Chapter 136: What's His Name Again… Ma... Something?
Back to the present!
The morning after receiving Rocks' summons, Luo Han and Cole bid farewell to everyone and flew off together toward Hachinosu.
By now, most of the pirate groups under the Rocks Pirates had heard the news—the great treasure had been found. The gathering at Hachinosu was meant to coordinate their joint expedition to retrieve it.
Luo Han and Cole could've reached Hachinosu in three days at their full speed, but on the afternoon of the first day, while flying at high speed, Luo Han spotted a familiar ship below—Whitebeard's.
"Cole, Brother Newgate is down there. Let's check it out," Luo Han said, slowing down.
"Got it, Han-ge," Cole replied.
The two descended toward Whitebeard's ship.
"That's… Lord Blue Demon and Lord Beastman Cole!!!"
As Luo Han and Cole landed, the pirates aboard the ship cried out in awe, their eyes full of admiration, like they were meeting idols.
Which wasn't far from the truth—especially in the New World, where stories of Luo Han's six-month battle with Garp and Roger had spread like wildfire, even though the World Government never officially reported it. His fame was exploding.
Luo Han now had quite a few fanatic followers. If he raised a hand, he could likely summon a pirate fleet on the spot.
However, there seemed to be one exception aboard the ship.
From the moment Luo Han and Cole landed, a certain snot-nosed kid had been glaring at them—no, more precisely, at Cole—with a deeply annoyed expression.
"This guy! Ugh… He's taller and bigger than Pops! So irritating."
The kid sniffled, turning to look at Whitebeard, then back at Cole, visibly frustrated after comparing the two.
Cole felt awkward under the kid's intense stare. He scratched his head, unsure what he'd done to upset the little guy.
As Luo Han landed, he saw the pineapple-headed kid with a runny nose and was momentarily stunned. His thoughts wandered.
"Can't be more than ten… already a pirate? Is this that kid… what was his name again? Ma… something?"
Blame his past-life memory—fuzzy and outdated. Luo Han couldn't recall every character name anymore, just the ones with distinct appearances.
"Hey! Brother Newgate, where'd you pick up this brat?" Luo Han called out playfully to Whitebeard, who was seated in a large chair on the deck.
Before Whitebeard could respond, the brat blew up.
"You jerk! Show some respect to Pops! And my name is Marco—not 'brat!' I can use fire!" he shouted, his body bursting into blue flames. He glared at Luo Han with a fierce look and—sniff!—sucked in more snot.
"Hahaha! Well said, Marco!" The pirates around him were stunned at first, then burst out laughing.
"Ugh…" Luo Han turned away with a disgusted face.
"Haha, alright Marco!"
"These two are my friends. Go wait over there," Whitebeard said, then looked around at the crew. "You lot too. Give us a moment alone."
"Tch!!!"
Marco stomped off to the side, nearly charging back when Luo Han made a funny face at him. Thankfully, the others held him back and dragged him away.
In the end, only Luo Han and Cole remained on deck, sitting down near Whitebeard.
Luo Han, lowering his face from the goofy expression, suddenly recalled Marco calling Whitebeard "Pops" and joked, "Brother Newgate, since when did you get a son?"
Thunk thunk! Whitebeard didn't answer. Instead, he handed them each a bottle of booze—Cole's was a bigger one, of course.
Luo Han accepted it, opened it, and took a sip. The chill went straight to his core—pretty good!
Then Whitebeard finally spoke.
"Marco's a kid I found half a year ago. Poor kid. I'm planning to send him to my homeland for now." He looked at Luo Han. "I was going to ask you to escort him after we met at Hachinosu. But since we've already crossed paths, could you take him tomorrow instead?"
Luo Han blinked, pointing to himself. "Me? Why?"
"Because you're fast," Whitebeard replied quickly, then added sincerely, "And I trust you and Cole."
Luo Han hadn't expected that level of trust.
But thinking it over, it was just a short escort mission. Whitebeard probably didn't want too many people to know the location of his homeland—especially since he had looted quite a few countries recently.
"Alright. I'll drop the snot-brat off tomorrow," Luo Han agreed readily, then paused. "So when I get there, do I just… leave him on the island and go?"
"No worries. There are people there. They're used to me bringing kids back. They'll take care of Marco," Whitebeard said with a rare gentle tone.
"Got it," Luo Han shrugged.
That evening, under the bright moonlight, they held a feast. Luo Han and Cole enjoyed a great meal.
The next morning, despite Marco's protests, Luo Han wrapped him in psychic energy and, along with Cole, soared into the sky.
"We're off then, Brother Newgate. See you at Hachinosu."
Whitebeard waved without a word.
Luo Han grinned, checked the Eternal Pose Whitebeard had given him, and flew off at high speed.
At 3,000 meters in the air, the trio flew in a sharp arrow formation, producing sonic booms as they exceeded the speed of sound.
"Huh. The brat's actually quiet now," Luo Han thought.
Beside him, Marco—forced into flight—was now calm. Surrounded by drifting clouds and endless sky, he looked oddly content. It was probably his first time experiencing the thrill of high-altitude supersonic travel. Once they'd reached the sky, he stopped struggling and just quietly observed the view.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh! As the sun neared the horizon, after a full day of flight, they finally arrived at Whitebeard's homeland.
"Brat, we're here. Go explain yourself to the kids. We're not landing," Luo Han said, still hovering.
"Fine! I get it. And my name is Marco, you bastard! Not 'snot-brat'!"
Marco was clearly annoyed. This guy had been calling him that on purpose the whole time.
He didn't know it yet, but that nickname would haunt him even after becoming the legendary "Phoenix." It would be the stuff of lifelong nightmares.
"Heh… See ya!"
With a wicked grin, Luo Han suddenly let go—letting Marco enjoy the thrilling experience of free-falling from high altitude. Fortunately, Marco's Devil Fruit allowed flight, so he landed safely.
"Mission complete! Let's go, Cole. Back to Hachinosu."
"Mm."
After tossing Marco onto Whitebeard's island, Luo Han and Cole resumed their flight toward Hachinosu.
(END CHAPTER)
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