"Madman! You're a madman! How dare you encourage a son to kill his own mother!" "Mother?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "Putting aside the fact that you just tried to sell this chubby kid to me... given his true identity, I think we need to dig deeper." As he spoke, Michael pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number. "Purupurupuru! Purupurupuru! Click!" "Hello? Moshi moshi? This is Vegapunk speaking!" Michael grinned coldly at Miss Bakkin, then spoke into the receiver. "Dr. Vegapunk, this is Michael." "Oh? Grand Inspector Michael of the Marines? What an honor!" The Den Den Mushi mimicked Vegapunk's face, complete with his perpetually lolling tongue. "Stella and Crocodile have told me so much about you, yet we've never had the chance to meet." "Likewise. We've long overdue for a meeting, but I've been tied up with other matters," Michael replied apologetically before continuing, "But let's save that for later. I called to ask you about someone... Does the name Buckinham Stussy ring any bells?" "Ahh, her? Of course I remember. She was part of our group when I still led MADS. That Stussy you've met was actually modeled after her." "Though I already knew these details... isn't it risky for you to disclose this so openly?" "Ahahaha! But we're collaborators now—honesty is the foundation of partnership." Vegapunk's voice brimmed with nonchalance. Yet Michael understood: this was a gesture of sincerity from the world's most intelligent man. "So, she would have had access to Lineage Factor technology and cloning techniques, correct?" "Indeed. After MADS disbanded, she disappeared with some of our equipment and research." Vegapunk suddenly caught on. "Asking all this... don't tell me you've found her?" "Found her indeed. And by her side stands a not-too-bright oaf whose strength eerily resembles Whitebeard's." "I see... So she applied those techniques to Whitebeard's Lineage Factor!" With that single remark, Vegapunk laid bare Whitebeard Jr.'s origins. Meanwhile, Miss Bakkin's face had turned deathly pale beside them. Her deepest secret had been directly exposed by Michael and Vegapunk right before her eyes. "Alright... one last question. Were you friends with this person?" Follow current novels on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩 "All members of the former MADS were my friends... but now? Clearly not." "Excellent, Dr. Vegapunk. I'll be visiting you soon with a gift you'll absolutely love." "Really? Then I'll be genuinely looking forward to it, Vice Admiral Michael." With that, Michael proactively ended the call. He stepped aside with Yamato and Jack. Everyone had clearly heard Vegapunk's conversation with him. This naturally included the dim-witted giant, Whitebeard Jr. "Wow, what's coming next... might be rather sad," Yamato shook her head but kept her eyes fixed on the scene. "Then why insist on watching?" Jack asked curiously. "Do you have some masochistic tendencies?" "I just think some people don't deserve to be parents." Yamato's voice carried a hint of sorrow and unwavering conviction. "My son! My dear son! Listen to me! I was lying earlier! Your mother loves you! How could I ever push you out as a bargaining chip?" Miss Bakkin crawled backward in tears as she watched Whitebeard Jr. rise from the ground like a small mountain. That massive, razor-sharp naginata came down without hesitation. One of the former members of the Rocks Pirates died without dignity beneath her "son's" blade. Michael witnessed it all with undisguised contempt. In a way, this woman—who could rival Gloriossa in both appearance and ability—had met such an ugly end. Same origins, different fates. So when exactly had Buckinham Stussy lost her power and become this diminutive old woman? Perhaps from the moment she sought to clone Whitebeard, the once formidable woman who had genuinely loved him had ceased to exist. In that light, Stussy was far superior to this original version. "This is the first person I've killed." "She once called me son. I once called her mother." Michael sighed as he looked at Whitebeard Jr., who stood holding the blood-spattered naginata with vacant, unfocused eyes. Just a pitiable tool, nothing more. He had no intention of wielding such an excessively foolish weapon himself. Too prone to indiscriminate violence. Having Jack the reckless brute was enough already. There was still a good place for Whitebeard Jr. "Hey, Weevil... would you like to meet your father?" "Father? Would he trade me for his own life?" "No, your father is the strongest man in the world... at least for now." Michael said with a smile. Since Michael had left Ace at Marine Headquarters... Why not return a brand new Second Division commander to the Whitebeard Pirates? "Wahahaha! These students of yours are downright vicious!" "Is that the word you should use to describe them?" Zephyr shot a glare at Garp beside him. "And they're about to become your students soon!" "Of course I know that!" Garp stuffed a rice cracker into his mouth, then pointed at the elite training camp students in the distance. "But I'm saying, those two leading the pack—aren't they a bit too reckless?" "You mean Ain and Binz?" Zephyr followed Garp's gaze. "Those two? Their homeland was exploited for years by pirates and the king working together… It forced them to leave everything behind." "Tch. Whether it's pirates or heartless kings, none of them are any good." As Garp and Zephyr chatted, they watched the elite trainees wipe out the Barrel Pirates. The pirate named Gragas had some skill, but against the Marines led by Ain, he wasn't much of a challenge. "Hey, you two old fuckers slacking off here?" Garp and Zephyr both frowned. That flippant tone… Only Michael would talk like that! Turning around, they saw Michael walking at the front, followed by Yamato and Jack. Further back was Whitebeard Jr., carrying a naginata, looking somewhat dejected but with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. The moment Zephyr saw Whitebeard Jr., his hand instinctively went to his arm… "Why does seeing this big oaf give me a sudden phantom pain…" "Like my hand been cut clean off!"