Chapter 102: Problem, Collective Kneeling!
After being reprimanded by Whitebeard, the captains wore stubborn expressions.
With outsiders present, none of them wanted to lose face for their father.
So, they bottled up all their emotions.
No matter how they felt, now was not the time to show it.
"Ace, come forward," Whitebeard said slowly, turning to the young man at his side.
"Tell them what they did wrong."
Among all the captains, Ace alone had stood with pride after the battle.
Though he hadn't defeated the enemy on his own, he had fought back hard.
But if Ryuunosuke and his crew hadn't arrived in time, the fight would've dragged on longer.
And in that delay—many of their crew might've died.
That's why Whitebeard didn't stop Ryuunosuke from joining the fray.
He also wanted to see what kind of growth Ace had achieved during his time with the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
From the confidence in Ace's posture, Whitebeard could already tell—
He hadn't just grown stronger. He had matured.
"Under Pops protection, we rose to the ranks of the Four Emperors," Ace began.
"But that protection should come with responsibility. We should use our own hands to protect the honor of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Pops... you're getting old," he said, his voice heavy with meaning.
"You all know about his health now, don't you?"
Ace's eyes swept across his brothers.
"But during that battle… how many of you still waited for Pops to come and save you?"
The words cut through the air like a blade.
Jozu, Vista—even Marco of the First Division—all froze.
They had all thought the same thing in that moment: Pops will come. Pops will take care of this.
They knew full well that Whitebeard's health had deteriorated.
Every battle only wore him down more.
Yet they still, by instinct, looked to him.
Shame flushed across their faces.
They didn't dare lower their heads, not because of pride—but guilt.
"Pops told us to face our failures," Ace continued. "And that's what we're doing now."
"We're family. Brothers and sisters under one flag."
"But it's time we stepped up. Pops can't carry us forever."
"Vista—remember when you first joined?" Ace turned toward him.
"You practiced swordsmanship every day. You'd be so excited about improving your haki, showing off like a kid."
"Joz—you're 153259 shield. You trained constantly to strengthen your Devil Fruit powers."
He paused, then turned to the rest.
"All of you… we used to work so hard. Because we wanted to be worthy of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"But what about now!?"
Ace stepped back beside Whitebeard, saying nothing more.
A heavy silence settled on the deck.
What he said was true.
They had given up trying.
They told themselves it was useless—that no matter how much they trained, they could never surpass Dad.
They relied on his name.
They survived under his shadow.
People didn't say, "Look, it's Vista, the swordsman."
They said, "It's Whitebeard's son, Vista."
They had stopped growing.
Stopped striving.
Not because they didn't want to—but because human nature made it easy to get comfortable under absolute protection.
They were blinded by the illusion of power… power they hadn't earned.
"I was wrong, Pops," one captain admitted softly.
"Ace… so this is how you got stronger? I need to start training again!"
"Hahaha… So that's why I lost my drive. It all makes sense now."
"Pops, we get it. We'll do better. From now on, we'll start training again!"
One by one, the captains spoke up.
Even the regular crew began to feel a burning fire reignite in their hearts.
Yes—Whitebeard was aging.
It was time for them to carry the burden.
To protect him.
To protect the legacy of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Gurararara…!" Whitebeard let out a hearty laugh.
"That's more like it—these are my sons!"
"To thank the Dragon Hunter Pirates for their help, we're throwing a party!"
"Let's welcome our most sincere friends!"
"Party!?"
"Wait, Pops, you're not mad anymore?!"
"Hahaha! Another party! Oof—my wound still hurts!"
Laughter spread like wildfire across the ship.
The crew jumped into action, preparing food, drinks, and music.
The captains all gathered again, sitting around Whitebeard in a circle.
"Marco," Whitebeard said, his voice dropping.
"I've got three years."
He held up a small vial in his hand.
"This thing here can return my body to its prime—for three years."
"But after that, it'll be irreversible. Time will catch up with me."
"This isn't about injuries anymore. It's age. Nothing can stop that."
"You've got three years to become strong enough to carry the name of the Whitebeard Pirates."
Marco's eyes widened as he stared at the vial.
As the ship's doctor, he understood Whitebeard's condition better than anyone.
But if something in that bottle could suppress his decline for three full years—
That was a miracle.
"This is called Life Essence," Ace said, stepping forward.
"My big brother gave it to me."
All eyes turned to Ryuunosuke.
"I've been rude," Ryuunosuke said with a calm smile. "Let me introduce myself properly."
"I'm Ryuunosuke, captain of the Dragon Hunter Pirates."
"These are my crew—my partners."
He kept his tone friendly, but casual.
He didn't expect warmth in return. After all, his arrival had helped them—but also brought shame.
No one liked to lose face.
But just as he was thinking that—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
All the captains—except Ace—dropped to their knees in front of Ryuunosuke.
They bowed low, foreheads knocking hard against the deck.
"Thank you, Captain Ryuunosuke of the Dragon Hunter Pirates!"
"Thank you for the gift you brought to save our father!"
Ryuunosuke blinked, stunned.
What the hell...?
He had expected cold glares, maybe resentment.
Not this.
Not kneeling.
"Remember," he said with a grin, trying to ease the tension.
"This makes two favors you owe my Dragon Hunter Pirates."
His words brought laughter, breaking the seriousness of the moment.
But inside, Ryuunosuke was trying to stay calm.
Because in his ears, system notifications kept ringing.
These were captains of the Four Emperors' crews.
Each one had immense reputation on the seas.
And now—they had just bowed to him.
His reputation points were skyrocketing.
Could he hide his excitement?
No way.
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