@burikubato (Whitebeard) continued from here:
It was good to see ol' Ed again. At their age, it was important to treasure the friends who were still alive, especially when time and the world weren't shy about stealing away loved ones. Yes, they were both far more gray and wrinkled, old wounds aching, and Whitebeard's golden locks were now gone, but despite the years punishing their bodies, it was good to see both their spirits were still strong.
"Raisin' her, I always hoped Ikkaku would end up on your crew," Tomasu stated, thinking fondly of how his timid and solemn granddaughter had slowly come out of her shell thanks to the stories he'd told her of the World's Strongest Man. Tales of his exploits, and especially how he was a good man who valued his family regardless of blood relation or past, had helped her see the good in the world and form her into the sassy ball of sunshine she is today. "Considerin' how ya saved my life an' brought me back home, she always kinda felt like she owed some o' her happiness to ya. If ya hadn't, she'd still be stuck with her shitty parents."
That briefly made his scowl, though he shoved thoughts of his daughter and son-in-law away. This was a happy occasion, and he wouldn't let his failings as a parent overshadow his happiness as a grandfather, nor his reunion with a dear old friend. "Glad she found her way into your family eventually. Still, I don't regret her joinin' Trafalgar first. Good for her t' make her own way in the world, and that upstart's been good for her, despite bein' a fuckin' doctor."
He spat the word like a curse. Tomasu had a low opinion of most medical professionals since the Siren Plague. If those bastards at Arkham Hospital had actually listened to him instead of ignoring his advice, scorning his connections to doctors from Fishman Island, and spending his money on a damn statue, his beloved wife would still be alive, along with a lot of others with merfolk heritage.
Out of pettiness, the old smuggler poured both Whitebeard and himself a generous drink of his moonshine, ignoring the protests of the nurses around them. "Drink up. This stuff's legally only supposed t' be used for disinfectant and emergency fuel at the lighthouse. But that just means it's cleanin' our internal wounds and fuelin' us t' keep going!" Tomasu cackled, raising his glass as a toast.
