Marco handed Namur a glass of water and asked calmly,
"Did you actually see Father's soul with your own eyes?"
"Uh… no." Namur shook his head awkwardly.
"I dove into the sea and only got close to that area for a moment—almost got dragged down by the spirits there. And besides, Wang Zhi tried to stop me."
Marco's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Wang Zhi attacked you? You didn't lose anyone, did you?"
"No casualties. We managed to pull back in time." Namur nodded.
"He was also forced to retreat from Hachinosu Island because of those spirits, but he hasn't given up on that territory. I only entered his waters—that's why he attacked."
Ace and Marco both fell into heavy silence, deep in thought.
After a moment, Namur asked hesitantly, with a spark of hope in his eyes,
"When people die, their souls should vanish… But now there are so many spirits gathering near Hachinosu Island. Doesn't that mean…?"
"I know what you're thinking," Marco said, shaking his head.
"But that's impossible. 'Resurrection'—that's far too absurd."
Namur still looked unconvinced.
"But maybe Davy Jones can do it! The 'Sea of the Dead' around Hachinosu Island—it has to be connected to him!"
The image of that day at Marineford—the moment when countless souls, including Whitebeard's, were drawn beneath the sea by the sound of Davy Jones' eerie organ—remained burned into their minds.
Marco sighed, dashing the lingering fantasy.
"If Davy Jones really could bring back the dead, he would've used that power to bargain with us long ago."
Namur's expression fell, disappointment written all over his face.
"Still," Marco added gently, "finding Father, and letting him rest in peace… that's something we owe him. And our brothers too. Their souls deserve peace."
The Whitebeard Pirates had first fought the Marines at Marineford, then battled the Four Emperors and countless pirates to protect their territories. Many brothers had fallen along the way.
If Whitebeard and their comrades' souls were still wandering, trapped and alone in that "Sea of the Dead" near Hachinosu Island… it was too tragic to bear.
But for now, Ace and Marco had more pressing problems—they were barely holding on.
Their forces were being crushed by overwhelming enemies: Blackbeard's crew, Edward Weevil, who had eaten the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and even Admiral Kizaru's Marine division.
The losses were devastating.
On Marco's advice, Ace had reluctantly abandoned several outer territories, pulling back to defend Whitebeard's homeland.
That place—they could never afford to lose. If they did, they'd lose all honor.
The remaining division commanders of the Whitebeard remnants were all stationed near their homeland, fighting desperately to hold the line.
Yet Blackbeard and Weevil kept pressing on relentlessly, hunting down Whitebeard's subordinate captains one by one.
Of the original 43 allied captains, after years of endless battles from Marineford until now, only a handful remained alive.
The bloodshed was so cruel it left an ache in the heart.
Kizaru's involvement had at least forced Blackbeard and Weevil to restrain themselves temporarily.
But just days ago, Kizaru suddenly withdrew from the region—allowing Blackbeard and Weevil to return in full force.
The three sides clashed again, so fiercely that the sea itself seemed dyed red with blood.
Only yesterday did Ace and Marco finally learn the reason for Kizaru's withdrawal—something massive had happened at Marine Headquarters.
Admiral Akainu had been killed by Davy Jones, and the Marines had urgently recalled Borsalino.
The news hit the Whitebeard remnants like a surge of life—a shock of fierce joy.
Akainu—the man who had carved deep wounds into Whitebeard's body, the one most responsible for his death.
Every one of them had longed to skin him alive, drink his blood, devour his heart.
And now—without lifting a hand—their vengeance had been achieved.
The remnants wanted to celebrate. But before they could, another tragedy struck.
Brannew, the 9th Division Captain, was ambushed by Blackbeard's forces while transporting supplies—and died a hero's death.
He was the second division captain to fall since Marineford. The previous had been Blamenco, the 6th Division Captain.
Worse still—their once-secure sea route to Whitebeard's homeland was now severed.
The Whitebeard remnants' situation had gone from bad to worse.
No one had the heart to celebrate anymore.
After Namur left, the room fell into silence again. Ace and Marco sat wordlessly, the air heavy with despair.
The future was a fog of hopelessness.
Not only was reclaiming their former glory impossible—they could barely protect their remaining men.
Ace rested his head against the windowpane, his hands braced on the sill.
"Guess that means… we owe Davy Jones a favor now, huh?"
Marco exhaled through his nose, arms folded, leaning against the wall.
"Yeah. Even if he didn't mean to… he's avenged us. The crew is grateful."
Ace closed his eyes for a long time. When he opened them, his gaze was steady.
"Marco… about your proposal…"
"I know what's weighing on you," Marco said quietly, pressing his lips together.
"Honestly, when I brought it up at the captains' meeting, I was ready for you all to beat the hell out of me."
That meeting had taken place a week earlier—before the news from Punk Hazard reached them.
Ace shook his head.
"None of us did. We've lived and bled together—we all know how bad things have gotten. If you hadn't been cornered, you'd never suggest something like that…"
The enemies arrayed against the Whitebeard remnants were simply too many.
"Weevil and his mother—just the two of them—their threat alone isn't that great," Marco muttered, frowning.
"But Blackbeard's different. He's already taken several of our islands. His influence grows by the day."
"And besides him, there's Kaido of the Beasts, Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, the Marines, the Shichibukai, and countless pirates. We're surrounded on all sides."
Ace turned around, pushed himself up onto the windowsill, and looked up at the sky.
"Tell me, Marco… if Oyagi knew I made this choice—would he be ashamed of me?"
Marco smiled faintly and shook his head.
"No. The Whitebeard Pirates have always had one iron rule…"
Ace finished the words for him.
"'Never kill a crewmate. Treat each other like family.'"
"Yeah," Ace murmured. "Oyagi wouldn't blame me. But I blame myself—for being so weak… We just can't afford to lose anyone else."
He took a deep breath.
"I have only two conditions."
Marco looked up at him.
"First, we take back Beehive Island. We find Oyagi and our brothers' souls, and let them rest in peace.
Second, we keep a measure of independence."
Marco nodded.
"Understood. I'll go to Davy Jones' territory myself. I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't do anything reckless until then."
Totto Land – Whole Cake Island
"A new Emperor? A new Emperor of the Sea? What nonsense!?"
Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom—swept an entire table of her beloved pastries onto the floor, roaring in fury. Her voice shook the great hall.
Her eldest son, Perospero, and the Three Sweet Commanders knelt on one knee, frozen in terror.
"They dare ignore my demands!" Big Mom's enormous face twisted even more grotesquely with rage.
"They refuse to hand over the culprit—or pay the price!"
Not long ago, she had sent envoys to Punk Hazard. They were denied entry.
Her messenger publicly declared Big Mom's terms, only for the Davy Jones Pirates to drive him away on the spot.
Davy Jones himself didn't even bother to appear.
To make it worse, his capture of Punk Hazard had directly undermined her business interests.
The "Giantification Serum" she had commissioned Caesar to create was now lost—its research gone with the island.
One insult after another—Davy Jones was clearly opposing her, deliberately.
How could she not be furious?
"I want Davy Jones and all of them—dead!"
Charlotte Linlin bellowed, enunciating each word with murderous rage.
Behind her, the sentient sun and cloud homies trembled and shrank into the corners, terrified by her killing intent.
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