"Reason?" Marco echoed, a flicker of curiosity slipping into his voice.
Big Mom's lips curled into a peculiar, knowing smile as she spoke slowly. "That's because Smoothie already has someone in her heart. Isn't that right, Smoothie?"
"Uh—!" Smoothie froze.
'Someone… in her heart?'
Since when? She had no memory of such a thing. Her confusion was written all over her face—until she caught the sharp warning glint in Big Mom's eyes. In the Big Mom Pirates, marriages were never a matter of personal choice.
Understanding dawned instantly.
She lowered her gaze and nodded stiffly. "Yes, Mama."
Marco frowned, doubts piling up. He was just about to ask who this mysterious person was when Big Mom cut in smoothly, "The one Smoothie likes is Fossa."
"Fossa?" Marco blurted out in surprise.
In his mind flashed the image of Fossa's rugged face and receding hairline—a burly, somewhat greasy-looking middle-aged man. Smoothie… falling for him? The idea made Marco deeply skeptical.
Big Mom grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "That's right. When Fossa clashed with Smoothie on Fish-Man Island, she developed a favorable impression of him afterward." She leaned forward slightly. "So I hope the Phoenix Pirates will send Fossa to Totto Land as a special envoy, to formalize a marriage alliance with Smoothie."
Big Mom knew exactly what she was doing. On Fish-Man Island, the strength Fossa displayed was no weaker than Smoothie's. Even if he was only average among the sixteen division commanders, that didn't matter. As long as this marriage alliance succeeded, trading it for a Phoenix Pirates Commander was a net gain.
A trace of suspicion flickered through Marco's eyes. He turned to Smoothie, his gaze probing, as if searching for confirmation.
Smoothie's eyelid twitched faintly.
She remembered that encounter all too clearly. Fossa's strength, his straightforward nature, his refusal to back down—they had left a strong impression on her. Admiration? Yes. Marriage? That had never crossed her mind.
But cornered like this, she had no choice.
After a brief hesitation, she nodded again.
Marco was stunned.
Still, seeing Smoothie—strong, beautiful, and composed—it didn't seem like Fossa would be the one losing out in such a match. After a moment's thought, Marco sighed and said, "Alright. I'll convey this to Fossa. Whether it goes through or not will be his decision."
"Mamamamama! Wonderful!" Big Mom laughed gleefully, clearly satisfied.
Just as the discussion among the Emperors continued, Jinbe quietly approached Marco, his expression grave. Leaning in, he whispered, "Captain Marco… something has happened to Whitey Bay."
Marco's brows knit together immediately. Lowering his voice, he asked, "What happened?"
Jinbe spoke even more softly. "Five days ago, just as we departed for Wano Country, Eustass Kid ambushed the Ice Witch Pirates. He captured Whitey Bay and destroyed her ship." Jinbe paused, his voice heavy. "Worse still—he has since handed Whitey Bay over to the Marines… and in return, he was appointed as one of the new Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Hearing this, Marco's expression darkened, his tone openly displeased.
"He became a Shichibukai? Then why am I only hearing about something this important now?"
Jinbe's face carried a bitter look as he explained, "At first, it didn't seem urgent. Kid acted alone when he attacked the Ice Witch pirates. Although he succeeded in capturing Whitey Bay, he was also severely injured. Vista judged that there was no need to disturb you, Captain, and instead dispatched nearby subordinate crews to carry out the rescue."
Jinbe paused, then continued in a heavier voice, "The Decalvan Brothers had already caught up to Kid and were about to act… when the Marines suddenly intervened. They rescued Kid and invited him to become a Shichibukai. That coincidence not only saved his life, but also caused the Decalvan Brothers to miss their best chance to rescue Whitey Bay."
Marco's gaze sharpened instantly.
"So he's officially a Shichibukai now?"
"Yes," Jinbe nodded solemnly.
"Tch… that bastard," Marco muttered, unable to hold back his anger. "I haven't even gone looking for him yet, and he keeps jumping into my path again and again. Does he really think that becoming a Shichibukai means he can act without consequences?" His eyes burned coldly. "I'll make him pay."
At that moment, a familiar mechanical voice echoed inside Marco's mind.
"New mission issued…"
Mission: The prestige of the Four Emperors must not be challenged.
Details: Eustass Kid has repeatedly provoked the Phoenix Pirates. Eliminate him to establish dominance.
Reward: 3,000 attribute points.
A flicker of surprise crossed Marco's eyes—but it vanished just as quickly. He accepted the mission without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Kaido turned toward him, brows slightly raised. "Marco. Something wrong on your end?"
Marco replied calmly, "Just a minor disturbance—caused by a brat who doesn't know his place." As he spoke, he glanced at Big Mom. "You've heard of him too. Eustass Kid. He's clashed with your Big Mom Pirates before, hasn't he?"
"Oh?" Big Mom's lips curled into a cold sneer. "So it's that little brat. Truly irritating."
Kaido's interest was piqued. "What did he do this time?"
Marco explained grimly, "He kidnapped Whitey Bay and handed her over to the Marines. In return, he was named one of the new Seven Warlords of the Sea." He narrowed his eyes. "This tactic… doesn't it feel familiar?"
Ace slammed his fist down in fury.
"That bastard! He's not trying to copy Blackbeard, is he—planning to stir up another Marineford War?!"
The anger in Ace's voice was unmistakable. The Whitebeard Pirates had suffered catastrophic losses at Marineford, wounds that had yet to fully heal.
Jozu and Jinbe both fell silent, their expressions grave.
If the Marines publicly executed Whitey Bay, they would be forced into an impossible decision.
Rescue her—and risk igniting another Marineford War, one the Phoenix Pirates might not survive in their current state.
Abandon her—and live with that choice forever.
Kaido, on the other hand, showed no such conflict. A world-shaking war interested him greatly—but only if he stood at its center, not the Marines. So he remained silent, observing Marco with a calculating gaze.
Then, once more, the system's AI voice echoed in Marco's mind.
"New mission issued…"
Mission: Rescue Whitey Bay.
Objective: Save Whitey Bay from Marine custody.
Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Reading the mission, Marco showed a brief flash of surprise—followed immediately by quiet delight. This task aligned perfectly with his intentions.
He turned to Ace and the others, who were visibly tense, and spoke in a calm, steady voice. "There's no need to worry. Even if the Marines try to recreate another Marineford War, I have a way to rescue Whitey Bay—without her suffering any harm."
Ace's eyes lit up, urgency and hope mixing in his voice. "You really have a way?"
Marco gave a faint smile and nodded with absolute confidence. "More than one. And I can guarantee this—we'll bring her back safely, without losing a single man."
Those words instantly eased the tension weighing on everyone's hearts. Since their old man's death, Marco had become their pillar—the one they instinctively relied on when things turned dire.
As far as Marco was concerned, launching a direct assault on Marineford or Impel Down was the worst possible option. He would never recklessly lead his crew into the Marines' strongest fortresses. He had already mapped out a better approach.
All he needed was leverage.
By capturing high-ranking Marines—or even Celestial Dragons—he could force the World Government into negotiations and exchange hostages for Whitey Bay. No frontal clash. No unnecessary bloodshed. And if the Marines chose to retaliate afterward? Marco wasn't worried in the slightest.
If the Marines dared to wage war against the Phoenix Pirates, they would have to leave Marineford and march deep into enemy territory. At that point, the Phoenix Pirates would hold every advantage—terrain, timing, and morale—while the Marines would be forced into a reactive position.
As for why Whitebeard had chosen to storm Marineford instead of taking Celestial Dragons hostage back then, Marco suspected it was rooted in the deeply ingrained mindset of the world itself.
For eight hundred years, the World Government had drilled one idea into the people's minds: Celestial Dragons were the descendants of the creators—living gods. Fear of them was instinctive.
Even someone as powerful as Whitebeard, raised under that propaganda, might subconsciously avoid confronting Celestial Dragons directly—even if he knew they were, in reality, nothing more than pampered parasites.
Marco felt no such restraint.
As someone who had crossed over into this world, he had no instinctive fear of "gods." To him, this was a manga world he understood inside and out. More importantly, he possessed a system that surpassed even a protagonist's plot armor. Monkey D. Luffy. Joy Boy. The so-called chosen ones—all of them could step aside. He felt no reverence toward this world's so-called natives.
That realization hardened his resolve.
Turning to Kaido, Marco said evenly, "Kaido, I've got an interesting proposal."
Kaido raised a brow. "Oh? Let's hear it."
"First," Marco replied, "have everyone else leave."
Though puzzled, Kaido waved his hand. "All of you—get out."
One by one, the courtesans and attendants cleared the room, leaving behind only the top cadres of the three pirate forces. Marco's gaze swept across the room, and a sharp, dangerous smile curved his lips as he looked at Kaido and Big Mom.
"Didn't we form this Three Emperors Alliance to challenge the World Government?" he said slowly. "So tell me—Kaido… Big Mom…"
His eyes gleamed.
"Are you interested in raiding the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, with me?"
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