The combined strength of the El Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates was truly nothing short of astonishing.
Of course, the El Pirates had not done anything to harm Fish‑Man Island during their stay—but for a crew of such power, the fact that they had shown no hostility at all spoke volumes.
Fish‑Man Island clearly intended to ride this favorable wave of influence.
El and his men were fully aware of what the island was trying to achieve, yet they simply did not care.
If Fish‑Man Island wanted to use their name for protection, that was fine—as long as they did nothing to cause trouble for the crew, such trivial matters were beneath their notice.
At least, El himself did not mind.
And since this was his attitude, that was all that mattered. None of his officers held enough authority to challenge his decisions.
Then again, there were very few crews anywhere where subordinates could openly question their captain's choices.
Even in the Navy, a ship's captain held absolute command.
And so, what everyone had expected to be a violent clash between the two crews ended with a truce instead.
They had come to know one another through battle, and mutual respect had grown between them.
Yet for some reason, El could not help but notice that his officer Crocodile seemed to hold some different views toward the Whitebeard Pirates…
But he dismissed it as a minor concern.
He had no intention of interfering in matters his officers preferred to keep to themselves.
As captain, he also believed in giving his men enough freedom to act as they saw fit.
The feast on Fish‑Man Island was a complete success, though in truth, the true "host" was not King Neptune and his royal family, but the Whitebeard Pirates themselves.
Though they were not infinitely wealthy, they controlled vast territories across the New World—and Fish‑Man Island was one of them.
Compared to Whitebeard, the position of King Neptune, ruler of his nation, counted for very little.
In this era of great pirates, strength was the only true foundation of authority.
The Fish‑Man Kingdom was indeed an official nation, but its military power was negligible across the Grand Line.
Even some powerful crews from the first half of the Grand Line were not much weaker than the kingdom's forces.
More importantly, pirates were not bound by the same rules as nations. If they were outmatched, they could simply retreat.
A country, however, could not run away. Against pirates, nations were always at a disadvantage.
Many kingdoms across the Grand Line had no choice but to seek protection from powerful crews just to survive. Such was the harsh reality of the Great Pirate Era.
The El Pirates were only visitors here, after all. The Whitebeard Pirates had come specifically because of their arrival.
Now that tensions had been resolved, El and his crew decided it was time to set sail.
They would rise from the depths of the sea and enter the New World—the second half of the Grand Line.
With the El Pirates preparing to leave, the Whitebeard Pirates had no reason to remain any longer.
As the island was under their protection, they had already been treated with the utmost respect.
Both ships had finished their bubble coatings at roughly the same time, so the two crews could depart together.
"Hey there, young El!"
Even though Whitebeard had not sustained any injuries during their fight, Marco had immediately tended to him afterward, attaching drips and medical equipment to support his body.
The signs of his declining health were becoming clearer, and while outsiders might not notice, Marco—his chief doctor and most trusted subordinate—knew exactly how serious the situation was.
"Pops! Stop pulling at those tubes!"
Marco was the only commander who spent almost all his time aboard the Moby Dick, as his Phoenix powers could help stabilize Whitebeard's condition, even if they could not restore his youth.
No Devil Fruit ability could turn back time, after all.
The powers of these fruits were indeed countless and varied, but even those who had studied the complete encyclopedia could not claim to understand every single one.
It was all but impossible for Whitebeard to use such an ability to stop aging or regain his former vigor.
Yet Whitebeard did not seem troubled by it.
"WALALALALA!"
He ignored Marco's fussing. "Do you think wearing all these things will make our enemies feel sorry for us?"
Whitebeard had fought his entire life.
Even after reaching such heights, he still held himself to the strict standards of a frontline warrior.
Though his crew now had many capable commanders, he himself remained their greatest asset.
Without Whitebeard, it was hard to imagine how the crew would fare…
"Am I right, El?!"
He raised his bottle of liquor and shouted toward the distant ship of the El Pirates.
His voice could not travel through the seawater, but El, with his sharp Observation Haki, could clearly see his gestures.
El simply waved a hand in acknowledgment.
"Old man… even in this condition, he still acts as recklessly as ever," he muttered, then turned to his own crew.
"If I ever reach that point, you all must stop me, do you hear?"
Doflamingo and the others exchanged wide-eyed glances, unsure how to reply.
For them, their captain not only held the advantage in strength but also in age.
If anyone was going to grow old and weak first, it would surely be them, not El.
"Hahaha!"
Issho laughed aloud. "Very well, Captain—we shall do exactly as you say!"
Amidst their conversation and laughter, the El Pirates' ship slowly rose upward from the depths, meeting no obstacles along the way.
SPLASH…
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