74 Chapter 10

Markus held off on firing his Lightning Blast at Rosward and focused his attention on Rayleigh. Rayleigh was an older gentleman with white hair down to his shoulders, a white goatee, and round glasses. He sported a nifty scar over his right eye that, when added with his strong frame, gave him a somewhat fierce look. As far as clothing went, he was wearing a simple t-shirt and plain pants. He didn't dress flashy but he didn't really need to.

As he walked out of the hole ripped into the wall, Rayleigh sent out a wave on Conquerors Haki that knocked all of the civilians and Rosward unconscious. His sharp gaze swiveled to Markus and focused on him. Markus felt like a little fish in front of a shark beneath that gaze. Rayleigh grinned broadly, "'Silvers' D. Markus, I've been looking forward to meeting you and your captain."

Markus could hear the air quotes around his last name in Rayleigh's words. He'd honestly never been this afraid in his life. If he said or did the wrong thing he could easily turn Rayleigh into an enemy and that's one enemy he never wanted to have! Markus did his best to maintain a neutral look as he spoke, "Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"

Rayleigh seemed to be surprised at the question but it didn't last long as he crossed his arms over his chest and began to emit an imposing aura, "Me? You don't know me? You should. I'm Rayleigh, Silvers Rayleigh. Your grandfather."

Markus didn't have to pretend to be surprised. Hearing 'Your grandfather' out of Rayleigh's mouth really did floor him. He was truly shocked and it showed when the electricity around his body fizzled out and he stared at Rayleigh with his mouth gaping open. Rayleigh smirked at the clear shock on Markus's face before he continued, "At least if you're not lying about your name, I should be your grandfather. You're too young to possibly be my kid."

Markus stuttered, "M-my n-name really is Silvers D. Markus... It has been for my whole life."

The two of them continued to ignore the commotion of the marines, pirates, and civilians outside as Rayleigh continued their chat, "I see. And who gave you that name?"

Markus shrugged his shoulders, "My father, I assume. I've never met him though. I was raised by my old man. Though, nearly a year ago I was abandoned on an island in the East Blue. After that, I met up with Luffy and joined his crew. My old man never told me if I had relatives one way or the other."

"Oh?"

Rayleigh tilted his head back, "I did get around quite a bit in my younger days so it's not impossible that I have a few kids running around out there somewhere. But..." His eyes focused on Markus again, "I didn't usually tell them my last name. Though, I suppose your grandmother could have seen my bounty poster at some point and given my name to your mother or father."

Rayleigh shrugged his shoulders, "Well, given everything you've done and can do, it seems likely that you're my grandson." He finally turned his gaze away from Markus to look at Law, Kid, and their crews. Almost all of which had managed to resist his blast of Haki, "Sorry about that, looks like you're all pirates hanging around to watch, eh? And if you took that blast without issue... I guess you're not amateurs either."

Law and Kid both recognized Rayleigh for who he was but their attention kept flipping between him and Markus. Not only did they meet the legendary first mate of Gol D. Roger, but they also met his grandson! Markus had already been on their radar due to his excessive bounty. They'd had some doubts but knowing his lineage, they understood it wasn't excessive at all and was, instead, fitting. Law looked back to Rayleigh, "To think we'd run into a man like you in a place like this..."

Kid had a rather vicious looking smile on his face, "'Dark King' Silvers Rayleigh! Ain't no mistaking you... What's a legend like you doing here?"

Rayleigh just let out a soft sigh, "Here on this island, I just go by 'Coating Engineer Ray.' I wouldn't go throwing that name around too much. I'm an old man now, I'd rather live a peaceful life."

As he finished speaking, a loud voice coming from a Den Den Mushi equipped with a loudspeaker filled the room, "Criminals! We suggest you hurry up and release Saint Rosward and his family immediately! An admiral will be here any minute! So you'd be best off surrendering yourselves right away! There's no telling what'll happen if you don't! DAMN ROOKIES!"

Law chuckled, "Looks like we're involved whether we like it or not."

Kid shook his head, "I'm not exactly complaining but I sure ain't sticking around to fight it out with an admiral!"

Rayleigh seemed unconcerned, "By the way, I won't be using that 'power' I just used any more. It's up to you guys now. It would be irritating if the marines caught on to who I really am."

Kid started making his way to the exit but before he could speak, Markus spoke up, "No problem pops. I can handle all of them with ease."

Rayleigh jumped at being called 'pops' while Kid and Law looked at Markus with a bit of interest. They'd seen him fry the children of Rosward so they felt like they had some understanding of his power. They had no idea how little they really understood. Markus hopped off of the stage and used Soru to get in front of Kid. He pulled his hood up as he spoke, "I'll knock them all down. You guys can leave at your leisure after that."

Markus walked to the doors of the auction house and flung them open. In front of him was a small army of marines with an array of mortars aimed right at him. The leader's eyes widened, "Shit! It's the 'Thunder Beast!'"

Markus smirked and launched his Dominator's Haki. He stuck with just the regular version to knock out the marines. He'd learned his lesson since the events at Enies Lobby and wouldn't indiscriminately kill marine foot soldiers anymore. As the pressure wave of his Dominator's Haki rippled out the marines began to fall over in droves. Markus looked over his shoulder to see a rather proud looking Rayleigh, "Hoh? I knew you could use Armament and Observation but even this? Definitely related to me!"

He didn't know why but hearing Rayleigh say that made Markus feel... proud. He puffed his chest out a little bit and stood with even more confidence. Law and Kid just looked at the marines before shaking their heads and leaving with their crews. As they left, Law gave Markus a searching look one last time. As they left, Rayleigh looked at Markus, "You should gather your friends and meet me at grove thirteen."

After speaking, Rayleigh vanished from visible sight and moved quickly across the island. Markus looked in the direction he was moving and smiled. Rayleigh might be in his sixties and possibly not as strong as he was in his prime but he was definitely a powerhouse still. Markus focused and found the tags he'd placed on his friends. They were still split into two groups and crowded around each other. He could hear Luffy shouting about needing to go save Ace.

While he'd been inside of the auction house, the Marines had airdropped a bunch of papers that essentially declared war on Whitebeard by publicly executing Ace in just a few days. He could also hear combat breaking out all over the island. Pacifista Robots modeled after Kuma were attacking the pirates, especially Kid and Law.

Not far from himself, he sensed Zoro wandering around while muttering in confusion. He was complaining that the ship wasn't where it was supposed to be. According to him, the ship was docked at grove one, where Markus and the auction house currently were. He'd mistaken or misremembered that their ship was docked in grove forty-one. Markus shook his head and dashed to Zoro's location, "Oi, is it possible for you to NOT get lost, Zoro?"

Zoro glared at Markus, "I'm not lost! The ship is lost! You're lost!"

Markus laughed and stepped up to Zoro to place a hand on his shoulder, "Sure, sure, the whole world is lost."

He didn't wait for Zoro's reply before gripping his shoulder tightly and using Soru to drag Zoro with him. He could hear the sound of Zoro screaming over the sound of the wind. It brought a smile to his face. Soon, they arrived in front of Nami and Robin out on their shopping spree, "Nami, Robin, You need to go to grove thirteen right now, an Admiral is coming and we'll find a friend there. I'll keep an eye on you guys so head to Shakky's place. Also, make sure this one doesn't get lost."

Robin and Nami looked shocked and seemed to want to ask questions but Markus didn't give them the time to. He vanished as a bolt of lightning and traveled to where Luffy and the rest were, "Luffy!"

Luffy jumped and started yelling, "Markus! They got Ace! We have to go save him!"

Markus pat him on the shoulder, "We will, but first we need to get moving. Something happened and the marines are on their way, along with an Admiral! We need to get to grove thirteen. There's a friend there that can help us. Head back to Shakky's place. I'll meet you there."

Once again, Markus vanished in a burst of lightning. He arrived at the top of one of the mangrove trees and started scouting out the island. Law and Kid were still fighting the real Kuma. Out in the sea, Markus could sense more people coming along with the Pacifista's. There was still no sign of Kizaru, then again he didn't expect that particular admiral to rush for anything. Although Kizaru was a decent and strong admiral, he had one major flaw. He was lazy. He also relied far too heavily on the intangibility of his Logia leaving himself wide open for attacks. Maybe Markus could use that to his advantage.

While keeping a close eye on his companions, he swapped the Reject Dial on his left hand for the Laser Dial in his inventory. Kuma posed no threat to him or the Strawhats but Kizaru was a different matter. The Laser Dial would allow him to intercept and absorb light-based attacks giving him an excellent defense against Kizaru.

Since the marines were still on their way or recovering from Markus's Haki attack, the rest of the crew had no issues getting from where they were to Shakky's Rip-Off Bar. As they arrived, Markus zapped himself from the top of the tree to the door and opened it. He walked in and was quickly joined by everyone else. As Hatchan walked in he spotted Rayleigh sitting at the bar and exclaimed, "Rayleigh! We were looking for you!"

"Hatchi! It's been so long! How are you?!"

Rayleigh enthusiastically greeted Hatchan, clearly happy to see the octopus man, "Why are you hanging out with these guys?" He turned a bit serious, "If my grandson did anything to you, let me know and I'll be sure to punish him. He's a bit of a rude kid..."

Markus felt like he'd been stabbed while everyone else just looked confused, especially Hatchan, "Your grandkid? Since when do you have a grandkid?"

Rayleigh seemed extremely happy at having that question asked but just as he was about to say something, Shakky cut him off, "Hatchan, you didn't know you were traveling with Silvers D. Markus?"

Hatchan looked confused for a minute before a lightbulb seemed to go off over his head. His eyes and mouth widened as he put two and two together, "EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?! Markus is your grandkid?!"

No one else seemed to be all that surprised, though they did look at Rayleigh with interest, until Robin spoke, "Silvers Rayleigh the first mate of Gold Roger?!"

That got a reaction out of everyone. Luffy's rubber mouth opened widely as he shouted loud enough to be heard halfway across the island, "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! YOU WERE ON BOARD WITH THE PIRATE KING?! YOUR MARKUS'S GRANDFATHER?!"

Rayleigh sat down on a stool to relax and spoke calmly, "Yeah, I was the first mate on Roger's ship. Nice to meet ya." He looked at Hatchan, "You didn't tell them, Hatchan?"

Hatchan wiggled his arms around, "All they wanted was some coating anyway."

Rayleigh laughed, "Well, either way, it seems like I owe you again. This time you brought me, my grandson!"

All the members of the Strawhats, except Luffy, were in various states of surprise and excitement. Rayleigh was a legend on par with Roger so it was to be expected. Brook had the most unique reaction though. As he was eating one bean at a time with a pair of chopsticks, he spoke, "Gold Roger... Back then there might have been a rookie by that name, there might not have been..."

Sometimes, Markus just forgot exactly how old Brook was. If he wasn't mistaken, Brook was one of the oldest people in the world, right up there with Dr. Kureha. And Maybe Jewelry Bonney... Since she could change her age at will she could be hundreds or more years old. There was simply no telling thanks to her Devil Fruit.

Everyone started to chat leisurely though looks kept getting thrown in Markus's direction every now and then. It was surprising for the entire crew to learn that he was related to Rayleigh, even to Markus himself. It was one thing to suspect a possibility but another to confirm it. There was a question and answer session as Rayleigh spoke to the members of the crew. They got to learn how Hatchan saved his life twenty years ago, as well as how Gol D. Roger didn't get caught but gave himself up. He had an incurable disease and was going to die anyway. But he only gave himself up after he and his crew conquered the entire Grand Line.

Their surprises kept coming when the name Crocus came up in the conversation. Crocus was responsible for keeping Roger alive for several years. Brook was brought to tears knowing that Crocus had been searching for him and his crew after they were defeated and he ended up stuck in the Florian Triangle. As they continued to talk, Sanji couldn't help asking, "So, what happened after you conquered the oceans?"

Rayleigh looked nostalgic while sipping a drop Shaky poured for him, "That was when Roger became known worldwide as the 'Pirate King'. For a man who is about to die, titles like that are meaningless. But Roger was happy about it. He was a man who loved to do anything and everything with flair and pomp. It was the same for partying and fighting. He enjoyed it, saw it as a way to work out a plan for the foreseeable future. In the end, at his orders, the Jolly Roger Pirates were secretly disbanded. One after the other, they disappeared. No one knows where the men who risked their lives with him are now or what they're doing."

Rayleigh sighed and looked up at the ceiling, "After that, Roger turned himself in. He was arrested, taken to the town where he was born, and executed. That day, in the square, I heard that the young faces of the pirates who are making names for themselves all over the oceans now, were lined up watching. The execution of the Pirate King took the world by storm."

He sighed and looked down with a look of melancholy and a bit of shame, "I didn't go. His last words to me were 'I ain't gonna die, partner.' The world government and the marines must have been surprised. They had planned the public execution to be a warning to all other pirates, but Roger's words before his death changed the event into the raising of the curtain of the 'New Pirate Age.'"

Everyone present knew the words that Roger spoke by heart. They were probably the most famous words in the world to all pirates everywhere, "My hidden treasure? If you want it, it's yours. Go and find it! I left it all in that place!"

For the first time in a long time, Markus felt his heart pounding in his chest. The words of Rayleigh seemed to spark something inside of him and brought it to life. The life of Roger, that was the life he wanted to have! Freedom! Excitement! Exploration! He wanted that! His entire life in this world he'd just been going with the flow to get what he wanted. He didn't even become a pirate for any real reason. He did so just to join Luffy and get his hands on the Goro Goro no Mi. Being a pirate was a means to an end. Staying with the Strawhats was to feed his desire for company and spend more time with his friends.

His smile grew until he felt something on the edge of his Observation Haki and approaching at incredible speed. His eyes widened and while everyone else was talking he spoke loudly to catch their attention, "Time is running out. The Admiral is here! I'm pretty sure it's Kizaru."

Rayleigh and Shaky looked at Markus with raised eyebrows but Shaky was the first to speak. She was something like an information broker so gathering intel was second nature to her, "How do you know that?"

Markus smiled at Shaky, technically she was his Grandmother-in-law so he didn't mind sharing with her. Besides, most people here know about him and he trusted the others, "It's my Observation Haki." He lifted his hand causing a small spark to fire off, "This power does more than let me control electricity. It enhanced my hearing and Observation Haki to the point where I can cover a larger range than pretty much anyone."

"How far?"

Markus grinned, "Around one hundred and fifty miles in every direction. I can cover this entire place and hear any conversation happening on it."

"How do you know it's Kizaru?"

"Because I've faced Aokiji before so I would recognize him. That only leaves Akainu and Kizaru. From what I know about them, the only one who should be this fast is Kizaru."

Shaky looked suitably impressed, "With that kind of skill you would make an excellent information broker. Maybe you should consider a change of career."

Rayleigh broke in at that moment, "No no no. He's a pirate!"

This led to a small argument between Shaky and Rayleigh as they argued over Markus's future. He actually kind of liked it. He could tell that they both cared about him and only wanted what was best for his future. The members of his crew were discussing what they should do with the admiral closing in. As all of this was going on, Markus ended up looking blanky at the air before smiling.

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New Quest!

Escape!

Admiral Kizaru and a small army of Pacifista's are on their way to capture or kill you and your crewmates. The deaths of two World Nobles has raised the stakes. They won't stop coming for you until you are dead and buried.

Objective 1: Defend against or Defeat Admiral Kizaru.

Objective 2: Destroy Pacifista's.

Objective 3: Escape from Sabaody Archipelago.

Failure Conditions: Death, Capture, Death of a crewmember, Capture of a crewmember

Rewards:

Objective 1: Reward TBD

Objective 2: Skill Book: Technological Knowledge

Objective 3: Blank Eternal Log Pose

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