Wearing a black raven cloak, his face painted with clown makeup, Corazon—Rosinante—was standing a great distance away, holding a telescope as he watched the movements on Minion Island.
In his arms, he held Law, whose spirit was weak and whose Amber Lead Syndrome had entered its final stage.
Law's aura was already gradually weakening. If they still could not obtain this life-saving Op-Op Fruit, he might not be able to endure past this week.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, there is fire and smoke coming from the ruins on Minion Island. If nothing unexpected has happened, the Barrels Pirates should be stationed there!"
Rosinante lowered the telescope and reported all the information he had seen through a Transponder Snail to Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had come to monitor and pursue the situation.
As the adopted son of Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Doflamingo's younger brother, Rosinante was naturally the person who understood the details of this transaction best.
"Corazon, it's too dangerous… Let's go!"
Law struggled weakly. The bond they had developed made him completely unwilling to see this man take risks for his sake.
"Law, don't be afraid. As long as we get the Op-Op Fruit, your Amber Lead Syndrome can be cured. Once your illness is healed, come back to the Marines with me. With your talent, you'll definitely be heavily nurtured and become an outstanding Marine!"
Rosinante stroked Law's head and comforted him.
"That's not necessarily true~"
A voice rang out beside his ear, and Rosinante's body suddenly stiffened.
"Who is it?!"
Rosinante instinctively shielded Law behind him, then turned his head.
In the next instant, his eyes widened.
"You're Thunder Emperor Roy!!"
At this moment, the person standing before Rosinante was none other than Roy, who had come for the Devil Fruit.
The current Roy had already successfully broken through to the Super Saiyan 3 realm and had returned to his normal state. He no longer needed to maintain full power at all times.
Because of that, Rosinante recognized him immediately.
However, he truly wished he had not recognized him.
"Why would the sea overlord, Thunder Emperor, suddenly appear here… That's right! The Op-Op Fruit! Considering Thunder Emperor's enthusiasm for Devil Fruits, he would definitely have designs on the Op-Op Fruit! Damn it. I thought Thunder Emperor was in seclusion. Even if news of the Op-Op Fruit leaked, the Thunder God Pirates shouldn't have been able to arrive right away. I never expected…"
Rosinante looked at Roy as he walked toward them, biting his lip tightly, his heart filled with unwillingness.
He had not expected Thunder Emperor to personally make the trip!
He wanted to carry Law and flee, but he knew very clearly that in front of Thunder Emperor, all of that would be useless!
What should he do?!
"Corazon-san?"
Little Law felt Corazon's slightly trembling body and raised his head, just in time to meet Roy's calm gaze.
"Amber Lead Syndrome? I didn't expect there would still be survivors from the White City, Flevance. Those World Government bastards really are a bunch of trash~"
Roy's voice rang in Law's ears, instantly making him recall the tragedy from before. His eyes immediately reddened.
"The Op-Op Fruit is not something people like you can touch. Besides, you want this little guy to eat it and join the Marines. That isn't helping him. You'd be harming him instead."
Rosinante had originally feared Roy's reputation, but when he heard that his good intentions were harming Law, even he could not help opening his mouth to argue.
"Law's talent is outstanding. Combined with the Op-Op Fruit, once he enters the Marines, he will definitely be cultivated with great effort!"
"Is that so?"
Roy looked at Law, whose eyes were still red, and said with a faint smile that was not quite a smile, "You should have heard something about the Op-Op Fruit's Immortality Surgery, right?"
"Mm!"
"Then, with the World Government's determination to spend five billion Berries to buy it, do you think this little guy would be heavily nurtured after entering the Marines, or immediately placed under control?"
"This…"
Rosinante lowered his head and looked at Law's face, which was filled with deep hatred born from a blood feud. The expression on Rosinante's face trembled.
"With the World Government's intelligence agencies, they would definitely be able to learn Law's information. A national orphan whose country was indirectly destroyed by the World Government, who has eaten the Op-Op Fruit, and who harbors enormous hostility toward the World Government—what choice do you think the World Government would make?"
Roy's words were like a sharp sword, directly severing all of Rosinante's beautiful fantasies.
"Damn it!"
"The reason I've said this much to you is because I admire the fact that you've gone this far and done everything in your power for this little guy. Now, move aside. You're blocking the way."
As he spoke, Roy casually glanced at him, then continued walking forward.
"Wait! Thunder Emperor-sama!"
Rosinante, kneeling in the snow, first trembled. Then, as if he had remembered something, his eyes suddenly lit up with a dazzling glow.
He awkwardly shifted his body and fell to his knees before Roy with a thud.
"Thunder Emperor-sama, you have collected so many Devil Fruits. You must have a fruit capable of curing people's illnesses. I beg you, save Law!!!"
His head sank deeply to the ground. In this moment, this man cast aside his dignity.
"Corazon-san!!!"
Behind him, Law could only lie weakly on the ground because of his illness. Looking at Rosinante kneeling there, he shakily stretched out one hand, tears and snot streaming down his face.
"This little guy has no direct relationship with you, does he? Yet you've actually gone this far for him."
Honestly, Roy was very surprised by Rosinante's actions, but when he thought of how, in the original version, Rosinante had paid the price of his life for Law, he understood.
He understood, but as the person involved, witnessing Rosinante's feelings for Law with his own eyes still made Roy sigh with emotion.
Rosinante did not speak. He only lowered his body even further.
"I do indeed possess an ability that can cure people's diseases. But why should I help you?"
Hearing Roy's words, Rosinante abruptly raised his head. Hope and joy flashed in his eyes.
"Thunder Emperor-sama, I know Doflamingo's secret. The blood of the Celestial Dragons flows through both his body and mine. Doflamingo learned a secret in the Holy Land Mary Geoise that the Celestial Dragons absolutely do not want leaked!"
(End of Chapter)
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