"Treat Whitebeard?"
A clear, amused voice came from the Den Den Mushi—Sanders.
"What is it? Is Whitebeard not satisfied with his current beard and wants me to help him grow it back?"
Marco's lips twitched slightly at that jab.
Whitebeard's iconic mustache getting destroyed had been awkward for all of them.
But honestly, that was the least of their concerns now.
"You don't need to worry about his beard,"
Marco replied dryly.
"There are plenty of things in the New World that can stimulate facial hair growth. His beard's already growing back."
"I came to ask if you'd treat the internal injuries he's been carrying all these years."
"If you could heal the wounds my Blue Flames couldn't, then you should be able to treat his hidden injuries too, right?"
There was a brief pause. Then, Sanders' voice came again, calm but serious:
"So, it's his internal injuries, huh..."
"Yeah, I can heal Whitebeard."
"But why should I?"
He'd known this was coming ever since he healed some of Whitebeard's wounds in that previous battle.
It was only a matter of time before Whitebeard's sons came asking for more.
But Sanders wasn't some benevolent doctor handing out favors.
Healing Whitebeard would cost him dearly—at least three days of weakness.
And this wouldn't be like regenerating a limb.
Whitebeard had too many internal injuries.
For most people, surviving even one of those wounds would've been a miracle.
But Whitebeard? He'd waged war across the New World while carrying all of them.
The man's body was a monster in itself.
"We're willing to pay any price,"
Diamond Jozu said quickly, not even waiting for Marco to answer.
"Territory, treasure—whatever you want. As long as you can heal Pops, just name it."
"Diamond Jozu, huh?"
Sanders chuckled softly.
"You'd really give up everything for Whitebeard?"
"If he could hear this, I'm sure he'd be very touched."
"As long as you heal him, you can have whatever you want."
"Even most of the Whitebeard Pirates' territory,"
Marco said, his tone solemn.
He said most—because not all territories were up for negotiation.
Some places, like Pops' hometown, were simply off-limits.
"Just like that? You're putting everything Whitebeard fought for on the table?"
"Does he even know?"
"Man, selling grandpa's farm sure doesn't hurt when it's not your name on the deed..."
Sanders laughed, but then his tone shifted slightly.
"Let me guess, there's another condition, isn't there?"
Marco's face reddened slightly.
"There is... After the transfer of territory, we plan to challenge and reclaim them."
"Of course, not just from you. We'll compete for territories held by other emperors too."
A massive pirate crew had to be fed somehow.
Without land and resources, how could they keep adventuring on the seas?
Even a crew as lean as the Red-Haired Pirates relied on tribute from their territory.
Protection in exchange for resources—it was all part of the pirate system.
"Now that's what I'd expect from the pirate world,"
Sanders said calmly, not the least bit surprised.
Giving someone land was one thing—holding onto it was another.
Marco's embarrassment wasn't over what he'd said, but what it implied:
The Thunder God Pirates, while strong, were still much smaller than other long-established emperor crews.
And that kind of scale... came with disadvantages.
"I don't want Whitebeard's territory,"
Sanders said suddenly.
"Then what do you want? Treasure? Berries?"
Marco asked.
"Fifty billion? A hundred billion? We can make it happen."
Though Sanders had rejected the land offer, Marco could tell from his tone—
there was still room to negotiate.
A hundred billion Berries sounded like a lot.
But for a Yonko, it wasn't impossible.
Even Doflamingo, back when he ruled Dressrosa, had once offered forty billion just to make Sanders leave.
And King Riku was willing to borrow money from the people to make it happen.
Even a country willing to sell everything it had could gather forty billion Berries.
So for the Whitebeard Pirates, who controlled vast territories across the New World, offering a hundred billion wasn't that big of a deal.
And if they were short on funds, well—
They could always raid the other Yonko.
As long as Whitebeard was no longer held back by his internal injuries,
There was nothing stopping him from dominating the seas again.
Then, Sanders said softly:
"I want you, Marco."
"...What?"
Marco's eyes widened in confusion, full of question marks.
"Sorry—could you say that again? I think I misheard."
"I said—what if the condition... is for you to join the Thunder God Pirates?"
"Would you be willing to walk away from your crew—just to buy Whitebeard the chance to be healed?"
"No way!"
Diamond Jozu immediately shut it down, voice firm and fierce.
"Marco would never leave the Whitebeard Pirates—and Pops would never allow it either!"
This entire trip to negotiate with Sanders had already been kept secret from Whitebeard.
Trading away some territory? Fine.
Even if Whitebeard refused, their brothers on the ship would back the decision.
They could always take back the land later.
And Whitebeard would forgive them for the recklessness.
But asking Marco to leave?
That was something Whitebeard would never accept.
He would never let one of his sons walk away—
Not even to save himself.
Compared to Jozu's firm stance, Marco's expression was full of conflict.
As the crew's doctor, no one understood Pops' condition better than him.
If they didn't act soon...
Even if things seemed stable for now...
Those internal injuries could flare up again at any time.
And when they did—
There was no telling how much longer Whitebeard could remain standing as a protector of the seas.
He had shielded them from storms for decades.
Maybe it was time for them to protect him.
Besides...
It wasn't like he'd vanish forever.
Joining the Thunder God Pirates didn't mean he could never see Pops or the others again.
Still—
"Marco... You're not actually considering this, right?"
Jozu's expression darkened.
"Pops would never agree to this!"
"I…"
Marco had just opened his mouth to reply when—
Sanders cut in through the Den Den Mushi:
"I'm kidding, Marco."
"I'll treat Whitebeard's injuries. But—on one condition."
"When Whitebeard dies, or if the Whitebeard Pirates are disbanded... you join the Thunder God Pirates."
Because right now?
Getting Marco to join was basically impossible.
Whitebeard would never allow it.
This was the man who'd rather die for his sons than let them be hurt.
There's no way he'd accept a deal that meant losing one of them—
Even if it meant saving his own life.
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T/N:
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