Chapter 23

Blackbeard and Sengoku engaged in a fight against each other. Blackbeard was so pissed off that he rampaged around and continuously destroyed the Marine base. With Blackbeard raging, his companions joined in and forced the two ambulatory Admirals to join in the battle. It left all of the Whitebeard pirates free to flee from the island. It seemed like things worked out pretty well for them thanks to Markus upsetting Blackbeard.

Without anyone of significance getting in their way, the pirates soon made it to their ships. There the problem of the ships being stuck in ice became their main concern. Lucky for them, Ace was still alive. He began using his flames to melt the ice and free the ships. Markus joined in and launched Lightning Bolts to blast the ice apart and melt it to free the ships faster. Ace looked over at Markus and gave him a nod of appreciation.

Markus nodded back and continued to fire off shots. Between the two of them, the transformed the large plain of ice into small chunks and freed all of the trapped ships. As they began to sail out of the bay, two surprise guests showed up. The first to arrive came in a large yellow submarine, Trafalgar Law. The second to arrive came in a massive ship that sported a Jolly Roger with three red lines over the left eye, Shanks!

Needless to say, Shanks was pretty surprised at the state of affairs when he arrived. The Whitebeard Pirates were in full retreat without the Marines pursuing them. Then there was Blackbeard still raging in the main plaza. The only major loss to the Whitebeard Pirates had been the loss of Whitebeard himself. There had been other casualties but they were lower-ranking pirates that didn't even get a name in the canon story.

As for Law, he spotted Markus and had a complicated look on his face. Markus had swiftly and easily put an end to Doflomingo's life. Part of him was pretty happy about that, another wished Mingo had suffered more. Seeing Law looking at him, Markus called out, "Give my captain a hand, he's in pretty bad shape." He then turned to look at Jinbe, "Give Luffy to Law! He's a doctor!"

Law looked shocked that Markus knew he was a doctor. After thinking about it, he thought that maybe Markus had some information on him. It didn't matter, either way, Law would be happy to help Markus's Captain out. Jinbe looked concerned about giving Luffy to a pirate such as Law, but he eventually listened to Markus. Markus was one of Luffy's crewmates and wouldn't do anything to harm him. Still, to be safe, Jinbe accompanied Luffy over to Law's submarine.

While that was happening, Shanks was looking around trying to get a handle on the situation. He'd come to put an end to the war but it was already over. There really wasn't anything for him to do now. Still, he kept an eye on Marineford in case any of the Admirals got free and came to cause trouble. His worry was all for naught as Blackbeard was still throwing his temper tantrum and keeping the Marines busy.

Seeing that, Markus did as he promised. He returned to his crates to collect them and pick up Whitebeard's body. It was rather awkward for Markus to carry the gigantic man. His weight wasn't the issue, it was his massive size. To return Whitebeard, Markus located Marco and used Geppo to get to the deck of the ship. He gently set down Whitebeard's body in front of Marco. He kept it wrapped in black cloth. They didn't need to see his condition right now.

Marco and everyone else on the ship had tears in their eyes but they looked at Markus with appreciation. Marco spoke for everyone, "Thank you, Markus. Thank you for returning pops to us."

Markus nodded, "He was a great man. The whole world will feel his loss." He looked Marco in the eyes, "Be careful of Blackbeard. He might act like a petulant child but he has power. A very dangerous power. As do most of his companions. Just be careful, alright?"

Marco nodded, "I'll keep it in mind."

Markus left the Moby Dick and Geppo'd through the air until he arrived near Boa Hancock. He looked down at her from the sky, "Be sure to take care of my Captain."

"Hmph! Don't tell me what to do! I'll do what I want to do! And I want to take care of him!"

Markus chuckled and moved away. His work here was done. Luffy was being taken care of, the war was over, and the Marines couldn't even hope to really call it a victory. If they did, no one would believe them since they'd personally seen the war. Whitebeard might have died but the Marines sacrificed far too much for such a small thing.

Markus continued his walk through the air and arrived in front of Ace. After landing on the ground he narrowed his eyes and practically glared at Ace. Honestly, Markus liked Ace. He was a good man, someone he'd be happy to spend time with. There was a problem though and it needed to be addressed. Ace stared back at Markus as if waiting for something. Markus didn't make him wait long, "You have a problem and you need to fix it. Otherwise, next time, there might not be anyone there to save you. Get control over your anger! Stop letting people provoke you and falling into their traps! If I had been a few seconds later you would have made the sacrifices of your friends and father meaningless! You're not living just for yourself anymore. You carry the hopes and dreams of everyone who died to save you! You're not allowed to die until you've fulfilled those dreams!"

Ace stood up straighter and looked more determined, even as tears silently slid down his cheeks. Seeing his determination, Markus nodded, "Good."

Markus returned to the air once more. As he ran through the air he could hear Ace mutter a small 'thank you.' After gaining some distance, Markus opened his map and looked through his possible destinations. He wanted to take some time to rest so the lightning island was out. That place pretty much forced him to practice or risk something bad happening. After pondering for a bit, he smiled and selected the Alabasta Kingdom.

It'd been a while since he was there and he hoped Crocodiles casino was still open. He didn't need money but playing some games would be nice and relaxing. There were also several nice hotels where he could relax, eat good food, and maybe do some shopping. With his decision made, Markus selected a spot outside of the city and used his Quick Travel once again.

The world turned black in his eyes for one to two seconds before color returned. Markus found himself standing in the desert outside of Rainbase. From the dune he was standing on, he could see that Rainbase was still a thriving city with a gigantic pyramid-shaped casino in the center. He hadn't been one hundred percent certain the casino would still be around but it looked like it was as popular as ever. As he looked over the city, he finally got the notice for completing his quest.

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Unique Quest Commplete!

WAR!

The Marines have invited destruction upon themselves by capturing Ace, oblige them. Do anything and everything in your power to show the Marines that they should never get on your bad side.

Objective 1: Participate in the War (Complete!)

Failure Conditions: Death, Failure to participate

Rewards:

Objective 1: Rewards based on participation, the greater the participation, the greater the rewards

Calculating Rewards:

Achievements: Defeated two Shichibukai, Defeated half of the marines, Defeated all Pacifista, Prevented the Siege Wall from rising, Prevented the death of Ace, Prevented Blackbeard from gaining the Gura Gura no Mi, Aided the escape of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Calculating Rewards...

You have gained:

Skill Book: Legendary Observation Haki

Skill Book: Legendary Armament Haki

Skill Book: Legendary Dominator's Haki

Item: Skill Upgrade Token

Item: Fragment of Pure Gold

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Markus looked over his rewards with a sense of satisfaction. The first three were pretty self-explanatory. The only catch was the relevant skills needed to be mastered before the skill books could be used. He wasn't too far away from mastering his Observation and Armament Haki's but his Dominator's still had a long way to go. As for the last two items, he had a pretty solid idea of what the Skill Upgrade Token would do but the Fragment of Pure Gold, he had no clue what that was. To be on the safe side, he checked both of them out.

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Skill Upgrade Token

This token allows the user to upgrade one skill and evolve it into a more powerful version. This token can only be used to upgrade a mastered skill.

Fragment of Pure Gold

Pure Gold is a precious resource created on the island of Alchemi hundreds of years ago. Pure Gold is capable of halting the aging process of anyone near it, effectively granting eternal youth as well as stopping the spread of any diseases. Pure Gold is so valuable it is said that it could buy the entire world. A word of caution, everyone will wish to obtain this precious treasure for themselves.

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Reading over the descriptions of the two items caused Markus to whistle in surprise. The Skill Upgrade Token was nice but the Fragment of Pure Gold was ungodly. Eternal youth? Who wouldn't want that? With it, he could live for centuries, millennia even. Except, it seemed like he would have to guard it carefully and make sure the secret never got out. Otherwise, the entire world would be after his head, not that most of them weren't already.

He left all of the items inside of his inventory, for now. The only one he could currently use would be the Skill Upgrade Token but his only mastered skills were Meditation, Brawling, and Geppo, none of which he wanted to waste the token on. He'd save it for a more impressive skill in the future. As for the Pure Gold? He didn't want to be eternally sixteen. It would hold more appeal to him once he was a little bit older, maybe in his mid-twenties. That seemed like a good time to stop aging to him.

He may not have gotten his hands on the Gura Gura no Mi, but he was plenty happy with the rewards from his quest. Now it was time to relax and blow off some steam. Before heading into the city, he dug out some local attire from within his inventory and wrapped himself up in it. No need to stick out like a sore thumb by wearing a black leather jacket on a desert island! Once he was prepared, he made his way into Rainbase.

While he was walking through the streets and looking for a high-class hotel to get some sleep in, he contemplated visiting Vivi. It'd been a few months since they left Alabasta and he wondered how she was doing. He might not have been super close to her but she was still a friend. That being the case, he felt like he should check in on her while he was nearby. It could wait though, he wanted to get some sleep. It had been a long and tiring day of constant highs. Once he found a nice hotel, Markus paid for a full week's stay and retired to his room. He didn't wake up until the following morning.

After waking up the following day, Markus felt refreshed and relaxed. For the next two years, he could do whatever he wanted. He'd already completely derailed the future events from the canon story by killing Doflamingo so anything he knew of the future was now moot. He wasn't worried about it. His knowledge of the future ended at around the time Luffy and the others fought Big Mom. After that, everything was a mystery. He would need to head to Dressrosa and handle the rest of Mingo's crew, but other than that he didn't have any definitive plans. He'd just play it by ear.

He enjoyed a lavish breakfast then left the hotel to find a barber that was recommended to him. He hadn't had a haircut since he woke up on that island in the East Blue. It was long past time for him to get one. The place that was recommended to him was a nice high-class barber filled with beautiful people, both workers, and customers. Markus, wearing plain casual clothing, stood out like a sore thumb among them. Fortunately, there was no cliche development of people sneering at him or looking down on him.

The wait for a barber wasn't very long and when it was finally his turn, he described how he wanted his head of bushy hair dealt with. When the barber was finished twenty minutes later, his somewhat long spiky hair had been completely transformed. Markus had gone for a nice fade haircut with the longer top portion naturally spiking up.

After the haircut, he bought a few new outfits and switched into one of them. He sported a pair of nice leather shoes, slacks, a button-up shirt, and a nice tie. If it was his old world, he would be dressed in business casual wear. Feeling nice with his new haircut and comfortable clothes, he made his way into the casino.

The building was almost exactly as he remembered. There were some minor changes to the games here and there but otherwise, it was the same. Losing Crocodile didn't seem to have any effect on the place. Since he wanted to relax and money wasn't a problem, Markus decided to play some poker. It would be more of a thrill than constantly winning at roulette or some other similar game.

He spent the entire game playing at one table against the same people. Every player had to pay a million Belly to join the game and continued to play until they went bust. The last player standing took everything, minus a ten percent cut to the house. Markus wasn't the best player, the game was full of ups and downs until he went bust. Still, he was proud of himself. It was his first time playing high stakes poker and he managed to make it into the top four.

As he was leaving the casino in a pretty good mood, he looked around and scanned the casino. It seemed like everyone was either having a great time or lamenting their loses. As he enjoyed the atmosphere of the casino, his eyes happened to pass over a unique looking man at the roulette table. The moment Markus spotted the man, he froze while his eyes widened in surprise.

The man was large in both height and girth. He stood near ten feet tall and towered over most of the people around him, making him easy to spot. He had short dark hair, a mustache, and a beard. As for clothing, he wore a light-purple yukata held closed with a dark-purple belt. In his left hand, he held a sword known as a Shimizu, also known as a swordstick. But his most defining feature was the scars over his eyes with a distinct X-shape to them that had permanently blinded him.

Issho!

Better known as Fujitora after he joined the Marines during the World Military Draft. Right now he was just a civilian, a very powerful civilian. Markus's eyes began to shine as he looked at Issho playing at the roulette table. He'd been trying to figure out which Devil Fruit to use for his second one and there was one of the more powerful Paramecia types right in front of him. There was more to it though.

Right now, Markus had the Goro Goro no Mi, it gave him access to electricity. It was one of the fundamental forces of nature. Issho had the Zushi Zushi no Mi and it gave him control over gravity, another one of the fundamental forces of nature. If he could get his hands on Issho's Devil Fruit he would control two of the four fundamental forces of nature! Not only that, having control over gravity would give Markus access to more utility skills and more diverse abilities. It was much more appealing than a Devil Fruit that would just enhance what he already had.

This opportunity could not be missed! Markus calmed himself down before approaching the roulette table. He wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight with Issho right here and now. Even if he wasn't a Marine Admiral, he was still a very powerful man who could use his Devil Fruit and his Haki with ease. Rashly picking a fight in public would not end well. He needed to wait for an appropriate time.

To make sure he didn't lose Issho, Markus decided to play a few rounds of roulette and surreptitiously place a tag on him. After that, he could track Issho and figure out how to get his Devil Fruit from him. Killing Issho wasn't an option, he was a decent man with proper morals and principles. Thankfully, he still had his second dose of the Devil Fruit Extraction serum. So, his two choices were to beat Issho unconscious or somehow get him to agree to willingly give up his Devil Fruit. Odds were that the latter option was likely impossible.

While thinking about what he should do, Markus played a few rounds of roulette, losing on purpose while noting that Issho won more than he lost. After a while, Markus started to copy Issho's bets. He started to win more and acted like he was excited and happy with each win. After winning a few rounds, he congenially extended his hand toward Issho, "Man, you're an amazing gambler! Thanks to you I've won a fair bit!"

Despite Issho's large frame and intimidating looks, he was actually a kind and soft-spoken man most of the time. When Markus extended his hand to him, Issho returned the gesture. Markus was surprised to note a bit of a blush on the man's face as they shook hands, "You give me too much credit young man."

Just as Markus could gauge Issho's strength though his Haki, Issho could gauge Markus's. They both knew how powerful the other was, but since there was no hostility, there was no problem. Markus used the handshake as an opportunity to tag Issho so he wouldn't lose him. As they shook hands, Markus asked, "How long do you plan to stay in Alabasta? I'd love to gamble with you some more!" He grinned broadly, "If you let me gamble with you, I'll provide the money."

As a gambling enthusiast, Issho was immediately interested and it showed clearly, "I only plan to stay a couple of days before moving on. I wouldn't mind doing some gambling and making a new friend."

Markus was truly happy at this moment. He knew some of Issho's personality but spending some time with the man would give him more insight and possibly lead to a non-violent method to obtain his Devil Fruit. After shaking hands, Markus casually spoke, "I'll meet you here tomorrow afternoon, if that's alright with you."

Issho nodded in response. With nothing left to do at the casino, Markus left and made his way back to his hotel room. Starting tomorrow he would spend some time with Issho. He was actually looking forward to it.