Chapter 205 Too Weak
"What exactly do you want to do, you guy?"
When saying these words, Marco's voice was a bit gloomy, and his words contained some other meaning.
Nicholas didn't even look at Marco on the Mast beside him, and just said, "Kid, do you know that you look ridiculous when you pretend to be profound?"
"You bastard!"
Hearing Nicholas's words, Marco suddenly became a little unbearable. Although he didn't know why this guy wanted to board their Ship, and Pops even agreed, Marco always felt that Nicholas was very dangerous.
Nicholas, as if he hadn't heard Marco, continued to speak to himself, "What do I want to do? That's not something you're qualified to know."
As he spoke, Nicholas turned his head to glance at Marco, then said dismissively, "You're too weak."
"Are you saying *I'm* too weak?"
Marco pointed at himself in disbelief. He knew that on the Whitebeard Pirates' Ship, since Kozuki Oden had left, he was firmly in the top three in terms of strength. Even if he went out to make a name for himself on the Sea, he would at least be considered a Powerful Figure. Yet, in Nicholas's mouth, he was simply too weak.
"Yes." Nicholas nodded, not bothering to hide it.
Seeing Nicholas's demeanor, the anger that had been building in Marco suddenly subsided. He recalled the scene of Rayleigh overwhelming him in the battle between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates. And the man before him had been a ruthless figure in that battle, almost single-handedly fighting Pops and Roger to a standstill. Compared to *him*, he really was too weak.
"What exactly do you want? But no matter what it is, I don't want you dragging the Whitebeard Pirates into it." Marco's voice dropped even lower. If it were an ordinary small-time Pirate, he would probably have buckled under the pressure. But for Nicholas, it had no effect.
"In the coming Turmoil, no one can easily remain uninvolved. You don't want the Whitebeard Pirates dragged in? Maybe when the time comes, without Whitebeard, you won't even be *qualified* to be dragged in." Nicholas paused, then continued.
"What do you think the Whitebeard Pirates rely on to dominate the New World? You don't actually think it's you weaklings, do you? If it weren't for you lot, maybe the Pirate King right now would be Newgate, not Roger."
As expected, Marco's face darkened as Nicholas's words landed. They had been discussing it during the day, feeling indignant that Roger had become the Pirate King instead of Whitebeard. In their eyes, Whitebeard was more qualified to be Pirate King than Roger. But now, Nicholas had directly struck a nerve. The statement, "Because of you, Whitebeard couldn't become Pirate King," completely shattered Marco's composure.
"You bastard, do you even know what you're saying?!" Before Marco could retort, several Figures had already appeared on the Mast.
"Vista the Flower Sword, Diamond Jozu, Sachi, Izo, what are you doing here?" Marco asked in a low voice, looking at his Companions who had suddenly appeared. Clearly, he didn't want his Companions to have too much to do with this dangerous Nicholas.
"Of course, I know." Nicholas said with a smile, completely unconcerned about being surrounded.
"You, you, you, and you—you're all just too weak, so weak I can't even be bothered." Nicholas reached out and pointed at each of the Whitebeard Pirates Captains in turn, the smile never leaving his face.
"You bastard!" Sachi said, drawing a chef's knife from his Waist, intending to teach Nicholas a lesson. But before he could move, Bista, standing beside him, grabbed him.
"Calm down, Sachi!" "Heh," Nicholas chuckled, "Bista, let him go. I'd like to see if he can even scratch me. Seriously, on this Ship, aside from Whitebeard, even if all of you jumped me at once, I wouldn't even need fifteen minutes to take you all down!"
"Does Your Excellency really intend to be a rude guest?" Bista didn't release Sachi, but looked at Nicholas seriously as he spoke. He knew just how terrifying the Man before him was.
"I'm just stating the Truth. It's you guys who can't accept the Truth." Nicholas spread his hands, feigning innocence.
Seeing that the Whitebeard Pirates Captains still looked unconvinced, Nicholas reached out and first pointed at Marco. "Zoan Type Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Beast Type Phoenix Form. Mythical Beast Type, huh? That's a Fruit even rarer than Logia Type, but your usage is just too crude. Look at Kaido, sure, he has the advantage of Physical Prowess, but even at around your age, he was playing with his Fruit in ways far more sophisticated than you."
"And you, Diamond Kid, your Glint-Glint Fruit Development is not bad, but your Body Technique is utter Trash, and your Talent is limited. If you don't have some Opportunity, you'll probably never achieve Fruit Awakening in your life. And constantly under Whitebeard's Protection, you probably won't get any Opportunity."
"Bista, since joining the Whitebeard Pirates, how long has it been since you had a Deathmatch with a Swordsman of equal or greater Strength? A Swordsman's Sword isn't meant for dealing with Cannon Fodder. A Swordsman who loses his Sharpness is not far from being crippled."
"And as for you—Trash." Looking at Sachi, Nicholas didn't even bother to offer a critique.
"You could say, if you take away Roger and Whitebeard, what Qualification do you even have to compare yourselves to the Roger Pirates?"
"Gurararara! Nicholas, I can't forgive you for talking about my beloved sons like that!" Just then, a hearty Laughter echoed through the air, and Whitebeard's Figure appeared.
Whitebeard looked at Marco and the others, smiling as he said, "They are all my beloved sons."
"Spoiling your sons is like killing them. Whitebeard, do you think if you die, or grow old and weak and your Combat Power declines sharply, these guys, as Remnant, can continue to carry the Banner of the Whitebeard Pirates on this Sea?" Nicholas shook his head.
These suddenly heavy Words gave Whitebeard pause, and he fell into thought. The Moby Dick bobbed on the Sea Surface with the waves, and the thoughts of Marco and the others around them also rose and fell with the Ship.
At the same time, Nicholas's question echoed in their minds: if Whitebeard really reached that point, could they protect Whitebeard, whose Combat Power would decline due to age and injuries, in the same way Whitebeard protected them?
"Gurararara! I have absolute faith in my beloved sons! And Nicholas, you Kid, didn't you get beat down enough last time?"
"Ah, last time, I'd say I owed you a Favor." Nicholas said directly. If Roger and Whitebeard hadn't teamed up to forcibly drag him out of that State back then, he probably wouldn't be himself anymore.
"Gurararara! Forget about Favors! I had a blast fighting you last time too! Now, let's start the Banquet! And don't stand around like Fish, Lightning Kid!"
"My Drinking Capacity is beyond your wildest dreams." Nicholas retorted, not willing to back down.
The previous topic was seamlessly dropped. "Sachi, Marco, go prepare the Banquet! And Jozu, Bista, you guys go help out too!" Whitebeard said gruffly to the few who were still standing there dumbfounded.
"Whitebeard, you really intend to Protection these guys for their whole lives, huh?" After the others had left, leaving only Nicholas and Whitebeard, Nicholas spoke.
"Gurararara! If I can Protection these lovely guys for their whole lives, then what's wrong with that?"
"But seriously, if you keep doing this, those guys will never become truly Strongest. If you get taken down one day, these guys probably won't even be able to avenge you."
"You're certainly honest enough. But if someone's strong enough to take me down, I wouldn't want these guys trying to avenge me anyway." Whitebeard chuckled.
"Marco, what's wrong?" In the Kitchen, Sachi was preparing Ingredients for the Banquet. Marco, who usually would be sneaking bites and livening up the Kitchen atmosphere, was now lost in silence.
"Ah, nothing. Is everything almost ready? If it is, I'll go wake up the guys who are sleeping."
*'Is it really because we're too weak that we're holding Pops back?'* Walking down the Corridor, Marco recalled Nicholas's Words, and his Eyes gradually hardened with Resolve.
(End of Chapter)