Chapter 153 - 153: I have a deal for you...

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*At the borders of Rusukaina's island.*

After years passed as Edam and Hancock lived here, there were already a lot of mansions that were built on the island for the couple's convenience.

But, Edam's favorite one was a gigantic grotto he had built by himself at the foot of a mountain. The grotto was literally the mountain itself.

And today, right on said mountain, situated near a cliff that gave a beautiful view the fabric of space was torn and a spatial rift was formed as Hancock first walked out, followed by Edam carrying Ace and then by the unconscious floating bodies of Luffy and his friend, Jinbei.

"...Jinbei, right? Can you walk on your own?" Arriving there, Edam looked back and asked softly. His cheeks still had some traces of dry tears.

Well, the Jinbei guy wasn't really unconscious but just exhausted and had simply left himself being carried.

"Ah, yes, I can… thank you…" Jinbei sat down and thanked him gratefully. 

"Don't mention it, I should be the one thanking you for lending a hand to my brothers…" Edam replied with a pained expression and then added. 

"Apart from his over-exhaustion, Luffy's true wound is the one inflicted on his mind and soul… I'll try to deal with it afterward, can I bother you to look after him?"

"Ah, yes, no worry, I can do that…" Jinbei nodded awkwardly. For a reason or another, he couldn't bring himself to even consider refusing.

"You can go to this mansion there to take a rest…" Edam glanced and referred to the mansion nearby.

"..." He then went toward the grotto accompanied by Hancock.

The grotto's entrance was rather strange as there were no doors, no rocks to serve as a door whatsoever or anything. As you entered it, there was just a deep gulf! The hole was so deep that everything seemed to be dark at the bottom.

No one would be crazy enough to venture into it without a way to get out.

Though, Edam and Hancock didn't even think about it and jumped down without hesitation.

They fell and after a few breaths worth of time, they finally reached the bottom of the grotto.

At their arrival, some strange particles of lights in the air began to glow brighter and brighter as they illuminated the entire depth of the grotto. Those were simply the remnants of Edam and Hancock's ki in the air lighting up in their presence.

A multitude of furniture was revealed with the lighting up. The place was well organized and comfy, with everything needed to make yourself feel at home. There were no rooms, as Edam never planned to invite anyone in this grotto any way. 

There was only one area, a single one separated from the grotto's living space. It was where Edam would put all his experimental items.  

There were a hundred objects in this place but one was standing out particularly. It was a sort of chamber, very much like Hancock's hibernation bed, just that Hancock's bed was by a thousand times better looking and comfortable.

In fact, that was its first version, but at that time, Edam didn't have the heart to put the vulnerable and sleeping Hancock in something so rough and crude. 

The one placed in this downgraded version would have to float in it like a jellyfish in a metal cage unlike the bed made of clouds.

As an unfinished product, it didn't get to be fully enhanced.

With that, he had hurriedly built another one, and a better one in every way, tailored for her. But that was the issue there, the bed was literally tailor-made for her and her only. Sure other people could still go in and achieve some effects, but, no matter what, it wouldn't be as much as it would be when it is her.

But, now… 

Building another one would take too much time and the so faint embers of life that he could bȧrėly feel right now would be dispersed by the time he finished.

Well, in a sense, it is unfinished and still got room for improvements, but, in truth, it could fully fulfill its primary purpose to heal and rejuvenate.

And so…

Edam silently went toward the chamber while slightly raising Ace.

The chamber automatically reacted to this as it glowed a golden dome of light out.

Drop…

And just like how a pond would react when a small rock was thrown into it, the chamber slowly suċkėd in Ace's body in it as a small ripple echoed and faded out. Though it did sound like he fell in a water pond, the chamber's interior was nothing but the purest of life energy that could be found.

"..." Edam didn't utter a word and was awfully silent.

He watched on as Ace's body entered it and slowly but fully entered a coma-like state.

The young Saiyan's face was a bit pale and he would unwillingly shed some tears down from time to time. 

After all, even though he would call that a state of coma, it was just another way to say that he was dead for now.

Hancock who was by his side and holding his hand would silently dry his tears and wipe his face with her handkerchief.

Every time she did that, a heart-wrenching pain would ȧssault her heart. It was the first time she ever saw him being so 'vulnerable'. Seeing him crying so much was an alien concept to her.

She strongly prayed that she could take his pain away but the loss of a loved one was a pain impossible to take away, only time could remedy it.

All she could do was to stay with him and support him to the best she could, it was the role she took upon herself since no words could possibly soothe him down in this case.

Edam then sat down on the floor and stayed in front of the chamber for a very long time with his eyes closed. His expression was from time to time changing and seemingly struggling, clearly indicating that he was mentally studying Ace's mortally wounded body in detail with his spiritual senses.

… 

An hour passed by just like that…

"Hmm, I'm gonna make dinner…" Hancock said as she slowly stood up.

"What?" Her words brought Edam back from his thoughts as he grabbed her hand and said. "No, let me, you should rest instead I-..."

"It's fine, you stay here, I'm going to check on the other two outside, I'll be back real quick…" Hancock shook her head and gently ċȧrėssed his head and left the place.

"...Sigh, she's too good for me…" Edam sighed and then glanced forward with melancholy. 

"My baby is about to be born and you just had to go do something so stupid…" Edam grieved over this fact and slightly gritted his teeth before releasing a deep sigh.

The idea of ripping some heads still hadn't left his head even after all this time, but he himself knew that he couldn't and shouldn't waste any more time and energy at Marineford.

But even then, after examining him in detail… the longer he did so, the more hopeless the matter seemed to become…

He was by no means a doctor… and this was the issue there...

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Meanwhile, on the outside, the world was in total chaos.

After Edam's departure, the end of the war unfolded itself.

Another Emperor of the seas, Red-haired Shanks arrived. It was later found that he had already made his way to Marineford a few days ago, but on his way, he crossed swords with his fellow Emperor, Kaido of the beasts, and this World's strongest creature.

Though his crew successfully fend him off, this still slowed them down enough for them to arrive way later than expected.

Wrecking the winning forces of the marines and killing a major pillar of the Navy was a huge blow to them.

And oppressing the Blackbeard's pirates who were in their ascension to power was also a huge blow in people's minds.

As for the Whitebeard's pirates, with Ace's death and then his revenge nearly immediately enacted as well as the rescue of Luffy, the old emperor's crew truly didn't have it in them to continue with the war.

Edam had truly brought about the end of the war.

Shanks' arrival was but another reason to end it more peacefully.

Even Blackbeard's crew could only quietly leave the place.

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… 

In the meantime, in Rusukaina…

Despite Edam having told him to freely use the house, Jinbei didn't just do It right away, feeling pretty awkward to be in someone else's care like that. 

But, in the end, he still went toward a sort of open-air house to put Luffy in a more comfortable place.

"Hah…" Jinbei released a long sigh while looking at Luffy's unconscious self. 

"...?" His attention was drawn when he noticed Hancock slowly surging from the sky while holding a sort of immense bag in her hand. Its weight didn't seem to bother her at all.

"So, he is still not awake… his wounds and exhaustion are a lot more severe than I thought…" Hancock said as she flew over there and gazed at Luffy.

"...You are the former Warlord of the seas, Boa Hancock…" Jinbei said in a formal tone.

"...? Oh, you are still here? I thought you would be gone by now…" Hancock said somehow nonchalantly.

"Well, I'm still injured, and someone still has to guard him…" Jinbei said, referring to the savage nature out there. As pirates used to survive alone, he does know when an island is hostile.

"No, he would have been fine either way, the wild beasts of this island already know not to step into this place…" Hancock simply shook her head and explained.

"What?"

"A primitive instinct I guess, anyway… I thought that he would be awake, I'll go back then…" Hancock shrugged her shoulders and walked away. 

However, she stopped mid-way and shot a glance any the corner of her eyes. "You can hunt by yourself right?"

The primary reason she went to check on them was to check on Luffy since he was technically her brother-in-law, but since he was still unconscious, she didn't want to linger around longer than necessary. 

"Ah, yeah, I can, thanks…" Jinbei couldn't shamefully ask an expecting woman to hunt for him. Not that she would have anyway.

"Hn…" Hancock said and truly left this time.

Truth be told, cooking for any other man other than Edam was really difficult enough for her. Even knowing that they were injured didn't change her mind. She just couldn't stand this idea.

… 

Thereafter, Hancock returned to Edam's side and they both had a sumptuous dinner.

Although with today's events, Edam wasn't so hungry, knowing that Hancock made it herself and that it took her quite a lot of time, he still forced himself to eat everything.

…

As for Jinbei, with Hancock's consent, he did want to go hunt something but…

His injuries were a lot more severe than he thoughts… However, he was too embarrassed to go and ask for help.

And so, he decided to stay put and just not move to let his injuries heal and his fatigue fades away.

*Growl…*

"Sigh…" Jinbei sighed and was thinking of what to do after that when Edam's voice came in to interrupt his train of thoughts.

"Ah, she left you without food…?" Edam exclaimed softly as he appeared like a ghost in front of Jinbei.

Jinbei's eyes widened as he saw him suddenly appear like that but then immediately calm down.

"It's fine, it's fine, how could I actually ask for a favor from a pregnant woman…" Jinbei laughed slightly at that, although his stomach was still growling in hunger.

"Sorry, but please, don't blame her, she can hardly stand any men… and the simple thought of serving someone can piss her off…" Edam said before gazing into the forest. 

"Haha…" Jinbei laughed it off without taking it to heart.

Bim!

In the next moment, he pointed a finger in a direction as a beam shot out and pierced the forest.

Edam then did a pulling motion in the forest's direction and a few seconds later, a boar could be seen floating in their direction.

"Here, dinner for you as an apology… you're my guest and I didn't even attend to you properly..."

"Thank you…" Jinbei nodded his head gratefully before a thought struck him.

"Ah… what about…" Jinbei hesitated for a while before asking carefully. "What about Ace…? I saw you bring him somewhere… What happened…? Is he…?"

"..." However, Edam didn't reply right away. This subject was still very sėnsɨtɨvė for him.

"...I don't even have the confidence to heal him… which brings me to ask you this… do you know of a doctor?"

"A doctor?"

"Yes, one that specializes in surgery…"

"Hmm…" Jinbei pondered over it for a few minutes. 

"..." Seeing how long he took, Edam told himself that his question and request was maybe way too hard to satisfy. 

And could he blame him? Clearly not, after all, who could possibly operate this kind of wound. "Forget it…"

"Oh wait, actually, there might be someone…" Jinbei said with doubts in his voice.

'Really?' Edam was stunned at that and was about to truly give in, but with this instantly replied. "Who?"

"If I recall it well, there is this one newly famous pirate, he is called the Surgeon of Death…"

"The Surgeon of Death?" Edam pondered on it.

"Yeah, but, I'm warning you already, I've never witnessed his skills for myself… so as for what he's truly capable of, I don't know…his name is Trafalgar Law..."

"Trafalgar Law…" Edam repeated this name and browsed through his memory, having heard this name somewhere.

"...Oh, isn't he one of these twelve pirates? The worst generation was it?" 

"Yes, so you know him…"

"Yeah, he is with Luffy, one of these worst generations so…" Edam didn't finish his line as he stood up.

"You're gonna find him?" Jinbei inquired calmly.

"I'll give it a try…"

"Well, I have a piece of advice for you, though I'm not too sure about it…" Jinbei said and tried to remember something.

"Hm?" 

"Umm, during the war, I'm not sure, but I think I might have seen that pirate's ship emerging from underwater…" Jinbei said and added. 

"I'm not clear about his presence there but I'm pretty sure he was present…" 

"Thank you, Jinbei, truly…" Edam was really grateful. This information was incredibly useful.

"Don't mention it…" He smiled faintly. 

Edam then quietly left the place.

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… 

"I hope you truly live up to your name, Surgeon of Death…" Edam looked at the sea and then closed his eyes as his senses pierced the air and scanned the entirety of Grandline for a yellow submersible.

He finally found it, diving into the sea toward a random island surely to take a rest.

Opening his eyes, he slashed-open the air creating a spatial rift above the sea, and then mimicked to pull something.

Rumble…! 

Gush…!

With this move, water or more like seawater began to profusely gush out of the rift before an enormous submarine came out, and fell on the sea.

"Wha-?! What the fuċk?!"

"What happened?!"

"What the hell are we doing here?!"

A lot of men started to come out of the submarine and exclaimed out loud their thoughts.

"Captain, come see this!" 

It wasn't too long before the captain came out. 

At first sight, this man seemed to be an extremely laid-back person. The kind to be patient and to observe before acting.

"What happened?" Trafalgar asked and then looked at his surroundings. His eyesight rapidly fell on the small cliff that towered over them, and especially upon a figure.

His pupils abruptly constricted at this sight though. "Why the hell is it you…?"

His crew members followed his line of sight and also saw him.

Their faces turned pale white… 

They didn't make much noise at Marineford, but they did appear on time to see the man currently standing in front of them, wrecking some marines and slaying an Admiral in one shot.

How rotten was their luck to meet this living Calamity?

"..." Edam did notice their reactions, but he completely ignored them and only paid attention to the captain.

"Trafalgar Law, I have a deal for you…"

...

(A/N: I struggled a bit to write this one, but I still made it I guess, tell me your thoughts…)

(PS: Happy New Year!)