It had been seven days since the end of the feast — today was the deadline Lind had agreed upon to deliver the poem to Whitebeard.
At that moment, Lind was still in his room, immersed in refining the personalized poems for the top brass of the Rocks Pirates and brainstorming new ways to make a dramatic, high-class entrance. His mind was full of creative energy.
"Boss, Whitebeard's on his way!"
The giant Kun (his pet scout) suddenly flew in and interrupted Lind's train of thought.
Though Hive Island was technically just an island, it was massive — more than enough to serve as the headquarters of the Rocks Pirates. It was spacious enough to grant every senior member their private villa.
Since Lind didn't feel like constantly using Observation Haki to monitor his surroundings, he had assigned the kun to keep watch. Today, he'd specifically told it to let him know when Whitebeard arrived — as a sign of respect to his senior.
"Got it. Come with me to greet him, Kun."
Lind replied, once again appreciating the perks of having a pet that could watch the house.
"If only I had tamed this guy back on the deserted island, I wouldn't have had to keep one eye glued to the ocean 24/7."
"Gurararara! Brother Lind! I'm here to see you!"
Whitebeard's booming voice rang out before his massive frame came into view. As soon as Lind stepped out of his courtyard, he spotted the towering figure — over six meters tall, impossible to miss even on Hive Island.
"Hahaha! Sorry to keep you waiting, Brother Newgate. Come on in!"
Lind quickly walked up and greeted him warmly.
The two entered Lind's villa. Luckily, the buildings in this world were all built rather tall, so Whitebeard had no trouble fitting inside comfortably.
No sooner had they sat down than Whitebeard pulled out a sword from behind him.
"Brother Lind, from your fighting style, I can tell you're kind of a dual-sword user. I don't have much to offer, but I brought you a sword as thanks."
"It's called Lanqiu, a Quality Grade Blade forged by a master swordsmith from the Land of Flowers. I noticed your Kunpeng sword seems to have that same regional style — figured you'd appreciate this one. Just a token of my gratitude."
Lind looked at the elegant double-edged longsword with great satisfaction.
"Perfect! Now I've got a proper ride for each hand — maybe I can even dual-wield in battle."
"Thank you so much, Brother Newgate! I love it!"
Lind accepted the blade eagerly, then pulled out a small booklet and handed it over.
"Here's the poem I wrote for you. Have a look. If anything needs changing, I can revise it."
Whitebeard took the notebook, flipping through it as his eyes lit up more and more.
"Gurararara! Brother Lind, this hits exactly the right vibe!"
"I'm heading out to meet Sengoku today — thought I'd use it to test his pride. Are you interested in tagging along?"
Lind's eyes sparkled instantly.
Going to flex on Sengoku? With Whitebeard as backup?
This was peak pirate drama, the kind of moment any transmigrator would dream of.
"Hahaha, of course, I'm interested! I heard Sengoku's still a Vice Admiral right now, but he already has Admiral-level strength — one of the top powerhouses at sea!"
"The great strategist Sengoku... I've always wanted to see if he lives up to the name!"
Lind nodded excitedly, grinning at Whitebeard.
"Gurarara! Then you can test him first — I'll be your backup!"
Whitebeard clapped his hands, giving Linde the go-ahead to challenge Sengoku solo.
"Hahaha! Then I'll be counting on you, big bro!"
Lind gave him a cupped-fist salute in thanks.
The idea of fighting Sengoku, with Whitebeard standing by to keep things fair, was thrilling. If not for Whitebeard's presence, Lind might've screamed with excitement.
For a transmigrator like Lind, being in the One Piece world and not clashing with the Greats would've felt like a wasted trip.
In classic pirate fashion, things moved fast.
After making the plan with Lind, Whitebeard returned to the 1st Division base and quickly made arrangements to set sail.
With his power, there was no need to worry about weather conditions — preparations were swift and efficient. Before noon, everything was ready.
Set sail!
"Gurararara! Brother Lind, how does this feel? Compared to Shiki's flying warship, doesn't cruising the sea like this feel more like a real pirate?"
Whitebeard stood at the ship's bow, letting the wind flow through his mustache, beaming at Lind.
"Hahaha! Absolutely! Sailing the waves on a massive ship with cannons — now that's a man's romance! I'll remodel my Laisherni when we get back. Gotta make it a real pirate ship!"
Despite being in this world for two and a half years, Lind had only ever traveled aboard his DIY ship, the Laisherni, and Shiki's airborne battleship.
This was his first time sailing the open sea aboard a proper pirate ship — and he had to admit, the experience of cutting through the waves was downright intoxicating.
"Gurararara! Don't forget to invite me for a ride after you're done upgrading it! Then we'll go visit Sengoku together!"
Whitebeard heartily clapped Lind on the back in approval.
Just like that, a week passed with Lind traveling aboard Whitebeard's ship.
During that time, he constantly sparred and exchanged Haki's knowledge with Whitebeard.
"No wonder he becomes a legend."
Even a young Whitebeard had such deep insight into Haki that Lind's own mastery improved dramatically in just seven days — by nearly 10%.
"Brother Newgate, it's been a week. Any idea how much longer until we run into the Marines?"
Despite his rapid progress, Lind was getting a little antsy at not having found a Navy ship.
"Gurararara! That depends on the Navy's efficiency!"
"We're heading into Sengoku's patrol area — once he hears we're here, he'll come."
Whitebeard twirled his mustache with a grin.
Lind nearly stumbled.
"Wait... what?! We're just gonna sit around and wait for them to find us? Shouldn't we, I don't know, find out where Sengoku is and sail to him?"
But then again... this was Whitebeard. That relaxed, chaotic pirate attitude made perfect sense.
"Gurarara! Don't stress, Brother Lind. Just give it a day or two — we'll run into Sengoku's warship soon enough!"
Seeing Lind's slightly bewildered look, Whitebeard laughed again.
He could tell the "newbie" didn't have much experience dealing with the Marines.
As expected, that very afternoon, Lind and the crew spotted a Navy battleship on the horizon.
Standing tall at the ship's bow — with his distinctive crab-like afro — was none other than Vice Admiral Sengoku, the future Fleet Admiral of the Marines.
Whitebeard didn't speak first — he stood calmly, waiting for Sengoku to open the conversation.
"Newgate! What are you doing here instead of sulking in your hideout?!"
Hearing Sengoku's stern voice, Whitebeard gave a satisfied smile, then laughed:
"Gurararara!"
"Once a mere mortal, now I sail the pirate's path—
With grand ambition in my chest, I chase the winds of fate."
"I speak of conquest with ease, and laugh where battles rage—
Snow, rain, or storm—mere guests that pass. My spirit is Whitebeard's edge."
"Across the Grand Line, who dares claim invincibility? Who dares say they've never lost?"
"Sengoku, today I've come to test the mettle... of the Marines' pride!"