Pineapple's birthday celebration was naturally held on the Moby Dick. Apart from Ace, who was still in the first half of the Grand Line, all the other division commanders had returned to the ship.
So had the subordinate captains.
Every single one of them.
To avoid disturbances from outsiders, the Moby Dick had anchored near the inner harbor of Fortuna Community, keeping a slight distance from the shore.
"Pops, I'll sit here."
Little Oars Jr. sat by the ship's edge, his rear half-submerged in the seawater—his massive size made it impossible for the deck to accommodate him.
The other captains gathered on the deck.
The last time it had been this lively was over a decade ago. They wanted to take this chance to reunite properly.
"Marco, congratulations!"
"For this birthday celebration, I specially went to Pineapple Island and picked the finest pineapples!"
"Hey, I brought pineapples too!"
"Hahaha, looks like we all thought the same!"
Pineapples of all kinds piled up like a mountain.
The captains all knew Marco loved pineapples, and since they weren't rare, they naturally brought as many as they could.
"You guys..."
Marco stared at the mountain of pineapples, unsure whether to laugh or cry. How long would it take to finish all of them?
Just as the celebration was about to begin, the Groudon Ship approached.
"Mr. Gurd is here!"
The division commanders stood up one after another, eagerly looking forward to his arrival.
The captains also perked up.
"That's the Beasts' vice-captain?"
"That's him!"
"Not just the Beasts' vice-captain—he's also the head of the Hoenn Conglomerate!"
"And the Groudon Company belongs to him too."
Many captains had been to the North Blue and were deeply impressed by the Golden Route, especially the two massive military fortresses.
And the Nation of Labor.
The enormous factories were equally staggering, particularly the loading docks with rows of massive cranes—even more exaggerated than Water Seven.
The number of ships coming and going was beyond counting.
Judging by these glimpses, Calamity Gurd's true wealth was likely even more terrifying than the so-called "Golden Emperor," making him the true financial god of the Underworld!
"Gulp!"
The captains swallowed hard.
Though they were enemies of the Beasts Pirates, they also knew Gurd had a good relationship with Pops. Hostility was one thing, friendship another—they could tell the difference.
Since Pops acknowledged this man, they naturally wouldn't show open hostility. Still, a little intimidation was necessary to avoid being looked down upon.
Exchanging glances, the captains all put on their fiercest expressions, grinning savagely with malicious glints in their eyes.
"Welcome Captain Gurd!"
The ships' sides bumped together.
Gurd, followed by his subordinates, stepped onto the Moby Dick.
"This is the world of Pirates!"
Under the fierce gazes of these veteran pirates, the brigade commanders felt their limbs turn cold, as if they had stepped into an abyss.
It was terrifying.
They were confident in their own strength, but at this moment, they could clearly sense that every single person on this ship was overwhelmingly powerful.
Especially the captains—they felt like any one of them could easily kill them. The division commanders, in comparison, seemed far less intimidating.
Marco, veins bulging on his forehead, roared.
"Hey, cut it out!"
"Uh, sorry, Marco."
The captains quickly toned it down, flashing awkward smiles.
They were just trying to scare them a little.
Marco sighed helplessly and stepped forward to greet Gurd. "Sorry about that, Gurd. They caused you trouble."
"Haha, no worries."
Gurd didn't mind at all.
He actually hoped his subordinates would face some setbacks.
Those who could stand out among the kingdoms clearly had talent, but environmental limitations made it difficult for them to fully realize their potential.
A fish pond is not the same as the open sea.
To roam freely in the ocean, one must face predators larger than themselves—only then can they grow quickly.
Gurd picked up the wine and said with a smile, "Marco, this is my first time on your ship. I'd like to pay my respects to the old man first."
"Alright."
Marco stepped aside.
Whitebeard sat beneath the mast, his massive body covered with IV tubes, an oxygen line in his nose, surrounded by medical equipment and nurses monitoring his condition.
His illness had clearly worsened.
Gurd approached Whitebeard and raised an oversized wine jug. "Old man, long time no see. Your health doesn't look too good—can you still drink?"
"Gurarara, you brat!"
Whitebeard crossed his arms.
"Did you come here to mock me?!"
"I wouldn't dare."
Gurd chuckled, shrugging as he poured himself a large bowl of wine before tossing the jug to Whitebeard.
"This is good stuff!"
Whitebeard took a whiff and gulped down a mouthful with satisfaction. "I heard you defeated that Red Hair kid. Quite the surprise!"
"It was inevitable."
Gurd replied calmly.
Red Hair, Big Mom, Whitebeard.
Each crew was content guarding their own little plots, stagnating in complacency, while he had been pushing relentlessly to develop their economy and infrastructure. With ample resources backing them, the gap between them was bound to widen.
What seemed unexpected was, in fact, inevitable.
"Gurarara, arrogant bastard!"
Whitebeard cursed, though his eyes gleamed with admiration.
Even he had been outmaneuvered by this kid. Now his sons were tightly bound to him, willingly treating him like a brother.
Red Hair's defeat was no accident!
Whitebeard's expression darkened.
"Speak your mind if you have something to say!"
"Couldn't hide it from you."
Gurd's gaze sharpened.
"Doma's death caught me off guard."
"No one could've predicted that."
Whitebeard sighed.
He never imagined Teach would murder Doma over a Devil Fruit—let alone that Teach would betray them in the first place.
Gurd's voice turned grave. "Old man, I originally planned to wait another two or three years, until you retired. But things have changed."
"We of the Beasts are also hunting Blackbeard. We know how slippery he is—that man has gained a dangerous new power!"
"The Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit!"
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Gurarara, don't underestimate me."
Whitebeard naturally grasped the implication in Gurd's words.
Ace was no match for Teach!
Teach had boarded his ship long ago—a veteran with formidable strength, more than qualified to be the Second Division Commander.
Now, with his new ability, Teach's power would skyrocket.
It was precisely this concern that made him try to stop Ace from pursuing Blackbeard. But Ace hadn't listened.
He understood Ace's fury.
He felt the same rage.
"You want me to recall Ace?"
"No. I know Ace well—he won't return. Knowing him, he probably wants to present Blackbeard's head as a gift for Marco's child, in Doma's memory."
Gurd shook his head, his eyes icy.
"I just want to warn you—if I were Blackbeard, after defeating Ace, I'd hand him over to the Marines!"
"In that case, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy are bound to go to war. No matter the final outcome, it will be greatly beneficial to me!"
"And then I'll take your place!"
Gurd lifted his wine bowl and took a big gulp.
"Whitebeard, I hope you're prepared for war!"
"..."
Whitebeard remained silent.
Just then, a commotion arose in the distance.
"It's the Red Hair Pirates!"
The final guest had arrived!
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