How the great WB has fallen, we got folks celebrating him being a good lackey
If you told me this during MF i woulda told you to quit doing drugs.
Nah, those who shit on Whitebeard for being a "good lackey" doesn't understand his character. His character is built around bushido/honour.
Which is why the final panel at the character's demise, had the narrator mentioning "he didn't have a coward's scar on his back". You can twist around him "running from Garp" to slander him for that, but like Loda says, it's a matter of reading comprehension.
Whitebeard is absolutely staying true to his established character trait here. He is a Zoro like figure of the old gen, just more uncontrolled (and better).
The hype isn't that he was some obedient lackey.
It is that he honours his role as (the effective) first mate of Rocks, to stand side by side with his captain and long time friend, to face an incomprehensible evil power that they both consider almost hopeless to face against. Even though he doesn't really have to.
That's the entire point of this conversation:
Rocks: "Newgate, there's nothing to gain from this ya know!? You still gonna help?"
Newgate: "Don't sweat it!! After all I have been drinking on your tab all this time!!"
Rocks is basically asking Whitebeard to escape, and Whitebeard chalks up an excuse to fight alongside his captain against this monster.
It's big hype and character moment for Whitebeard.
Captain - VC - Apprentice (or at least a bit younger and future top tier)
Fisher Tiger - Jinbei - Arlong
Doflamingo - Vergo - Law
Kaido - King - Jack
Xebec - WB - Kaido
Luffy - Zoro - Momo (?)
My poor dude Arlong really should have been a 500M+ pirate today if his captain didn't die and his pride stopped him from becoming VC of Jinbei (or Jinbei failed to lead him).
Roger - Ray - Shanks