouth, his figure blurred, and his rapier left its sheath.
With dazzling sword flashes blooming one after another, over a dozen obstructing trees fell with smooth, mirror-like cuts.
Nearby, Diamond Jozu watched the scene, inexplicably feeling an itch to join in.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a single child in front of him, which made him feel disheartened.
Seeing Marco and Vista surrounded by children, Jozu grew increasingly anxious!
After glancing around, he couldn't help but puff out his diamond-hard chest, trying to catch the children's attention.
But the little ones were too busy marveling at the flames and sword techniques, completely ignoring him.
Left with no choice, Jozu raised his voice and proactively shouted.
"Does anyone need help? I can clear a path through mountains!"
This shout finally had an effect.
A child immediately ran over with starry eyes, pointing at a massive boulder in the distance. "Uncle! Can you move that rock for me? My friends said there's treasure hidden underneath it!"
Jozu's spirits instantly lifted, and he thumped his chest vigorously.
"No problem! Leave it to me!"
With that, he charged toward the giant rock like a rhino crashing into a train!
Boom—
Accompanied by a deafening explosion, the boulder was shattered by Jozu's brute force.
Debris flew everywhere, and dust filled the air.
Several children were instantly drawn in, their eyes wide with amazement.
"Wow—"
"So cool! Uncle, you're incredibly tough to smash that huge rock!"
"That's amazing! Even better than my dad!"
A barrage of praises, like sugar-coated bullets, left Jozu feeling dizzy with delight.
In the end, Jozu was completely won over, feeling as if he were bursting with endless energy.
He planted his hands on his hips and loudly asked.
"Any more? Any more?"
"Uncle here is scarily strong today!"