One Piece: TDOTS, Chapter 82 (Patreon)

"Did you..."

Marco was about to ask Sin a question when Whitebeard suddenly stood up and walked towards them with heavy steps.

The blonde man glanced into his Old Man's eyes and respectfully stepped aside, knowing well that whatever the Old Man had on his mind was very serious.

Jozu and Vista stepped forward too, following their Old Man, and this prompted the Oni Girl to raise her head and narrow her eyes.

Yamato became a little apprehensive when she saw Whitebeard stop in front of them, towering over them, but seeing that Sin did not care about his presence, she relaxed and then kept drinking her rum.

To some, it might have been a form of disrespect, but the rest praised their bravery to keep drinking when the World's Strongest Man was so close to them and looking at them with his narrowed eyes.

However, to the surprise of those who expected him to attack, Whitebeard sat down right in front of Sin and erected his gigantic naginata deep into the sand by his side.

"Brat." He called out, seriously looking at Sin, and when the latter met his eyes, he asked a question that froze his crew. "Is Oden dead?"

A very suffocating silence weighed on everyone's heart in those few seconds that Sin kept looking into Whitebeard's eyes, and as soon as he nodded his head, Marco's body started trembling.

"He was killed by Kaidou." He informed them and sensed the fluctuations in Whitebeard's Haki, which started affecting their surroundings a little.

It might have gone unnoticed by everyone else, but not him. He could sense it very clearly and also feel the emotions of the Old Man.

There was rage, of course, but more than anything, there was immense sorrow that he sensed from the World's Strongest Man.

Sin was not surprised that the Whitebeard Pirates were unaware of Oden's demise. He was half expecting it.

Wano was a closed country, and it was hard to get hold of the news about that place.

Not to mention, since the Beast Pirates had made it their stronghold, it was even harder for the news to travel out of the country.

"Lady Toki..."

"She was killed." He replied before Marco could finish his question. "Momonuske's whereabouts are unknown, and he's likely dead too.."

Sin then proceeded to tell them what he had learned about Wano from the people of the country and Kozuki Sukiyaki, but he did not tell them that the former Shogun still lived.

He informed them of the state of the country, and what led to Oden's demise. Yamato too pitched in as she angrily spoke about her father, and Sin stopped her before she could blurt out anything unwanted and continued with the information he wanted to give them.

"...It's been ten years since Oden's death, and Beast Pirates and Orochi control the country now."

As soon as he finished his words, Marco clenched his fists, which were soon covered in beautiful Azure flames. He then turned around and walked towards the Moby Dick, and some people subconsciously started following him.

"Marco." Whitebeard closed his eyes and called out his name, bringing his steps to a halt.

"I am calling all Commanders, Old Man..."

"We are not going to Wano." As soon as those words left his mouth, all his Crew looked at him in disbelief.

"Old Man..."

"A war between me and Kaidou will destroy Wano." He grimly said. "Do you want to destroy the country that Oden loved and wanted to protect at all costs?!" The Old Man bellowed and Marco lowered his head, gritting his teeth harder.

He was a smart man, and he understood that if they clashed, lots of innocent people would lose their lives.

"What should we do then, Old Man?"

"We have our responsibilities and territories to protect, and we have people who believe in us. We must not give a chance to the Marines to benefit from the situation." Whitebeard opened his eyes and looked at Sin. "Oden is long gone. He chose to deal with the issues on his own and he lost. Seeking revenge with the consequences they hold is not worth it right now. I don't wish to lose to my sons."

"Wise call." The Captain of the Blackstar Pirates smiled. "But you know, Old Man, now is the best time if you want to avenge Oden. As years pass by, you will grow weaker, and he will grow stronger and retain his strength for much longer. Mythical Zoans are quite special in that regard, and the one he ate is ridiculously strong."

"I know what to do, Brat. You are still too young and weak to talk about these things."

"True." He laughed as he emptied the bottle of rum. "Well, whatever you decide, it is not my concern. If he is not taken down by you, I will take him down in seven to ten years from now."

"You think you can surpass me in seven years, Brat?" Whitebeard grinned, and Sin smirked back at him, not missing the underlying meaning behind his words.

Kaidou was likely just as strong as Whitebeard right now, and to successfully and safely take him down, he would have to surpass the World's Strongest Man.

"I will." He confidently said, and then glanced at Marco before looking back at the Old Man. "I want Marco to become part of my Crew. Can I have him?" He politely asked, but his words thundered in the minds of those who heard it.

Marco, Jozu, Vista, and everyone in their crew were shocked at his words which came out of the blue.

"Gurararara... You are the third to spout such nonsensical words and the weakest of them all. Too bold!" He bellowed as his Conqueror's Will burst out, and Sin replied to him in kind.

The two domains of the Conquerors clashed against each other, one gold and the other silver with hints of blue, and those who were faint-hearted immediately lost their consciousness.

Yamato, who was right by Sin's side, had sparkles in her eyes as she watched the two Colours of the Supreme Kings fighting, trying to overpower each other, but Marco and the rest were in sheer disbelief as the potency of the young man's Haki.

Seconds turned into minutes, winds started howling, and the clouds gathered in the sky before splitting into two. It was an apocalyptic sight and atmosphere that terrified the people on the Island. However, both Whitebeard and Sin did not seem to care about what was happening as they kept gazing into each other's eyes and souls with the craziest of grins on their faces.

Eventually, the domains dispersed, leaving behind petals and wisps of their auras, which soon disappeared from the eyes of the witnesses but not before etching their beauty in their minds forever.

"Gurarararararararara..." The Old Man burst into laughter right away, and Sin's grin receded to a light smile.

"So, that's a no?" He playfully asked.

"I won't give up on my sons as long as I live, Brat. And I will kill you if you insist on it."

"You can't." He grinned. "You are too slow to catch me." He said and immediately grabbed Yamato and disappeared from the place, just a fraction of a second before Whitebeard's fist landed on the ground, creating a massive crater. "Told you!"

"Gurarararararararara..." Whitebeard laughed some more as he heard the taunt, but did not pursue the matter.

When he stopped laughing, he slowly got back to his feet and picked up his weapon before walking towards the sea.

"Come with me." He whispered to his Division Commanders and they silently followed him back to the Moby Dick.

Soon they were onboard and alone, the Old Man sat down in his chair and gulped down several mouthfuls of wine.

A sad sigh escaped his lungs a few seconds later, and it brought tears to their eyes.

"Old Man... are we just going to let it go?" Marco asked, still burning in anger.

He wanted nothing more than to make Kaidou pay for killing Oden, but he realised that he could not do it on his own.

"No."

The answer prompted all three of them to look at him in surprise.

"Oden was like a brother to me. I would never just let it go." He angrily said. "Train and grow stronger. We will join the war that Lightning-Brat is going wage against Kaidou."

"But Wano..." Vista frowned.

"He won't stop," Whitebeard said as he raised his head and looked at the sky. "A man like him would always keep his word. He will try to take down Kaidou after seven years. We will have our revenge then."

"He's an outsider." Jozu frowned.

"He is Oden's Son-In-Law." Vista pointed out, and his words embarrassed his friend a little who had almost forgotten that part.

But then the Diamond Man chucked as he remembered his Old Man's threatening Sin, now finding those words a little funny.

There was no way his Old Man would kill that Brat since he was Hiyori's husband. He still vividly remembered the day their Pops had held the little babe in his hand and the funny expressions he had made that had the entire crew rolling on the floor in laughter.

"We will have to protect the country." Marco's sudden words grabbed their attention, and both Vista and Jozu broke out of their train of thought and realised the gravity of the matter.

"You have always been a kind child." Whitebeard smiled. "But if you don't grow stronger, you won't be able to protect them."