Thunder God Pirates' base in Dressrosa.
Marco was lounging comfortably on the couch, eyes closed, body completely relaxed.
He had one leg crossed over the other, and his arms were folded behind his head as a pillow.
In stark contrast to Marco's easygoing posture, Diamond Jozu was visibly restless.
He paced back and forth across the room, occasionally making noise as his footsteps echoed off the floor.
Issho had wisely arranged for the two vice-captains from the two pirate crews to stay at opposite ends of the area—north and south—far enough apart to prevent any accidental encounters… or fights.
"Marco, what do you think that guy from the Beasts Pirates is doing here?"
"You think he's trying to form an alliance with the Thunder God Pirates to go after Pops?"
"Relax, Jozu."
Marco opened his eyes.
"Sanders would never team up with Kaido."
"And Kaido wouldn't either."
"If they ever did join forces, it definitely wouldn't be to go after us."
Marco wasn't the least bit worried by Jozu's concerns.
Kaido was far too proud to even consider teaming up against the Whitebeard Pirates.
And if he was going to form an alliance, it'd be to target the Marines and the World Government, not them.
Other than territory, the Whitebeard Pirates had nothing Kaido wanted.
And Pops had no desire to become the Pirate King, so there was no conflict of interest there either.
Besides…
"If Sanders really wanted to take us out," Marco said,
"He could've killed Pops a long time ago."
"No need for all this roundabout maneuvering."
"Then what's that guy King really here for?"
Jozu asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Who knows."
Marco shrugged.
"Maybe they're planning an assault on Marineford or even the World Government?"
"No way," Jozu immediately shot back.
"Just the Marine headquarters alone has Admirals, the Fleet Admiral, and heroes like Garp."
"You think Kaido and Sanders are that bold?"
Jozu clearly didn't buy it.
Even though he believed Whitebeard made their crew invincible,
he still had to admit—the Marines were the strongest force on the seas.
Their roster of top-tier powerhouses was stacked.
Sure, the Beasts Pirates and Thunder God Pirates were undeniably powerful,
but taking on the entire Marine headquarters? Not even close.
Let alone the World Government, which had stood tall for hundreds of years.
"Hard to say..."
Marco's expression grew more serious.
"But look at Kaido and Sanders—
do they seem like the kind of men who'd fear the Marines or the World Government?"
"Wouldn't surprise me at all if one day they just got fired up and stormed Marineford."
"The two of them joining forces might not be enough to topple Marineford,"
Marco said,
"But they could definitely blast it into rubble and inflict massive losses on the Marines."
Then, with a shrug, he added:
"Not that it has anything to do with us."
"As long as they're not coming after us, I don't care what that birdman is here for."
"What matters is that we accomplish what we came here to do."
No matter how chaotic the world got,
as long as Pops was healthy, the Whitebeard Pirates would continue living free.
Jozu's lips twitched.
Birdman?
He suddenly recalled the battle they had with the Beasts Pirates.
Kaido and Pops had faced off on the ground, their Conqueror's Haki clashing like tidal waves, tearing the very sky in half.
And in the sky above them...
Marco and King had fought with wings spread wide, both surrounded by flames.
Golden-yellow and deep-blue—completely distinct.
If King's a birdman... you're no different.
Now that he thought about it, the fight between Marco and King looked like a sky battle between two mythical birds, just like their captains were clashing below.
Jozu chuckled quietly to himself.
The amusement flashed in his eyes for only a moment—Marco, now reclined with his eyes closed again, didn't notice.
Just then, a crew member came rushing in.
"Captain Marco, Captain Jozu!"
"The Wildfire—King—he's left."
"Left?"
Marco immediately sat upright.
"That fast? Don't tell me he really just happened to be passing through…"
"No way."
Marco dismissed that thought instantly.
No one believes that the second-in-command of one Emperor just randomly showed up at the base of another.
"Looks like he already accomplished whatever he came here for."
"Still... we were supposed to have a proper fight. Left without a word... next time I see him, I'm definitely mocking him for it."
He rubbed his chin, a sly grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he asked the crew member urgently:
"That woman carrying the kanabō—did she leave with him?"
"Woman?"
The crew member paused, thinking for a second.
"No. Other than a few subordinates, there was no woman with King when he left."
"She didn't leave, huh?"
Marco's eyes lit up slightly.
"Now that's interesting."
"What woman are you talking about?"
Jozu finally asked.
"Something strange about her?"
"Nah,"
Marco said, shaking his head.
He didn't share his suspicions.
Turning back to the crew member:
"Mr. Issho should be arriving any minute now, right?"
"He should be here any moment,"
the crew member replied.
And just as the words left his mouth, Issho stepped into the room, flanked by two Thunder God Pirates.
"Sorry to keep you waiting,"
Issho said with a polite smile.
"No worries—we haven't been waiting long. And besides, the food in Dressrosa is really good,"
Marco replied casually, waving a hand.
"Is that so?"
Issho chuckled.
"Then when you leave, I'll make sure our people pack some up for you."
The exchange between the two was courteous—
you'd never guess that their captains had just recently clashed in battle.
They spoke more like friends than emissaries from rival pirate crews.
"Much appreciated, Mr. Issho."
Marco smiled.
"Before we get into the territory handover… I'd like to trouble you to help me get in touch with Captain Sanders."
"Of course."
Issho had already guessed that the Whitebeard Pirates weren't just here to handle territory.
He pulled a Den Den Mushi from his coat and called Sanders.
After a short wait, the Den Den Mushi crackled to life with Sanders' voice on the other end.
Without saying anything else, Issho handed the Den Den Mushi to Marco.
Marco took it and greeted him politely:
"Lord Sanders. Good to speak with you."
His tone was notably respectful.
Even though Sanders had just defeated Whitebeard and claimed one-fifth of their territory,
Marco knew this wasn't the time to act proud.
They needed something from him.
"Marco?"
came Sanders' voice from the other end.
"What do you want?"
"I'd like to ask you… to treat Pops' injuries."
Marco didn't beat around the bush. He got straight to the point.
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T/N:
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