One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

"...Sengoku, old man? Are you okay?"

Wright listened to the increasingly heavy breathing on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, and suddenly realized something.

"Did Garp steal your rice crackers again? Don't worry, I'll steal them back for you later..."

"You brat! Get to the point!"

The Den Den Mushi's expression mirrored Sengoku's frustration, as it roared in anger. Rosinante, standing beside Wright, looked utterly bewildered—aside from Vice Admiral Garp, who else could rile up his "dad" this much?

"Ahem..." Wright coughed lightly, scratching his head. It was clear he couldn't keep joking around.

"The idiot is standing here staring blankly at me..."

"Vice Admiral Tsuru has already landed. The situation with the Donquixote Family remains unclear. I rushed here directly because the Lightcast Beacon Crystal activated, but I haven't had time to meet up with her yet."

"The mission is complete, and the target has been successfully rescued. However, he has critical information to report directly to you. Are you available?"

"...Wright, you've done well. The old man owes you his thanks..."

"I'll explain the details to you later. For now, let Rosinante take the call."

Rosinante stepped forward and silently took the Den Den Mushi from Wright's hand.

"Wright, can you...?"

Wright glanced at Rosinante and instantly understood what he wanted.

"Yeah, leave it to me. You two... talk it out. I'll be back later."

As Wright's figure disappeared into the snow, his Justice Coat fluttering in the wind, Rosinante took a deep breath. He opened his mouth and said softly:

"Dad..."

"..."

A silence too heavy for words.

"Rosi... Why were you on that island?"

"..."

"I couldn't stand by and watch him become another Doflamingo... He can still be saved. He... shouldn't die because of something like that..."

"The boy with Amber Lead Syndrome? What did you do?"

"I gave him the Ope Ope no Mi. He was at death's door, and this was the only way to save him... I'm sorry, Dad..."

"...Wright could've done it too!"

"There wasn't time... Law's condition deteriorated far faster than I expected. Besides, I couldn't drag Wright into the dangerous whirlpool of the Donquixote Family because of my personal decisions. When I discovered Law's condition, Wright was busy with something far more important..."

"Before the closed training session, I approached Wright... If I had asked him for help months ago, given his personality, he would have confronted my brother head-on. But back then, he wasn't a match for my brother..."

"But what did you do instead? Everything you're doing now still drags him into this chaos! Or did you think that if you died, he'd just walk away?"

"Besides... you underestimated Wright's growth. Though he's only a Commodore now, he's already more than a match for a Vice Admiral!"

"...I see. So I was still afraid of my brother. That fear led me to make the wrong decision... I truly am an unqualified undercover agent..."

"But Dad... Law's full name is Trafalgar D. Water Law!"

"!!"

"A 'D,' huh... Is that why you made your final decision?"

"Yes... I couldn't stand by and watch a child with such boundless potential be trained by my brother into a second version of him!"

"Law is too much like my brother... He's practically a carbon copy of him as a child. I can see it, and my brother surely can too! He treats Law so well... practically spoils him! And yet, even so, he never intended for Law to eat the Ope Ope no Mi."

"My brother said he wanted me to eat the fruit. On the surface, it seemed like the perfect solution—I could eat the fruit to save Law. But his true goal... I could guess it, and so could you."

"That legend... And the fact that I am someone he completely trusts!"

"Exactly. He trusted me enough to let me eat the fruit and use that ultimate ability for him. But unfortunately for him, he didn't know I was already a Devil Fruit user. From the very beginning, he and I were on opposing sides! I would never allow the Ope Ope no Mi to fall into his hands!"

"And the same goes for the Celestial Dragons!"

"So, I chose to let Law eat the Ope Ope no Mi. It was a way to save myself, while also ensuring my brother wouldn't dare kill him. That gave Law the chance to escape my brother's control. He is free now!"

"...I understand. In that case, I won't report anything about Law... as a father."

"Thank you, Dad..."

"Now, as a Marine Admiral, Lieutenant Commander Rosinante, report your mission details."

"...Yes, sir! The Donquixote Family has an infiltrator in the Marines..."

"The highest-ranking officer of the Heart seat, former 'Corazon'—Vergo!"

"Three years ago, he left the family as its top executive to carry out a secret mission. The mission details were classified, but it turned out to be an infiltration of the Marines!"

"He intercepted the classified information I sent to the Navy. He found me, injured me, and exposed both my identity and Vice Admiral Tsuru's operations to my brother!"

"So it's him... A Marine recruit with an impressive track record, who even requested a transfer to the G-5 branch in the New World... just to get closer to the North Blue?"

"To oversee all operations targeting the Donquixote Family that pass through the New World into the North Blue... Dammit!"

On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku removed his glasses and rubbed his temples.

"Doflamingo... That man is a criminal genius! He even managed to deceive Tsuru and me..."

"Based on Vergo's record, in a few years, he might have climbed to a command position in the Marines. By then, we'd have a real problem..."

On Minion Island, Rosinante listened to Sengoku's muttering in silence, then sighed.

"Before leaving the family, Vergo was already its strongest combatant. As the top officer of their espionage unit, his infiltration and disguise skills are unmatched..."

"Rosinante, when Wright returns, have him contact me. I need updates on the Donquixote Family's situation!"

"Understood!"

Click.

Rosinante slumped to the ground, silently lighting a cigarette. He sat there until he heard approaching footsteps and Wright's familiar rambling voice.

"Man, kids are such a pain. Nonviolent resistance, huh? Too bad that doesn't work on me..."

"Wright, you're back—pfft!"

Rosinante turned around to see Wright carrying a boy in a spotted fur hat—Law—who was now battered and swollen like a pig's head, barely conscious.

"Law! Wright, you bastard, why'd you hit him so hard?!"

"..."

Law struggled weakly at the sight of Rosinante but couldn't make a sound.

"See? I can't hear what he's saying, and he won't listen to me. So I had to teach him a lesson!" Wright casually cast a healing spell, instantly reducing the swelling on Law's face.

"So really, this is your fault, Rosinante!"

"...Damn it."

Rosinante quickly dispelled the silencing barrier on Law.

"Cora-san! Waaaah!"

"...Hey, Law... I'm not dead!"

"You idiot! Wipe your face already—it's giving me a headache!"

"Ahhh—! You damn Marine! Don't talk to Cora-san like that!"

Bam!

"Brat, stay out of grown-ups' conversations!"

"Ugh... Cora-san~"

"..."

----------------------------------------

If you want to support me and read advance chapters, please visit:

patreon.com / juanpiece