Early the next morning.
By the seaside, two ships—one large and one small—were docked side by side.
Caesar and Ulti stood on the deck, waving goodbye to the members of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Ganna~ you stinky men!"
Ulti's slender, snow-white arm waved gently, her bright eyes curving into crescents.
The Beasts Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates were completely different in atmosphere. In the Beasts Pirates, there was hardly any camaraderie among the crew members.
One moment, they could be sitting together like brothers, and the next, they might draw their swords over a dispute about loot distribution.
As for the higher-ups, like King and Queen, as well as Ulti and her brother, Jack, and Black Maria, who had grown up together, there was some bond between them. However, due to their differing personalities, they weren't exactly harmonious.
In the world of pirates, the ethos of a pirate crew is often determined by the captain.
The power to recruit members lies solely in the hands of the captain—this is an unbreakable rule for every pirate crew!
Kaidou was the type who believed in the survival of the fittest and didn't care much about character. Naturally, his crew was a mixed bag, with all sorts of people.
In contrast, although Whitebeard liked to take in sons, not just anyone could become one.
The Whitebeard Pirates couldn't be said to be entirely good, but given Whitebeard's straightforward personality, there were very few on his ship who would plunder civilians or bully the weak.
Pops' reputation could make children stop crying, but it would never make them despise him. This was an unspoken consensus among the Whitebeard Pirates.
Therefore, in terms of personality, the Whitebeard Pirates were indeed more warm and straightforward, making them hard to dislike—at least Ulti didn't dislike this group.
"Goodbye, little Ulti!"
"You're always welcome here!"
The crew of the Whitebeard Pirates gathered by the ship, waving to Ulti from afar.
"Take care, everyone!"
Caesar waved his hand: "Wano Country is now open to the outside world. You're all welcome to visit anytime!"
Marco smiled: "We'll see about that later. We don't trust that bastard Kaidou."
"Then wait until I defeat him."
"With your current strength, defeating him is still a bit difficult."
Whitebeard calmly reminded him: "Kid… you're still missing something."
"Belief?"
"Something like that. You're not pure enough…"
"In what way?"
"In every way!"
"I don't get it at all!"
"Gurararara… You're a slow one, kid. No need to overthink it. You'll understand when the time comes."
Whitebeard laughed heartily: "Just remember this—draw your sword and fight! No matter what you want or what you want to become!"
"Still don't get it…"
The two ships had drifted far apart without notice. Caesar waved again: "Forget it, we'll talk about it later. The mountains are high and the waters are long—we'll meet again someday!"
"That sounds pretty cool. I'll write it down…"
Vista took out a small notebook and jotted down Caesar's words: "This guy really knows how to act cool, whether it's his words or actions."
"That's called depth and refinement. What you're doing is just showing off."
Satch teased from the side, and everyone burst into laughter.
"Pops, I want to return to Wano Country for a while."
Izo approached Whitebeard and spoke in a serious tone: "The situation in Wano Country is still just his side of the story. I can't help but feel uneasy…"
"Go if you want to."
Whitebeard agreed without hesitation: "But that place is Kaidou's territory now. I won't feel at ease if you go alone. Take some people with you."
"I'll go with you."
Namur, the captain of the 8th Division, stepped forward.
As a member of the Fish-Man race, he was primarily responsible for underwater support and rescue operations. If they encountered danger at sea, he could quickly help Izo escape.
Since they were only going to check on the current situation in Wano Country, bringing too many people would be troublesome. The distance to Wano Country wasn't far, and a small, fast ship would suffice.
...
"Those guys aren't too bad!"
After parting ways with Whitebeard and his crew, Ulti chuckled, her laughter pure and simple: "Hey Caesar, how about we throw a party when we get back? Just you, me, Page One, and maybe we can invite that idiot Yamato too. What do you think?"
Caesar smiled and looked at Ulti: "Oh? Are you considering us friends now?"
"Hmph~ For now, I guess!"
Ulti crossed her arms and lifted her chin proudly: "Since you helped rescue my troublesome Pops, I won't dislike you anymore!"
Caesar chuckled softly. He actually quite liked Ulti.
Although she was a bit noisy and had a sharp tongue, she knew her limits. At most, she'd call someone a jerk or an idiot, but she never cursed with malice.
Her personality was quite similar to Yamato's, both a bit airheaded.
The latest novel is first published on 69shu!
But while Yamato's airheadedness was about missing the point, Ulti's was more about spacing out or being slow to react…
It was hard to say if it was a racial trait or something else, but Black Maria didn't have that airheadedness. That woman was sharp as a tack.
"Ha— Page One would definitely enjoy a party like that. A gathering among friends, huh? This would be a first!"
Ulti cupped her cheeks, lost in self-admiration: "Speaking of which, being a big sister is really tough. I'm such a good sister, aren't I~"
"Gahahaha…"
A hearty laugh came from behind them. The two turned around to see Hanafusa walking toward them, laughing: "Indeed, you're a good sister. You've really worked hard all these years, Ulti."
Ulti pointed at Hanafusa: "Ah, here comes the irresponsible man."
"Irresponsible? I guess I'm a failure as a father."
Hanafusa laughed loudly: "But what can I do? A man always has ambitions he's willing to risk his life for! Right, kid?"
"Wrong."
"Eh?!!!"
Hanafusa's eyes widened in shock: "Someone as strong as you can't understand me?"
"Not at all. A man who can't take care of his family shouldn't talk about ambition."
Caesar sighed: "But you're still better off. I've seen someone abandon their three-year-old grandson in a jungle. There's definitely something wrong with the world's views on family and education…"
"Hahaha, is that so?"
Hanafusa laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek.
Despite being over three meters taller than Caesar, for some reason, he seemed to shrink in presence.
"By the way, Uncle, you've got a really good temper."
Caesar was somewhat surprised by Hanafusa's attitude: "You're not even angry?"
"Don't let this fool you. I can be quite brutal out there!"
Hanafusa grinned, baring his teeth: "But when facing a daughter I haven't seen in years, I can't help but feel guilty. And this time... I really owe you my thanks, Caesar."
Caesar shook his head slightly: "No need to be polite. This matter arose because of me in the first place."
"Ah, a loss is a loss. There's no need for so many reasons. In the end, it all comes down to my lack of strength."
Hanafusa waved his hand. He knew his own capabilities well. At best, he was only at the level of the Three Calamities, and there was little chance he would ever advance further in this lifetime.
"My greatest wish now, aside from coll
ecting Ancient Zoan Devil Fruits, is simply to see my children find happiness in my lifetime. It would be even better if I could hold a grandchild in my arms, gahahaha..."
"Oh."
"I hope in my lifetime..."
"I heard you, old man."
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