Chapter 1388: Heroic Spirit

As one island after another was captured, Kuro, who received the news, simply said "OK" and then hung up the Den Den Mushi.

"Kid, you've been going too far lately." Whitebeard put down the bottle in his hand, his thick eyebrows slightly frowned, revealing a hint of worry, and looked at Kuro with sharp eyes.

Kuro raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing an uninhibited smile, and asked back: "What? Did my men invade your territory?"

Whitebeard did not answer immediately. He just stared at Kuro quietly, as if he wanted to see through his surface to his inner heart.

After a while, Whitebeard slowly spoke: "Your people did not come to my territory to cause trouble. In fact, the people below reported that some of them left on their own initiative after seeing my flag."

Kuro's smile faded slightly. He didn't seem surprised by the answer and continued to ask, "So what do you want to say?"

Whitebeard took a deep breath, and then said in an unusually calm tone: "You know what I'm talking about."

He paused, then continued, "Kid, do you have the confidence to rule the world?"

These words were like a bolt from the blue, exploding in Kuro's ears, but his face did not show the slightest surprise, instead his smile became even brighter.

"Haha, of course. In the face of absolute strength, I have the confidence!" Kuro's voice revealed an unshakable self-confidence.

However, Whitebeard immediately shook his head and retorted: "No, you are wrong. Strength is important, but it can only help you conquer the world, but it cannot allow you to truly rule everyone."

He paused and continued, "Just like Rocks back then, he possessed unparalleled power and easily defeated us. But what was the result? He did not gain our true loyalty."

"At least that's the case with Shiki and Lingling. They're always thinking about how to defeat Rocks and take back their freedom."

"That's why we suffered such a terrible defeat in the Battle of God Valley. At that time, Rocks and I were facing enemies from three sides alone!"

Whitebeard's thoughts were like clouds blown by the wind, slowly drifting back to the past.

His eyes gradually became blurred, as if he saw through the mist of time the man who once dominated the world - Rocks.

At that time, Rocks was the overlord of the sea, and his name made everyone tremble with fear.

However, even such a powerful man could not escape the fate.

In a thrilling battle, Rocks not only encountered siege from powerful enemies, but even more distressingly, his men chose to betray him at the critical moment.

No, perhaps "betrayal" is too heavy a word.

Those guys did not directly become enemies with Rocks. They just chose to stand by and watch their captain face the powerful enemy alone when Rocks was besieged by Roger and Garp.

Whitebeard couldn't help but recall the scene at that time. Under the fierce attack of the enemy, Rocks still resisted tenaciously, but without the support of his companions, his strength was ultimately limited.

No matter how powerful a person is, there will be times when he is exhausted.

When Whitebeard thought of the last moment when Rocks was besieged and killed by Roger and others, an indescribable sadness surged in his heart.

He lowered his head and sighed heavily, as if the sigh could travel through time and space and reach his deceased old friend.

"That guy is a hero, but not a good captain." Whitebeard muttered to himself. His voice echoed in the air, carrying a hint of regret and helplessness.

After saying this, he slowly raised his head and looked directly at Kuro with a sharp gaze, as if he wanted to peek into Kuro's true thoughts deep in his heart through his eyes.

"So, are you confident that you won't repeat Rocks' mistakes?" Whitebeard's voice was low and majestic, with an unquestionable sense of oppression.

Faced with Whitebeard's questioning, Kuro did not seem flustered or nervous.

The corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a faint smile, then he slowly picked up the wine bowl in front of him and drank it all without hesitation.

"Ha~" With a refreshing sigh, Kuro exhaled the alcohol and casually wiped the wine that overflowed from the corner of his mouth with his right hand.

However, the moment he put down the wine bowl, his expression suddenly became serious, and the originally relaxed atmosphere dissipated.

"Rocks is only halfway through his journey, but I'm almost at the end of my journey." Kuro's voice was calm and firm, revealing an unparalleled confidence. "So, that guy is not worthy of being compared with me!"

His words were powerful, without any hesitation or delay, as if he was absolutely sure of what he was going to do.

Whitebeard, a veteran and renowned hero, was deeply shocked by the young man's answer.

His eyes, which had seen the vicissitudes of life, were now wide open, as if they could see into the deepest part of people's hearts. He stared at the other person blankly. Time seemed to freeze at this moment. The three seconds of silence were heavier than thousands of words.

Finally, the pent-up emotions turned into an earth-shaking laughter, "Gulala la la la!!!" This laughter pierced through the sky and shook the earth, as if even the air was trembling with it.