As Whitebeard's words fell, the deck of the Moby Dick became so silent you could hear heartbeats.
"Pops!"
Vista tightened his grip on his sword hilt, wanting to speak but holding back.
"What kind of joke is this, Pops!" Jozu roared in his deep voice, his arms crossed, his hard diamond body trembling slightly from emotional agitation.
"We are the Whitebeard Pirates! The emperors who rule over these seas! How can we bow to some Marine brat!"
"That's right! Pops! No matter how strong Orion is, we're not powerless to fight!"
"Kill him! Let the world see who the true ruler is!"
The commanders' emotions were completely ignited - anger, confusion, humiliation - all kinds of emotions intertwined, making the atmosphere on the deck unbearably tense.
They were willing to die for Whitebeard, but they absolutely couldn't accept him showing weakness to an enemy.
Whitebeard took in his sons' reactions but offered no explanation.
He simply slowly lifted the wine bowl beside him - larger than a man's head - and downed the strong liquor in one gulp.
Then he turned his head to gaze at the distant sea.
In that direction lay his hometown, Sphinx.
An island abandoned by the World Government because its poverty prevented payment of the heavenly tribute.
Without the World Government's protection, it quickly became a paradise for human traffickers and pirates, transforming into a "lawless zone."
He himself was an orphan who had crawled out of that hell.
Though he no longer had family in that land, over the years he had never stopped anonymously sending back the treasures he plundered to Sphinx, desperately wanting to protect that broken land in his own way.
But this was all he could do.
He could send money and supplies to his hometown, but he couldn't give them order and a future.
He could intimidate the scum, but he couldn't eradicate the sin and despair from that land.
And now, with the tide of the times surging forward, the Marines had produced an extraordinary young Fleet Admiral.
Not only was he vigorously reforming the World Government internally, weakening the privileges enjoyed by the noble Celestial Dragons, but externally he was sweeping away all evil like autumn wind scattering fallen leaves.
Many countries that had previously been denied affiliation with the World Government due to inability to pay the heavenly tribute had now gained Marine protection because of Orion's appearance.
His hometown Sphinx was among them.
According to the intelligence he had gathered, Sphinx now not only had permanent Marine garrisons, but a team of city management specialists had also been dispatched to take over all affairs on the island.
They brought doctors, teachers, and engineers.
They arrested all the human traffickers and evil pirates on the island, publicly trying them.
They established orphanages, giving homeless children a place to belong.
They built nursing homes, allowing elderly people who had struggled through hardship all their lives to enjoy their remaining years in peace.
The Marines were revitalizing that lifeless island in ways he had never imagined.
The young Fleet Admiral was changing the world through his justice with concrete actions, like a master tailor mending this tattered world stitch by stitch.
The silent Whitebeard watched the sun slowly rising on the horizon, the wrinkles on his face gradually smoothing out.
Wasn't this exactly the kind of world he wanted - one where his family could live in stability and peace?
Now this world was charging forward in the direction of his dreams.
If he still clung stubbornly to his reputation and past, how was he any different from those lawless pirates who pillaged and burned across the seas?
After a moment of silence, Whitebeard withdrew his gaze and slowly rose to his feet.
His massive frame cast a shadow that instantly enveloped the entire deck.
He casually picked up his Supreme Grade Sword beside him and slammed it heavily onto the deck.
"THUD!"
The loud impact silenced all the noise.
"Pass the order! The Whitebeard Pirates, all hands, move out!"
Whitebeard scanned the circle of his sons present, then turned to face the sea, raising Murakumogiri high as his voice suddenly boomed.
"Destination, Sphinx! Full speed ahead!"
Though Whitebeard's sudden command left all the division commanders utterly confused, when the Moby Dick's massive whale head turned and set sail with full canvas, all the commotion settled.
Immediately, Whitebeard's orders spread from the Moby Dick via Den Den Mushi to every corner of the New World.
...
New World, some frozen sea area.
The "Ice Witch" Whitey Bay stood at the bow of her icebreaker, watching her crew haul a massive Sea King onto the deck.
"Buru buru buru..."
The Den Den Mushi at her waist rang. Whitey Bay answered it, hearing Marco's concise command.
"Pops' orders. All hands return to Sphinx."
Whitey Bay froze for a moment.
Sphinx? Pops' hometown?
She didn't ask questions, simply responding crisply into the Den Den Mushi.
"Understood."
Hanging up, she turned and gave orders to her cheering crew.
"Change course! Destination, Sphinx! Full speed ahead!"
...
Another chaotic sea area.
"Decalvan Brothers" Squard had just finished off some reckless pirate crew, standing with one foot on the enemy captain's face while cursing.
"With skills like yours, you dare cause trouble in my territory?!"
The Den Den Mushi chose this inopportune moment to ring.
Squard answered impatiently, "Who is it?! I'm busy, spit it out!"
"Squard, Pops' orders. Head to Sphinx immediately to assemble."
"Huh? What for at Sphinx?" Squard looked completely baffled.
"Isn't that Marine territory now? Are we going to fight Orion to the death?"
...
Similar scenes played out across the territories of all forty-three crews under the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Thunder Lord" McGuy, "Whirlpool" Andreas, "Karma"...
Pirate ships of various styles, from every corner of the New World, converged like countless rivers flowing into the sea, gathering together in a mighty fleet heading toward the same destination.
The Whitebeard Pirates, an Emperor crew that had dominated the New World for decades, suddenly launching such a large-scale operation quickly drew the attention of various major powers.
The first to obtain this intelligence was the Marines' G-5 Branch in the New World.
G-5 Branch, Office of the Highest-Ranking Officer.
Ain had just finished handling the documents on her desk and took a sip of coffee.
Brrrring Brrrring.
The Den Den Mushi on the desk suddenly rang.
Ain set down her coffee cup and calmly answered it.
The voice of an intelligence officer came through urgently.
"Report, Vice Admiral Ain! Urgent intelligence! We've detected a massive movement from the Whitebeard Pirates! All forty-three of their subordinate crews, totaling over fifty thousand members, have mobilized!"
A slight tension flickered in Ain's beautiful eyes.
Over fifty thousand? A full-scale mobilization?
She pondered for a moment and quickly arrived at the most reasonable conclusion.
"It must be because Fleet Admiral Orion's training ship has entered the New World. Whitebeard doesn't want a direct confrontation at this time and is choosing to avoid our sharpness."
"Order the Intelligence Division to closely monitor the Whitebeard fleet's final destination. Report immediately upon any updates."
"Yes, ma'am!"
After hanging up, Ain picked up her coffee cup again, her gaze shifting to the New World nautical chart on the wall.
Although this intelligence came suddenly, she wasn't worried.
Because based on this information, it wasn't hard to deduce that the Whitebeard Pirates must have been targeted by the Fleet Admiral!
The Marines' current lineup is unprecedentedly powerful.
The only thing Whitebeard can do is avoid us; otherwise, all that awaits them is death.
But if the Whitebeard Pirates have truly been targeted by the Fleet Admiral, where could they possibly escape to?
---------
Read 50 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator