For the sake of a ten-million-Berry performance bonus?
At those words, Atmos and the other pirates froze.
The faint respect they had begun to feel for a true powerhouse vanished without a trace.
He was willing to march straight into the lion’s den just to meet Whitebeard... all for a ten-million-Berry performance bonus?
Weren’t the bounties on pirates scattered across the seas worth far more than that?
And just moments ago, if he had taken Atmos’s head—one of Whitebeard’s Thirteenth Division Commanders—it would have been worth several hundred million Berries at the very least.
How could that possibly be less appealing than a mere ten million?
Still, Atmos quickly pushed those thoughts aside.
He had lost fair and square.
Lucas had spared his life, and now he owed him a debt.
The only thing left for him to do was escort Lucas to meet Whitebeard.
Whether Lucas lived or died afterward would depend entirely on his own fate.
"Alright, men! Set sail immediately! We can’t keep Pops waiting."
Atmos raised his voice and gave the order.
The pirates glanced uneasily at Lucas standing on deck.
Even so, this was still Whitebeard Pirates territory.
No matter how strong Lucas was, they didn’t believe he could cause any real trouble here.
With the order given, hundreds of pirates sprang into action.
Watching the pirate ship raise its sails, Gion and Chaton could only force bitter smiles.
From the reactions of Atmos and the others, they could easily guess what they had been thinking.
Faced with Lucas’s almost obsessive fixation on salary and performance bonuses, they felt nothing but helplessness.
Still, since Lucas insisted on meeting Whitebeard, the two exchanged a glance before gritting their teeth and following him aboard.
Twenty nautical miles away, the enormous Moby Dick floated quietly upon the endless sea.
Approaching it was a much smaller pirate ship.
Once it pulled alongside the colossal vessel, the size difference resembled that between an infant and a giant.
If anyone else had witnessed this scene...
The moment they recognized the flags flying above the visiting ship, their souls would have trembled.
This was a meeting between Two of the Four Emperors.
A summit between the old generation and the new.
If word spread, the entire New World would be shaken like an earthquake.
"Move aside, everyone."
"The guy’s Conqueror’s Haki is overflowing. Anyone whose will isn’t strong enough should get farther away."
"There’s no shame in it when you’re facing another Emperor."
Standing at the bow, Marco watched the figure slowly boarding the Moby Dick.
Several inexperienced crew members behind him had already collapsed unconscious under the pressure.
As the man carrying a massive sake cask strode toward Whitebeard...
Hundreds of pirates who hadn’t managed to retreat in time were caught in the blast of his overwhelming spirit.
Even the deck itself seemed unable to withstand the crushing force.
Cracks spread across the wooden planks like a spider’s web.
"Hmph."
"Red-Haired brat... always showing off with these little tricks."
Whitebeard sat firmly in his chair and snorted.
"For Roger’s sake, I’ll hear you out."
"So stop wasting my time."
"Because of all your theatrics, both Linlin’s and Kaido’s subordinates have slipped into my territory."
"Even the Marines have gotten involved."
"I’ve got no interest in reminiscing with you."
"And besides..."
"You’re not qualified to reminisce with me."
In Whitebeard’s eyes, he was certainly old now.
His body was weakened by age and riddled with injuries.
Shanks had also risen to become one of the new Four Emperors.
But as the strongest man of the old era, Whitebeard believed that the only person who had ever stood on equal footing with him was Gol D. Roger.
As for Red-Haired Shanks...
He was still just Roger’s former apprentice.
"Whitebeard, your temper hasn’t changed."
Shanks chuckled dryly before pointing at the three claw scars over his left eye, his expression unusually serious.
"I only came here to ask one thing."
"Blackbeard is far stronger than you think."
"He was the one who gave me these scars."
"Even now... they still ache."
"If you don’t call Ace back soon..."
"I’m afraid he’ll lose to Blackbeard."
"And if that happens..."
"The balance of this sea will change."
Ace... weaker than Teach?
Marco and the other commanders couldn’t help changing expressions.
Everyone knew Whitebeard had been grooming Ace as his successor.
Blackbeard’s betrayal had become a thorn in everyone’s heart.
Allowing Ace to pursue him alone had been a sign of Whitebeard’s complete faith in him.
Yet now Shanks was claiming that Ace couldn’t even defeat a mere traitor.
Wasn’t that the same as questioning the judgment of the entire Whitebeard Pirates?
For a moment, an invisible pressure settled over the deck.
Everyone stared nervously at the two Emperors facing each other.
Their nerves were stretched to the limit.
Would the two Emperors start fighting at the slightest disagreement?
That was the last outcome anyone wanted.
"Sorry."
"I know interrupting a conversation between Emperors is practically asking to be killed."
"I probably shouldn’t say anything..."
"But I think Red-Haired Shanks is right."
"Ace really isn’t a match for Blackbeard Teach."
The calm voice rang out without warning.
Everyone’s already taut nerves nearly snapped.
This was a conversation reserved for the Four Emperors.
Ordinary people didn’t even dare breathe too loudly, afraid of provoking them.
Yet someone had actually interrupted.
If that wasn’t dancing on one’s own grave, what was?
Every head instantly turned toward the source of the voice.
When they saw the figure who had somehow boarded the Moby Dick without anyone noticing...
Their pupils contracted sharply.
"A Marine?"
"How did a Marine get here?"
Diamond Jozu exclaimed in shock.
This was the Whitebeard Pirates’ territory.
Not only that, but two of the Four Emperors were present.
Normally, anyone with a functioning brain would stay as far away from this place as possible.
Especially when everyone was waiting to see whether Whitebeard and Shanks would come to blows.
No one had expected an outsider to sneak aboard the Moby Dick at such a critical moment.
And least of all...
A Marine.
"That kid looks familiar."
"He’s the Marines’ newly appointed Fourth Admiral—Admiral Glutton Lucas."
"He was featured in the newspapers not long ago."
Vista was the first to recognize him.
"Wasn’t he spotted in the outer waters earlier?"
"Atmos went to drive him away."
"So how did he end up here?"
"...Did Atmos capture him?"
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