Whitebeard looked at the people behind him and snorted in dissatisfaction.
"Why are you all crying? Everyone here is a grown man. Letting you join another pirate crew is not the same as sending you to your deaths."
He then continued in a deep voice.
"Kaito is extremely strong. Even in my prime, I could not have taken him lightly. Following him is not a loss for you."
Whitebeard paused for a moment before sighing.
"Besides, pops is getting old. I can finally feel at ease knowing you will be under Kaito's banner. His strength is more than enough to protect all of you."
"What are you saying, pops?" Marco shouted immediately. "We agree!"
As soon as Marco spoke, the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates followed without hesitation.
For them, the outcome no longer mattered. As long as pops was alive, everything else was secondary. The battle earlier had made one thing painfully clear. Kaito had the ability to kill Whitebeard if he wanted to, yet he chose not to.
Anyone with eyes could see it.
This was not an order forced upon them. It was a favor. A favor meant to ensure they followed Kaito willingly rather than out of obligation to Whitebeard.
From that moment on, Marco truly acknowledged Kaito. The indifference in his eyes disappeared, replaced by deep gratitude.
As long as pops was still alive, they still had a future.
It was not just Marco. Every commander of the Whitebeard Pirates felt the same. Any resistance they had toward joining Kaito's crew quietly vanished.
Kaito naturally noticed the change in their expressions. This was exactly the outcome he wanted. His decision had been the right one.
The only regret he felt was that his fight with Whitebeard ended too quickly. It had stopped after only a few exchanges, leaving him slightly unsatisfied.
As the crew busied themselves tending to Whitebeard, Kaito no longer felt the need to remain. His objective had already been achieved, and he trusted that Whitebeard would keep his word.
"Since everything is settled, I'll be leaving," Kaito said calmly.
Whitebeard nodded weakly. "The battle in three days, are we still on?"
"You rest here. I'm free whenever," Kaito replied.
"Good. It's time to settle things with the Marines," Whitebeard said. "I'll have Marco act according to your orders."
"That works."
With that, Kaito transformed into a black streak and vanished into the sky.
Watching him leave, Marco spoke with a hint of disbelief. "Pops, his strength is terrifying. Even you couldn't defeat him."
"Hmph," Whitebeard snorted. "That brat never went all out from start to finish."
Marco nodded slowly. "That's true. His true power never appeared."
"The so called thunder-eye pirate," Whitebeard said with a low chuckle. "You only saw his eyes. As for the lightning, that was nothing."
Marco and the others looked confused. "But the thunder filled the sky. We all saw it."
Whitebeard's expression darkened. "That lightning was just for show. The real lightning he controls is far stronger."
"If his own lightning is a ten, then what you saw in the sky was barely a two. Do not underestimate him."
Silence filled the room.
To fight Whitebeard while holding back was humiliating enough. Winning while suppressing his true strength made it even worse.
Whitebeard waved his hand. "Enough. I've lost. Prepare yourselves these next few days and report to Kaito."
Marco hesitated. "What about you, pops?"
"I'll return to my hometown," Whitebeard said softly. "It's time to retire."
"Pops, you still have us," Ace said unhappily. "We didn't give ourselves to Kaito."
"You don't understand," Whitebeard replied firmly. "I'm in my seventies now. My strength is fading, and the older I get, the more I miss home. I stayed because I was the pillar of this crew."
"Without me, you couldn't maintain the authority of a Yonko crew."
"But now it's different. The New World already belongs to Kaito. You'll be safe under him. It's time for me to let go."
His tone left no room for argument.
Marco and the others lowered their heads. Shame crept into their hearts. Over the years, they had grown complacent, relying too much on Whitebeard's presence.
They had disappointed him.
"When will you leave, pops?" Marco asked quietly.
"After the final battle between Kaito and the Marines," Whitebeard said after some thought. "When the New World's ownership is decided."
---
Meanwhile, when Kaito returned to Totto Land, it was already the next morning. He was in an excellent mood and spent time traveling through nearby islands before finally returning.
When he entered his room, Issho and the others were already waiting.
The moment Kaito appeared, all eyes locked onto him.
He paused. "You didn't wait here all day, did you?"
"Pretty much," Redfield said with a smile. "We wanted to hear the result."
"I won," Kaito said casually. "Whitebeard agreed. When we clash with the Marines, they'll join us."
A sigh of relief spread through the room.
"Since the captain won, I'm going to sleep," Redfield said. "I'm not as young as you anymore."
"Go rest," Kaito waved him off. "Everyone else should do the same. The day after tomorrow is important."
"The battle will decide the future of the New World."
"Understood!" everyone answered before leaving.
Once the room was empty, Kaito headed to the river to fish, as if nothing monumental was about to happen.
---
Marine G-5 Base
Deep beneath the base, inside a hidden underground chamber, bright lights illuminated the room.
Sengoku sat across from Kizaru, the atmosphere heavy.
"Kizaru," Sengoku said solemnly, "are the preparations complete?"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral," Kizaru replied seriously. "One hundred thousand Marine elites have already infiltrated New World bases under various identities, without drawing attention."