Ba Jin and Weevil are searching for Marco, and Marco is searching for them too.
In the original timeline, they lost Whitebeard and Ace, Jozu lost an arm, and the other pirate crews under their command suffered varying degrees of losses. After retreating, they not only had to face pressure from other Sea Emperors but also had to battle the troublesome Blackbeard.
Blackbeard lived in the Whitebeard Pirates for decades, familiar with the abilities of the Whitebeard Pirates and their captains. Against Blackbeard with his two fruits and the prisoners from the sixth floor of Impel Down, the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were caught in a bitter struggle.
They didn't have time to deal with Ba Jin and Weevil, eventually being taken down one by one, losing sixteen pirate crews under them, which allowed Weevil to earn a position with the Seven Warlords of the Sea due to this achievement.
But now things are different. Whitebeard is dead, but Ace is still alive, and Jozu hasn't lost his arm.
In the year following Whitebeard's death, Ace has also grown, transforming in both strength and mentality under the impact of Whitebeard's death.
Their situation isn't great, but without the root cause of Blackbeard, they managed to find a sliver of space to survive and can allocate some manpower.
Shortly after Ba Jin and Weevil began taking action, the Whitebeard Pirates' remnants started searching for them, but only recently found their trail.
"Jozu, Marco... Ace..."
Squard sat up from the ground, looking at the three who arrived, especially Ace last, feeling mixed emotions inside.
He harbored a grudge against Roger, as the pirate crew he originally belonged to was destroyed by Roger, but Whitebeard always concealed Ace's identity, which is why Squard fell for Akainu's scheme.
"Bloodline is something no one can choose, but we all gathered under the Old Man's flag. The Old Man didn't want his sons to slaughter each other, so Squard, let the past of the older generation fade away."
Ace spoke these words with his back to Squard. Whitebeard's death grieved all the Whitebeard Pirates, but the greatest impact was felt by Ace and Squard.
One impulsively led to the Summit War; the other almost raised a blade against Whitebeard. Even if others don't mention it, getting over this hurdle themselves isn't easy.
Ace has spent almost the entire year continually training through battle, increasing his strength while also diverting his attention. He wants to carry on the banner of Whitebeard and inherit Whitebeard's name.
In this situation, the sudden appearance of Ba Jin and Weevil was simply unacceptable to the members of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Ace... you've changed...."
"People do change. Get some rest now; it's our turn next, Fire Fist!"
Ace's right arm turned into flames, and under the scorching heat of the fire, the surrounding air became intensely hot. Ace's Fire Fist slammed directly towards Weevil.
"Go take them out! My son, they are the ones who usurped your father's legacy!"
Ba Jin had an extraordinary confidence in Weevil; otherwise, she wouldn't have taken him to attack the Whitebeard Pirates' remnants. Having received Ba Jin's command, Weevil didn't hesitate, spinning his massive sword effortlessly, charging straight at Ace's Fire Fist.
Clang!
With a flash of blade light, Ace's Fire Fist was split in two, and Weevil charged through the flames towards Ace.
"I'm the true son of Whitebeard! You bunch of impostors!"
A tearing sound erupted, leaving a massive gash on Ace's body, but it quickly closed up with flames.
Weevil knew how to use Haki, but Ace hadn't wasted the past year. The relentless battles drew out the potential within him, with the Haki residing within gradually surfacing.
For Logia-type ability users, it's challenging for enemies to harm them as long as their Observation Haki is sharp enough. Ace had already turned his body into flames, spreading out to evade Weevil's powerful strike.
"Firefly Light·Fire Dharma!"
Greenish firelight shot from Ace's hand, surrounding Weevil before exploding. The smoke obscured everyone's vision, but Weevil's figure remained unfazed.
"Darn it, that hurts! You're burning me!"
The flames were still burning, but Weevil charged out of them head-on, wielding his sword with both hands, striking towards Ace with even greater speed.
His physique was terrifying; just in terms of bodily strength, he was among the few monsters in the New World, but he wasn't facing just one person.
"Shining Charge!"
Jozu leapt from the side, and except for his right eye, his entire body was already transformed into diamond.
As a Paramecia-type: Twinkle-Twinkle Fruit user, Jozu relied entirely on his hard diamond body for combat. Be it Crocodile or Kuzan, getting hit by him wasn't pleasant.
Unlike Ace, who prioritizes evasion, Jozu chose the most straightforward hard collision approach.
Boom!
The sword blade clashed with the diamond body, muscles on Weevil's arms bulging with veins, although not breaking through Jozu's defense, he still managed to withstand Jozu's attack.
"Damn it, you're so strong, my mom will scold me for this."
Jozu didn't speak, merely increasing his force. This was not a fair one-on-one fight; since the opponents chose to invade their territory, fighting three against one wasn't unreasonable for them.
Their goal was just to swiftly deal with those masquerading under the name of Whitebeard.
"Divine Fire: Shiranui!"
"Phoenix Seal!"
Two Flame Lances flew from Jozu's side, with Marco also kicking Weevil's head.
If it were a one-on-one fight, Weevil wouldn't fear Marco or Ace; he possessed the ability to face them. However, he was now facing three.
Jozu's hard body blocked the front, Ace's fierce flames scorched his body, and concurrently, Marco's—not the phoenix's most formidable ability—was its terrifying regenerating power. Yet, this didn't mean Marco lacked combat ability.
Ultimately, Weevil wasn't Whitebeard. The truly young Whitebeard wouldn't fear these three, but Weevil lacked the capability to eliminate a captain in one blow, gradually falling into a disadvantage under the trio's siege.
"Damn it, did I underestimate these punks? Newgate's crew... Weevil! Prepare to withdraw!"
"But Mom... these guys are so troublesome!"
While responding, Marco kicked Weevil's head again, teaming with Jozu's charge to send Weevil flying, but this attack didn't knock Weevil out. He shook his head while on the ground and stood up once more.
"This is troublesome..."
Ba Jin surveyed the surrounding situation; despite Weevil still battling the three, dragging it out longer would lead to defeat. In this case, Ba Jin's gaze shifted to Squard, standing off to the side.
She, herself, was once a member of Rocks...