Erza and the others arrived at the port, watching the Moby Dick slowly approach.
"Gulalala! Drake, we meet again."
Before the ship even arrived, Whitebeard's mighty voice rang out.
Natsu couldn't help but say, "What a spirited old man!"
Everyone saw Whitebeard standing at the bow of the giant whale-like ship, and they all shared Natsu's feeling.
Drake nodded as well. Whitebeard had survived the fate of dying in the Summit War for over a year now. Although his wrinkles had deepened, his spirit was even more vigorous.
And the most eye-catching thing was the little blond hair lying on the railing of the Moby Dick.
"Hey, Sasuke, I saw you!"
Sasuke looked helpless and said, "This idiot, he's so embarrassing!"
This tsundere—Drake could feel his joy upon reuniting with Naruto Uzumaki, yet he was saying those kinds of words. Didn't you see everyone else sneaking smiles?
The Moby Dick docked and anchored in the port. Naruto jumped down a few steps and ran over to Sasuke.
"Sasuke, you don't know—I was so shocked when I found out I came to another world from my dad!
And, and, I want to introduce you to my dad and the others. They are the best family! I also learned a new ability recently, totally different from ninjutsu…!"
Sasuke listened to Naruto's chatter with a helpless expression, unable to help but think—where did this little kid come from? Why does he sound like he's showing off a treasure he just found? Isn't everyone else secretly laughing?
Whitebeard, leaning on his great sword, the Kuroryuu, approached. His tall figure directly overshadowed Sasuke.
Whitebeard looked down and said, "Gulalala! You're the friend my idiot son talks about, like a brother. So, how about coming to be my son?"
Sasuke was stunned for a moment, and Drake laughed and said, "Hey, Whitebeard, that's our companion. You can't just poach him into the Whitebeard Pirates!"
Whitebeard clicked his tongue and said, "What a petty little brat! But never mind, I won't force others."
Drake, smiling, said, "Old man, my throat's about to be parched. I heard you made a big fortune from that gold kid Tesoro. It's been a while—should we hold a banquet to celebrate?"
Drake nodded and said, "Of course, let's have a feast!"
Who would've thought that the mighty Emperor of the Sea, the strongest man in the world, was always short on money?
Whitebeard's money was mostly used to support his impoverished hometown, so he often had to rely on his son's drinks.
At the banquet, Whitebeard took a huge wine barrel, poured a big sip, and let out a hearty laugh.
"Drake, I've been hearing news about you lately. Not only did you clash with that Linlin girl, but you also defeated Tesoro and Doflamingo. You guys are really active!"
Drake put down his cup and said, "Let me clarify—none of these things are initiated by us!"
Marco, sitting aside, said, "But you guys really caused quite a stir! Do you even realize what kind of consequences your actions might trigger?"
Drake stroked his chin and said, "Who thinks so much when fighting? When the enemy declares war, we can't just back down."
Marco was stunned and then said, "I really don't understand you. Only pirates do things so recklessly!"
Drake laughed and said, "But I did think about the consequences later—probably the biggest troublemaker is that guy Doflamingo! After all, he's the Joker of the underworld, and if he's knocked down, it'll have a huge impact!"
In the original storyline, after Luffy defeated Doflamingo, he claimed that he was holding the reins of the sea monster. If the Navy captured him, it would cause chaos of the era!
Honestly, he overestimated himself, but it's undeniable that he was an important balancing factor among the sea's forces.
The World Government, the underworld, and the Four Emperors—all have ties to him.
Once he falls, the sharks smelling blood will go on a frenzied killing spree. But that's none of Drake's concern, and he simply doesn't care.
Whitebeard took another sip of wine and said, "Let me warn you first—Linlin and Kaido are both involved with that flamingo. Who knows if they'll come after you!
And for some reason, Shanks has been looking for you. Nobody knows what that mysterious little guy really wants. He used to be just like Roger, but now he's changed!
If he comes after you, you can mention my name—maybe it'll help a little."
Drake nodded, showing his appreciation. He agreed that Shanks, with his red hair, was indeed quite mysterious.
Shanks's identity was secret. Later revelations showed he was a baby of the Celestial Dragons picked up by Roger in the Valley of the Gods.
Growing up in Roger's pirate crew, Shanks resembled Captain Roger a lot. Although he didn't board the Laugh Tale with Luffy because he was taking care of the clown Buggy, Roger entrusted him with a secret and a mission.
To that end, Shanks seized the CP0's special Devil Fruit—the Gomu Gomu no Mi, known as the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.
After Luffy ate that fruit, he also bet his straw hat and a piece of his arm on Luffy.
His goal was the so-called "New Era," but what exactly that entails has never been confirmed.
Shanks's visit was probably because he was concerned that his influence over the "New Era" was too great and beyond his control. What actions he might take, Drake didn't know.
But if he really wanted to do something, Drake was also eager to see what would happen if he didn't give him face.
"Come on!"
"Don't lose, Naruto!"
...
While Drake was deep in thought, a noisy commotion suddenly erupted. Looking up, he saw it was Naruto and Sasuke, the infamous rivals, causing the trouble.
Naruto had been eager to show his growth, so he challenged Sasuke.
Everyone present was excited and started cheering immediately.
Although Sasuke said with a look of disdain that he wouldn't fight Naruto, he still stepped in front of him.
Whitebeard burst into laughter. "How about it? Isn't my idiot son amazing? Someone who can skillfully use Armament Haki at such a young age is rare on the sea.
Not only that, his perseverance is astonishing. Plus, his body can recover quickly no matter how much he trains—his growth rate even surprises me."
Drake nodded as well. Naruto Uzumaki's fighting style was already quite pirate-like—direct and powerful.
And that black coloration on his fists was clearly stable Armament Haki.
What surprised Drake was how much his physical strength had grown. Combined with Whitebeard's words that he could recover quickly, the explanation was simple.
The inside of Naruto's body contained a sealed space, and the Nine-Tails was gnashing its teeth!
That damned old man with the crescent beard—does he want to kill that yellow-haired kid with that training method?
In this world, dying might mean never coming back, so the Nine-Tails had no choice but to lend Naruto its chakra.
Recently, the Nine-Tails was exhausted to the limit—if it weren't for not being able to beat Whitebeard, it would have fought him to the death.
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