Shanks said to Akira, "Akira, I think you should stabilize your emotions first. You can discuss the other matters properly later. Don't make decisions hastily. What's most suitable for you now is to lie low, not to act rashly."
Before Akira could speak, Marco next to him said in a deep voice, "Red Hair, we all understand what you mean. However, even though you're the Yonko of the New World, we can make decisions about the Whitebeard Pirates' matters ourselves. Akira is our captain now. We will definitely listen to whatever he wants to do."
Although they were very grateful to Shanks for helping them during the Summit War, as Marco said, the Whitebeard Pirates' matters still had to be decided by themselves. This wasn't just a sentence. It was telling Shanks that they had also been a pirate crew that was on equal footing with you before. Even if Whitebeard had died in battle now, that didn't mean that the Whitebeard Pirates would be inferior.
Shanks understood what Marco meant. Akira was also clear. So, he didn't open his mouth, but instead let Marco speak, because he also had the same idea in his heart. He was a proud man in his bones. Even if he knew that what Shanks had said was the most stable choice, it was really too much for him to swallow his anger, and watch the world that Whitebeard had built with his own hands fall apart. He couldn't do nothing.
If his heart wasn't settled, then how could he lie low? This was Akira's current state, and it was also what many members of the Whitebeard Pirates were thinking.
Shanks sighed, not saying anything anymore. If he said anything more, even if he didn't have the intention of interfering in the Whitebeard Pirates' matters, he would be misunderstood. So, he patted Akira's shoulder.
"Akira, we will always be friends. As a friend, I will still stand on your side."
Because of their positions, the two of them couldn't chat as happily as before. But as friends, this friendship wouldn't change because of these reasons. Shanks understood this. Akira also understood very well.
Akira looked at Shanks, and suddenly smiled freely, and said, "Shanks, if there really comes that day, and I have no place to stand in the New World, I might go find you. I don't know if you will take me in then?"
Shanks laughed loudly, "I definitely will, I definitely will, hahaha..."
Of course, this was just a joke for Shanks and Akira, because they both knew very well that not to mention whether this day would really come, even if Akira had no place to stand one day, he would definitely not ask Shanks for shelter, because a man like Akira couldn't possibly ask a friend for help when he was at his lowest.
"Take care!"
Shanks and Akira said solemnly, and then left with the people of the Red Hair Pirates...
Riding on the Red Force, leaving slowly, Shanks looked at the island where Akira was, and sighed, "With this farewell, I don't know when we will be able to meet again. When we meet again, will we be enemies, or friends?"
"You seem very worried about him." Ben Beckman walked next to Shanks, and asked.
Shanks said, "He's been my friend for at least twenty years. Do you think I wouldn't be worried about him?"
"That's true."
Beckman nodded, and said, "However, what you said was indeed somewhat superfluous. I can see that he has more ideas than you imagine. And your worry is also completely unnecessary. The Whitebeard Pirates have been defeated this time, but their main force hasn't disappeared too much. With their foundation, there aren't many pirate crews in the New World who can defeat them."
Shanks said, "You also said that there aren't many, which means that there are some. Akira's personality is too radical and proud, and he's also very vengeful. So, it's easy to make enemies. This is what I'm most worried about."
"Are you talking about the Blackbeard Pirates?" Beckman asked.
Hearing the Blackbeard Pirates, Shanks frowned, and said, "Blackbeard is indeed a very troublesome guy. That guy's strength was already very strong. Now that he has obtained the Gura Gura no Mi ability, even I don't have the confidence to defeat him. Moreover, that person's personality is gloomy. I'm worried that Akira will suffer a loss if he faces him."
Beckman smiled, "Then that's hard to say. I have a different view from you. I think it's exactly the opposite. I think the Death God is very smart. Blackbeard provoking him is instead an unwise choice. In short, I'm very much looking forward to their exchange in the New World. I think not only me, but many people are also looking forward to their exchange. After all, although there are also many powerful forces in the New World, the two of them are the ones with the most opportunity. I'm also very much looking forward to it!"
"You seem very optimistic about Akira?"
Shanks was quite curious, because Beckman had only met Akira once. But listening to his tone, he was clearly more confident in Akira, actually thinking that even the Blackbeard, who was already so powerful, might not be Akira's opponent. You had to know that even he, as Akira's friend, didn't have that much confidence.
Beckman said with a smile, "Some people are destined to be different, just like you. Do you remember the first time we met? The Death God is very similar to you. He naturally has a kind of temperament that makes people believe him. And although Blackbeard isn't ordinary either, being patient, and obtaining his current position and strength through his own efforts, this kind of person is also very scary. But encountering the Death God, I'm still optimistic about the Death God, because I can't see through him."
"Then does that mean you can see through Blackbeard?" Shanks asked strangely.
Beckman answered, "It's not completely seeing through him, but I can still see through him 90%. But it's different with the Death God. I can only see through him 50%. I can't see through the rest, because that person is really too difficult to grasp. He's more impulsive than anyone when he's impulsive, and more calm than anyone when he's calm."
"How do you say that? I'm relatively familiar with Akira being impulsive. I also believe that he's calm. But it shouldn't be as exaggerated as you said, right?" Shanks asked.
Beckman said, "You might not have noticed. On the event of Whitebeard's death in battle, the Death God was very calm. Of course, I'm not saying that he wasn't sad. On the contrary, it's because he was very sad that he was able to clearly see everything, and the choices he made were also very correct."
Shanks said in surprise, "What do you mean by that? Could it be that you also think that what I said was wrong?"
Beckman said, "What you said wasn't wrong. But what you said has a premise, which is that the Whitebeard Pirates don't have someone who can support everything. But it's different now. Although the Death God is still relatively young, whether it's strength, or fame, he's enough to suppress the entire Whitebeard Pirates. Under his leadership, the Whitebeard Pirates will probably change their difficult situation soon. And I also have a feeling that under his leadership, the Whitebeard Pirates will probably undergo a big change compared to the Whitebeard era."
Shanks now agreed very much, saying, "That's true. Akira's personality is completely different from Whitebeard's. He doesn't have as broad a mind as Whitebeard, unable to tolerate everything. However, he's more cautious than Whitebeard when doing things. So, it's certain that there will be changes. But whether it's good or bad, no one can say for sure at the moment."
Although Shanks was somewhat worried, he was also very clear that the remaining matters weren't what he needed to worry about. No matter what Akira and the Whitebeard Pirates did, it was their business. He could only watch from the sidelines.
And after the Red Hair Pirates left, only all the pirates of the Whitebeard Pirates were left. Akira had Marco summon all the pirate crew captains under his command.
Because Akira was the heir designated by Whitebeard before his death, the Whitebeard Pirates, from top to bottom, were very obedient to him. Of course, Marco and a group of old-timers were truly obedient. And the other newcomers, such as Ace and the others, had personally witnessed Akira's strength. Most of them had been conquered by Akira's strength. As for the attitude of the other pirate captains, that was unknown.
In this Summit War, besides the Whitebeard Pirates' main crew, a total of 43 pirate crews had gone. But only 29 pirate captains had returned. The rest had all sacrificed themselves. These 29 captains, under Akira's summons, gathered together with Marco and the others.
The division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, plus the 29 pirate captains, a total of 31 people.
After everyone had arrived, Akira's gaze swept across everyone. He discovered that many people had injuries on their bodies. Even though several days had passed, there were still some people whose injuries hadn't fully recovered. It was conceivable how difficult the battles they had experienced in the war had been.
"My name is Newgate Stone Akira. Probably many of you haven't seen me before. Some of you might not have even heard of me. But we fought side by side during the Summit War. I believe you also know who I am."
Indeed, there were many people before who didn't know Akira. But after the Summit War, it was difficult not to know Akira, because the strength that Akira had shown was really too amazing.
Marco said at this time, "Akira was among the earliest batch of people to join the pirate crew twenty years ago. He's also the strongest man in our pirate crew besides Pops. Before Pops died, he left the pirate crew to Akira. So, from that moment on, Akira is the captain of our Whitebeard Pirates. He's also the person who has inherited Pops's position."
Marco's words received the approval of the people of the Whitebeard Pirates' main crew. But the other 29 pirate captains all didn't speak. And Akira's gaze swept across them one by one. The expressions of these people were all seen by him.
Akira said, "Pops is gone. What will happen next, I believe you should all be very clear in your hearts. Without Pops's protection, the territories we had before will almost collapse in an instant. So, what we need now is unity. But with just our current manpower, even if we unite, we won't be able to face the situation that might happen next. We need helpers."
'Bohemian Knight' Doma asked, "Helpers? Where will we get helpers?"
Akira said, "Besides you who went to Marineford with Pops, there are still many of Pops's subordinates in the New World. I will first have people notify and summon them. Also, everyone has their own territories. You can return to your own territories to recruit people."
Hearing Akira's words, the expressions of the 20 or so pirate captains all changed. Even Marco and the others were looking at Akira in surprise, because what Akira had said was really somewhat absurd. The elites of these pirate captains had basically all been brought to Marineford. Now, he was letting these people go to their own territories to recruit people. How would they recruit?
"Akira."
Marco called out to Akira in a low voice. In his opinion, the most important thing for the Whitebeard Pirates now was to gather the strength of all the pirate crews, stabilize their hearts, and consolidate the Whitebeard Pirates' position. Not to let these pirate captains leave like Akira was doing. This would obviously have great disadvantages for Akira's future leadership.
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