"Carl, my dear little brother, come dance with me!"
The Ice Witch, Whitey Bay, reached out her hand in a seductive gesture, but before she could reach him, a slender hand gracefully intercepted her. It was Robin, who stepped in front of Carl, placing him behind her. "I'm sorry, Ice Witch, but our Carl doesn't like to dance with strangers," Robin said politely but firmly.
Marie also stepped up, her arms spread wide, creating a wall between Whitey Bay and Carl.
Whitey Bay simply shrugged. "Oh, is that how it is? Well, that's a shame for you, little brother. I'll let you off the hook this time."
With that, Robin let go of the Ice Witch's hand and watched her walk away. Then, she turned to Carl with a stern glare. Marie, too, scolded him with a look of mock anger. "Mr. Carl, you're such a player!" she said.
Carl was utterly confused. He hadn't talked to anyone all night; he had just been eating and drinking. Why had Whitey Bay approached him? He just decided to ignore it. He turned around and sat down next to Luffy, with Robin and Marie following right behind him.
Luffy, who had been having a blast, was now sitting quietly. Zoro, Trafalgar Law, and Rickey sat beside him, while Whitebeard, Marco, Ace, Jozu, and Vista sat across from them. As Carl settled in, he noticed the sudden tension in the air. He glanced at Sabo, who was also sitting nearby, and raised an eyebrow in question. Sabo simply shook his head, offering no explanation.
Finally, Luffy broke the silence. "Hey, Uncle Whitebeard! I know you want to become the Pirate King, right? Well, that's too bad, because I'm going to be the only one!" he declared with a completely serious expression.
"Gurahaha! That's a pretty big claim for a small fry!" Whitebeard roared with laughter, leaning back comfortably in his chair. With his imposing figure and a huge white mustache, he truly looked like the King of the Sea. "So, tell me, how are you going to rule the seas?"
Luffy shook his head. "I'm not going to rule the sea at all. I think the person who's the most free in this entire world is the Pirate King!"
Whitebeard was taken aback. Marco, Jozu, Vista, and the others were also surprised. They had been pirates for years and had met countless others with a variety of goals.
But the purpose of most pirates was to dominate and conquer. The Four Emperors each had their own territory and ruled like kings. In the eyes of most people, the Pirate King was the one who owned the sea, who possessed all the wealth, fame, and power in the world. But this Straw Hat kid's answer was different.
Ace and Sabo, who were used to Luffy's antics, just smiled.
Whitebeard's hearty laughter filled the air once more. "Gurahaha! Straw Hat, that's a very interesting answer! But it's not easy to be the freest man in the world. Do you and your crew have the power to do it?"
Luffy's expression was unwavering. "Yes, we do! My crew and I are strong!"
Whitebeard and his crew couldn't deny it. The Straw Hat Pirates had proven their strength in the last war. There was no doubt that the Straw Hats had the power to fight against the top powers of the sea.
But Whitebeard, as a veteran of the seas, knew that sometimes strength was not enough. Just looking at Blackbeard, who had just acquired his third Devil Fruit ability, could the Straw Hats truly be confident in defeating him? And what about the Marines and the World Government? No one knew what kind of power the World Government was hiding, and even Whitebeard himself was wary of them.
The Straw Hats wanted to be the most free, but the World Government would never allow it. When they eventually clashed, could the Straw Hats really stand against a monster like the World Government?
"What's wrong, Uncle Whitebeard? Don't you believe me?" Luffy asked, seeing the silence from Whitebeard and his crew. He thought they were looking down on them.
Zoro, Trafalgar Law, and Rickey all straightened their backs. Now, the Straw Hat Pirates were on equal footing with the Whitebeard Pirates, and they couldn't show any weakness.
Carl then chimed in. "Uncle Whitebeard, don't underestimate us. If our two crews were to fight, we would definitely win."
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed. "Oh? Boy, it's good to be confident, but you're not strong enough!"
Carl wasn't intimidated and replied without hesitation. "No, you're the one who's arrogant! You, Whitebeard, are truly strong, but your sons aren't. Honestly, the Whitebeard Pirates are only strong because of you. What will happen someday when you're gone? Will the Whitebeard Pirates still be an Emperor crew? Who will protect your sons then?"
"Hey! Carl! You're being too rude!" Marco snapped, glaring at him. "Just because you're Ace's friend doesn't mean I won't kick your ass. Let's settle this right now!"
Ace also stood up, raising his voice. "Carl, how dare you look down on the Whitebeard Pirates? I'll be the one to teach you a lesson first! I won't be giving Luffy a break!"
Vista grabbed the hilt of his sword, and Zoro, Trafalgar Law, and Rickey also got into a fighting stance. The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Carl just smiled a knowing smile. Everyone there knew that Marco and Ace were no match for him.
Whitebeard raised his hand, gesturing for his crew to stand down.
Luffy also spoke up. "Zoro, Trafalgar Law, Rickey, please be polite to our guests."
Luffy considered the Whitebeard Pirates guests on their turf, so he didn't tell Carl to be more polite, as he agreed with what Carl had said. They were the hosts, and their presence couldn't be suppressed.
"Gurahaha! What arrogant boys! It seems I'll have to live a few more years just to see how far you can go!"
"You've got to live a long life, Uncle Whitebeard! You'll be able to watch me become the Pirate King!" Luffy's words were filled with a confident tone that was not inferior to Whitebeard's. It was clear that when it came to becoming the Pirate King, Luffy would not yield to anyone, not even Sabo, Ace, or Whitebeard.
Whitebeard was in a good mood and held up his cup to clink it with Luffy's. This was Whitebeard's way of acknowledging that Luffy was on the same level as him.
Overnight, the Whitebeard Pirates began to pack up their ships and prepare to set sail. This was not a place to stay for a long time, and their territory was in the New World.
The Straw Hats, on the other hand, wanted to stay for a while. Without the Going Merry, they needed to find a new ship. Carl had already talked with Franky and Iceburg, and a solution would be coming soon.
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