One piece: Establishing a Pirate Family

Chapter 484: Whitebeard's Concern

What started as simple observation had unexpectedly become a powerful lesson for Whitebeard's sons.

Whitebeard, who had long struggled to curb their impulsiveness, was pleasantly surprised. This battle served as the perfect wake-up call. He had brought only a small contingent—just over two thousand—but once these men returned and word spread, the entire crew would learn how brutal war truly was.

Maybe then they'd stop being so reckless.

Ever since the Great Age of Pirates began, the appearance of the Pirate King had given every pirate a single, lofty goal: reach Raftel, find Roger's treasure, and become the next Pirate King.

This dream was worshipped by all, and Whitebeard's sons were no exception. They shouted every day about wanting their "old man" to become Pirate King.

But to do that, they would first have to deal with two other Yonko: the Rockefeller Pirates and Big Mom's crew.

And those two were not to be trifled with.

Whitebeard knew both captains personally. They had once sailed on the same ship. He was well aware of their strength.

If he followed his sons' dreams blindly, the Whitebeard Pirates would be the first to collapse.

So Whitebeard had always been careful to avoid direct conflict with either crew.

Last time, when he heard the Rockefeller Pirates were making a move, his heart clenched. He feared Sharo would impulsively march into his territory demanding answers.

That would be a slap in the face.

Whitebeard wasn't the kind of man to offer explanations under pressure. If it came to that, it'd end in a full-scale war.

Now, seeing that his sons had gained a little self-awareness, Whitebeard finally let out a breath of relief.

"Old man, who do you think will win?" Marco asked, coming up beside him and looking skyward at the clashing titans.

He didn't ask which crew would win—only who between Shiki and Linlin would come out on top. To Marco, the war's outcome hinged solely on those two.

Whitebeard studied the battle carefully.

It was intense, and neither side had the upper hand.

But Whitebeard was no fool.

As Shiki's old rival, he knew better than anyone: no one understands you like your enemy.

And what he saw was clear—Shiki wasn't what he used to be.

Something about his movements, his aura... it all seemed diminished.

"I'd say Charlotte Linlin has the advantage," Whitebeard said after a long pause.

The words instantly stirred the crowd.

"That can't be right, Pops! Shiki's on the same level as you—how could he lose?"

"Yeah! Charlotte Linlin already lost to Sharo once—how can she beat Shiki?"

"Exactly! Shiki's the guy who dared to storm Marineford alone! How could he lose to that woman?"

Whitebeard could only smile wryly.

"I don't know why," he said. "But I get the feeling Shiki's lost some of his edge. He doesn't have that ferocity anymore... like his spirit's been broken."

He watched Shiki's sword swings closely.

"This… this can't be real…"

Some still refused to believe it.

"All right, we'll know who wins when it's over. No point arguing now," Marco said, stepping in before things got out of hand.

He couldn't believe they were actually arguing with Whitebeard over who would win.

These brats were getting way too bold. Whitebeard spoiled them too much.

Marco couldn't help but shake his head.

As soon as he spoke, the others quieted down. No one dared talk back to Marco. He was second only to Whitebeard in strength and respect, and clearly the favorite among the crew—even if Whitebeard tried to treat everyone equally.

No one could challenge Marco's place.

Whitebeard smiled faintly at Marco's interjection.

"Let's keep watching. It's not every day we see a battle like this," he said.

And he was right.

Even in the New World, such massive clashes were rare. Usually, conflicts were limited—either the captains fought one-on-one or a few subordinates were sent to test the waters.

Total wars like this were almost unheard of.

In Whitebeard's memory, the last time something like this happened was when Sharo had just returned and clashed with Big Mom. But that fight was cut short by Garp, so it barely counted.

Then there was the legendary Ed War—when the Flying Pirates fought the Roger Pirates in full force.

Shiki had brought everything he had to that war, only for a freak storm to tear his fleet apart. The Flying Pirates never truly recovered.

Even when he himself had clashed with Shiki, the battle had nearly drawn in the Marines. If Sharo hadn't arrived to break the stalemate, both crews might've been wiped out.

Whitebeard owed Sharo a debt for that.

Unfortunately, that debt remained unpaid, and growing tensions had only made things worse.

At his words, the crew went quiet again.

They turned their eyes back to the war.

With the Whitebeard flag flying high, no one dared approach their ships.

Aside from the battlefield tremors rocking their deck, the Whitebeard Pirates might as well have been on a sightseeing cruise.

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At the center of the war

"Gwahahaha! That old fool Whitebeard showed up too? Pretty gutsy. But where's that brat Sharo? Just his kids again?"

Shiki laughed as he fought Charlotte Linlin, scanning the horizon.

But Sharo was nowhere to be seen.

The man Shiki couldn't stop thinking about was off fishing with Red the Aloof,

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