Chapter 49: 49. War consequences. Ron persuading Whitebeard.
│3rd Person POV│
[Grand Line, New World, Moby Dick…]
"Tomorrow evening?"
Nodding contemplatively, Whitebeard furrowed his brow slightly and expressed, "Although such a short time will pass swiftly, unforeseen events might arise.
"We acted promptly this time, but more than half a month has passed since Ochoku captured Beehive Island. Information about this incident has likely spread worldwide.
"Under such circumstances, once I engage in a conflict with Ochoku, there's a possibility that someone, unable to stay idle, will take action against the Whitebeard Pirates. Then..."
At this juncture, Whitebeard halted his speech, but the implications of his words were already weighing on everyone.
Once the war commenced, both parties would inevitably suffer substantial losses.
Following the conclusion of this battle, the Whitebeard Pirates would likely become the target of almost everyone.
At that point, not only prominent pirates in the New World but also the Four Emperors like Kaido, Big Mom, and Shanks may involve themselves in the matter.
Most critically, when the World Government and the Marines catch wind of this information, they would seize the opportunity to target the Whitebeard Pirates.
The entire crew would undoubtedly find themselves in an exceedingly perilous situation.
"Pops! We are not afraid! This incident is a significant matter!"
At this moment, Marco exchanged determined glances with other Division Commanders, before he stepped forward and declared, "Ochoku's provocation cannot be overlooked.
"Even if continuous battles await us, the Whitebeard Pirates will not cower. This matter concerns the reputation of the Whitebeard Pirates and, more importantly, our father's honor.
"We will not permit those individuals to trample on our father and gain the upper hand!"
"That's right, we, the Whitebeard Pirates, will not ever back down from a fight."
At this moment, all division commanders radiated an indomitable fighting spirit.
Even if Whitebeard's intuition turned out to be true, even if the situation turned highly precocious for them, so what? They would not allow it to transpire.
Retreating would spell the utter collapse of the Whitebeard Pirates' prestige, turning the World's Strongest Man into a target.
Whitebeard may have advanced in years, a universally recognized fact.
Yet they will not permit anyone to exploit their leader, not the Four Emperors, Marines, or the World Government!
'A significant battle? No wonder the Whitebeard Pirates in the original narrative refrained from confronting the Ochoku Pirates. It seems there are concerns besides the Marines; there are other considerations at play.'
Among the crowd, Ron sighed inwardly while thinking of this.
Truthfully, he had not contemplated this before.
However, as Whitebeard expounded on the situation, he discerned the essence of his worry.
Unlike Marco and the others, who sought to obliterate Ochoku and his crew, Whitebeard's objective likely involved just reclaiming his territory or even unleashing a tsunami against the Ochoku Pirates, and then halting at that juncture.
This revelation also clarified why in the Canon World, Teach opted to kill and steal the Dark-Dark Fruit at the first opportunity upon seeing it, knowing Whitebeard was already very old, and would not pursue the matter heavily.
It elucidated why, after Ace's capture, the Marines confidently engaged in a decisive battle with the Whitebeard Pirates.
They were aware that Whitebeard, in his aged state, had lost his prime combat prowess, emboldening them to initiate the Summit War that resonated at Naval Headquarters.
Ultimately, it all hinged on Whitebeard's reputation.
As long as Whitebeard maintained his preeminence, the Whitebeard Pirates could evade scrutiny, machination, and oppression.
However, once Whitebeard displayed vulnerability, even in the slightest, the future for the Whitebeard Pirates would be on a downward trajectory.
'No! This must not happen.'
Almost instantly, Ron made a resolute decision in his heart.
Whitebeard must retreat at this juncture; he must choose to annihilate the Ochoku Pirates and even repel those who might take advantage of the situation afterward.
Otherwise, the collapse of the Whitebeard Pirates would be imminent.
When he contemplated this, Ron stepped forward, saying, "Pops! We cannot retreat; this battle must be fought, and Ochoku must perish!
"If we back down, the Whitebeard Pirates will truly become the target of ridicule and scrutiny.
"You would be perceived as old and weaker than other Emperors. Then, everyone will eye the Whitebeard Pirates with a covetous gaze.
"Without absolute deterrence, they will gradually begin to encroach on the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates. The consequences will be endless."
As soon as these words left Ron's lips, Marco and the others were astonished.
They had not considered this; they were merely thinking that they could repel all invading enemies no matter the circumstances.
However, after hearing Ron's analysis, they had to admit that the current Whitebeard Pirates had indeed reached a critical juncture.
No, it should be said that Whitebeard himself had reached a critical moment.
If something were to happen to Whitebeard, the consequences would be disastrous. Even if he flinched for a moment, it could be catastrophic.
"Dad!"
"Pops!"
"…"
For a moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on Whitebeard.
They all understood the consequences of this matter.
Although fighting Ochoku would indeed worsen Whitebeard's situation, the current Whitebeard Pirates seemed to have no way out.
"I see."
Taking a deep breath, Whitebeard's expression eased up.
He realized that his previous perspective had been overly simplistic.
As Ron pointed out, this matter had reached an irreconcilable point, and retreating was no longer an option.
"Marco."
In light of this, Whitebeard commanded, "Send orders to the people in each division to expedite their arrival here. Before noon tomorrow, I hope everyone will be present to launch an all-out attack.
"Yes!"
Hearing this, Marco was elated.
He understood that now that Whitebeard had given his approval, there was no possibility of backing down anymore; this was undoubtedly the best news.
With this in mind, Marco promptly moved aside with a Den-Den-Mushi in hand.
As Marco departed, Saatchi and the others also breathed a sigh of relief. They all looked at Whitebeard and declared one by one.
"Dad, we will not let you down."
"Pops, we will definitely emerge victorious in this battle."
"Yeah, Pops! We will annihilate the Ochoku Pirates and demonstrate to everyone that you are still the Strongest Man in the world."
"..."
Listening to everyone's words, Whitebeard felt a certain heaviness in his heart, but on the surface, he still smiled and declared, "Well, you all are indeed my son.
"Since we are to engage in a battle, let's make it grand! It's time to bid farewell to our former rival.
"As for the rest of those guys, they better not have forgotten that I'm Whitebeard!"
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A/N: Sorry for being late guys! Was kinda bussy all day today!
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