Cross's footsteps echoed on the warship's deck as he walked, followed by a sulky Jiyana, who was pouting and muttering to herself.
Cross ignored her and kept walking.
You've gotta be kidding!
You want my cat? Forget the door, I'll weld the windows shut, too!
Soon, they reached the captain's quarters. The door was ajar, not fully closed.
Cross didn't just push the door open. He first gave it a firm knock before stepping inside.
Upon entering, he saw Tsuru, as well as Rosinante and Trafalgar Law. Surtur hung in mid-air like a giant lightbulb, not only giving off light but also radiating heat, making the entire room both bright and warm.
"Master!"
Surtur happily greeted Cross as soon as he saw him.
Tsuru sat behind a mahogany desk, looking up at Cross. "Have a seat. We need to discuss something," she said calmly.
Cross nodded and, without a word, took a seat in a chair next to Rosinante.
Jiyana didn't enter but stood in the doorway, poking her head in. "Tsuru-nee, should I shut the door tight?"
"If you don't want to come in, go help Ismaella. Stop loitering in the doorway!" Tsuru snapped.
Jiyana let out an "Oh," immediately backed out, and cheerfully closed the door. She clearly had no desire to join the meeting.
Tsuru ignored Jiyana. Even though Jiyana and Ismaella were her right and left hands in the female unit she commanded, they hadn't inherited her wisdom. Those two women would rather fight on the front lines like men or soldiers than sit in an office for a meeting.
"Let's hear it, Rosinante. What are your thoughts?"
Tsuru's expression turned serious. "Sengoku has already called and told me to bring you back!"
At these words, Cross immediately understood. Rosinante probably didn't want to return to the Marines because of Law.
Rosinante's face was conflicted. "Law is already an Op-Op Fruit user. If I bring him back to the Marines, the World Government won't let him go!" he said with hesitation.
"You're right. The Op-Op Fruit is too important to the World Government."
Cross thought for a moment. "What's more, given Law's identity, the World Government won't tolerate someone who hates them staying in the Marines, especially under their noses. Not even Admiral Sengoku can guarantee his safety."
Honestly, the power of the Op-Op Fruit was too important to both the World Government and the Marines.
Putting aside the one-time "Immortality Operation," the miraculous surgeries it could perform, like curing incurable diseases and replacing body organs, were definitely of strategic importance.
For Marines who suffered from severe battlefield injuries, such as lost limbs, blindness, or missing organs, and were left permanently disabled, the Op-Op Fruit's power could be used to transplant healthy limbs and organs, making them whole again.
For example, Zephyr. Even though his hands were fine now, he would have one of his arms cut off by a pirate in the near future. If there were an Op-Op Fruit user in the Marines, he wouldn't have to get a Seastone prosthetic but could instead get a real arm back.
For Cross, he couldn't bear the thought of letting Rosinante leave with Law.
Unfortunately, if Rosinante brought Law back to the Marines, the World Government, since they couldn't get the Op-Op Fruit itself, would be even less likely to let its user, Law, go.
Law, as the sole survivor of the Flevance Kingdom, harbored an intense hatred for the World Government. Their relationship was like fire and water. If the Marines couldn't protect Law, the World Government would undoubtedly subject him to a thorough and brutal brainwashing, forcing him to serve them.
Just think about it: the Flevance Kingdom was wiped out due to the World Government's deliberate deception, leaving only Law. His hatred for them, both for his nation and his family, was self-evident. To have Law fall into the World Government's hands, become a thoughtless puppet, and serve his sworn enemies would be a truly miserable life.
What's more, over the six months Rosinante was with Law, he had looked for renowned doctors everywhere for him. He didn't hesitate to abandon his covert mission and even risked his life to steal the Op-Op Fruit, all to cure Law's Amber Lead Syndrome. Their relationship was practically that of a father and son, so how could Law bear to leave Rosinante?
So, for Rosinante, the only way for Law to grow up safely was for them to leave the Marines.
However, from the Marines' perspective, Rosinante was a member of their ranks. First, he abandoned his mission. Then, he defied a Marine order to steal the Op-Op Fruit for a boy. Now he wanted to leave the Marines entirely. There was no way to justify such actions.
Moreover, Rosinante wasn't an ordinary person. Setting aside his secret identity, his relationship as Sengoku's adopted son meant that his departure would bring a lot of trouble to Sengoku.
After all, even if Tsuru issued a gag order, what happened here would not escape the notice of the CP organizations. It was likely that news had already reached Mariejois by now.
"So, you've decided to leave the Marines with this boy?" Tsuru's expression remained calm as her gaze fell on Law.
Hearing this, Rosinante's face was heavy. He slowly nodded, gritting his teeth. "I'm sorry, Vice Admiral Tsuru, but I cannot put Law in harm's way!"
"Cora-san!" Law said, biting his lower lip, his eyes welling up with tears as he looked at Rosinante.
Tsuru stared at Rosinante and Law for a moment, then turned to Cross. "What do you think?"
"You're asking me about this…"
Cross's face was also conflicted. After hesitating for a while, he finally shook his head at Rocinante. "I'm sorry, I can't let you two leave. The Op-Op Fruit's power is too important. While I have no interest in the 'Immortality Operation,' the fruit's ability could save countless Marines. For example, my friend, Rear Admiral Gobert, the former commander of the Marine base on Sabaody Archipelago, had his left leg cut off in a battle with pirates and was forced to retire due to his injury. If the Marines had had an Op-Op Fruit user sooner, his leg could have been healed, and he wouldn't have had to retire!"
"I'm sorry, Commodore Cross, I…" Rosinante gave a bitter smile, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say.
Suddenly, with a hateful expression, Law said resolutely, "I will treat the Marines' injuries in the future, but I won't treat any World Government officials' injuries!"
Seeing this, Rosinante shook his head with a bitter smile and pleaded with the two of them. "Vice Admiral Tsuru, Commodore Cross, Law has already escaped a tragic fate. The rest of his life is his own. No one should interfere with his destiny again! Please let us leave at the next island, or give us a ship, and we'll leave on our own!"
"Do you even know what you're saying?"
Tsuru looked at Law expressionlessly, then turned back to Rosinante and asked sternly, "As a Marine and Sengoku's adopted son, do you realize how much trouble your departure will cause the Marines? I'll even say this: it would be acceptable for the boy to leave, but not for you to leave with him!"
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