Whenever Arashi looked at Bepo, he couldn't help thinking of Carrot, the Mink who absolutely loved carrots.
Especially her Sulong form on the night of a full moon.
The image had left a deep impression on him—wild, cool, and unbelievably awesome.
Well... except for the transformation process itself, which was a little less than elegant.
Otherwise, it would have been perfect.
Since Bepo was a Mink too, he should also be able to transform under the full moon, right?
Eh, whatever.
Whether this silly bear transformed or not wasn't important.
Even if Bepo did transform, he'd still just be a bear.
And a male bear at that.
Arashi definitely didn't have that kind of hobby.
Old Wolf was brought aboard the Traveler.
Although Law already knew how to use the Op-Op Fruit, he clearly hadn't fully developed its capabilities yet.
As a result, Arashi personally treated the old inventor's injuries.
By the time Old Wolf finally fell asleep under Arashi's care, daylight had already broken.
Law and his three companions sat squatting on the deck of the Traveler.
Aside from Law, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin all looked visibly nervous.
Although Law was only fifteen or sixteen years old, he already possessed much of the demeanor he had in the original story.
Calm.
Reserved.
Cool-headed.
The only thing missing was the stubble.
After finishing the treatment, Arashi walked out onto the deck.
Looking at the four juvenile delinquents squatting there, he couldn't help smiling.
They reminded him of himself and his friends back in middle and high school, sitting around basketball courts after class.
Dragging over a chair, Arashi sat down opposite them and casually crossed one leg over the other.
"Why don't you all get some rest?"
Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin immediately shook their heads.
Law, however, raised his head and stared directly at Arashi.
"Who exactly are you?"
"A traveler."
Arashi frowned slightly.
"Didn't you see the name painted on my ship?"
"This should be our first meeting."
Law slowly stood up.
His eyes never left Arashi.
"But Bepo told me something."
"He said you came here for another reason."
"You want to take me as your disciple."
"Oh?"
Arashi glanced toward Bepo.
Seeing the bear quickly lower his head guiltily, Arashi smiled.
"That's right."
"I came here for another reason as well."
"I was entrusted by an old friend to make you my disciple."
"An old friend?"
Law's pupils narrowed slightly.
"Yes."
Arashi nodded.
"Unfortunately, that friend is no longer alive."
Seeing Law's reaction, Arashi immediately felt hopeful.
Naturally, there was no such entrusted mission.
After failing to come up with any good solutions the previous night, he'd thought of the one person who had the greatest influence on Law.
Corazon.
Before meeting Corazon, Law's heart had been twisted by everything he'd experienced.
But Corazon had slowly changed him.
In the end, Corazon had even sacrificed his own life to protect him.
To Law, Corazon wasn't merely a benefactor.
He was a beacon of light in an otherwise dark life.
"You mean..."
Before Law could finish, Arashi immediately nodded.
"Yes."
"Corazon."
"He was my childhood companion."
"Later, he joined the Marines and infiltrated the Donquixote Family."
"As for me, I traveled the Four Blues."
"You—"
Law's eyes widened in disbelief.
Arashi had not only spoken Corazon's name.
He had also revealed his identity as a Marine operative and undercover agent.
Law was so shocked that he almost lost control of his expression.
"I..."
"Why did Corazon never mention you?"
"How old were you back then?"
Arashi narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone as calm as ever.
"Law, do you really think I came all the way here with such a clear objective just to travel?"
"No."
"Before Corazon died, he sent me a letter."
"He asked me to find you."
"He wanted me to raise you into someone capable of standing on your own."
"When you ate the Op-Op Fruit, did he tell you that once you ate it, you had to be prepared to make enemies of the entire world?"
"You... how do you know that?!"
Law was completely shaken.
He remembered those exact words.
And he was absolutely certain that when Corazon had said them, nobody else had been present.
Any lingering doubts in his heart began to crumble.
Although Corazon had never mentioned a friend named Arashi, there was no way an outsider could know such details.
After a long silence, Law took a deep breath.
His tone softened noticeably.
"So you're really Corazon's friend?"
"Then why do you think I know things that only Corazon and you should know?"
Leaning back in his chair, Arashi revealed a mysterious smile.
"Don't you want revenge against Doflamingo?"
"For Corazon?"
"..."
Law fell silent.
"Let's be honest."
"With your current strength, forget killing Doflamingo."
"You wouldn't even get the chance to stand in front of him."
"And even if you did..."
"Could you kill him?"
"I..."
Of course Law wanted revenge.
Ever since Corazon's death, he'd thought about it countless times.
He had even planned to leave Swallow Island someday and seek out Doflamingo himself.
But Arashi was right.
At his current level, he wasn't remotely qualified.
Still unwilling to accept it, Law looked up stubbornly.
"If you're Corazon's friend, then why don't you avenge him yourself?"
"Why don't you go kill Doflamingo?"
Arashi simply smiled.
"I have no obligation to."
"Corazon died as a Marine operative."
"He died carrying out a mission."
"That was public duty, not a private grudge."
"But you're different."
"You do have an obligation."
"Because Corazon gave his life to protect you."
"So your responsibility is to become stronger."
"Strong enough to challenge Doflamingo."
"Of course, if you rely solely on yourself, even ten more years won't be enough."
"More importantly, because of the Op-Op Fruit, Doflamingo won't be your only enemy."
"The whole world will covet your power."
A brief pause followed.
Then Arashi stood up and walked directly in front of Law.
The gentle smile vanished from his face.
His expression became serious.
"But now I'm here."
He looked straight into Law's eyes.
"Become my disciple, Trafalgar Law."
"I'll give you three days to think about it."
"Three days from now—"
"If you kneel before me and call me Master..."
"Then you will become unimaginably powerful."
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