"Whitey, I really want to go to the Final Island!" Kozuki Oden said, unable to contain his excitement.
Facing Roger, who was kneeling before him, and Kozuki Oden's request, Whitebeard showed an unwilling expression.
"Just one year! Only with this guy will my voyage be complete! Please, Newgate!" Roger didn't look up, his attitude sincere: "I can exchange all my treasures for it!"
In the end, Whitebeard still didn't agree, but seeing Kozuki Oden's appearance, he tacitly approved.
"Nero!"
"Big Sister!"
"Has anyone seen Nero and the others?"
Rayleigh asked around, and everyone uniformly shook their heads, indicating they didn't know. Buggy and Shanks also helped search, but likewise found nothing.
"Something's wrong! In such a lively setting, how could that Nero not be here?" Rayleigh stroked his chin beard, a look of suspicion on his face.
Just then, Marco also ran over in a panic: "Old Man, this is bad! Whitey Bay is gone!"
"Nani?" Whitebeard's Murakumogiri trembled, and he glared, his eyes wide: "When did this happen?"
He didn't suspect Roger; based on their years of acquaintance, he knew the Roger Pirates weren't that kind of people.
"I... I'm not sure, we just found out!" Marco stammered; no one had expected such a situation.
"Damn it!" Whitebeard punched the air, causing a powerful shockwave: "Search! Send everyone out, we must find her no matter what!"
"We'll help too!" Roger said: "Before fighting you, we just fought a group of Marines."
"Huh? Who do you think I am?" Whitebeard's veins bulged on his forehead, angered by Roger's condescending offer: "Mere Marines, I am Whitebeard!"
"Captain! This is bad!" Just then, Buggy also ran over in a panic: "Big Sister and Hathaway have disappeared!"
"Nani? That Nero?" Roger was also dumbfounded, exchanging a look with Whitebeard: "Newgate, let's cooperate and find them first!"
"Hmph!" Whitebeard snorted, indicating his agreement, then roared at the other crew members: "What are you doing standing around? Go find them and bring them back to me!"
"Oh... oh! Get moving!" Marco immediately spread his wings and soared into the sky upon hearing this.
"Captain Roger, let's go back to the ship first. I always feel that with Big Sister's strength, no one could abduct her so silently." Shanks calmed down and still felt something was amiss.
"Ah, let's do that! Shanks, you go check the ship, everyone else split up and search." Roger instructed. There was something he didn't say explicitly: if Nero was fine, then they could consider it helping to search for Whitey Bay.
Shanks nodded and walked towards the ship, then saw Nero walking out of the woods as if nothing had happened.
No, it was more like she was... radiant? Hathaway followed behind her, looking helpless.
The others didn't think much of it and quickly surrounded her, asking questions excitedly: "Nero! Where did you go?"
"Everyone thought you were missing!"
"Did you encounter any enemies?"
Nero pushed through the crowd, saying: "Nn-mm, I'm fine! I didn't encounter any special enemies, just some private matters. I was on the ship the whole time."
As she spoke, Nero squeezed in front of Kozuki Oden: "So this is the legendary samurai from Wano Country? He's really quite peculiar!"
"Nn-mm, Captain, have you dealt with this guy and his Captain?"
"Ah, Oden will be sailing with us now." Roger laughed heartily, giving a thumbs up.
"Nn-mm, that's great!"
Upon hearing this, Nero's eyes visibly brightened. Amidst Whitebeard's displeased expression, due to her height, she could only pat his abdomen.
"Nn-mm! As expected of the great pirate Whitebeard Pirates, truly magnanimous! I can tell at a glance that you're a bold fellow."
Whitebeard grimaced and brushed Nero's hand away, not refuting Nero's words of praise.
Nero didn't mind Whitebeard's rudeness and patted her ample chest: "I knew Whitey Bay's worries were unnecessary. Since that's the case, everything ended perfectly!"
After saying that, Nero intended to return the way she came, but she hadn't taken a step before Whitebeard grabbed her shoulder.
"Little girl, you said... what happened to Whitey Bay?" Whitebeard's face was dark, his expression unclear, and he asked in a gloomy tone.
"Nn-mm?" Nero blinked: "Oh, I guess I haven't told you yet, Whitey Bay has decided to come with me."
"Eh????" xN
"What's there to be surprised about? Isn't it the same with the samurai over there?" Nero said as if it were obvious.
"Little girl, I want to hear that from Whitey Bay herself!" Whitebeard's veins on his forehead throbbed, his words full of anger and disbelief.
He didn't believe Whitey Bay would betray the Whitebeard Pirates, especially not leaving silently without a word.
"Of course! You can meet her anytime if you want!" Nero, however, seemed oblivious to the emotion in Whitebeard's words, still exuding confidence.
Hathaway had been about to say something, then struggled to stop herself, her expression even more indescribable... "No! She's mine! We already agreed!" Nero buried her face in Whitey Bay's ample chest, clinging tightly to her slender waist, refusing to let go.
Everyone from both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates stood there speechless, with black lines on their heads.
"Nn-mm, you already promised! If I win, you're at my disposal, so you're mine!"
Looking up from the ample chest, Nero's watery big eyes stared at Whitey Bay, making her feel a sense of discomfort.
Wasn't this just a pirate's catchphrase or something? She had been with the Whitebeard Pirates for so long, there was a certain understanding, but what was up with this little girl?
Whitey Bay looked at her Captain with a pleading gaze, while Whitebeard instinctively turned his face to look at Roger.
Roger felt Whitebeard's gaze and then directed his own towards Rayleigh.
Rayleigh: "...Damn it!"
Looking at Nero, who was hugging Whitey Bay and wouldn't let go, he also had a headache. If it were anyone else, he could just knock them out.
But Nero's strength, combined with the fact that she was a little girl, made that solution impossible. Plus, her willful demeanor made Rayleigh feel at a loss for what to do for a moment.
"Besides, you gave the samurai to Roger, so what's wrong with giving Whitey Bay to me? You're stingy! I'll treat her well, I'll definitely make her happier than she was with you."
"That's different!" Whitebeard felt a headache coming on, feeling like this was truly a farce.
"Nn-mia! What's different?" Nero held her even tighter.
Both of them simultaneously looked at Roger: "You tell her!" x2
Roger: "..."