Chapter 175: Divided Into Four Paths
Under the combined efforts of the Straw Hats, the Heart Pirates, and the Mink Tribe, the Elephant Lord's wounded leg had been wrapped in bandages of truly staggering proportions. The dressing—a patchwork of sails, tarpaulins, and every spare bolt of fabric on Zou—covered the wound like a massive white seal against the ancient creature's grey skin.
"Follow-up treatment and observation, I'll entrust to you." Chopper addressed the goat mink doctor with uncharacteristic gravity.
The goat doctor nodded, his horned head bobbing. "Of course. The Elephant Lord has sustained our people for a thousand years. We will care for it with everything we have."
The deer nurse leaned forward and gave Chopper a long, affectionate lick across his cheek. "Thank you, Doctor Chopper. Karuqiu."
"Doctor Chopper is the greatest doctor in the world~!"
At the sound of "Karuqiu," Chopper's professional composure shattered. His body went rigid. His eyes glazed over. His little hooves began to wave involuntarily. "Bastard~! Saying things like that won't make me happy at all~!"
On the other side of the town, Momonosuke had gathered Kin'emon and Inuarashi for a private conference. The boy's voice still trembled, but his words carried a determination that hadn't been there before.
"I want to stay here. On Zou."
Kin'emon's eyes bulged. "Momonosuke-sama?! Why would you—?!"
"I want to keep trying. To communicate with the Elephant Lord." Momonosuke's small hands clenched at his sides. "I need to understand why it could speak to me. And..." He hesitated. "Did it fight back because I gave the order? I had the thought. In my heart, I wanted to tell it to fight. But I was too scared to say it out loud. So I don't know... did the Elephant Lord feel what I was thinking? Did it act on my unspoken command?"
The questions tumbled out, each one clearly weighing on the boy's mind. Kin'emon opened his mouth to protest—his protective instincts screaming that Momonosuke should stay close, should remain under his direct guardianship—but Inuarashi spoke first.
"I will remain on Zou as well." The Duke's voice was steady. "Let me watch over Momonosuke-sama. Besides... Kaido may strike again. We cannot afford to leave this island undefended. And it would be unwise for all of us to rush into Wano at once. A staggered approach gives us more flexibility."
Kin'emon considered this. The logic was sound. "Very well. That makes sense."
"After some time has passed," Inuarashi continued, "I will escort Momonosuke-sama to Wano personally. We'll reunite with you there."
In the forest on the outskirts of town, Luffy was sprinting at full speed.
"HEY! COCOA CAT VIPER! I'M COMING TO GET YOU!"
His eyes bulged as he rounded a corner. The house where Pekoms had been recuperating was no longer a house. It was a pile of rubble.
"COCOA CAT VIPER! BAKER CAT VIPER! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Luffy dove into the wreckage, hurling chunks of stone and shattered timber aside with desperate strength.
"I'm right beneath your feet."
"Huh?!" Luffy looked down. Beneath his sandals, a turtle shell was wedged between two broken beams. "Cocoa Cat Viper! You're alive!"
Luffy lifted the shell free. Pekoms—having retracted entirely into his turtle form—emerged with a groan. "My name keeps changing. First Cocoa, then Baker, now what?"
"It's amazing!" Luffy said, completely ignoring the name issue. "The whole house collapsed and you're totally fine!"
"Of course! My shell's harder than diamond." Pekoms tapped his chest with a clawed paw. "I can even harden my heart with it, gawu. Otherwise, how could I have survived against that terrifying monster on your crew?"
He shook his head, memories of the Anthem flashing behind his tiny eyes. "If that bastard hadn't attacked us by surprise, I would have definitely—"
"Okay, let's go!" Luffy had already produced a roll of bandages and was wrapping Pekoms to his own back. "TO BIG MOM!"
"Wait." A cold dread crept up Pekoms' spine. "What are you—"
"YOSH! LET'S MOVE!"
Luffy launched himself forward. Pekoms' head cracked against a low-hanging branch.
"OW! I'M WOUNDED! I'M STILL WOUNDED!"
"Oh. Sorry."
"YOU SAY SORRY BUT YOU KEEP RUNNING! GAWU! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
Law's Submarine — Medical Bay
"Collection complete, Itachi-ya. You can sit up now."
Law set down the instrument tray with a satisfied click. The container in his hands held two carefully preserved samples—one from Itachi's cheek, one from the neural tissue behind his eyes.
Itachi sat up, reaching for the chainmail and black coat Law had provided. "I felt nothing. No pain at all."
"Of course not. I'm called the Surgeon of—" Law caught himself. "Anyway. It's fine. Completely fine."
He held up the container, studying the samples with the focused intensity of a man who had just been handed the key to something unprecedented. "Even with a perfectly cloned Mangekyō Sharingan from your genetic material... the probability of achieving the Eternal form is still uncertain. The merger might not take. The eyes might reject each other."
"I understand." Itachi fastened his coat. "I'm not expecting success."
"Good. Because—" Law paused. His eyes, reflected in the glass of the sample container, were burning with barely contained excitement. "—that's what I keep telling myself. Don't hope. Don't expect. But..."
"Your eyes say otherwise."
"...Yes." Law set the container down carefully. "It's not just about cloning your eyes. I have my own work to do. My own limits to surpass."
He reached for Kikoku, his nodachi, and drew it partially from its scabbard. The blade gleamed under the submarine's clinical lights.
"The Straw Hats' strength... it's terrifying. During the fight against Doflamingo, I would have died without Straw Hat-ya's intervention. And your crew keeps growing stronger. You. Zoro-ya. Even that idiot cook."
He sheathed the blade with a sharp click.
"My Devil Fruit ability is approaching its true awakening. I can feel it. Just a little further. Before you return from Whole Cake Island... I need to break through."
"So that's what this is about." Itachi moved toward the door.
"What did you think?"
"I thought you might attempt to clone yourself and then perform some kind of fusion procedure."
Law's eyebrow twitched violently. "Itachi-ya. I believe you've been infected by Straw Hat-ya."
"...Perhaps."
Zou — The Town
The Black Fire Crow descended through the morning mist, depositing Itachi and Law in the town square where the allied forces had gathered. The plan of action had already been decided. Kin'emon stood before the assembled crowd, striking a samurai's pose.
"We shall divide into FOUR paths!"
The four routes were laid out with military precision:
Path One: Nekomamushi would sail for Whitebeard's former territory to locate Marco the Phoenix. If the former First Division Commander could be recruited, his strength would be invaluable.
Path Two: Kin'emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, and the remaining Straw Hats—Zoro, Robin, Franky, and Usopp—would take Law's submarine to Wano Country. Their mission: infiltrate the closed nation, gather intelligence, recruit samurai loyal to the Kozuki cause, and prepare the groundwork for the coming battle.
Path Three: Inuarashi would remain on Zou with Momonosuke. The Duke would defend the island against potential Beast Pirate retaliation while Momonosuke continued his attempts to communicate with the Elephant Lord.
Path Four: Luffy, Itachi, Nami, Chopper, and Brook would form the Sanji Retrieval Team. Their objective: infiltrate Big Mom's territory, extract Sanji, and return before the wedding could take place.
"Then it's settled!" Luffy grinned, already loaded down with enough Mink provisions to feed a small army. "Shishishi!"
Chopper and Brook struck their now-familiar ninja poses. "Rest assured, Itachi-san! We have memorized the primary directive!"
"SNEAK IN! SNEAK IN!"
"...Very good." Itachi's voice was flat. "Let's go."
But as he turned, his eyes caught movement. Pedro and Carrot were standing with Nami. Both were fully equipped for travel.
"Wait. What's this?"
"I'm coming with you." Pedro's voice was calm but firm. "Someone needs to keep an eye on Pekoms. And besides..." His gaze drifted toward the horizon, toward the distant sea where Big Mom's territory lay. "I have my own reasons for wanting to see Whole Cake Island."
"I'm coming too!" Carrot's rabbit ears bounced with barely contained excitement. "Don't worry, Itachilando! I completely understand the principle of stealthy infiltration!"
Her eyes sparkled.
"But also, going to an Emperor's territory sounds really fun and exciting!"
The black lines returned to Itachi's face.
Law placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Bon voyage, Itachi-ya."
The surgeon's voice carried the quiet satisfaction of a man who had made exactly the right decision to withdraw from the Sanji Retrieval Team.
(End of Chapter)
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