The New World — Whitebeard Pirates' Flagship, the Moby Dick
After Thatch was murdered and the Devil Fruit was stolen, Ace and Teach didn't waste any time. They took a fast ship and personally brought Thatch's body back to Moby Dick to reunite with the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates.
After several days of travel, they finally arrived.
On the deck of the Moby Dick, the man known as the strongest in the world, Edward Newgate—Whitebeard—stood under the mainmast, his face dark as he gazed at Thatch's corpse lying before him.
Several days had passed since Thatch's death, and though Ace and Teach had tried to preserve the body, the sea's harsh climate had taken its toll—the body was now in poor condition.
But there wasn't a trace of disgust on Whitebeard's face. He slowly crouched his towering frame, hands trembling slightly, and gently touched Thatch's cold, stiff form. After a moment, he looked toward Teach—who was kneeling by the corpse—and asked in a somber tone:
"Who? Who killed my son?"
Teach wore a look of rage and hatred as he replied:
"Dad, I saw his face clearly—some guy I didn't recognize. Never seen him before. He suddenly appeared in the cabin…"
To be honest, Ace and Teach had already explained the situation in detail several times during the journey back.
But Whitebeard still listened intently, his eyes locked on Teach's expression.
Several days had passed, and Teach had long since mentally prepared himself. His words were clear, coherent, and without major flaws. As for Ace, he had never doubted Teach, so he naturally didn't question anything now.
Once Teach finished recounting the events, the suffocating aura around Whitebeard slowly faded. He hadn't really suspected Teach to begin with—he only wanted to hear the story directly one more time to confirm.
After all, Teach had been on the ship for over twenty years, getting along with everyone, sharing life-and-death struggles, and enduring countless battles side-by-side.
If someone had suddenly accused Teach of killing Thatch, Whitebeard wouldn't have believed it. And certainly not under these circumstances.
Whitebeard stood up and let out a heavy sigh, pushing down his grief.
"Marco, you all handle Thatch's final rites. Let him return to the embrace of Mother Sea."
Standing behind Whitebeard, Marco wiped tears from his eyes and responded with a choked voice:
"Yes, Dad."
Pirates lived every day with death hanging over their heads. They'd all grown accustomed to life and death. The funeral would be simple.
After assigning Thatch's burial, Whitebeard took the wanted poster sketch from Ace and studied it carefully.
"Definitely an unfamiliar face," he muttered.
Say what you will, but the Whitebeard Pirates' sketch artist was impressive. Even with only a brief description from Teach, they had managed to capture Ben's likeness with remarkable accuracy.
"Dad, that bastard killed Thatch. We have to avenge him!" Ace said passionately.
Whitebeard nodded grimly.
"In this sea, no one harms my sons without paying the price."
Before Ace could say more, Whitebeard turned to issue orders:
"Jozu, send word to all our people. Distribute this sketch to every captain. Tell them to search thoroughly!"
The Whitebeard Pirates weren't just a single crew—they had dozens of affiliated captains scattered across the seas. As the most powerful pirate faction in the world, their influence was enormous.
Whitebeard then added:
"Also put words out across the underworld. I want this face plastered all over the world.
Offer a 500 million beli bounty. I don't care if he's dead or alive—just bring him in!"
Bounties weren't exclusive to the Marines. In the dark world, people placed bounties on all sorts of things—from assassinations to Devil Fruits, rare treasures, forbidden goods, and intelligence.
The difference was that Marine-issued bounties were official, announced publicly via newspapers and with global reach.
Whitebeard's bounties, while unofficial, still carried tremendous weight in the criminal underworld.
After Whitebeard gave his commands, Ace stepped forward again.
"Dad, I went out with Thatch, but only I came back. His death is on me.
Let me be the one to hunt that bastard down.
I'll never forgive myself unless I kill him with my own hands!"
Teach chimed in right after:
"Dad, it's all my fault. If I hadn't gotten Thatch drunk, he wouldn't have been caught off guard like that.
I have to avenge him myself, too!"
To Teach, Thatch meant nothing. He knew exactly what had happened—he was the killer.
But the Yami Yami no Mi was his everything.
He suspected that the thief who appeared out of nowhere—Ben—was a Devil Fruit user, since he had opened a portal from thin air.
That meant the Dark-Dark Fruit might not have been eaten yet. There was still a chance he could reclaim it.
Using the full force of the Whitebeard Pirates to hunt Ben down was the best possible option. Once he retrieved the fruit, he could erase Ben—problem solved.
Whitebeard thought for a moment, then gave both of them his blessing.
The Whitebeard Pirates moved fast. Within hours of Whitebeard's order, every major force on the sea got wind of what had happened.
That afternoon — Marine Headquarters, Marineford
At the top of the towering Justice Fortress, in the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku received a report from Naval Intelligence.
Holding the document, Sengoku's expression turned serious.
"A division commander from the Whitebeard Pirates has been killed?"
Across from him, Vice Admiral Tsuru of the Intelligence Division sipped her tea and responded calmly:
"I was surprised at first too, but the information came directly from the Whitebeard Pirates. They're broadcasting it everywhere—they're serious."
Sengoku nodded and picked up Ben's wanted poster.
"Who is this guy?"
"No idea," Tsuru said, shaking her head.
"No name, no age, no background—nothing.
Based on their report, he might be a spatial ability user."
Sengoku raised an eyebrow.
"We don't have any intel on this guy at all?"
The Marines worked directly under the World Government. Their intelligence network spanned the globe and was closely linked with CP. Their capabilities far outstripped the Whitebeard Pirates.
Tsuru replied:
"The incident was too sudden. Even with our resources, we couldn't gather info that quickly. I've already assigned investigators—it won't take long to find something."
Sengoku nodded again.
"Good. Dig into him thoroughly. If he doesn't have a shady past and turns out to be clean, maybe we can recruit him into the Marines."
Tsuru chuckled.
"That would put us in direct conflict with the Whitebeard Pirates."
Sengoku laughed.
"We're the Marines! Others may fear Whitebeard—but not us!"
Lately, Sengoku hasa been feeling his age. His stamina wasn't what it used to be, and sometimes he wondered if it was time to let a younger generation take over.
Still, before stepping down as Fleet Admiral, he wanted to pave the way for the Marines' future.
And maybe… toppling the Whitebeard Pirates?
It wasn't a fully formed plan yet, but Sengoku's instincts told him that this incident could be the perfect opportunity—a lever to pry open the Whitebeard crew's defenses.
Of course… it would require careful, long-term planning.
(End of Chapter 3)