A New Voyage

                                                                               He was tired.

      Now for most men such a statement is common place, but we aren't talking about just ANY man. No we are talking about Edward Newgate, better known worldwide as the pirate Whitebeard.

And who is "Whitebeard" you ask? Only the strongest man in the world of course. A fact made more impressive given that he is well over seventy years of age and suffer's from all the health concerns that come with such a number; I suppose its also worth noting he stands more then three times the size of the average man, but I digress. Now depending on who you ask, several other responses might be given, "a menace," if you ask the general populace, "a monster!" if you ask other pirates and maybe even a few navy-men. But there are some, who when asked would tell you "well he's Pops,"

"Pops? Now who would call such a scary sounding guy Pops??" is what you're probably asking yourself. Well his son's for starters. No, they aren't really his sons, at least not biologically. Son was the name he gave anyone who joined his crew the Whitebeard Pirates.

Yes in Edward's eyes, they were his sons and he was their father,or "pops" if you will. They were his family, which is the one thing he ever really wanted. It wasn't treasure, not reputation ,not even control over the entire world...just a family.

Which makes the fact that he was here at this place, all the more tragic...for you see the man before him whose actions had brought Edward here...was one he had called his son.

Who is this man? He is Marshall D. Teach, also called Blackbeard.

A name many have now come to hate.

Teach as I said was once a member of Whitebeards family, but a lust for power and respect led him to kill one of his fellow crew-members, then flee to parts unknown. And then some time later when another of Whitebeard's sons, one Portgas D Ace confronted him about it beat him down and sold him out to the navy. Edward of course sought to rescue his son and so, gathering his family and his allies from abroad, he sailed on the navy headquaters of marineford.

They had rallied their strongest defenses in preparation for his coming but it wasn't quite enough. Though he had been injured, so much so that one truly had to question how he was still living, his desire to save his son outweighed any idea of self preservation. And holding the level of endurance he held helped too.

Of course he would have acted in the same manner for any of his son's, but Ace was special.

You see Ace was born the son of one of Edwards former rivals .A man who caused him no small amount of trouble (considering who we're talking about,that should be a frightening thought) and was one of the few men in the world who he had genuine respect for.

This man was Gol D. Roger, better known as the pirate king Gold Roger.

Such a title doesn't come lightly I'll have you know, as he was considered to be a worldwide threat and even after his capture and execution when it was discovered that Ace was his son there was hardly a person who thought that he shouldn't be held to the same standard they held Roger.

Edward however held the belief that a child should never be held responsible for the actions of their parents, which was why he was willing to let the son of his enemy join his crew in the first place. So obviously this mission, to save a child from the repercussions of a parents action's, held some grand loftiness in Edward's heart.

He couldn't just stand by and watch as one of his own sons endured a punishment he didn't deserve. And that's why he fought as hard as he did. That's why he utterly decimated anyone fool enough to stand in his way...

I did mean what I said when I told you he was the strongest man in the world. And that's not even taking into consideration his devil fruit status.

Whats a devil fruit?..Well it would take a bit too long to explain in detail, so suffice it that upon consumption in exchange for being able to swim it granted him supernatural abilities. In his case the ability to create and control tremors. And then there's Ace whose devil fruit gave him incredible fire based abilities. There are numerous fruits and each gives their owner such incredible powers.

Whats that? Still not convinced Edwards the strongest man in the world?

What if I told you he once felled a giant(a giant even to him)with only his left arm? Satisfied? Then allow me to continue.

Where was I...ah yes.

As I said this rescue mission was rather important to Edward. So important that you'd hardly believe me if I told you at the end of the day...it failed. Yes its true, just as they had managed to free Ace from his captors...he met his end at the hand of a certain admiral of the navy. And unfortunately for said admiral...our Edward saw the whole thing before his own tear-filled eye's.

Picture for a moment turning around and seeing an angry bear standing behind you. A bear with the ability to cause the entire island your standing on to topple over on its side. Now picture that bear very very slowly...turns its angry gaze upon you.

Congratulation's, you now feel as the poor admiral did.

Obviously the scene that followed was brutal and though the admiral succeeded in wounding him once, Edward did far worse to him.

After their short tussle Edward called for a full retreat, so as to avoid any further losses..except for himself. He had elected to stay behind to prevent the navy from pursuing his friends and family, they reluctantly complied and Edward stood to face his foe's alone...

And that was just the opening Teach had been waiting for.

The entire battle, Teach had managed to stay just out of sight along with his newly formed crew, just to wait for the prime opportunity to take on Whitebeard himself...when he was thoroughly wounded and exhausted of course.

Teach was and is power hungry and greedy. Not an idiot.

He like many other's sought to take the title of pirate king for himself, so great was his desire that the entire time he sailed with the old man he had a hidden agenda, one that would eventually see him kill Edward so as to take his fame and power for himself, and that eventuality had finally come.

He approached him alone certain that at this point the old man was too weak to put up a decent fight.

HAH.

If you could have seen his face when he realized he was wrong or even better, when Whitebeard turned and began his own assault.

But just before he could land the well deserved finishing blow Teach called for help, and his crew answered with guns spears and swords, and astoundingly once he knew he wasn't fighting alone Teach magically found his courage and personally opened fire on Whitebeard.

Well you know what they say...Friendship is Magic.

All of this normally might not have been enough to slow him down but at this point, Edward...well...

He was tired. So very, very tired.

He had already accepted he wasn't getting out of this alive, so he wasn't entirely upset that he was at his end.

But he still had a few things he needed to say before it was all over, so when Teach and his men stopped to reload and inspect the damage they dealt...He spoke.

He spoke to Teach, telling him how if ever there would be a man to take on Rogers title, it certainly wouldn't be him.

Then, he spoke to the navy and how there fears of another Pirate king one day showing up were justified and would eventually see fruition, and there wouldn't be anything they could do to stop it.

And then...he spoke to his sons, who had been drawn back by the sudden appearance of Teach but sadly found themselves unable to assist.

He spoke to them..He thanked them, for giving him everything he had ever wanted out of life...He remembered the time he spent with them, the adventures they had and the laughs they shared. He knew it was the end for him...but he was happy.

"It...was a good voyage....thank you, my son's"the proud elder pirate stated. And then as he recalled one last time the sound of the ocean beneath him as he sailed on he breathed his last leaving his body behind which, shocking Teach and other witnesses to no end refused to fall even in death

                                                              Whitebeard...was dead.