On the deck, Teach and several others gathered together, chatting to pass the time.
“Ever since Toki came aboard, Oden has finally quieted down,” Vista said with a hint of melancholy, having lost a like-minded companion.
“Then you should find someone too.
It’s that simple,” Teach said seriously after noticing his low spirits.
He genuinely hoped these leading members of the crew would find women and have children, thereby strengthening the Whitebeard Pirates.
They were all exceptionally talented, so their descendants would naturally be outstanding as well.
Big Mom alone could produce an entire pirate crew.
How could so many strong, healthy men fail to match a single woman?
To control the entire world and do as he pleased, Teach needed enough power to stand against the entire world.
He could never accomplish that alone.
In his plans, the Whitebeard Pirates would become his direct force.
With them as his core, he would expand across the seas and eventually bring the entire world under his control.
Simply put, he wanted to transform the Whitebeard Pirates from a crew bound by family and affection into a true, sprawling family organization.
Each commander and their descendants would form its core, developing generation after generation and serving him for generations to come!
Of course, there was another reason.
It would also serve as compensation for Whitebeard, allowing him to spend some time surrounded by countless children and grandchildren before his death.
It was Teach’s version of crocodile tears!
“Uh, well…” Vista was immediately rendered speechless.
He understood paying for entertainment, but when it came to romance, he was completely clueless.
“Give it a try!” “If you don’t know how, observe how Oden and Toki interact.
The ship is only so big; they can’t hide anywhere.” “Teach, how do you seem to know everything?” Marco asked curiously.
“Yeah.
Even though you’re younger than us, you seem more mature,” Thatch agreed.
“When you experience more and spend more time thinking about things, you naturally become mature,” Teach said calmly.
His words caused everyone to fall silent.
Who aboard this ship had not suffered?
They were all orphans, and each of them carried a tragic past.
Only Marco had been slightly more fortunate.
He had followed Whitebeard since he was too young to remember, by which time Whitebeard was already powerful enough to roam the seas freely.
Although Marco had spent his childhood drifting across the sea, he had never lacked food or drink.
With Whitebeard serving as a high-ranking member of the Rocks Pirates, his safety had also been assured.
“We’re a family-style pirate crew, and I’m sure Pops wants grandchildren too.
All of you need to work harder!” Teach encouraged them.
“We’re pirates.
We’re constantly drifting across the seas without a permanent home.
We wouldn’t be able to take proper care of children.” Rakuyo suddenly appeared, his expression downcast and his voice low.
Because of their childhoods, everyone aboard yearned for a family of their own.
However, for most of the teenagers present, having children was still far too distant a concern.
The twenty-five-year-old Rakuyo was different.
His thoughts were more mature, and he had genuinely considered the matter.
Just not yet.
When he reached his fifties and could no longer fight—assuming he was still alive—he would retire, find a woman, and have a child.
Then he would pass his peerless hammer techniques on to that child—the legacy of a great hammer master.
Hidden in the shadows, Whitebeard listened to their entire conversation.
Teach’s suggestion resonated deeply with him.
Having grown up without a family, Whitebeard desperately yearned for one.
Now that he thought about it, his own outlook had been far too narrow.
He could not even compare to his sons.
A family had a father and sons, so how could it not have grandchildren?
Without a third generation, wouldn’t their family end after only two?
That would not do!
There had to be grandchildren!
There absolutely had to be!
Whitebeard stood there in a daze, already imagining scene after scene of little brats climbing all over him.
Would the mischievous ones try pulling on his iconic mustache?
He suddenly shuddered and snapped out of his fantasy.
There was still one practical problem: the Whitebeard Pirates had no permanent base.
He could not rush matters.
Most of his sons were still teenagers.
If he tied them down to a territory too soon and restricted their freedom, then a Marine siege or an attack by another great pirate could place them in grave danger.
His still-growing sons would not be able to withstand such an assault.
Whitebeard continued imagining the future, a kindly smile occasionally appearing on his face.
Night fell over the deck of the Moby Dick.
A gentle sea breeze blew past, carrying the scent of the ocean.
At the center of the feast, where the strongest members of the crew had gathered, Teach looked toward Oden.
“Oden, you’re really something!” “Toki only joined us a few days ago, yet you’ve already made so much progress!” Teach said.
He genuinely could not understand it.
Oden was not handsome, and his behavior was bizarre, so why did women like him?
Teach did not think he was ugly either, so why had no woman ever taken an interest in him?
Back on Bass Island, the girls would hide whenever they saw him.
He only looked a little fierce.
Did fierce-looking men not deserve admirers?
“Hahaha!” Oden laughed triumphantly.
“Mmph—!” The others looked at the laughing Oden with immense displeasure.
After exchanging glances, Marco and the others restrained him while Teach lifted a bucket of sake and poured it directly down his throat.
“Cough!
Cough!” Oden coughed violently.
“Oden, are you all right?” Toki hurried to his side, pulled out a handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and asked with concern.
“Ugh!” All three hundred or so people aboard the ship simultaneously showed expressions of disgust, making their revulsion toward the public display of affection perfectly clear.
“Oden, you won’t be leaving this feast on your feet tonight!” Vista declared fiercely.
He was furious that Oden had abandoned their shared interests and begun pretending to be innocent.
“Teach, don’t you agree?” Vista knew his limits.
He could not take on Oden alone, so he wanted to pull Teach into the fight—a powerhouse with an overwhelming advantage at the drinking table.
“Come on, then!
You don’t know anything about my past.
When I was only a few years old, I was already visiting the Pleasure Quarters…” Oden gestured wildly and boasted about his glorious history in a bold voice.
Halfway through his story, however, he sensed a cold gaze and abruptly fell silent.
“Lord Oden, you truly are remarkable,” Toki said faintly.
“Well…” “Toki, you misunderstood!
I was only joking!” Oden’s eyes darted around uncertainly, and he did not dare meet her gaze.
Women truly could change men.
Even someone as wild as Oden had been changed by one.
He seemed to have genuinely fallen in love with this woman he had known for only a short time and had begun considering her feelings.
“Hmph!” With a cold snort, Toki walked away and returned to her previous seat, where she clinked cups with Whitey Bay.
“Toki!” Oden tried to follow her, but Teach and the others held him back.
“Don’t even think about leaving.
Weren’t you feeling proud of yourself just now?” Vista said.
“Hahaha!
Come on, Oden.
Don’t worry—with your abilities, you’ll definitely be able to appease Toki tomorrow.
Tonight is party time!” Teach handed him a bucket of sake.
At his signal, Marco, Jozu, and the others gathered around and kept pressing drinks on Oden.
They had all sworn to crush his arrogant attitude.