Kaito left Minion Island and returned to Swallow Island immediately. As for Drake, he didn't care if the boy ended up in Marine SWORD or not.
Returning to Corazon, he appeared suddenly beside him. "I have it."
Corazon was startled by his sudden appearance. "Can you stop doing that?"
Kaito smiled but didn't reply.
Corazon shook his head, then his expression turned serious. "Are you going to let Law eat it?"
"Yeah. I told you I don't break promises."
Corazon stayed silent for a while. "Can I talk to him?"
"Yeah," Kaito said, taking out a black Den Den Mushi and dialing a number.
"Hey," Crow answered.
"Hey, I need to talk to the kid," Kaito said after the greeting.
"...Okay."
After a moment, Law's voice came through. "Hey, do you need something? I'm kind of busy."
"Law, how are you doing?" Corazon asked.
"Cora-san?" Law said, surprised. "It's good to hear your voice. Is the treatment working?"
"Yeah," Law said, but his voice sounded distant.
Corazon seemed to notice. "Is there something wrong, Law? Tell me."
"I'm fine... but I don't think I can join the Marines with you."
"Eh? Hahahaha! Is that what you're worried about? I myself don't think I can return to the Marines anymore."
Kaito frowned from the side. He could feel that Corazon wasn't lying.
"Really?" Law asked, surprised. "You aren't going back?"
"Yeah. I think I've hung onto the moment my brother killed our father for too long. I forgot to live my life. I've never been as happy as I was these past few months with you, Law. So, I don't think I'll return to the Marines."
"Great! Then after I finish my treatment, I'll come join you."
"No, Law. I think I need to travel a bit by myself to see the world. When I decide what to do, I'll call you."
Law remained silent for a while, then said, "Okay."
"Then, I'll go now. I hope you get better soon, Law."
"Goodbye."
Corazon hung up and cried for a while.
After he was done, Kaito asked, "Do you really plan to leave the Marines?"
"Yeah, I do. But I have to make two phone calls first."
Corazon took out his Den Den Mushi and dialed a number.
Mushi Mushi. "Hey, Garp! Don't eat all of my senbei!"
"Hey, it's me," Corazon said with a heavy tone.
"Corazon?! Where have you been?"
"Yeah, I was wandering around, doing something."
Sengoku noticed Corazon's unusual tone. "Is there something going on?"
"Yeah. I plan to leave the Marines."
"What?!" Sengoku exclaimed.
"What's wrong, Sengoku?" Garp's voice came from the phone.
"Garp, leave for now," Sengoku said. After a moment, his voice returned. "What is going on, Corazon? What do you mean you're leaving the Marines? Why so suddenly?"
"I've actually been thinking about it for a while. I feel like I've been hung up on my brother for too long. I've decided to stop."
"...Did you forget how evil your brother is?"
"Maybe he is evil, but I can see now that there are many evils in the world, and I can't stop them all."
Sengoku was taken aback. Corazon seemed entirely different. He tried once more. "What's going on? You seem different. Did Doflamingo threaten you? If you're exposed, I can extract you."
"No, I'm very far from Doflamingo. No one is threatening me."
"Then are you telling me you'll let your brother destroy your father's ideals? Is that what he would want?"
Kaito smiled. Sengoku seemed unusually irritated. There's definitely something fishy going on.
"Before my brother killed our father, his last words were, 'Sorry, your father has been very naive.' I always thought he was talking about wanting to live with civilians, but maybe that wasn't the case. Where would civilians get the courage to attack a Celestial Dragon—a former one, but one nonetheless? It doesn't make sense, does it?"
Sengoku was taken aback, a thought forming. "You don't mean...?" He couldn't continue; it was a line he could never cross.
"Yeah. I don't have any evidence, so I've stopped being hung up on it. I also think that whatever Father wanted, he would never want to see us plotting against each other. So, I've decided to live for myself from now on and see the world that Father gave up his status for."
Sengoku knew he couldn't change his mind. "So, what are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet. But I wasn't happy in the Marines. I plan to find what makes me happy and do it."
Sengoku stayed silent, then said, "Take care, son."
Corazon felt slightly bitter but didn't change his mind. "Thank you for everything you've done for me."
He hung up. After taking a few seconds to calm down, he dialed another number.
Kucha.
"Corazon?"
"Yeah, brother. It's me."
"...You are really Corazon?"
"You should have guessed my identity by now, right?"
"Zehahaha! So you really betrayed me, too, like fat—"
"Shut up, Doffy! Don't say his name!"
"...Is that the reason? Do you think what he did to us didn't warrant death?"
"You fool! You were his son! He would have given his life for us; you were a part of him, but you killed him! You keep repeating that he betrayed you, but wasn't he there with us, crying for our mother, begging people not to kill us? You just couldn't handle that it wasn't about you. You think everything in the world must be about the great Doflamingo! Those with you have filled your head with so much shit that it's oozing from your brain! Get off your high horse and see what you've become! How a demon like you was born from the same parents as me, I have no idea."
"..." Doflamingo was flabbergasted. As he tried to organize his thoughts, Corazon continued.
"Aaaaaah! I feel completely relieved to have said what's been in my heart all these years! I called to speak my mind and tell you I've quit the Marines. It's not because I forgive you—I don't. I just know I can't kill you, even though I hate you, because I might become like you. So, I've decided to stop living my life defined by my hatred for you."
Doflamingo stayed silent for a long time, then said, "Do you think I'll let you go after knowing you've been betraying me all these years?"
"Hahahaha! As expected! You can't see that you've done anything wrong because acknowledging that you wronged me for killing our father would mean acknowledging you feel guilty for killing your father! Did you forget your family's slogan? 'I will never forgive anyone who hurts my family.' But what about other people's families? What about your father, whose name you used for your group? I sometimes wonder how you can hate someone so much yet use the name you inherited from him. If you killed him, then deny his name, too! Or is it that you still feel guilty about something?"
Kusha.
Corazon noticed the line had disconnected. He turned to Kaito, who was looking at him strangely.
"What?"
"Was all of that in your heart?" Kaito asked.
Corazon shook his head. "After talking with you, I started to rethink my choices because I didn't want to be manipulated again. The more I thought about it, the more I disliked what I saw. To start fresh, I decided to vent everything in my heart. Now, whatever I do, my heart won't be shaken easily."
"Okay, fair enough. But I think your brother was so angry he crushed the Den Den Mushi in his fist."
Corazon smiled. "Do you think I hit a nerve?"
"I hope you never find out."
Meanwhile, at Spider Miles...
Doflamingo's Conqueror's Haki unleashed at full power, veins bulging on his forehead. The three commanders present were silent; they had never seen him so angry.
After a while, he started to laugh. "Corazon was the one informing the Marines about our movements."
"Nih nih, Doffy! Do you want us to find him?"
"No. I never considered him part of us anyway. But it's interesting to hear that crying kid grew defiant. He even left the Marines. Looks like he met someone who affected him deeply. Until I find out who gave him the courage to go against me, it's better to leave it be."
"What should we do now, Doffy?" asked Diamante. "You wanted Corazon to eat the Ope Ope no Mi to perform the immortal surgery on you. With his betrayal, do we still try to locate the seller?"
"Of course. We almost found out who it was, but it seems Cipher Pol started taking action, and the leads are getting lost."
"Sorry, Doffy," Trebol said. "It was Corazon who usually found this kind of information."
"Yeah, now it makes sense why a guy who couldn't talk always had such good intel. He'd entice us, then tell the Marines. I can smell Sengoku's hand in this from a mile away," Doflamingo said.
"But Doffy, what do you think happened to Law?" Pica asked.
"That's the most puzzling thing. He left his mission, knowing he'd risk exposure to save him, probably without the Marines' knowledge. But now he doesn't care anymore?"
"Nuh nuh, do you think he found out about the fruit?" Trebol asked, looking unsure.
"Then why call me to say he left the Marines? That doesn't sound like him," Doflamingo said, thinking.
A few hours passed as they discussed the situation. Suddenly, a Den Den Mushi started ringing.
Beru beru beru.
Doflamingo turned his head; it was the secret line.
"Hey, Vergo."
"Young Master, there's news. The pirates who had the Ope Ope no Mi were raided by a masked man, believed to be the one who attacked Mary Geoise a few years ago."
"What?!" Doflamingo asked, confused.
"The pirate captain was once a Marine dismissed after the Mary Geoise attack. He reported it because he hates that guy, and they've never found a clue about his identity."
"Did he act alone?"
"They didn't see anyone else."
"Mmmmm, okay. Tell me if you find something else."
"What is going on, Doffy?"
"I don't know. Is it a coincidence, or does Corazon know that guy?"
Returning to Swallow Island...
Kaito asked Corazon, "What are you planning to do?"
"I'm going to travel for a while."
"Try to hide your identity. They might come after you to find me, as I was recognized during the attack."
Corazon looked confused. "You didn't kill anyone who saw you?"
Kaito told him what happened.
"What an asshole! You should have killed him."
"I don't want to make unnecessary enemies. If I'd killed his father, I'd have to kill him, too, to prevent future trouble. That's not something I'm willing to do."
Corazon nodded after a while. "Okay, I understand. I'll be careful."
Kaito thought for a moment, then took out training manuals for Observation Haki and Rokushiki and gave them to Corazon. "Take these. They'll be helpful. Try to master them."
"Thank you. I guess this is goodbye for now, then."
"Yeah. I hope you find what you're looking for. Call if you need anything."
After saying that, Kaito disappeared.
"Thank you," Corazon said in a low voice, then began to sail away.
Kaito returned to the Revolutionary Army's medical island.
"Hey, Crow. How's the kid doing?"
"He's doing great. He can join our cause. Mostly out of revenge for what happened to him, but he's also starting to want to make a difference."
"That's good, because I have a Devil Fruit here for him that will greatly help your cause."
Crow was taken aback. "What kind of fruit is it?"
"The healing kind, Crow. The healing kind," Kaito said as he went inside to where Law was.
"Hey, Law. Eat this." Kaito shoved the Ope Ope no Mi into Law's mouth as soon as he opened it to say hello.
Gulp. "Kugh, kugh! What the hell was that?!" Law asked after swallowing the fruit.
Kaito smiled. "A game-changer. That's the fruit Corazon wanted you to eat."
Law was taken aback. He put his hand on his body. "Heal my Amber Lead syndrome!"
That immediately earned him a slap from Kaito.
"I told you before, you idiot! The fruit only creates a room. What you can do inside it depends on your medical knowledge. Try to activate it again."
"...Hahaha, I just forgot," Law said, embarrassed. He had always heard Corazon say Devil Fruits were like magic.
Ahem. "Room!" Law said, coughing to ease his embarrassment.
A spherical layer spread out with Law at its center, but it was only a few meters wide.
Kaito, standing outside it, said, "This room makes you a medical wonder. Its limits are only your imagination and knowledge. Any medical device's function can be imitated, with the information transmitted directly to your brain. The Ope Ope no Mi is like a single device that combines an MRI scanner, a robotic surgery system, a radiation therapy machine, and more. The more you understand medicine, the more you can do."
"It's said the fruit's ultimate ability is to cure death, perhaps through regenerative medicine. The cost is the user's life. For people like Doflamingo and the Celestial Dragons, they don't care what happens to the doctor. That's why having this fruit means being chased by the whole world. But in my opinion, that's its worst ability. To use it, the user would have to be the ultimate doctor, capable of saving the world. Letting them die for one person is the ultimate stupidity."
Law heard his words and, after thinking, asked, "How do I activate those abilities?"
"Think like a surgeon in an operating room. You need knowledge and then clear instructions. 'Scalpel,' 'suction,' 'clamp.' You need to issue orders."
Law tried again. "Scan my body!"
His eyes widened. "It really works!" But immediately after, the room shrank, and he fell to his knees, exhausted.
"Oh, right. Any fruit depends on the user's stamina. Yours drains it faster because every move is like activating a powerful device. You should work on that."
"You should have said that earlier, you bastard!" Law said as he lay down, unconscious.
Kaito smiled and turned to the new arrivals: Dragon, Kuma, Ivankov, and Crow.
"What do you think?"
"Hehaw! What an incredible fruit! How did you find out about it?" Ivankov asked.
"I started searching for fruits that could grant immortality. I looked into all the fruits with medical or healing purposes and saw the description for this one. I noticed the ability description in the book and the known abilities were different. After investigating, I thought that if the World Government wanted this 'ultimate medical fruit' so badly, it must be more than just a cure, since they don't care about that."
"This fruit is fantastic. With it, Ginny and Bonney could be cured in no time," Dragon said, though he had doubts about Kaito's story.
Kuma also had his reservations. How did Kaito have such precise information when the Revolutionary Army, with its wide network, had never heard of it? But in the end, he said, "He will be a great addition to the cause."
Kuma went to Law and put his hand on him. Immediately, a large, translucent, claw-shaped sphere emerged from Law's body.
"Wait," Kaito said. "I want to see how exhausted he was." He put his hand inside the sphere. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and looked at the waking Law, speechless.
"Hey, is this really the stamina of a 13-year-old? It'd be more believable if he was three years old."
Kuma looked at Law and asked, "Are you alright?"
Law was confused, seeing the new people. "Who are you? Didn't I pass out from exhaustion? What's going on?"
Dragon spoke to him. "I am Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army. These are my companions." He then introduced the others and explained their cause.
Law stayed silent for a while, then turned to Kaito. "Why does it seem like you aren't part of them?"
Kaito paused before answering. "I'm going to find a different path for myself. The Revolutionary Army has great ideals, but I think the answers I'm looking for will be found in piracy."
Law frowned. "Then why are you helping them?"
"Because we share the same goal. These people want to make a difference, and that's reason enough for me to help."
Law was silent again before finally saying, "You have all been good to me. I know I can never repay you, so I won't lie and claim I share your grandiose dream. I want revenge. I will try to help your cause to the best of my ability, and if that is good enough, I'm in. But I will leave someday to be with Cora-san. So, will you still allow me to join?"
Dragon looked at Kaito, who explained everything that had happened.
"Doflamingo was really a Celestial Dragon?" Kuma asked in astonishment.
"Hehaw! I have never heard of such a thing! How can that be?" Ivankov exclaimed in surprise.
"I always thought they were all scumbags. There are truly many wonders on the sea," Crow said in disbelief.
Dragon was also surprised, but after calming down, he inquired, "Why don't we invite Corazon to join us?"
Kaito spoke in a stern voice. "You can't do that. It's one thing for Vice Admiral Garp's son to form the Revolutionary Army. It's a completely different matter for Corazon, who is Sengoku's adopted son. While Garp is a Marine, he never hid his true thoughts; he just doesn't announce them out loud. Not to mention, he is a Marine hero and from the 'D.' family, so they have to give him considerable leeway. Sengoku, however, is the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. Corazon was also a Celestial Dragon. The two of you joining hands would essentially call the entire Marine organization into question."
Dragon's eyes narrowed. "Are you worried about them?"
Kaito was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No. I don't think even the five Elders combined could stop Garp alone. That guy is a total monster, one of the strongest people in the world. I just think it's because of Garp's existence that the World Government doesn't take excessive action against you. You are all known figures with personal relationships to many people. The World Government would not hesitate to kidnap and torture those people if they thought you were too great a risk."
Dragon thought for a while, then nodded. "Okay, let's not discuss this for now. We'll see what Corazon decides to do in the future. Perhaps we can find a way for him to assist us unofficially, acting as an undercover asset or something."
"That actually makes sense," Kaito conceded.
Dragon turned his head, only to see everyone looking at him with shocked faces.
"What's wrong with you all?" he asked.
"You are Hero Garp's son??!!" they all yelled in unison.
Dragon was taken aback for a second, then turned to look at Kaito.
Kaito met his gaze and explained, "Master Koshiro said your name was Monkey D. Dragon. I connected the dots with Monkey D. Garp."
Dragon thought for a moment and nodded. He turned back to the others. "That's true, but it's not important. The old man would show us absolutely no mercy because of our relationship. So don't think too much about it." His tone indicated the matter was closed.
They still had questions, but knowing Dragon did not wish to answer them now, they kept their thoughts to themselves.