The next day, Law performed the surgery. It was quick—no more than a couple of hours. For the next few days, I gave Law some lessons about haki. Other members of his crew weren't strong enough.
There was a joke back on Earth about how Law did everything himself. And it wasn't untrue. Most of the Heart Pirates were weak. Even Bepo wasn't that strong without his Sulong form. It was true even when I was present.
But I didn't tell anything about it to Law. It was his crew, and as a captain, it was his decision on how he wanted to run his crew. I wasn't a member of Heart Pirates anymore; I was just an outsider now. I'd also noticed that a lot of the new crew members were more like fans of Law than actual crewmates. It was… weird. Really weird. Law had potential, but the crew? It seemed like they still needed time to grow.
Law was on the verge of a breakthrough, but I didn't have the luxury of time to see through it to the end. My meeting with Marco was today, and I needed to be ready. So, I said my goodbyes and made my way to Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.
Marco was already there, sitting with Shakky. And yeah, his head really did look like a pineapple. I tried to sneak up beside him, you know, like those cool spy meetings you see in movies. But before I could pull off anything slick, Shakky had to ruin it.
"Oy, Zephyr! Is this the guy you've been waiting two weeks for?" She called out, completely killing the mood.
"Come on, don't ruin the moment!" I groaned, slumping in defeat.
Shakky just laughed, clearly enjoying herself. I turned to Marco. "You owe me 2872 berries."
Marco didn't even flinch. "Don't need the password," he replied coolly. "So, Ace lost?"
"Yeah," I replied, leaning back in my chair. "Although he's gotten stronger, really strong. Blackbeard has gotten stronger too. His devil fruit powers are really something else."
Marco nodded. "Pops wants to see you."
"I figured. But first comes our deal."
Marco raised an eyebrow. "Do we need to go right now? You can just go to Wano after meeting with Pops."
"Actually, yes," I said, sitting up straighter. "See, my previous sword got broken when I was cleaning up after Blackbeard's crew. And I'm not about to meet the strongest man alive without a sword at my side."
Marco stood up without hesitation. "Okay, let's go. If we hurry, we can reach Wano before nightfall."
I couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so casual about this?"
Marco shrugged, his tone serious but relaxed. "When we heard Blackbeard became a Warlord, we knew something like this was coming. The World Government will probably declare war on us soon. We aren't stupid."
They'd expected it. And still, they were rushing to save Ace. Their dedication was admirable. I'd always respected Whitebeard Pirates. Their bond was something truly extraordinary. They were a big, happy family. And the way Marco was acting now? It was like this was just another day in the life. It was as if they'd do it again if it was another member of their crew.
Getting to the New World was easy if you had the right connections. We were there in just a couple of hours. No grand adventure or anything, just Marco talking to a bunch of people and giving out blessings from Whitebeard. It was all pretty uneventful. But once we reached the nearby island, Marco transformed into his Phoenix form. That was freaking awesome. The blue flames were mesmerizing. The power of a mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. Marco picked me up in his claws and flew us high into the air.
"It's thanks to Ace that you're getting to Wano this quickly," Marco said with a chuckle.
"Why's that?" I asked, enjoying the wind in my face.
"Ace went to Wano last year and made an eternal log pose."
I blinked in surprise. "Oh, that's good to know. Guess I'll thank him the next time I see him."
"You're sticking around?"
"Yeah, I'm going to help in the war. Not for free, though."
Marco chuckled again. "Like a mercenary?"
I grinned. "I prefer the term freelancer."
"I can see you're strong, but how strong are you really?"
"You could say I'm around the level of your commanders."
Marco didn't seem convinced. "Not being modest, are we?"
"Well, it's the truth."
Marco's tone shifted. "Then why didn't you help Ace?"
I winced slightly. "I was going to, but one of Blackbeard's crewmates suicide-bombed me."
"You survived a suicide bombing without any Devil Fruit abilities?" Marco asked, incredulous.
"Like I said, I'm strong. I think I could survive against a Yonko if I really gave it my all."
Marco raised an eyebrow. "Now, you're just bluffing."
I laughed. "Maybe. I've never really met a Yonko before."
We continued talking as we flew, but Marco wasn't pressing for more details. He was a nice guy. Smart, too. He didn't pry into other people's business. That's why I liked him. I also gave him all the details about Blackbeard's devil fruit powers and how the battle went in Jaya. We made it to Wano before nightfall.
Wano was a natural fortress. But for a person like Marco, it wasn't anything special. It was like skipping through all the mobs to reach the final boss. There was another reason this sword was easier to get than the other swords available. It was about the location.
There was a backdoor to Wano, and as far as I remembered, Kozuki Sukiyaki lived near there. So, we didn't have to go deep into Wano to find what I needed. Marco decided to come with me, which was nice of him.
As we walked through the Kuri region, I saw the devastation the Beast Pirates had wrought. It wasn't just destruction—it was torture to an entire nation. The rivers were contaminated. The land was scarred, like a slow, painful death to the entire region. I'd seen my share of horrors in this world, but this was different. This wasn't just one person's torment—it was the agony of an entire people.
It was a fitting place for the Warrior of Liberation to be born. A Devil Fruit that granted the most ridiculous power. A power that could rival a god. What would it feel like to defeat a god? What would it feel like to be stronger than a god, wielding nothing but a single sword?
I forced those thoughts away. It wasn't time for them yet. That moment was still far in the future.
We entered a village, and the villagers didn't seem to care much about us. They were hollow, their eyes empty of life. But I noticed a small girl in the corner of the street, trying to sell some of her hats.
I walked over slowly and squatted down to her eye level. Her eyes still held a spark of hope. Despite everything she'd been through, she was still looking for a better future. It was nice to see that—especially in a place like this.
"Hello, Otama. How are you?" I asked, giving her a warm smile.
"Hello!" She looked up at me; her curiosity piqued. "You don't seem like you're from around here. How do you know my name?"
"We're friends of Ace."
The mention of Ace made her eyes light up. "Ace! Is Ace here? Where is he?"
I hesitated, unsure how to break the news. "Well, Ace has recently been captured…"
Her face fell at the mention of his name. But I quickly added, "But don't worry! We're going to save him really soon!"
Her eyes lit up again. "Are you two from the same crew as him?"
"I'm not from his crew, but I'm a friend. Marco here is Ace's senior."
Marco, ever the easy-going guy, sat down beside her. He showed her the mark of Whitebeard. "In my eyes, he's still just a brat."
Otama giggled, but she wasn't a fool. There was something amiss here. She caught on quickly.
"If you're going to save Ace, then why are you here?" She asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"We need something. Something only your master can give us. Would it be okay if we came to your house?"
Otama hesitated for a moment before looking down at her meager earnings. "But I don't have enough for today…"
I winked at her and pulled out a backpack I'd been carrying since Sabaody. It was filled with different types of food. Her eyes went wide, gleaming like a star as she saw the haul.
"Now, let's go to your house and have a feast."
She beamed and eagerly led the way. Marco didn't ask me anything about how I knew about Otama and her master, about how I knew exactly where they lived. He respected my silence. He understood when to press and when to let things go.
We arrived at her home. It wasn't much, but it was well kept. Sukiyaki wasn't home, so I made my way to the kitchen and started cooking. Marco played with Otama as I worked.
I was pretty sure Sukiyaki was going to attack me when he came back. And after fifteen minutes or so, exactly that happened. My observation haki had already alerted him of his presence. So, when he made his move, I was ready. I blocked his attack with the scabbard of Kurogane and calmly said,
"It's rude of you to greet your guests with a sword, Kozuki Sukiyaki."