In the vast, dimly lit room, Kozuki Sukiyaki faced the two pirates and unbuckled the purple katana from his waist, placing it carefully on the floor before them.
"This is a famed sword of Wano Country," he said, his voice raspy. "The Nidai Kitetsu. It is one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, a cursed blade forged by my ancestors." He slowly drew the sword from its sheath. A chilling, terrifying aura immediately filled the room, seeming to drink the light from the candles. "This blade can prove my identity."
Neither Whitebeard nor Marco doubted him. They could feel the immense power radiating from the sword; it was unquestionably one of the legendary Great Grade blades. However, that wasn't the proof they were waiting for.
"No rush," Marco said, a thin, unreadable smile on his face.
Sukiyaki looked confused. He was about to speak again when a sharp knock came from the heavy door.
"Pops!"
The familiar voice made Sukiyaki's entire body go rigid.
"Come in, Izo."
The door creaked open, and a figure stepped into the reception room. At that moment, the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' 16th Division and the former shogun of Wano Country locked eyes. Time seemed to stand still.
Izo's body began to tremble. His face twisted into a mask of shock, rage, and a joy so painful it looked like grief. He clenched his fists at his sides, taking a single, stumbling step forward before forcing himself to halt. Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face, and a roar tore from his throat.
"Why? Sukiyaki-dono... Why?!" he cried, his voice breaking. "If you were alive, why didn't you help when Oden-dono was in danger? All these years... all these years we suffered! If you had just stepped forward, Wano wouldn't have fallen! Is it true what Kaido said? That you never cared about us? That you never cared about Oden-dono at all?"
Izo's furious, heartbroken questions struck Sukiyaki like physical blows. The old man's face was a canvas of shame. "I'm sorry, Izo. I was imprisoned by Orochi. By the time I managed to escape, Oden was already..."
"Then what have you been doing since?" Izo shot back, his grief turning to fresh anger. "Did you just watch while Kaido captured and executed Hiyori-dono? She's your granddaughter!"
"I'm sorry, Izo," Sukiyaki whispered, unable to meet his eyes. "I had more important things I had to do. I couldn't reveal that I was still alive."
His words completely enraged Izo. "What could possibly be more important than Hiyori-dono and the fate of Wano?"
"I'm sorry," Sukiyaki repeated weakly. "I can't tell you."
The answer seemed to drain all the fight out of Izo. The fury vanished, replaced by a hollow despair. He let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "More important things... Heh heh..."
Nearby, Whitebeard watched the exchange, and his expression hardened with utter disgust. "Alright, that's enough nonsense," he growled. "Your identity is confirmed. Now tell me, why have you come to my territory to find me?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki looked nervously at Marco, then at the broken form of Izo. "Izo, please step outside. I must speak with Whitebeard-dono alone."
Izo's shoulders slumped, and he began to turn away, ready to leave.
"No," Whitebeard's cold voice rang out. "No need. Izo is my child. He is my family. There are no secrets I need to hide from him."
Sukiyaki grew anxious. "But... this matter is of the utmost importance. I can only discuss it with you, Whitebeard-dono."
Whitebeard's patience was gone. "If that's the case, then forget it. I have no interest in wasting my time here. Marco, see him out."
"Wait!" Sukiyaki cried out in desperation. "Whitebeard-dono, this is truly important! It concerns the survival of our entire world!"
The words stunned Marco and Izo, but Whitebeard remained unmoved. "So what?" he said indifferently. "Do you think I care?"
His response left Sukiyaki speechless. Seeing the stalemate, Izo spoke, his voice filled with disappointment. "It's fine, Pops. I'll leave." He dragged his trembling body from the room, closing the door softly behind him.
Sukiyaki then looked expectantly at Marco, but the first commander didn't budge. Whitebeard simply glared at him with contempt. Realizing he had no other choice, Sukiyaki finally stated his purpose.
"Whitebeard-dono, I have come to ask you, for Oden's sake, to help Wano Country drive out Kaido."
The temperature in the room dropped. Marco looked at Sukiyaki as if he were a complete idiot. He couldn't understand where this man found the audacity to ask Pops to start a war with another Yonko.
Whitebeard was done wasting time. "Marco, get him out of here."
"Yes, Pops." Marco immediately walked over, preparing to escort the old man from the ship.
Seeing his chance slipping away, Sukiyaki became frantic. "Please, don't misunderstand, Whitebeard-dono! This isn't for my own sake. It's for Wano and for this entire sea! Kaido has completely occupied the country. If he discovers that thing, not even you will be able to stop him!"
Marco paused mid-step. "Thing? What thing?"
Sukiyaki's body stiffened, and he answered with shame in his voice. "I'm sorry. I cannot tell you. It is a secret Wano Country has guarded for 800 years."
At that, Whitebeard's patience finally snapped. His eyes filled with disdain as he leaned forward. "Let me get this straight. You want me to risk the lives of my sons and go to war with Kaido because of some vague warning you refuse to explain? Hey! Did you misunderstand something? What do you take the lives of my children for?"
"Whitebeard-dono, I know this request is unreasonable," Sukiyaki said anxiously, "but if Kaido truly obtains that thing, it will be too late for everyone!"
Marco asked the obvious question. "If it's that important, why didn't you come to us sooner?"
"Because... because Kaido hadn't taken full control before," Sukiyaki explained. "Orochi didn't know about the existence of that thing. But it's different now. Kaido has occupied all of Wano, and he knows where to look."
Listening to the old man's riddles, Whitebeard simply waved a hand in dismissal. "See him out."
It didn't matter if this "thing" truly concerned the survival of the world. Even if it did, at this moment, Whitebeard didn't care. Unlike Sukiyaki, who had seemingly disregarded his own loved ones to protect a secret, Whitebeard valued his family above all else. Right now, nothing was more important than Ace.
Marco knew the conversation was over. He gave Sukiyaki no more time to argue and firmly escorted him out of the room.
Back on the deck of the Moby Dick, Sukiyaki looked awkwardly at Marco, who stood watching him. His eyes then found Izo standing by the railing. He walked over to the heartbroken samurai.
"Izo," he said, his voice now a desperate plea. "Take me to Red-Hair's territory. Since Whitebeard-dono is unwilling to help, I can only seek aid from Shanks."
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