The pirate lowered his voice and reported,
"Buckin… Buckin's gone. We found an underground laboratory beneath where she was staying."
"She… left?"
Whitebeard frowned.
"Does she not understand that betraying the Rocks Pirates is an unforgivable crime?"
"The Pirate Code makes one thing very clear about traitors. There is no mercy."
"Even if I pleaded with Rocks on her behalf, Buckin would still be punished. How could she make such a willful decision without even talking to me first?"
The Pirate Code was a set of rules widely circulated among pirates. It was more guidance than law, but one thing never changed:
No pirate captain would tolerate a crewmate running off on their own.
That was betrayal.
One of the few sins a pirate captain absolutely could not accept.
The pirate's expression grew more and more hesitant. He stammered,
"C–Captain… you should really… go see the lab for yourself…"
"See what? I don't understand that stuff," Whitebeard snapped, his face darkening. "If you've got something to say, say it."
Head bowed, the pirate bit his lip and forced the words out.
"T–The equipment in Buckin's lab… it's all… all about genes. You know… inheritance… children's genes and such."
"What?!"
Newgate felt as if lightning had struck him.
He froze in place.
Memories of his time with Buckin rushed up uncontrollably. He remembered how, every time they finished that sort of thing, she would always find some excuse to leave.
Back then, all he'd wanted was to hold her close, talk about the future, about their "son," about…
Now…
With this news in front of him…
"That woman… what was that woman planning to do… with my genes?"
Whitebeard's gaze dimmed.
He was not someone who fell in love easily. But a man like him, once he did, would treat that love with a seriousness deeper than the sea.
And yet…
"Ahhh!!!"
His fists clenched so hard his knuckles cracked.
His eyes turned bloodshot, blazing with fury, and his roar tore from his throat like a trapped beast.
"Why did you have to do this to me?!"
"Where did I, Newgate, do wrong?!"
His expression twisted into something close to madness.
A raging beast, howling at the fact that his sincere feelings had been answered with pure deceit.
He was nothing but a tool.
"C–Captain…"
The pirate trembled from head to toe.
Normally, Whitebeard treated his subordinates with warmth and kindness. He was a gentle giant of a man.
But now, seeing him like this, wild and frenzied, anyone would be terrified.
Whitebeard's hand tightened around the hilt of Murakumogiri, veins standing out on the back of his massive palm.
Those red eyes, laced with thick blood vessels, were terrifying, like they could devour a man alive.
He slowly stood up.
His towering frame was swallowed by the darkness, hiding his expression, leaving only those scarlet eyes burning in the gloom.
Boom.
Murakumogiri slammed into the ground, carving a pit into the hardened stone floor.
Whitebeard snarled,
"Buckin, that woman…"
"She'd better pray I never find her."
His heart turned as cold as thousand–year ice.
Whatever warmth he had for women was sealed away in that instant.
Clang.
Clang.
Like a walking corpse, Whitebeard leaned on his naginata and shuffled step by heavy step toward the exit.
Night quietly fell.
Moonlight draped itself over the island, a silver veil across Beehive Island, making the whole place look like a scene from a painting.
But Beehive Island was anything but beautiful.
With the prisoners loose, a fresh wave of chaos had erupted across the island.
When CP0 reached the edge of the warehouse zone with Shakky in tow, all they saw were chaotic rows of containers, tracks of frantic searching everywhere.
Plenty of pirates were still scouring the area with torches and searchlights.
"Looks like this place is blown. The Commander must have moved already," CP0 judged.
If this many people were still searching, then it meant Commander Claude had not yet been discovered.
He found a secluded corner and contacted Claude through a Den Den Mushi.
"Commander, reporting in. Shakky claims she knows where the Celestial Dragons are being held. According to her, they are not on the island. As for the exact location, she refuses to say. She'll only agree to lead us there herself."
"Not on Beehive Island?"
Claude was taken aback.
The CP0 who had infiltrated Skull Castle had reported that the Celestial Dragons were imprisoned inside a hidden chamber within the castle.
Now a new piece of intel claimed they weren't on the island at all.
Claude thought for a moment, then made his decision.
"Whether it's true or false, we can't ignore this lead. Let Shakky take you to where the Celestial Dragons are supposedly being held. If the information is false… then eliminate her."
"If it's true, inform me immediately."
"Understood," CP0 replied.
"Find a remote area and send me the location. I'll arrange your extraction."
CP0 led the unconscious Shakky to a lonely spot by the sea.
Not long after, a small dark cloud drifted overhead and floated down in front of him.
CP0 grabbed Shakky and leapt up, landing on the cloud's surface, and quietly left the island.
…
Elsewhere on the island.
Ares was still searching for Katakuri.
But Beehive Island was huge, packed with people, and CP0 were masters of stealth and spycraft.
Even with his strength, several hours of searching had turned up nothing.
Frustration gnawed at his chest. Impatience started to creep in, making his thoughts muddled.
Just then, a pirate scampered over, face full of flattery. He held out a letter.
"Ares, someone asked me to pass this to you. He was very specific that only you are allowed to read it."
"A letter?"
Ares blinked, confused.
Still, he took it from the pirate's hand.
"Who would be writing me a letter…?"
No point overthinking it. He would know once he read it.
He unfolded the paper.
The moment his eyes swept over the contents, his pupils shrank slightly.
He folded the letter up again, put it away, then looked straight at the messenger.
His tone hardened.
"What did the man who gave you this look like?"
"When did he hand it to you?"
"It was dark, how could I get a clear look? And he had a hat pulled down," the pirate replied. "But he paid pretty well."
He thought for a second and added,
"About half an hour ago, I think."
Money can make ghosts work, let alone some greedy, small–time pirate.
"Go," Ares said with a wave of his hand.
It had already been thirty minutes. Even if he went looking now, the sender would have long since moved on.
Right now, what mattered more was what the letter said.
"No matter what, Katakuri is my crewmate."
Ares turned and headed toward Skull Castle.
Inside the castle, the lights were blazing.
Ares walked straight to Rocks' room and stopped at the door. He raised his hand and knocked.
"Captain Rocks, are you in? It's Ares. I have something I want to discuss with you."
"Come in."
Rocks' voice sounded from within.
Ares pushed the door open and strode in, heading directly toward him.
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