The pirates turned their gazes toward the division commanders. Jozu was the first to speak up, his voice firm.
"I agree with Marco. Pops is gone. It's time we raised a flag that truly belongs to us."
Vista nodded as well.
"I agree. Marco is our Captain now—there's no reason not to follow his decision."
One by one, the other captains voiced their approval.
As for the pirates under their command, none openly objected. Still, beneath the surface, some harbored their own calculations. Many of them had originally joined the Whitebeard Pirates for one reason alone—Whitebeard's protection. Now that the old man was gone, they weren't sure whether the newly formed Phoenix Pirates, led by Marco, could truly safeguard them in the ruthless New World.
So they chose to wait and watch.
If the Phoenix Pirates could firmly establish themselves, maintain their territory, and continue standing among the Four Yonkos, they would remain loyal. But if Marco faltered, they could always leave under the pretext:
We pledged ourselves to the Whitebeard Pirates—under Whitebeard's flag.
Though none voiced these thoughts aloud, Marco understood. Among tens of thousands of pirates, divided loyalties were inevitable. For now, all he could do was bide his time—and prove himself with action.
"Alright," Marco said calmly. "From this day forward, the Whitebeard Pirates will officially be renamed the Phoenix Pirates."
He turned to one of his men.
"Zack, I'll leave the design of our new flag to you."
Zack straightened immediately.
"Leave it to me, Captain Marco!"
Marco nodded, then continued,
"The second thing I need to announce is this—I want everyone to help me contact the captain of the Heart Pirates: Trafalgar Law."
A ripple of confusion spread through the crowd.
"You mean that Supernova from this year?"
"The pirate from North Blue?"
"The Surgeon of Death—Trafalgar Law?"
"Yes," Marco confirmed with a nod.
Jozu frowned slightly.
"Why him, Marco? He's a newcomer. Are you thinking of inviting him to join us?"
Marco smiled faintly.
"That's part of it. But more importantly—his Devil Fruit."
His gaze shifted to Ace… and to others bearing bandages and missing limbs.
"The Ope-Ope no Mi has the ability to reattach limbs. Arms. Legs. For Ace—and for our comrades who lost them during the war."
The reaction was instant.
"What?!"
"He can do that?!"
"Reattach limbs?!"
Excitement exploded across the deck. Many of them had paid a terrible price at Marineford.
Ace instinctively touched his right arm, hope flickering in his eyes for the first time since the war.
Marco's tone was steady and sincere.
"That's why I want to find him. If Trafalgar Law is willing to help us, then the Phoenix Pirates will owe him a great debt."
He looked around once more.
"That's everything I needed to say."
A small smile formed on his lips.
"Now—let's eat."
"OOOOHHHHHH—!"
Cheers erupted as the feast finally began.
…While the Whitebeard Pirates celebrated their banquet, far away on a desolate island in the Grand Line—
The remnants of the Blackbeard Pirates had gathered.
Once a crew swollen with ambition, they had been reduced to a pitiful few. After the catastrophe at Marineford, only Blackbeard, Shiryu of the Rain, Jesus Burgess, and Doc Q remained.
Even then, only Blackbeard and Shiryu had truly escaped.
Burgess, Doc Q, and Buster Call had been frozen solid by Aokiji and dragged along inside Blackbeard's darkness. Though saved from capture, the crushing pressure of the Dark-Dark Fruit had left all three gravely injured, barely able to stand.
Blackbeard threw his head back and laughed wildly.
"Zehahahahaha! Looks like we finally shook off the Marines! Those bastards chased us for days—damn annoying!"
Shiryu's expression was dark, his tone icy.
"Teach. We failed to seize the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Half the crew is gone. Now we're down to four people. What's your plan?"
Burgess struggled to prop himself up, his breath ragged.
"Yeah, Captain… in our condition, we can't even step into the New World."
Shiryu snorted.
"And even if we could, this isn't the time. The Whitebeard Pirates may be crippled, but they'd still wipe the floor with us."
His irritation was obvious. He had followed Blackbeard believing in his grand vision—only to nearly die before that vision even began. Half the crew had perished the moment they stepped onto Marineford's battlefield.
Yet Blackbeard remained infuriatingly calm.
"Zehahahahaha! What's this gloom?" he said, grinning. "I'll admit it—I underestimated that old man. Didn't expect him to scheme against me even in death."
His eyes gleamed.
"Sure, it's a shame I didn't get the Tremor-Tremor Fruit… but it doesn't matter. If I can't take that power—then I'll just take another."
Shiryu's gaze sharpened.
"The Tremor-Tremor Fruit was wielded by the strongest man in the world. There are very few abilities that can rival it. Which Devil Fruit do you think could possibly compare?"
Blackbeard's grin widened.
"Of course it'll be a powerful one. I have no interest in weak abilities. Don't worry, partner—we'll succeed. Trust me."
"Hmph. I hope you're right," Shiryu replied coldly, choosing not to press further.
Burgess spoke up again, his voice low but eager.
"Then how about we start with this year's Supernovas, Captain? There are eleven of them—and most are Devil Fruit users. There might be some real gems among them."
"Tch… the Supernovas?" Blackbeard clicked his tongue, clearly unimpressed.
Still, he didn't reject the idea outright.
For now, they were the only prey he could be sure of crushing. Going after the great powers with such a battered crew would be suicide.
And so—
Blackbeard's gaze turned toward the rising stars of the era.
A dark smile crept across his face.
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