Chapter Text
There’s a party on the deck of the Moby Dick.
Within an hour of Jinbe’s arrival, Thatch had the fourth division firing on all cylinders to produce enough food to satisfy the crew’s greed. Of course, drinks had been passed around long before the stove was lit, and four hours later, drinks had also been spilled, wasted, and tossed back with the abandon of men comfortable with dying at sea. The alcohol flew freely and the food hadn’t stopped coming. It was a celebration after all. They didn’t get to see their honorary brother every day.
The impromptu party easily distracted from questions of why the other captain had come to visit as had the initial excitement of his arrival. Being First Son of the Sea usually left Jinbe too busy for visits. So, once the crew knew he had no urgent business to attend to, they had swarmed their friend.
Now, Jinbei makes his way through a drunken crew clamoring for his attention to the foot of Whitebeard’s chair. By the time he sits down, he notices his long since empty cup has been refilled. More than refilled actually.
As the Fishman regards what he realizes to be a different cup than he previously held (and was certain he hadn’t put down), Whitebeard lets out his booming laugh.
Jinbe just sighs, setting down his new cup and turning his attention to the captain instead. “I’m afraid I didn’t just come to visit.”
“Oh?”
Jinbe’s much more serious now than anyone at a party should be. “I wanted to ask a favor.” Whitebeard lowers his own drink without relinquishing his grip on the handle, waiting for his guest to continue. “There was an incident in the East Blue, involving ex-members of the sun pirates. I know you have connections all over the Blues, I’d like to know more about what happened and about the pirate who defeated him if you’re willing to check in on the matter for me.”
Whitebeard offers a grin alongside his aid. “Of course. This pirate you’re looking for, what’s their name?”
“I'm afraid I don't have that information. The only news on the incident comes from the navy press releases, and either the navy doesn't know much about the captain or they're withholding information. All I've been able to find out about is his bounty, three other reported incidents, and his moniker.”
Whitebeard raised a brow. "He has a bounty without a name or photo attached to it? That's a bit of a desperate gambit on the navy's part for some rookie pirate from the weakest of Blue's."
"Well," Jimbei offers a wry smile, "the last upstart they underestimated from the East has turned into quite the problem." At that, they both glance over to a certain second division commander busy challenging Thatch's ability to cook as fast he eats.
Whitebeard regards the boy with a fond smile before bearing his full grin to Jinbe. "Well, I suppose that's true. These other incidents you mentioned must have been something special to get their attention."
"Well, he took out the two largest bounties in the East, rather handily apparently, and before defeating a Don Kreig at the Baratie, he survived an encounter with Hawkeye."
That gets Whitebeard's attention. It's an impressive feat for upstarts which Mihawk is so well known for cutting down without hesitance or remorse. He sets down his drink and leans forward in his seat. "Now that is something. You said he had a bounty."
"Yes, thirty million belis dead or alive provided you can somehow prove the identity of the catch."
Thirty million belis is unprecedented as a starting bounty. Perhaps the navy is hiding something. That high a price for a pirate without even a picture to use to track him, could they be covering up his true identity, hoping to claim a prize from fools who know not the worth of what they've caught? Whitebeard's hooked. There's something going on here, and it's been a while since a pirate has caught his interest. Ace has been here three years now, and no one has ignited that same spark of curiosity in the Yonko or his sons since.
Jinbe gives him a knowing smile. Whitebeard does his best not to call the brat out on trying to bait him. He hardly has the high ground to make such a comment considering it's working. Instead, he moves on, prompting, "You said he had a moniker."
Graciously, Jinbe accepts the brushing over of Whitebeard's clear investment in the story and replies, "Yes, they are calling him Strawhat."
A smile. Whenever Whitebeard remembers Roger, the first thing he remembers is a smile, a companion to the man even in death. Then he aches. Body swept up by the memories of hard-fought battles and missing a time where the pain was a response rather than a state of being. He's gotten old, old enough that he thought he might never see what became of that strawhat Roger's brat passed on to someone during his time in the east blue.
He of course knows that this cannot be the legacy Shank's chose, and destiny has never been something Whitebeard put much stock in. He had sought out strength knowing you create your own place in the world.
But, he remembers that D-shaped grin that would overtake Roger's face and an impossible story about the significance of something as commonplace as a middle name, or a middle initial anyway. Roger moved through the world in unimaginable ways, and with everything Whitebeard knows of the sea, he at the very least assigns coincidences lower weight than destiny.
So, for a second, Whitebeard allows himself to consider the weight of an impressive rookie already feared by the navy and blessed by Mihawk's bloody hands being marked only by his wearing of a strawhat; he considers that Roger's will may have found itself a second chance to take the world by storm; he considers whether Roger's death marked a sort of peace in his life or a boredom he's learned to live with. Then, he decides Jinbe may be a son to him in many ways but he's also a bastard because Whitebeard definitely doesn't know peace right now, and he won't until he knows more about this little upstart.
Later, Whitebeard will have Marco collect everything Jinbe knows about Strawhat, so they can start their search into the brat, and he'll have Vista order a subscription to the best paper in the East Blue because Edward Newgate is a seasoned pirate and knows they'll need it.
This is the first time the Whitebeard pirates heard of Strawhat, a pirate in the weakest Blue of no great note or renown by new world standards, but it will certainly not be the last.