Chapter 22: After Twenty Years of Check-ins, Leaving the Whitebeard Pirates

Words : 1136 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Whitebeard lay drunk beneath a cherry blossom tree. Roger was already gone. As expected, Oden did not return, he had gone back to Wano Country. "Izo, are you going back?" Whitebeard knew where Oden was, and he also knew that it would be hard for Oden to leave again. Something must have happened in Wano that made Oden stay. Izo was Oden's retainer, the one who boarded the ship for Oden. Now that Oden had returned, it was natural for Izo to consider going back as well. "Lord Oden told me to stay on the ship in his place. I will follow Lord Oden's command and remain here," Izo said. "Good, then stay on the ship." Whitebeard found some solace in that. After all, Oden was his brother. Though he had been gone for over a year, Whitebeard still missed him deeply. Ever since Kozuki Oden was gone, the Whitebeard Pirates had become much quieter. Another year passed. Roger, the Pirate King, was now the most wanted man in the world. Then came earth-shattering news: Roger had been captured by the Marines. The Pirate King, caught by the Marines, sent shockwaves throughout the world. "Pops! Roger was caught!" Marco and the others shouted in disbelief. To them, Roger had been Whitebeard's equal. The idea that the Marines could capture him was unthinkable. Gulp gulp gulp! Whitebeard picked up a sake jug and drank, his gaze falling on Roy. Roy, sensing Whitebeard's look, calmly said, "He turned himself in." "Gurararara! I knew it! That bastard would never let the Marines take him alive. His time was running out," said Whitebeard. "Yes," Roy nodded. "He must have had a plan." "Yes, One that will shock the world." "Gurarara! That's just the kind of thing he'd do." Sure enough, a few days later, news came out that Golden Lion had broken into Marineford but had been captured by Sengoku and Garp working together. The two most powerful men at sea had fallen one after another. It seemed that only Whitebeard remained at the top of the seas. Roger was executed in the East Blue shortly after Golden Lion's capture. Everything unfolded as if scripted. Whitebeard found Roy, and the two sat down to drink together. "So this was his plan. Did you know all along?" "Yeah. The next era will be one of chaos. You'll be facing more enemies than ever," Roy said with a smile. "That bastard really left me a mess. Looks like we won't be short on enemies," Whitebeard grumbled, finally understanding Roy's warnings. "They'll come for your head." "If they want my head, they'll have to prove they have the strength to take it." Whitebeard's aura was unmatched. The Great Pirate Era had begun. Pirates now swarmed the seas like ants, constantly challenging them without knowing their own limits. "Tch. These guys are too weak." At Sabaody Archipelago, years had passed since they were last here. Countless pirates had gathered. Hearing that the Whitebeard Pirates were around, they foolishly came to challenge them. Whitebeard didn't even need to lift a finger. Marco and the others took care of the fights. "Hurry to the New World. Those little punks are causing chaos on our turf," said Whitebeard. Too many pirates had poured into the New World, turning their territories into complete chaos. Calls kept coming in, saying their territory was under attack. They had to rush back from the first half of the Grand Line to the New World to stabilize things. "Coating the ship will take a few more days, Pops," Marco reminded. "Roger really stirred up trouble. So many pirates came out of nowhere. The seas won't know peace for years," Whitebeard sighed. "For ordinary folks, this is hell. Pirates are everywhere now, looting anything and everything they see," Vista said. "Bunch of arrogant fools." Thatch kicked a defeated pirate aside. "Blamenco said it'll take two more days to finish the coating," Marco added. "Then we wait two days," Whitebeard nodded. Two days later, the ship was coated and set off for Fish-Man Island. They had fishmen among the crew, so the journey undersea was safe. They reached Fish-Man Island safely. Whitebeard raised his flag there, bringing it under his protection. Six years passed. Roy completed his twentieth-year check-in. He mastered Armament Haki. This was a massive breakthrough, he could finally grow stronger. What was once impossible now lay within reach. His Armament Haki was pushed to the peak, he could even use Advanced Armament Haki. Due to the size of their territory and growing crew, the Whitebeard Pirates began restructuring. "Any of you want to go independent and form your own pirate crews?" Whitebeard asked his Commanders. "Pops? What do you mean?" Whitey Bay and the others were confused. "Exactly what it sounds like. Our crew is too big now. We need to limit our numbers. Besides the sixteen divisions, the rest of you will leave the main crew and form your own crews." "Pops! Are you kicking us out?!" Whitey Bay exclaimed. "No. I'm asking you to protect our territory in a different way." "Then I want Big Bro!" Whitey Bay grabbed Roy and hugged him. Whitebeard paused for a moment. "Go ask him. If he's willing, take him with you." "Okay." Whitey Bay nodded and went to find Roy. "Big Bro, come with me. Help me manage my crew," she said, holding his hand sweetly. Years ago, the two had made their relationship official. With Whitebeard and the others as witnesses, they became husband and wife. "Alright, I'll go with you," Roy said with a glance at Whitebeard, then nodded to Whitey Bay. "Thank you!" Whitey Bay hugged him and gave him a kiss. "Roy, are you sure?" Whitebeard asked. "Yes. Until the day you die, I'll keep everything in order," Roy replied. "Alright, I understand. I'll be waiting," Whitebeard nodded. Whitey Bay, Apoida, Andre, Aruwan, and King, five of them, split off from the Whitebeard Pirates and formed their own crews. As affiliated crews, they continued sailing through the New World and protected Whitebeard's territory. Whitey Bay took several comrades and a small icebreaker ship as the foundation of her new crew. The fame of Ice Witch Whitey Bay grew quickly, becoming a strong guardian force for the Whitebeard Pirates. Her relationship with Roy remained solid, and they even had a child. "Dear, our business is getting better and better. How about we stop being pirates?" Two years later, Whitey Bay asked Roy." "Do you want to?" "No." "Then that's that." "But, Dear, you—" "Don't underestimate me. I'm not as helpless as I look." BANG! "CAPTAIN! Bad news! Enemies are attacking our factories!"

Chapter 22: After Twenty Years of Check-ins, Leaving the Whitebeard Pirates

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