Chapter 35: The Shadow That Cuts Everything
After giving his orders, Law let Shachi take control of the Polar Tang.
Thus, Law and his crew left Nordport Island and headed toward the next island.
Not even five minutes had passed after their departure when a medium-sized ship with a white seagull flag approached Nordport Island.
It was a ship of the Marine .
When the ship docked at the port, soldiers armed with weapons began to disembark.
After them came a man wearing the coat of a Senior Lieutenant.
He looked around and then said to his men:
"Everyone, stay alert. A distress signal was sent from here. It is said that a dangerous pirate — White Bear, with a bounty of 40,000,000 berries — was here."
After his words, the Marines began to feel uneasy and quietly whispered among themselves.
The lieutenant said nothing more and headed toward the town.
When they entered, they were surprised to find everything completely quiet. There were no pirates in sight.
"Why is it so quiet here? Did the pirates already leave?" one of the Marines asked.
The lieutenant frowned. He had received the report not long ago and had arrived as quickly as possible, yet there was nothing here — not even signs of destruction.
"Could it have been a false alarm?" he thought.
After a few moments, he looked at his men and gave the order:
"Everyone, gather up. Stay alert and begin searching. If you find anything, report immediately."
The Marines saluted and quickly began carrying out the order.
The lieutenant remained behind, waiting.
About ten minutes later, a Marine ran up to him, sweating heavily, with shock and disbelief in his eyes.
"Senior Lieutenant! Reporting! At the plaza, we found signs of a battle and pirates lying unconscious. Their captain was not there. And… there is something you need to see personally."
Hearing this, the lieutenant said nothing and followed the Marine.
When they arrived, the first thing he saw was the beaten pirates.
He briefly looked over them but did not find the captain's body.
Further ahead, he noticed several Marines staring at something. As he approached, they stepped aside.
When the lieutenant saw it, he stopped and rubbed his eyes several times in shock.
In front of him were two houses… cut cleanly in half.
Their upper parts were shifted to the side.
For a few moments, he stared at the sight. Unlike the other Marines, he quickly regained his composure — he had served in Marineford and had seen what powerful people were capable of.
He stepped forward and touched the cut surface.
It was perfect.
Not a single flaw.
"This… could only be done by an extremely powerful swordsman…" he thought.
"Someone, bring me my Den Den Mushi."
One of the Marines quickly ran back to the ship and returned with it.
Without hesitation, the lieutenant dialed the number.
"Moshi moshi… This is Vice Admiral Strawberry of North Blue."
"Vice Admiral Strawberry, this is the lieutenant from North Blue who responded to the distress signal from Nordport Island."
There was a brief silence before the reply came:
"Yes, I'm listening. What is happening? Did you stop the White Bear pirates, or did you arrive too late and they escaped?"
"No, Vice Admiral. When we arrived, all the pirates except the captain were unconscious. And… the one who did this… I believe was a great swordsman."
Hearing this, Strawberry's expression became serious. He understood what those words implied.
After a few seconds, he asked:
"Why do you think so, Lieutenant?"
The lieutenant answered nervously:
"I believe so because right now in front of me are two houses that have been perfectly cut in half. And according to several civilians, they saw a young man with a sword who calmly cut through a giant white bear along with two houses."
After hearing all of this, Strawberry said:
"Did you learn anything about this man? His appearance? Is he a pirate or a bounty hunter? Find out everything."
With that, he ended the call.
Strawberry remained silent for a few moments, thinking, before turning to his subordinate:
"Immediately contact all Marine bases in North Blue. Pass on my order — gather all information about this man. Look into any unusual incidents at sea. I want to know everything."
His subordinate nodded and quickly began carrying out the order.
Meanwhile, aboard the Polar Tang…
Low had no idea that the Marines had already begun tracking him.
But even if he knew, he would not be worried.
His ship was a submarine — far harder to find than an ordinary vessel.
At that moment, Law entered the medical room.
There lay the captain of the White Bear pirates, cut in half and unconscious.
On the other side were various fruits that Shachi had brought.
Law struck the captain across the face, waking him up.
When the captain regained consciousness, the first thing he did was look around, not recognizing the place.
Then he saw Law — and immediately remembered everything.
"You damned bastard! I'll kill you—!"
He tried to transform…
But nothing happened.
Only then did he notice that both his arms… and half of his body… were gone.
Law looked at him calmly, his cold gaze showing no emotion.
"Don't scream… it's annoying."
The captain breathed heavily, his eyes filled with rage and fear.
"W-what did you do to me…" he whispered, trying to move but unable to feel his body.
Law slightly tilted his head.
"I saved your life. Be grateful… not everyone gets that chance."
The captain clenched his teeth.
"Bastard… you should have killed me…"
Law fell silent for a moment, then stepped closer.
"No. I need you."
After those words, the room became even quieter.
"I became interested in your Devil Fruit," Law continued.
"What shape was your Devil Fruit when you ate it?"