045 Whitebeard Pirates

The next morning, Xuan Ye yawned, his eyes still drowsy as he stretched lazily. After washing up, he made his way to the Navy base, heading straight for the office of the highest-ranking officer.

When he pushed open the door and took in the scene inside, he was a little surprised. “Hey! Spider Ghost, didn’t you go home last night?” he asked, his lips curling as he eyed the mountain of documents stacked taller than a man.

“Don’t talk to me—I might not be able to stop myself from killing you,” Spider Ghost replied without looking up, buried in paperwork, clearly overwhelmed.

“Tsk…” Xuan Ye clicked his tongue, intending to leave. However—

“Rogue Town’s been chaotic lately. Lots of pirates are coming ashore. Figure out a way to handle it—don’t just dump everything on me, I only have so much energy,” Spider Ghost said, raising his head with a look of extreme irritation.

“All right,” Xuan Ye replied, nodding gently at the dark circles under Spider Ghost’s eyes.

After breakfast, Xuan Ye returned to the Navy base, assembled all available personnel, and issued a single order.

“Not a single pirate on the island is to be spared.”

With that command, the entire island’s navy mobilized. Excluding the subordinates Xuan Ye had brought, there were nearly five thousand in total.

Rogue Town’s restaurants were bustling with life. Here, one could see countless pirates, each with a fierce, ruthless air, exuding the aura of marauders. Yet today, the town’s usual calm was broken. Everywhere, navy soldiers wielded weapons, indiscriminately arresting any pirate they found.

Leading them were Xuan Ye’s subordinates, most of whom had mastered at least one of the Six Forms.

“What’s going on? Has the navy gone mad?” some pirates protested, their faces dark as they fought back.

“I’m with the Crocodile Pirates—how dare you try to arrest me?”

“We don’t care what crew you’re from. Behave.”

“Boom—!”

“Rat-a-tat-tat—!”

Shouts, gunfire, the sounds of battle—pirates clashed with the navy throughout Rogue Town.

“Rear Admiral, we’ve found pirates with bounties over fifty million.” In the center of town, at a barbecue stall, a navy soldier reported to Xuan Ye.

“Which of you three will handle it?” Xuan Ye asked, chewing contentedly on a skewer of lamb.

“I’ll go,” said Pakas, wiping his mouth.

As time passed, other pirates with especially high bounties were found across the island. Monkey and Aokiji soon left the barbecue stand as well; only they could deal with such formidable enemies.

Suddenly, as Xuan Ye was eating, a breathless, panicked navy soldier ran over, drenched in sweat.

“Bad news, Rear Admiral! We’ve spotted the Whitebeard Pirates—Commander Aokiji can hardly hold out!”

“What? The Whitebeard Pirates?” Xuan Ye wondered if he’d misheard. If he remembered correctly, that crew would become the rulers of the seas, one of the Four Emperors, in a few years.

“Yes… it’s the Whitebeard Pirates—the ones who once fought the Pirate King!” The soldier trembled, his legs shaking uncontrollably.

“This is trouble… why would monsters like them show up here?” Xuan Ye’s expression darkened. Was it because of him?

Suddenly, flames leapt into the sky. In a blink, Xuan Ye vanished into the horizon.

—

In Marineford’s conference room, Sengoku wore a grim expression.

“Fleet Admiral Kong, we’ve received word that Whitebeard has appeared in Rogue Town.”

“Rogue Town?” Tsuru frowned.

“What’s that monster doing there?” Kong pondered, feeling more uneasy by the moment.

“Zeff and Garp are in the West Sea. Can we get them to hurry over?” Kong asked again.

“That may be difficult,” Sengoku replied, shaking his head.

“Tsuru, have you thought of something?”

“Perhaps we’ve been looking in the wrong direction. There’s only one reason Whitebeard would be there,” Tsuru said gravely, raising a finger.

“Gol D. Roger,” both Kong and Sengoku said, their faces dark as thunder.

“Notify Zeff and Garp at once. Sengoku, take Akainu and Kizaru to Rogue Town immediately. If necessary, capture Roger or Whitebeard,” Kong ordered sharply.

“Yes, sir…”

“What are they planning?” Kong and Tsuru racked their brains, searching for answers.

“With Xuan Ye and Aokiji there, let’s hope Whitebeard isn’t after them,” Kong said, rubbing his forehead, worried that Whitebeard might aim to destroy the navy’s future. With the Whitebeard Pirates’ capabilities, it would be easy to uncover details about the navy’s four rising stars.

“He wouldn’t. Whitebeard is too proud for that,” Tsuru replied with conviction.

“We can’t be too careful,” Kong muttered, veins bulging on his forehead.

—

On Rogue Town’s western coast—

“Ice Age!” A chill swept the shore as Aokiji, battered and grave, launched his attack.

“Terrifying… so this is one of the Four Monsters from the Naval Academy?” On the sea, a massive pirate ship loomed like a mountain, calming the ocean beneath its weight.

“Seems Jozu is having a hard time,” said Marco the Phoenix, Captain of the First Division, standing on deck.

“No way. With his strength, Jozu should be able to crush his opponent,” scoffed Thatch, Captain of the Fourth Division, standing beside him.

“Kurarara… don’t underestimate that little navy officer. Jozu might be in for a loss,” said the imposing figure at the prow, his presence overwhelming. His piercing eyes shone like the eternal sun, radiating power and command.

A single glance revealed imposing might; a second, invincibility. This man was a legend incarnate, inspiring awe and allegiance with his boundless charisma—Edward Newgate, known as Whitebeard.

“Even Father gives such high praise? I’d love to test myself against him,” said Vista the Flower Sword, Captain of the Fifth Division, his face alight with anticipation.

“Not yet, Vista. This is Jozu’s fight. If you intervene, you’ll only disgrace Father,” Marco replied, deeply protective of Whitebeard’s reputation. He had no intention of letting anyone say Whitebeard outnumbered his foes.

“Kurarara… Watch closely. The next era will belong to you all. This little one will become a formidable rival,” Whitebeard declared, his broad chest and mighty presence embodying the man who would later be called the World’s Strongest.

“I can hardly wait…” All the division captains’ eyes gleamed as they watched the battle on the shore.

“Shining Impact!” Under the sun, a crystalline, human-shaped diamond crashed down like a meteor, shattering the earth.

“Shave—Frozen Moment.” The figure vanished, a wave of frost left behind. Aokiji appeared above Jozu, ice blade in hand, slashing downward.

“Armament—Impact.” Jozu’s arm turned a dazzling diamond, wrapped in Haki, meeting the attack head-on.

Bang! The powerful clash sent shards of ice flying, chill filling the air as the fragments quickly reformed.

“Amazing… Whitebeard’s Third Division Commander, the Diamond Fruit user.”

Pulling back, Aokiji exhaled a cloud of frost, his expression grave.

“You’re not bad yourself—one of the Navy’s Four Monsters, user of the Freeze Fruit,” Jozu replied, shaking off the cold’s stiffness.

The world’s strongest crews knew of the navy’s four prodigies: Akainu (Sakazuki), user of the Magma Fruit; Kizaru (Borsalino), user of the Glint-Glint Fruit; Aokiji (Kuzan), user of the Freeze Fruit; and finally, Heavenly Bird Xuan Ye Tang, user of the Ancient Flamebird Fruit.

All wielded Devil Fruits so powerful they could reshape the world. Without exception, they were fated to become the navy’s next generation of vice-admirals, perhaps even admirals. Pirates everywhere had taken note.

“Ice Blade!” With a flicker, Aokiji vanished, leaving behind a chill. He reappeared above Jozu, ice blade poised to strike.

“So, what brings the Whitebeard Pirates to these waters?” Aokiji pressed.

“Armament—Hardening!”

Jozu’s diamond arm gleamed, Haki swirling as he met the attack.

“Haha… No reason at all.”

Boom!

Jozu staggered back, the ice beneath his feet shattering. Aokiji flipped away, then launched another attack.

Explosion after explosion echoed, the fierce battle quickly leaving both warriors battered and bruised.

“Jozu’s about to lose,” Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, a formidable pressure building in his chest.

“No, they’re evenly matched.”

“You’re wrong. Jozu has already lost—the cold is eating away at him,” Marco said, his insight razor-sharp.

On the shore, as the fight dragged on, Jozu’s face turned purple; he could feel his body’s functions failing rapidly.

Clash! In a split second, Aokiji seized his chance, freezing Jozu’s lower body solid.

“Looks like I win,” Aokiji said, arms spread wide as cold mist swirled around him. His eyes narrowed, an ice blade forming in his hand once more.

“Jozu got careless. Marco, bring him back—we’re returning to the New World,” Whitebeard ordered with a shake of his head.

“Yes, sir…” Azure flames flared as a gigantic, mythical bird soared across the sky, trailing a rainbow behind.

“Hm? How interesting.” Suddenly, Whitebeard looked to the sky, a smile curling his lips. “Looks like Marco’s found a worthy opponent.”

Boom! The air ignited as a blaze streaked across the sky like a meteor.

With a thunderous crash, red and blue collided midair, dazzling and dreamlike as starlight.

Another explosion—blue streaked downward from the heavens, sending boulders flying and the beach into convulsions, a wave of heat washing over the scene.

“Heavenly Bird Xuan Ye Tang… quite an impressive youngster,” Whitebeard mused, watching the flaming figure hovering overhead with great interest.

…