Chapter 298: Daily Life of the Elderly!
After the battle, the group returned to Ryuunosuke's ship and immediately entered full banquet mode.
As for the upcoming fight? No one felt much pressure at all.
After all, it was just Miss Bakin and Weevil, the guy who called himself "Whitebeard Jr." Even if the World Government had sent them a few special agents, they weren't nearly enough to threaten two Yonko-level pirate crews.
It was right then that another ship appeared in the distance.
"Whitebeard!?"
Zephyr's eyes narrowed as he stared at the familiar ship approaching. There was confusion on his face—after all, he'd crossed paths with this man countless times back when he was still an admiral at Marine Headquarters.
Back then, Whitebeard had been busy building his pirate crew like a family, rarely pursuing open conflict. Every clash between them had ended prematurely, with neither side fully committing.
But now? Everything was different.
Whitebeard was known across the seas as one of the Four Emperors—the strongest man in the world.
And Zephyr? He wasn't even truly a marine anymore.
"The old man actually came, huh?"
"Come aboard already! Let's share a drink with Ryuunosuke at this banquet!" Whitebeard bellowed with laughter. "Gurararara!"
Using his Observation Haki, Whitebeard had already spotted Zephyr standing on the deck in silence. The sight of the old soldier just standing there looking dazed made him chuckle.
They were both relics of the old era, after all. And despite standing on different sides now, this wasn't the time or place for conflict.
Zephyr didn't hesitate. "Good!" he replied, then jumped lightly and landed on the deck of Ryuunosuke's ship.
He strolled over to Whitebeard and raised a jug of sake.
"Is that the little pineapple-head from back in the day?" Zephyr grinned, pointing at Marco.
"I remember the first time he saw me—he burst into tears!"
"Come on! I'm a marine, not some monster. What kind of pirate cries at the sight of a marine?"
Marco flushed. "I did not!"
His protest, however, sounded half-hearted even to himself.
The Division leaders around them burst out laughing. Family teasing like this was just part of the bond they shared.
Ryuunosuke watched the scene from the side, sipping his drink quietly.
Time… really was something else.
These two had once shaken the seas with their power, and now they were sitting down together and reminiscing like old drinking buddies.
"Oi, bro," Ace said, leaning toward him with a mischievous glint. "You think we'll be like that when we're old?"
Then, with a snicker, he added, "You remember that time you peed your pants when a grizzly bear showed up?"
Ryuunosuke's cup froze mid-air.
Heads slowly turned toward Ace.
The clinking of cups stopped. Even the music seemed to die down.
That was some top-tier gossip right there.
"Oi, Ace…" Ryuunosuke's smile twitched. "Your bones itching for a fight?"
He had just wanted to enjoy the show—but now he was the center of it.
Ace immediately raised both hands. "Wait, wait! I remembered wrong, okay? It was Luffy! Luffy was the one who cried!"
"And Sabo! Yeah, when we first started training, Sabo got beat the hardest!"
"Oh, and remember that time Dadan kicked him out and he had to sleep outside?"
"And—"
"Shut it!" Ryuunosuke's face darkened. "You really want to die today?"
He stood up and summoned the Azure Blade, cold energy radiating from its edge.
"Bro—please—don't—"
"AHHHH!"
Screams echoed across the ship.
Ryuunosuke had unleashed a very real beating on Ace, his sword wrapped in freezing energy. Even someone with the Flame-Flame Fruit couldn't just shrug that off.
After the chaos settled, and Ace was left groaning on the deck with ice still clinging to his face, the others finally turned the topic to the real issue at hand.
Whitebeard was pouring himself another drink when Zephyr looked over seriously.
"Newgate, I've been meaning to ask you something."
He set his jug down and leaned in slightly.
"That guy—Weevil. Is he really your son?"
Whitebeard raised an eyebrow.
"I remember you and Miss Bakin used to be on the same ship," Zephyr continued, tone heavy with implication. "Don't tell me…"
"How could that woman possibly be the mother of my child?!" Whitebeard groaned, looking both irritated and exasperated.
Even the Division leaders had asked him this before.
Weevil had been running around the seas for years calling himself "Whitebeard Jr.," and Whitebeard had never once taken action against him.
Naturally, that raised a lot of eyebrows.
The truth was simpler—and more annoying.
Whitebeard had been focused on tracking down Blackbeard, the traitor who had killed one of his sons. That grudge took priority over dealing with clowns like Weevil.
Honestly, if Ryuunosuke hadn't called and asked him to come clean things up, he wouldn't have even bothered showing up.
Still, Bakkin had dared to use his name and reputation to do as she pleased.
That, he couldn't tolerate.
"If that little bastard really was my son," Whitebeard muttered, "I'd die of shame."
Zefa leaned back with a smirk.
"Zephyr to know. I was starting to wonder. I mean, the size difference between you and her… Could it even work?"
A moment of dead silence.
Everyone turned their heads slowly toward Zephyr.
Whitebeard's eye twitched.
"You old bastard…" he muttered, glaring. "Still as crude as ever. Lock your damn mouth next time."
But despite the annoyance, he didn't actually get angry. Just rolled his eyes.
This was Zephyr, after all. Unfiltered to the grave.
Ryuunosuke clapped his hands. "Alright, alright. Let's get back on track."
"This is supposed to be a battle meeting, not a roast session for old timers."
He pointed across the deck.
"Miss Bakkin, she's yours, Uncle Whitebeard. After all, she used to be your crewmate."
"Weevil is yours, Uncle Zephyr."
"As for the rest of their crew… I'll handle them."
"No objections here," Zephyr said with a firm nod. "But Ryuunosuke—what you said earlier…"
He hesitated for a moment, then decided to ask.
"You said something big is coming. What exactly did you mean?"
Ryuunosuke turned away and looked toward the horizon, where the sun was setting over the sea.
"I can't tell you yet," he replied calmly. "But trust me. Once my war with the World Government ends… you'll understand everything."
Zephyr fell silent but nodded.
That answer was enough—for now.
Meanwhile, Whitebeard scratched his head and grunted.
"Wait, what the hell are you two talking about?"
"I'm right here, you know. Can't you fill me in too?"
Even though he sat right next to them, he was completely lost.
This… this was just frustrating.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Check my Pâtreon for Advanced Chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
Change (â) to (a)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>