At this moment, Inuarashi, who had not yet lost consciousness, was completely drenched in sweat. He never expected Marco's Haki to be this overwhelming. It was only Haki, yet the pressure alone made it difficult for them to even steady their wills.
Looking up at Marco, fear crept into Inuarashi's voice as he spoke softly.
"Ma… Marco…"
Marco glanced down at him calmly, then sat on a nearby chair. He pointed toward the unconscious Nekomamushi and said,
"Wake him up."
"Yes."
Inuarashi responded immediately, his body trembling slightly. He already knew Marco had risen to become one of the Four Emperors, but he never imagined Marco's strength had reached such a terrifying level. The oppressive aura surrounding him even surpassed what he once felt from Oden.
Soon, Inuarashi managed to wake Nekomamushi, who had been knocked unconscious by Marco's Haki alone. After regaining awareness, Nekomamushi looked toward Marco with clear caution in his eyes. Being defeated by sheer Haki made one thing obvious, Marco's power was far beyond what they remembered.
The casual arrogance he once showed completely disappeared.
Marco looked at him and spoke in a cold, steady tone.
"You were right about one thing. The Mink Tribe are natural-born warriors, and your strength is impressive. I truly hoped the Mink Tribe would stand with me."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"But if you refuse, I will not force you."
Silence filled the room.
Under Marco's Conqueror's Haki, even standing upright required effort. Refusing him outright now carried consequences neither ruler of Zou could ignore. The friendship they once shared during the era of the Whitebeard Pirates had already faded with time.
More than twenty years had passed. This was no longer the past.
Now, it was the era of the Phoenix Pirates.
Nekomamushi clenched his teeth before finally speaking.
"We can join you, but the Phoenix Pirates must end their alliance with Kaido. Kaido is our enemy. There is no way we can stand alongside him."
Marco listened quietly, then shook his head with faint disappointment.
"Then forget it. I will take my leave."
Marco had indeed planned to recruit the Mink Tribe, but their attitude made him lose interest in continuing the discussion. He had no intention of wasting more time.
To him, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi were powerful, yet still only commander-level fighters.
Just as Marco prepared to leave, Inuarashi suddenly called out.
"Wait!"
Unlike Nekomamushi, Inuarashi had already analyzed the situation clearly. With the Three Emperors Alliance dominating the New World, resisting them was impossible. Today it was Marco who came personally and remained reasonable. If they rejected him now, the next visitors might be the Big Mom Pirates or the Beasts Pirates, and those crews would not negotiate peacefully.
"Marco," Inuarashi said seriously, "I believe we can continue discussing this."
Marco's expression remained indifferent. Any emotional attachment he once had toward them had long disappeared. They had left the crew decades ago, and time erased old bonds.
His purpose for coming here was simple.
First, he intended to secure the Road Poneglyph for himself. Whether he used it or not did not matter, but he would never allow others to obtain it easily.
Second, he wanted the strength of the Mink Tribe. The warriors of Zou were naturally powerful, and in their Sulong forms their combat ability increased dramatically. Thousands of fighters lived on Zou, even their children possessed combat instincts from birth.
Marco looked at Inuarashi and spoke calmly.
"I thought that after so many years, we could speak properly when we met again. But it seems time has already changed everything."
He continued,
"The Three Emperors Alliance now controls the New World. Everyone has freedom, and I will not force your decision. But out of respect for our past, I will give you a warning."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"If the Big Mom Pirates or the Beasts Pirates arrive at Zou, the Mink Tribe could face annihilation."
Hearing this, Nekomamushi finally calmed down. Even though he was no longer an active pirate, he clearly understood the terrifying power of a Yonko crew. The Mink Tribe alone could never oppose such forces.
Inuarashi nodded seriously.
"We understand. The world has changed. Even though we rarely leave Zou and rely on newspapers for news, we are not ignorant of reality."
Nekomamushi crossed his arms and muttered,
"We will join, but we have one condition."
Marco frowned slightly.
"Speak."
"Even if we form an alliance, Kaido remains our enemy. I will never fight for Kaido."
Marco answered without hesitation.
"That will not be a problem."
Inuarashi then added another request.
"There is one more matter. If our young master,Kozuki Momonosuke , returns someday and requires our help, we ask permission to leave the Phoenix Pirates."
The moment Marco heard that name, his expression darkened slightly.
He had never cared about Momonosuke, and hearing this request stirred immediate disgust within him. Memories from his previous life surfaced, along with strong irritation he could not suppress.
Marco's eyes turned cold.
"What do you think the Phoenix Pirates are?"
His voice carried clear displeasure.
"You acted the same way when joining the Whitebeard Pirates, and now you want to repeat it?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"There is something you should understand first. I despise Kozuki Oden."
Both Inuarashi and Nekomamushi froze in shock.
Marco continued calmly.
"Kozuki Oden chose to leave the Whitebeard Pirates on his own. Old Man tried to stop him, but he insisted on following Gol D. Roger. He promised to return after one year, yet he broke that promise."
His tone grew colder.
"And the two of you left the ship without even saying goodbye. Not a single word. Calling it betrayal would not be excessive."
Marco's gaze remained steady as he finished.
"After being deceived by Orochi and Kaido, you never once sought help from us. From beginning to end, you kept everything hidden."
A faint disappoin
tment appeared in his voice.
"That alone was truly disappointing."
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