Even if Law hadn't brought it up, Abel had already been considering whether they should join a faction first.
After all, they were currently far too weak, lacking any real means of self-defense. Even a few vagrants had nearly driven them to the brink.
If anyone discovered they had escaped from the White City of Flevance, their chances of survival would vanish completely.
Therefore, any faction willing to offer them protection would actually be a blessing.
Although Abel possessed a Golden Finger, truly harnessing its potential would require vast resources.
He had been fortunate this time, exploiting the chaos caused by two warring pirate groups to pull off a massive Zero-Yen Purchase, finally earning a Four-Star rating.
But what about next time?
Who could guarantee such luck and coincidence would repeat itself?
Thus, he too needed a powerful backer—someone to safeguard his security and provide the resources and support necessary to accumulate strength in the early stages.
To be honest, the first "backer" that came to Abel's mind was the Marines.
They offered unparalleled security, ample opportunities for advancement, and abundant resources.
If the World Government hadn't been inextricably linked to the destruction of Flevance, he might have already found a way to drag Law into joining the Marines.
But alas, there were no "what ifs." The past could not be changed.
After everything they had endured, not only had Law grown to despise the Marines, but Abel himself now harbored no fondness for the word "Marines" and even questioned the very meaning of the "justice" they preached.
With the Marines out of the question, the remaining options were few, especially in the North Blue.
Abel almost immediately ruled out Germa 66.
The reasons weren't simply because they were difficult to find or Law's preconceived biases.
Objectively speaking, Germa 66 wielded considerable power. As the former rulers of the North Blue, they possessed cutting-edge technology that was truly impressive.
The problem lay with Vinsmoke Judge, the man who controlled Germa 66. He was not only mentally unstable but also an unrepentant tyrant.
Vanity, arrogance, ruthlessness, hypocrisy, and selfishness were all hallmarks of his character.
More importantly, the Vinsmoke Family never accepted outsiders into their inner circle, except through marriage.
Even if they managed to locate the elusive Germa 66, they would likely be reduced to cannon fodder soldiers, never earning any real respect.
In contrast, the Donquixote Family had been expanding rapidly until the protagonist group stormed their gates.
During this period, Abel believed he could not only grow safely under Doflamingo's protection but also climb the ranks, striving to become an Executive. By leveraging the Donquixote Family's resources, he could complete the System's Wish Orders and strengthen himself.
If everything went smoothly, even directly replacing Doflamingo wasn't entirely impossible.
At this thought, the ambition Abel had buried deep within him stirred restlessly.
Compared to other options, joining the Donquixote Family was undoubtedly the most suitable choice for his current circumstances.
Seeing Abel remain silent for a long time, his expression shifting repeatedly, Law assumed he was struggling with the decision and said, "This is the path I've chosen. You don't have to come with me."
"Heh, cut it out. Without me, you'd be long dead. Until you repay the two lives you owe me, you'll have to ask for my permission even if you want to kill yourself."
"Uh, you mean..."
"Let's hope the Donquixote Family's recruitment standards aren't too high. If they provide food and lodging, even better."
Finally understanding Abel's answer, Law felt a surge of emotion. He had assumed Abel was making this decision entirely for his sake.
He remained completely unaware that, during his contemplation, Abel had already planned to part ways with him.
"Abel, you..."
"Alright, get some sleep. We need to figure out how to sneak onto the ship tomorrow! We can't stay here any longer."
Abel said irritably, not wanting Law to misunderstand or hear any sappy gratitude.
His earlier answer had been the result of genuine consideration.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the night had deepened.
Abel suddenly opened his eyes and pulled a deck of playing cards from his pocket.
He had specifically sought these out on his way back.
Fortunately, many taverns had card games, so they weren't hard to find.
He casually drew the Ace of Hearts, held it up, and without hesitation used his only skill:
[Magic Card Modification!]
An endless stream of Mental Power poured into the card.
A few seconds later, a soft white light flashed, and the playing card transformed completely.
First, the Ace of Hearts pattern vanished from the front, leaving a blank card.
Second, the original design on the back morphed into a silhouette.
Abel couldn't help but think the silhouette looked exactly like him...
Well, that didn't matter.
What mattered was that after using the skill, the card now had a new name:
[Magic Card: Blank]
[Disposable Item]
[Description: A specially modified card imbued with sealing power.]
[Effect: When the user activates an active skill, they can seal its effects into the Magic Card. (Currently capable of sealing skills up to LV1)]
[Note: Skills exceeding the card's level and certain special skills cannot be sealed.]
Playing with the brand-new Magic Card, Abel's expression turned thoughtful.
"This thing is a lot like those magic scrolls from Western fantasy novels," he mused. "You tear it open, and it unleashes a fireball spell or something... That's probably the idea."
Abel considered himself to have decent comprehension skills, so he figured this was likely the case.
Once he learned other skills, he could create Magic Cards containing them and give them to others to use.
Or even... use them to fulfill Wish Orders!
Abel's eyes suddenly lit up. For example, if someone was in danger, unable to defeat their enemy, and a Wish Order appeared, he could trade them a Magic Card sealed with the 'XX Skill' to help them overcome the crisis.
With this approach, the cost would be practically zero, and the rewards would be so plentiful they'd be overflowing!
But there was one crucial prerequisite: he needed to master some incredibly useful and badass skills beforehand.
Abel glanced at his pitiful skill list, shoved the card into his chest, and thought, "Damn it, time for bed! Anything's possible in dreams!"
That night, Abel dreamed he had learned 99 god-tier skills. He punched Kaido, kicked Big Mom, and descended like a celestial deity to grind that bastard Imu into the ground.
After wiping out all the Celestial Dragons, a horde of beauties—Robin, Nami, Hancock, and more—begged him to father their children.
Faced with such a request, he naturally agreed without hesitation!
Then...
Then Law shook him awake.