White Ghost's crew had been cruising along the third route of the Grand Line.
It had already been three days.
Some people fished.
Some tended the garden.
Some trained like maniacs.
And White Ghost?
White Ghost lay on a beach chair like a man who had completely surrendered to laziness, holding a Den Den Mushi to his face.
"Morgans," he said flatly, "are your intel services fake or what? I've been here three days."
From the Den Den Mushi came Morgans' laughing voice.
"YAHAHAHA! Don't rush, don't rush! They're already moving toward your position. My intel is always worth every Berry!"
"Bullshit," White Ghost snapped. "You charged me one hundred million Berries for three days of waiting!"
He argued with Morgans a bit longer, then slammed the Den Den Mushi down and rubbed his forehead.
"I should've just flown over and solved it myself."
Styla stood behind him, gently kneading his shoulders, her voice soft.
"Don't rush. According to the information, they're close now. And… didn't you say you wanted to let the others get some real combat practice?"
White Ghost glanced toward the training area, where Enel, Wyper, and Urouge were pushing themselves through brutal drills.
"…Sigh. Fine," he muttered. "Can't have every problem end with me showing up and deleting it."
BOOM!
A violent explosion echoed from inside the ship.
White Ghost's hand went back to his forehead immediately.
"Sinful karma… what is Franky building now?"
Elena walked over carrying a plate of fruit, expression tired but resigned.
"Something about a 'new weapon,' I think. Here—this is what you asked me to wash."
A moment later, Franky came sprinting out of the ship covered in soot.
"COUGH—COUGH—COUGH!!"
Zan Gao grinned viciously.
"Yo, Franky! Your cannon done yet?"
Franky's sunglasses were crooked. His pride was not.
"Shut up! I'm one step away! But these materials are too flimsy!"
Zan Gao hooked a thumb toward the storage.
"Didn't Boss give you that Wapolmetal stuff? And the Munch-Munch Fruit? Didn't you say you could fuse metals?"
Franky looked offended.
"You ever seen a shipwright who can't swim?!"
And with that, he stomped right back inside to continue his mad research.
Ever since getting Vegapunk's notes, Franky had been acting like he'd been possessed by a mechanical demon.
White Ghost, meanwhile, was busy being shameless—flirting lazily with Styla and Elena while the ship ran itself.
"No," Elena said firmly, catching his wandering hand with a glare. "It's daytime."
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"If you can't hold it in, go bother Ain or Styla."
White Ghost made a sound like a wounded animal and withdrew his hand, sulking.
Styla hid a smile behind her fruit.
Elena, in a summer dress, chatted casually with Styla under the sun.
White Ghost stared.
Not even hungry, but somehow…
Very well-fed.
Then—
White Ghost's gaze lifted.
"Hmm?"
On the ship, everyone with Observation Haki raised their heads at the same time.
White Ghost's lips curved.
"Finally."
He stood up and rolled his shoulders.
"The remnants of the World Pirates. Prepare yourselves."
He pointed at the Skypiea trio.
"When the fight starts, it's you three. No one else."
Enel, Wyper, and Urouge stepped forward immediately.
White Ghost pointed toward the horizon.
"See that 'moving island' ahead? That's them."
His tone turned colder.
"Capture the old woman alive. Everyone else? Kill them."
"Yes, sir," Enel said sharply.
Wyper nodded without speaking.
Urouge pressed his palms together.
"Amitābha," he murmured. "Understood, benefactor."
On the Enemy's Side
Inside the monitoring room of a massive ship—so huge it really did resemble an island—Binjack stared at the approaching vessel on the screen.
"What is that?" he muttered.
Gild Tesoro's old world had monsters… but this felt wrong.
Gairam—Square-Square Fruit user—leaned in.
"Vice-captain… who are they?"
A woman spoke quietly from the side.
Nashii.
"They look like they're here to pick a fight."
Binjack snorted, anger rising.
"Who the hell do these nobodies think they are? Picking a fight with us? We were the World Pirates!"
He slammed a fist onto the console.
"I'll handle it. I'll crush them."
First Contact
As White Ghost's ship neared, someone was already waiting on the deck of the "island ship."
A massive figure stood there with sunglasses, holding enormous hammers.
A fishman-giant hybrid—part fishman, part giant.
One of the World Pirates' remaining fighters:
Sebastian.
White Ghost tilted his head, casually analyzing.
"Sebastian. Blind, but his Observation is good."
He glanced at his crew.
"Who's going?"
Senor Pink stepped forward.
"Captain. I've been with you this long and haven't had a real chance to fight. Let me—"
White Ghost shook his head.
"Not this time. Let the young ones do the work. You'll get your turn."
Senor Pink clicked his tongue but didn't argue.
Urouge stepped forward calmly.
"Then allow this monk to accompany him."
He jumped down onto the enemy deck, weapon in hand—a thick pillar-like staff.
"Benefactor," he said lightly, "I'll spar with you."
Sebastian's hammers swung up.
Without a word, he charged.
In the monitoring room, Binjack's eyes widened.
Wait—those faces—
He recognized them.
He wanted to shout, wanted to stop Sebastian—
But it was already too late.
More Targets
White Ghost's eyes narrowed again.
"Inside, there's a Square-Square Fruit user."
He looked at Enel.
"Go."
Enel didn't hesitate.
"My lord."
Silver flowed and reshaped over his body until he resembled a sleek, armored "unit"—a crude but intimidating Zero Model form.
Under his feet, Jet Dials hissed.
He blasted forward and landed on the enemy ship like a living weapon.
Franky and Zan Gao both stared with sparkles in their eyes.
"…That's COOL," Franky breathed.
Zan Gao nodded hard. "SUPER cool."
White Ghost's gaze shifted again.
"And the old woman—capture her."
Wanda stepped forward, sword in hand.
"I'll do it."
White Ghost had said she was an expert in medicine and formulations.
That was enough.
Wanda dropped down from the ship without hesitation.
Battle Below
White Ghost and the others stayed on deck, eating fruit and smoking, watching the fights like spectators at a show.
Urouge and Sebastian were already trading blows.
Two massive men, hammering each other head-on—
It was loud. Brutal. Simple.
And honestly?
It was kind of beautiful.
Meanwhile, inside the enemy ship, Enel met Gairam in a corridor.
Gairam carried a square-shaped hammer and looked furious.
Enel spoke first, calm and direct.
"You're the Square-Square Fruit user the lord mentioned?"
He didn't waste time.
He punched.
Gairam roared and swung his weapon to meet him.
"Don't underestimate me!"
The hammer crashed against Enel's silver-armored fist.
Metal screamed.
Shockwaves cracked the floor.
Their fight tore down the corridor like a wrecking ball.
Wanda's Capture
Wanda tracked Nashii with Observation and found her quickly.
The woman was calm—too calm.
Wanda pointed her sword.
"So. Are you coming quietly, or do I break you first and drag you?"
Nashii raised both hands immediately.
"I'll come with you."
Wanda blinked.
"…That easy?"
Nashii's eyes flicked toward White Ghost's ship.
She recognized them.
Everyone on that deck was dangerous.
And one of them—
was the man who had defeated Kaido.
She wasn't suicidal.
Conclusion Outside
The battle between Urouge and Sebastian reached its end.
Urouge stood firm, pillar in hand.
Sebastian was battered, bleeding, breathing hard—pushed to his limit.
Urouge smiled.
"Heh. Benefactor, it seems you've reached your limit."
Sebastian snarled.
"Don't run your mouth!"
He swung both meteor hammers down, trying to crush Urouge with sheer weight and momentum.
Urouge avoided the blow with a minimal sidestep—
Then swung his pillar in one clean, brutal arc.
BOOM!
Sebastian flew backward—
and went off the deck.
He slammed into the sea with a massive splash, disappearing beneath the waves.
White Ghost chuckled, exhaling smoke.
"That's what happens when you rely too much on Observation," he said.
He looked bored, almost disappointed.
"Anyway… after getting crushed by the Government once, these leftovers don't have much bloodlust left."
Recruiting Nashii
Wanda returned, leading Nashii onto White Ghost's ship.
"Is this her?" Wanda asked.
White Ghost looked Nashii over.
Young-looking face. Smooth skin.
Yeah. Makes sense.
A skilled medicine-maker would know how to preserve appearances.
Nashii bowed immediately.
"Greetings, my lord."
White Ghost's gaze dipped briefly as she bent—
He felt his chest twitch—
Then his brain screamed NO as it reminded him what she probably looked like without her "maintenance."
He cleared his throat and pulled out a Devil Fruit, placing it in front of her.
"I want your medical knowledge. Your herbal knowledge. Your ability."
His eyes sharpened.
"This is the Medicine-Medicine Fruit. Paramecia."
He paused.
"You understand its value."
Nashii's breath caught.
Of course she understood.
"That's why, from today onward, you follow me."
White Ghost's smile turned colder.
"And if you take my fruit and run…"
His voice became lazy—almost gentle.
"I don't mind hunting you across the entire sea."
Nashii lowered her head quickly.
"I wouldn't dare."
White Ghost nodded.
Then he pulled out a bundle of items—illicit drugs and formulas he had obtained earlier.
"Once you're familiar with the ability, study these. Improve them. Fix them."
Nashii's eyes widened.
"…Understood."
White Ghost waved.
"Squirrel-tan. Take her below."
A moment later, Enel came out dragging a body.
Gairam.
He looked extremely dead.
Enel tossed him down like trash.
White Ghost glanced at the enemy ship and sighed.
"What a waste," he muttered. "That ship's still useful."
Then he shook his head.
"Whatever. Chopper's Rumble Ball isn't even made yet in this timeline."
He turned away.
"When we return to the Grand Line later, we can come back for the parts."
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