"How about joining my crew?" Whitebeard placed a hand on Renji's shoulder, his eyes fixed intently on him.
Whitebeard's words left everyone present in stunned silence. They were all completely taken aback by his offer.
"Pops, we don't even know who this guy is..."
"Isn't it a bit reckless to let him join us?"
After the initial silence, the pirates began murmuring among themselves, clearly skeptical about the man standing before them.
They were the Whitebeard Pirates, rulers of the Grand Line. Not just anyone could join their ranks. Even if this guy had defeated Big Mom, his background was still a mystery.
They hadn't even fully accepted Oden until he had gone through numerous trials. So why should this stranger be any different?
Renji glanced at the hand on his shoulder and subtly took a step back.
The clothes he was wearing had been taken from other pirates. If Whitebeard had seen him in his military uniform, he probably wouldn't have extended the invitation in the first place.
"No thanks. I'm quite comfortable where I am in the Marines," Renji replied, meeting Whitebeard's gaze without a hint of fear.
"The Marines?"
"Did he just say he's a Marine...?!"
The pirates immediately stopped smiling and drew their swords, pointing them at Renji. Their eyes gleamed with bloodlust.
"Oh?"
Whitebeard raised an eyebrow, surprised that Renji had been so blunt about his identity.
Of course, he already knew who Renji was. The man had been all over the news recently, so it was hard not to recognize him.
But Whitebeard genuinely admired him and wanted him to join his family.
With a sly smile, Whitebeard asked, "So, a Marine like you, wandering alone into pirate territory... are you here looking for some excitement?"
Renji knew that anything he said now would likely fall on deaf ears. Whether he could leave this place safely depended entirely on Whitebeard's mood. (And also because he wasn't alone.)
Still, he tried to explain, "Not really. I ended up here by accident..."
The pirates didn't buy it. Their hostility only grew.
"Pops, there's no need to waste words on him. Let us kill him!"
"Any Marine who comes here should be ready to die!"
"Enough!" Whitebeard's voice boomed as he stomped his foot on the ground. An invisible wave of pressure surged toward Renji.
Suddenly, Renji felt an overwhelming force bearing down on him. He knew this was Whitebeard's way of testing him.
But he wasn't afraid. He gritted his teeth and stood his ground, determined to endure the pressure.
Seeing Renji remain unfazed, Whitebeard's expression softened with approval. He hadn't misjudged the man.
This guy was definitely worth the offer.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed heartily as the pressure dissipated. "You're quite something, kid. Sure you don't want to join us?"
Renji took a deep breath and replied calmly, "The Marines might not offer the same freedom as you pirates, but..."
"They provide stable housing and a steady paycheck."
"I'm satisfied with that kind of life."
It seemed there was no room for negotiation. Whitebeard withdrew his gaze, respecting Renji's decision. He wasn't the type to force someone into something they didn't want.
Turning to another direction, Whitebeard asked, "Oden, are you still planning to set sail with me?"
"Of course!" Oden replied enthusiastically, without a moment's hesitation.
"What's coming next is an adventure beyond your wildest dreams!" Whitebeard grinned. "Are you ready, brother?"
"You don't even have to ask, Whitey!!" Oden threw his head back and laughed heartily.
The pirates, now ignoring Renji, rushed over to Oden and lifted him high into the air. They genuinely admired the man and were thrilled to have him join their family.
"Pops really put you through the wringer, huh!?"
"After all that suffering, you're finally one of us. Congratulations!"
Watching his crew tease him, Whitebeard couldn't help but chuckle.
"You bunch of idiots!!"
"..."
Once Oden was back on his feet, he noticed two familiar faces in the crowd. "Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, what are you two doing here?"
The pirates were shocked. "We've got stowaways!"
Nekomamushi grinned. "We knew Lord Oden would make it onto the ship, so we hid onboard."
Whitebeard glanced at Izou, who was glaring at him, and then turned to Renji and the others.
"You all want to go to Wano... right?"
Toki nodded eagerly. "Yes! Did you agree to take us there?"
Whitebeard shook his head, clearly reluctant. He had no desire to return to Wano.
"I'm not going, but I can arrange for these stowaways to accompany you back."
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi immediately protested.
"Why should we? We're Lord Oden's retainers. Where he goes, we go!"
Nekomamushi shot a glance at Renji and the others. "We don't even know them. Even if they're heading to Wano, it's none of our business."
Toki looked at Oden and his retainers in disbelief. She hadn't expected that her fellow countrymen from 800 years in the future would be so unwilling to help, even with something as simple as giving directions.
"We... we just need you to show us the way..."
As long as they didn't have to leave Oden, Inuarashi and the others became much more agreeable.
Nekomamushi thumped his chest proudly. "If it's just directions, no problem! Leave it to me!"
"..."
To be honest, Toki's excitement about Wano had significantly diminished.
But if she didn't go there, all the hardships she'd endured would have been for nothing.
"Oden, are you the daimyo of the Kozuki family in this era?" Renji asked curiously.
He had heard Inuarashi and Nekomamushi refer to themselves as Oden's retainers. As far as he knew, the Kozuki family was the ruling clan of Wano.
Oden puffed out his chest proudly. "That's right. My name is Kozuki Oden."
Toki's eyes sparkled. "As the daimyo of Wano, shouldn't you be there learning how to govern the country?"
"My father's handling that. The sea is where a man's heart belongs! I want to sail freely and without restraint!" Oden spread his arms wide, embracing the vast ocean before him.
"But... you're the heir. The future of the country rests on your shoulders," Toki argued, unable to accept his carefree attitude.
To abandon an entire nation's future for the sake of personal dreams was something she couldn't understand.
Oden laughed it off. "With my father's health, he'll live for another thirty or forty years."
"Taking over the country is still a long way off for me."
Renji looked at Oden as if he were a fool. The man's actions seemed utterly irresponsible to him.
While Renji enjoyed slacking off when he could, he always made sure to fulfill his duties. Even when he delegated tasks, he felt a sense of guilt. He could never be as carefree as Oden.
"..."
Whitebeard waved at Renji and began leading his family back to the Moby Dick.
"Well, kid, until next time..."
...
...(TL/N): If you are intressted you can read up to 30 chapter on patreon.com/Yanet96 search with this link.