One Piece: Starting at the War of the Best

"Whew, now that was a good sleep!"

When Katie opened her eyes again, she felt completely refreshed—every inch of her body buzzing with energy and clarity. She hadn't felt this good in a long time.

"Boss Katie, you're awake?!"

Before she could even process how long she'd been asleep, someone nearby greeted her enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I am. How long was I out?"

"You must've been exhausted! You slept for over ten hours—straight from yesterday afternoon to midday today. I need to let Pops know right away that we can start the banquet!"

With that, the excited, unnamed Whitebeard pirate scurried off, leaving Katie where she stood.

But Katie wasn't alone for long. More Whitebeard crew members quickly gathered around her.

"Boss Katie, you have no idea—Dad delayed the entire banquet just for you. He said it would only start once you woke up. And none of us had any complaints. Honestly, if it weren't for you, we'd all be rotting at Marineford!"

"Thank you, Boss Katie!"

"Thank you, Boss Katie!"

One voice after another rang out, echoing across the entire Moby Dick.

"Hahahaha! Since Katie has finally woken up—let's start the banquet!"

"Yeah! Woohoo!"

Whitebeard's booming voice rolled across the deck, instantly igniting cheers from his entire crew and the many allied ships nearby. The surrounding sea was alive with celebration.

Beer and food were brought out in a flash. The speed at which everything was set up amazed Katie—it was as if parties were every pirate's favorite pastime. No one ever said no to a feast.

Finally, Katie managed to push through the crowd and spot Whitebeard.

She found Whitebeard seated at a massive table surrounded by dozens of high-ranking crew. Every seat was filled by either a division commander or a pirate with a bounty in the hundreds of millions. Even Luffy, who Katie hadn't seen in a while, was there—though he didn't seem in the best of moods for reasons unknown.

Barrett and Red were seated as well, right next to Whitebeard.

"Boss Katie! Over here!"

Before Katie could find a seat for himself, Ace waved her over. There was a spot open next to her—just one person away from Whitebeard himself.

Katie didn't know all the seating rules, but it was clear Whitebeard held her in high regard. Without overthinking it, she walked over and took the seat.

"Katie, my friend—cheers to you. I won't say more—the gratitude's all in this drink!"

Whitebeard raised his custom three-meter-high sake jug and downed it in one giant gulp.

"Cheers to Boss Katie!"

Before Katie could say a word, everyone around her raised their drinks. Their eyes were filled with genuine gratitude.

Surrounded by such heartfelt emotion, Katie found herself unable to utter any polite formalities. Instead, she simply lifted a large bowl of sake, nodded to those around her, and drank it all in one go.

"Well done!"

That simple act earned universal approval. For these hearty pirates, one bowl of sake said more than a thousand words.

Katie's gesture marked the true start of the celebration. Cheers, drinking games, and loud boasts filled the air—it was as rowdy as a pirate banquet should be.

"Katie, what are your plans from here on out?"

After a few rounds of drinks, Whitebeard suddenly turned the topic to Katie. Everyone at the table instantly tuned in—they were clearly curious.

"Hmm… Honestly, I don't really have a clear plan. I guess I'll just travel around for now and see what happens."

Katie wasn't hiding anything. She truly didn't know what she wanted to do next.

After being suddenly transported to this world, she still hadn't fully come to terms with everything. So it made sense she hadn't figured out a direction yet.

But Whitebeard's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"In that case, why not consider joining us?"

The atmosphere instantly quieted.

The distant parts of the party might still have been going strong, but everyone at this table turned to Katie in anticipation. Clearly, they all hoped she would accept.

"Sorry. Even though I don't have a specific plan yet, I'd still like to explore a bit on my own. I'm not looking to join any crew right now."

Katie's refusal wasn't out of dislike for the Whitebeard Pirates—on the contrary, she genuinely liked them. Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked so much to save them.

But she still wasn't sure how she wanted to fit into this world. Until she figured that out, she didn't want to join—or form—any pirate crew.

"No worries. You can always sail the seas under my name. The Whitebeard Pirates won't hold you back."

Whitebeard clearly wasn't giving up so easily.

This recent incident had made him face the reality of his own decline. He couldn't deny it—he was old. Even fighting someone like Akainu had cost him dearly. Now, with his right arm lost, his power had taken a major hit.

Among all his "sons," only Marco was truly ready to lead. Even Ace, promising as he was, wasn't quite there yet. A new era was coming—and Whitebeard was worried.

So Katie had become a prime target for recruitment.

"Boss Katie, if you're willing to join, I'll hand over my First Division Commander position to you."

Marco's words dropped like a bomb.

Everyone around was stunned, looking back and forth at each other. While they were eager to have Katie onboard, the idea of replacing Marco—someone they were used to following—left them visibly uneasy.

Even Katie was taken aback.

The First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates was second only to Whitebeard himself. Not even Ace could match that rank. In many situations, the title held more sway than being one of the Seven Warlords.

"Marco, you flatter me. Even if you're willing, the others might not agree. That position is still yours, and you deserve it."

"I really do love the Whitebeard Pirates. We may have been strangers before, but now we're family."

"The reason I'm saying no isn't because I'm chasing status. I just don't know yet who I want to be—or what I want to do. So until I figure that out, I won't be joining any pirate crew—or creating my own."

"I'm sorry. That was small-minded of me."

Hearing Katie speak so sincerely, Marco fully understood her intentions—and gave up trying to persuade her.