A Shift In Perspective

 [ Whitebeard POV ] 

I stared at the backs of Rayleigh and Boris as they left to find somewhere quiet to fight. Looking at Boris, I had no other emotion aside from pride bloomed in my chest. He was the most quiet among my children, but what stood out to me was when I met him for the first time. We were coming from west blue, Xebec had ordered all the division captains to get on his ship and sail towards the grandline. It seemed he wanted to pick a fight with the marines, however, a storm had held us up for a night; and thus, we decided to dock at a nearby island in the calm belt. As we got closer, I noticed a rather perculiar presence on the island. Well, everyone could sense it, but I decided to get a closer look out of curiousity. Along with Charolette, we leapt all the way to the island. Only to find a small teenager, looking at us expressionlessly. He had tanned-like skin and dark gray hair, his eyes were pitch black; looking at them felt like gazing into a bottomless abyss. Charolette looked rather intimidated at the brat, she decided to pick a fight with him first. I had to admit, he was holding well against her, which was rare because she was a monster in her own right.

Eventually it became my turn to fight the boy, he remained resilient and cautious as we fought. It was only near the end that I had began to sense something off from him. The ever-so indifferent, calm like aura that he gave off. Turned into the exact opposite as Linlin, the boy and I were about to meet each other in a three way collision. It became a feral like aura, pulsating nothing but an unending bloodlust that almost made me sweat. However, right before we collided, Xebec made his appearance. Stopping the fight instantaneously, and bringing him into the crew at once. Looking at the boy's potential, I couldn't let him fall into the hands of that bastard, Xebec, I could only shiver at the thought of what kind of monster he would make the boy to be. So I extended an invitation to join me, the brat never gave a definitive answer. However, I wasn't about to take a no for an answer either. 

Before we could even leave the island, Xebec had already given him a new name. I was mad because I wanted to name him after me, after all, once a name is given; it merges with one's identity and becomes part of him. So I could only be helpless and let the boy keep it, he was a rather sleepy fellow. He slept for the most part of the cruise, and whenever he wasn't sleeping he would be fighting off whoever was trying to harrass him, ending bad for all his aggressors. The fight with the marines surprised me quite a bit, his devil fruit showed immense potential and devistating power. Looking at Boris releasing his dragon breath at the marines, I could only mutter to myself, "I should never let that child fall into his hands." 

Time passed slowly after that, and I got to know more about him after he accepted my offer. It seemed that his parents had abandoned him on that island, or so I speculate, I never got an actual answer from him. It seemed that he didn't want to talk about it, but it's fine, he's my son and I will love him either way just as a good father should! My crew would often ask me about Boris when he was asleep, I could only tell them to try their best to be on good terms with him. He was commucatively challenged alongside being introverted. That is the best we can do for him, but the crewmates wasted no time accepting him into their ranks. They had also seen what he had done during our fight with the marines. They probably hold him in the same regards as a vice captain because of his power, though Boris fails to notice.

Snapping myself out of my reminiscent thoughts, I looked at Gol D. Roger while smiling. I grinned before telling him, "Now that they're gone, it's about time I see how much better you've gotten with the sword, Roger!!" Roger could only laugh before unsheathing his blade from his side and replying, "Don't hold back! Because I certainly won't, Whitebeard!!" I raised my naginata high above my head, Infusing it with both Armament haki and Conqurer's haki, before slamming it down on Roger. He met my attack with an upward swing with the same covering of haki I had, the impact flattening the camp that Rayleigh was so worried about he had to escort my dear son out of the way for. The crew that were nearby all flew away from the waves caused by the impact, only for them to get up and start fighting as well. 

We didn't fight for long before I could hear an loud explosion coming from the direction Boris and Rayleigh had come from, it seemed that they had began using Conqurer's haki for battle. As much as I would have loved to see my son doing in combat, I couldn't afford to be distracted. Roger kept swinging his blade at me with full force. Our blades collided over and over again, each collision just eroding away some parts of the forest. We were both smiling as we continued our fight, we had been fighting all day. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, as the moon took its place to illuminate the island in the night. 

We both decided we would stop there, after all, there were much important things that were to be discussed with Roger than a fight. I could still sense Boris and Rayleigh going at it, soon they would stop as well, probably tired from fighting non-stop for an entire day. However, that would be in a few more hours. I sat at the opposite side and directly faced Roger as we began having our fair share of drinks. Soon, I heard distant footsteps coming closer and closer to camp, Boris and Rayleigh had finally stopped fighting after a whole day.