Newgate watched his sons sparring with such vigor that even his own hands began to itch with anticipation.

Slowly raising his naginata, Murakumogiri, the Whitebeard let out a booming laugh. "Since we've run into each other, it'd be rude not to have a little brawl, wouldn't it?"

Roger drew his sword, Ace, the blade gleaming in the sunlight. "Just what I was hoping for!"

The two men exchanged wild grins a silent understanding born from strength and mutual respect.

Shanks and Buggy instinctively backed away.

They hadn't paid close attention to the man on the ship earlier, but now that they saw him up close, their eyes bulged wide.

"That's Whitebeard?" Buggy exclaimed. "He's enormous!"

Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, his voice calm. "Don't run around. When those two monsters start fighting, it's no joke."

Leaning against the mast, Ritter smirked. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on these two little troublemakers."

"Everyone—"

"Back off!"

Before the warning had fully left their lips, two overwhelming waves of Conqueror's Haki clashed in midair!

BOOM—!!!

The entire island shook violently. Stones on the beach rose into the air, and in the distance, towering waves erupted from the sea. The younger spectators were thrown to the ground, stunned and wide-eyed.

Whitebeard struck first. Murakumogiri, infused with the destructive power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, came crashing down toward Roger!

"Heaven Splitter!"

The very air tore apart, rending space with terrifying force.

Roger laughed, charging straight into the oncoming strike, his fist wrapped in his own crackling Haki.

"Divine Departure!"

RUMBLE—!!

The collision of their attacks carved a massive crater in the center of the island. Shockwaves uprooted trees for hundreds of meters.

The young observers were sent sprawling in every direction.

Jozu gasped, "That was... sugoi, sugoi…"

Vista clenched his tiny wooden sword. "One day I'll be that strong! This is what a true swordsman looks like!"

Whitebeard lunged forward, sweeping his naginata. Roger flipped back nimbly and countered with a sharp spinning kick.

Thud!

Whitebeard blocked it with one hand and grabbed for Roger's collar with the other, aiming to slam him over his shoulder.

But Roger used the momentum, vaulting upward and kicking at Whitebeard's jaw.

"Gurararara! Not bad!" Whitebeard roared with laughter, taking the blow head-on and retaliating with a punch to Roger's gut.

Thump!

Roger was sent flying dozens of meters but landed gracefully, grinning. "Come on!"

Once again, both men exploded with Conqueror's Haki. Black and red lightning arced around them as the island quaked beneath their power.

"Roger! Take this!" Whitebeard roared, gripping his naginata in both hands, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's energy focused to its peak.

"Newgate! Show me your full strength!" Roger shouted back, his fist coated in unprecedented Haki.

BOOOOOOM—!!

The heavens dimmed. A colossal crater, a hundred meters wide, opened in the island's center. Seawater surged into the gap, forming a small lake.

When the dust settled, Whitebeard and Roger stood face to face, both laughing heartily.

"Heaven Splitter!"

Whitebeard struck again, his naginata tearing through the very fabric of space. The ground split beneath them, and shockwaves rippled outward.

Roger didn't flinch. He slashed horizontally with his blade—

"Divine Departure!!"

BOOM—!!!

Their powers collided once more. The impact blasted open another massive crater, seawater flooding in and swirling into a vortex. The spectators were hurled backward. Even Ritter was forced to conjure a shield of dark mist to protect himself.

"It's not over yet!" Whitebeard bellowed. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit activated again as he slammed his fist into the ground—

The island began to collapse. The crust split apart, and a wave of seismic destruction tore toward Roger.

Eyes blazing with battle lust, Roger leaped into the air, Conqueror's Haki blazing around him.

"Newgate, try this! Ace: Final Blade!"

A brilliant slash tore through the sky black and red energy cleaving the seismic wave in half and streaking toward Whitebeard's chest.

CRACK—!

Whitebeard staggered backward, his feet carving deep furrows in the earth. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

"...Gurararara. Impressive," he muttered, wiping the blood away. His battle spirit still burned, but his massive frame wavered slightly.

Roger sheathed his sword, still grinning. "How was that, Newgate?"

Whitebeard laughed. "Don't get cocky... I'm just off my game today."

He slowly straightened, then planted his naginata firmly into the ground. "This round's yours."

The battlefield fell silent.

Marco and the others stared in disbelief. Whitebeard... had conceded?

Roger stepped forward and extended a fist. "Next time, we go again."

Whitebeard chuckled and bumped fists with him. "Gurararara... and next time won't be so easy."

He sat down cross-legged, his enormous frame casting long shadows in the firelight. Tilting his head back, he drank deeply from a jug of liquor, his gaze drifting to the distant sea.

"Gurararara… Roger, do you still remember Rocks?"

Roger, gnawing on a slab of roasted meat, paused and smiled. "That lunatic? Of course."

Whitebeard went quiet for a moment. His deep voice echoed in the night.

"Back then, we all thought power was everything. Rocks wanted domination, to upend the world… but in the end, none of us found what we truly sought. You saw it too Rocks' crew was a mess of ambition stitched together with brute force. There was no trust, only profit. One moment a man's your brother, the next he's stabbing you in the back. That's when I started questioning where I belonged."

Roger wiped his mouth, his eyes unusually solemn. "But you found it, didn't you?"

Whitebeard looked over at Marco, Jozu, Vista, and Thatch rowdy and laughing in the distance. A soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Yeah… family. That's where I belong."

The firelight flickered across his face, and for once, the fierce warrior looked serene.

Roger burst into laughter, clapping a hand on Whitebeard's shoulder. "Kuhahaha! Not bad, Newgate! You finally sound like a proper old man!"

Whitebeard laughed too, but his voice grew serious again. "And what about you? What is it that you're chasing?"

Roger's grin faded slightly. The question struck a deeper chord one shaped by the God Valley incident.

"The truth."

"The truth of the world… the Void Century… the Will of D. I want to uncover it all."

Whitebeard studied him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Gurararara… sounds like you, alright."

He raised his jug. "Then here's to you finding your answer."

Roger clinked his cup against it and downed the drink in one gulp. "Yeah. I will."

Not far away, Ritter sat against a reef, blood mist curling around his fingertips. He listened to their conversation, his expression conflicted.

(Rocks chased power, Whitebeard sought family, Roger seeks truth…)

(And me? Everything I've shouted up till now was just what other transmigrators would say. But what do I really want?)

Shanks had wandered over without him noticing, chewing on a hunk of meat. "Hey Ritter, what are you thinking about?"

Ritter snapped back to the present and ruffled the boy's red hair. "Just wondering… what kind of men you little brats will grow up to be."

Shanks' eyes lit up. "I'm gonna be a great pirate just like Captain!"

Ritter chuckled. "Is that so? Then give it your best shot."

(Maybe life right now isn't so bad. Who knows? We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.)

Night deepened. The campfire dwindled to glowing embers.

The Whitebeard Pirates and Roger Pirates lay sprawled across the beach, snoring in the moonlight.

Staring up at the stars, Whitebeard suddenly murmured, "Roger… if you ever find the answer, promise me you'll tell me."

Roger lay with his hands behind his head, eyes closed and smiling. "Kuhahaha! I will. I promise."

The waves lapped gently against the shore, bearing silent witness to their vow.

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