Law Joins the Crew, Return to the Sabaody Archipelago

Listening to Sanders' proposal, Law fell silent. Revenge was something he certainly wanted. He had set sail with the dream of one day bringing down Doflamingo. But now, faced with the invitation of a pirate as infamous as Sanders, he found himself questioning if he really had the choice to refuse.

"Captain Sanders, I need to discuss this with my crew," Law finally said after a moment of hesitation.

"No problem," Sanders agreed with a nod.

Law pulled his three crew members aside and asked, "What do you all think?"

"What do we think? You're the captain; of course, it's up to you to make the call," one of them replied.

"But I think we should join them," Penguin chimed in. "Sanders has a bounty of over two billion! If we refuse, will he get angry and kill us?" He glanced nervously in Sanders' direction.

"I doubt it. He's a well-known and respected figure in the sea," Shachi said, though not entirely convinced.

"Whatever decision you make, we'll go along with it. Besides, you didn't set sail to become Pirate King; our dream wasn't that ambitious. And joining the Thunder God Pirates wouldn't be so bad," Shachi added.

"At least this way, we wouldn't have to worry about the Marines and the World Government hunting you down because of the Ope-Ope Fruit," he continued. "Honestly, getting an invitation from Sanders himself shows he's giving us a lot of respect. The Thunder God Pirates are so powerful that this is practically on par with an offer from one of the Yonko," Shachi concluded.

"Traveling with the Thunder God Pirates would definitely broaden our horizons," Penguin added. "If we keep going alone, it could take us ages to bring down a Warlord of the Sea."

Law was tempted by their words. He hadn't come out to sea to find treasure or become the Pirate King; his primary goal was to get revenge for Corazon. And in some ways, he felt he had things in common with Sanders. Law's parents had died due to the World Government's policies, and Sanders' adoptive father had been killed by the World Nobles. Both had reason to hold a grudge against the World Government. The difference was that Sanders already had the strength to act on that grudge, while he was still weak.

"But what about the Heart Pirates?" Law asked, hesitating at the thought of disbanding the crew he had worked hard to form.

"We could just change it to the Heart Medical Unit," Shachi suggested. "You'd be the ship doctor and still be our leader."

"Sanders did say we could join as well," he added.

"Alright, then it's decided. We'll join the Thunder God Pirates," Law said, finally making up his mind.

He walked back over to Sanders. "I'm willing to join the Thunder God Pirates, but as you said, my crewmates need to join as well. We can form a medical team on board."

"Of course, my ship doctor," Sanders replied with a smile.

Recruiting Law turned out to be a smooth process. With Sanders' reputation and his promise to help Law with his vengeance, there was no reason for Law to refuse—or perhaps, he didn't really have a choice.

"This is Issho, the Vice-Captain of the Thunder God Pirates. This is Robin, our archaeologist, and this is Nami, the navigator and sea-chart master," Sanders introduced them. "Welcome to the crew."

The members of the Thunder God Pirates warmly welcomed Law and his crew. Law, in turn, introduced his own crew members. Nami was fascinated by Bepo, the mink, as she had never met one of his kind before. Meanwhile, the two crews prepared to set sail from the port.

Both the Thunder God ship and Law's submarine were docked there, ready for their journey.

"Is this the Thunder God's ship?" Penguin gasped, staring at the massive Ship, which dwarfed their submarine.

"Everyone, board the ship. We're heading for the Grand Line," Sanders said to Law.

"What about our submarine?" Law asked, feeling reluctant to leave behind the gift they'd received from the old man Wolf.

"Easy fix," Sanders said with a snap of his fingers. The submarine floated up, rising from the water and hovering before landing gently on the deck.

"Our submarine is flying!" The former Heart Pirates stared wide-eyed as they watched it settle safely onto the deck.

"All aboard," Sanders said.

Law and his crew boarded, amazed by everything on the Ship. It was far bigger than before, with a full eight floors above the deck, each floor filled with rooms. Even if they multiplied their crew tenfold, there would still be plenty of space for everyone to have their own room.

Once everyone was on board, Sanders focused, and the mighty Ship began to lift into the air, much to Law and his crew's astonishment.

Sabaody Archipelago

The Thunder God Ship descended slowly into the port at Sabaody Archipelago, where the Thunder God Pirates planned to rest for a few days before heading to Fish-Man Island. They also intended to get a protective coating for the ship.

As the Ship sailed into port, those onshore and on nearby ships recognized the flag of the Thunder God Pirates, their faces turning pale with shock.

"T-That's the Thunder God Pirates!" someone exclaimed.

"The Thunder God Pirates, with a captain worth 2.8 billion Berries and a vice-captain worth 2 billion? Are they here to take on the World Government?"

"Oh ho, is Sanders finally aiming for the Yonko's throne? I wonder which Emperor he'll go after first."

"I wonder if they're recruiting. A ship that size must need a lot of crew members."

"You're dreaming. The Thunder God Pirates would never take someone like you."

"Hey! Do you want to die? I'm a pirate with a 30 million Berry bounty!"

"Get lost! A 30 million bounty is nothing!" The crowd of pirates argued, and scuffles broke out among them.

"Go alert the authorities! The Thunder God Pirates have arrived on the Sabaody Archipelago!" a Marine spy disguised in civilian clothing whispered urgently into a Den Den Mushi, reporting to the Marine stationed on the island.

On the Thunder Mountain, Sanders stood on deck. "Here we are, the Sabaody Archipelago. We'll be resting here for a few days," he announced, gathering the crew around him. "Feel free to explore the island and pick up any supplies we need."

By now, the crew of the Thunder Mountain had grown significantly, not only with Law and his friends but also with a group of people from the Land of Peace, who had formed the God's Guard under Wappa's lead to help manage things on the large ship. After spending time together, Law and his friends had started to blend in well with the crew. Law, Shachi, and Penguin had even formed a medical team to treat any injuries or illnesses onboard, while Bepo, like Nami, took on the role of navigator.

Hearing Sanders' words, the crew cheered, and even Issho cracked a smile.

"Robin! Let's go shopping! I want to buy clothes!" Nami excitedly grabbed Robin's hand, rushing eagerly toward the island.

"Captain Sanders, we're off!" Law called as he and his crew also disembarked, eager to explore the Sabaody Archipelago.

This island was famous throughout the seas; every pirate hoping to reach the New World would stop here first. Law and his crew were also full of curiosity about the place. Issho, as usual, headed straight for the casino.

"Aren't you going to explore?" Sanders asked Wyper and his men.

"Captain, we'll stay behind and guard the ship. Once some of the others return, we'll take turns," Wyper replied earnestly. Although Sanders had instructed him to address him as "Captain," Wyper still wasn't quite used to it. Now dressed like the people of the Blue Sea, he no longer wore the simple attire from Skypiea.

"No one would dare come aboard," Sanders pointed to the Thunder God's flag flying proudly above the ship. Seeing Wyper's determined expression, though, he shrugged and said, "Alright, suit yourself. I'm off to meet an old friend." With that, he floated towards the direction of Sabaody Archipelago.

After Sanders left, Wyper diligently trained in martial arts on deck, as did the other crew members. Compared to the other crew members who had various Devil Fruit abilities, the God's Guard members knew their strength was lacking. They were eager to improve, knowing that the New World was rumored to be terrifyingly dangerous; they could end up as nothing more than foot soldiers if they didn't push their limits.

Shakky's Rip-Off Bar

It was a hot day, and the bar was packed with people cooling off with chilled drinks, gathered in small groups boasting and swapping stories. Sanders walked in and immediately spotted Shakky sitting at the bar, her usual cigarette in hand, smoke swirling around her.

"A renowned pirate—what brings you here?" Shakky teased, glancing at Sanders. "It's only been a few months since you left, and you're already making big waves on the seas."

"What? Not welcoming an old friend?" Sanders replied casually, taking a seat at the bar. "I'll take a cold beer."

"Oh, you're welcome, but whenever you're around, my business tends to suffer," Shakky said, handing him a bottle of beer and nodding towards the patrons in the bar.

Sanders looked around and noticed several people looking alarmed at his presence, hurriedly dropping money on the counter and leaving. Clearly, they'd recognized him.

The Grand Line was a far cry from the Four Seas. Back there, Sanders could walk down the street, and no one would recognize him. Here, even the casual newspaper readers knew his face.

"Not my fault. I haven't done anything," Sanders said with a slight grin, cracking open the beer.

"Well, you're a pirate now—a fearsome one at that, with a reputation for destroying Marine ships and causing all kinds of chaos," Shakky replied with a laugh.

"Those Marines always come after me first. I don't go looking for trouble with those small-fry Marines," Sanders shrugged. "Only the top brass in the Marines can hold my interest."

He wasn't interested in anyone below the level of an Admiral; only by fighting the strongest could he improve his own abilities. Admirals, however... their Devil Fruit powers fascinated him.

"So, are you heading for the New World this time?" Shakky asked, intrigued.

"Yeah, I've more or less wrapped up my business in the Four Seas. It's time to meet the Emperors," Sanders nodded without hesitation.

"Are you going through Fish-Man Island or just flying straight across?"

The newspapers had reported that the Thunder God Pirates had used the Float-Float Fruit to lift an entire island during the Buster Call attack. So, everyone on the seas knew that the Thunder God Pirates had gained the power of the Float-Float Fruit—though who had eaten it remained a mystery.

Shakky didn't ask any further questions.

"Fish-Man Island—I haven't been there yet, so it's the perfect chance to check it out. I heard it's part of Whitebeard's territory?" Sanders said.

"Yes," Shakky replied. "Fish-men and mermaids are often captured and sold, and even with Jinbei as a Warlord, he couldn't completely stop it. But once Whitebeard claimed Fish-Man Island as his territory, the trafficking dropped significantly." Fish-men and especially mermaids, particularly female ones, fetched high prices, attracting pirates and hunters. Since Whitebeard protected the island, the situation had improved, which had strengthened Jinbei's bond with the Whitebeard Pirates. Despite being a government-affiliated Warlord, Jinbei would often sneak over to see them.

"Let Rayleigh handle the coating for me," Sanders suggested.

"Oh, he'll definitely charge you an arm and a leg," Shakky replied, chuckling.

"I don't mind. I'm not short on money." Sanders suddenly added, "By the way, next time you see a member of the Kuja Pirates, pass a message to Hancock for me. Tell her I'll be searching the New World for what she asked for."

Shakky raised an eyebrow. "Looking for what?"

"No need to worry about that; just pass along the message," Sanders said with a casual wave of his hand.

Shakky gave him a long look. "You're not up to something, are you?"

Sanders kept a straight face. "We're allies with the Kuja Pirates—there's no ulterior motive here."

"Uh-huh~" Shakky's smirk said otherwise.

"Well, I'm off to find Rayleigh. I promised someone I'd relay a message to him." Sanders grabbed a few more beers, then walked out of the bar. Shakky waved goodbye, mentally tallying the berries left by earlier customers. After a while, she took a drag of her cigarette and muttered, "That kid... didn't pay, did he?"

A Little While Later

Sanders strolled through the Sabaody Archipelago, eventually finding Rayleigh fishing by a steep shore. Tossing him a beer, he greeted him with a smile.

"Good to see you again, Rayleigh."

Rayleigh caught the bottle, bit off the cap, and took a swig. "Hasn't been that long, has it?"

"With you relaxing here fishing, I'm guessing you sold yourself for a decent price again," Sanders joked, sitting on a rock nearby.

"Enough to cover the bar tab for a month or so." Rayleigh chuckled, then sighed. "But I'm getting old; those slavers are offering me less and less."

"If you're short on cash, just go rob some pirates. Why go through the trouble?" Sanders laughed.

"I'd rather not alert the Marines to my whereabouts. I like my retirement quiet," Rayleigh grinned.

Sanders nodded. "Fine. Coat the Thunder God for me—I'm heading to the New World."

"Why not just fly across?" Rayleigh asked.

"I want to go through Fish-Man Island," Sanders replied.

Rayleigh paused, giving him a sidelong look. "No need to go overboard."

"...Overboard?" Sanders was confused.

"Not planning on hunting down Hatchan for revenge, are you?" Rayleigh clarified. After Arlong's downfall, Hatchan had returned to Cocoyashi Village briefly before fleeing to Rayleigh, terrified.

"Oh, that," Sanders chuckled, realizing Rayleigh's concern. "Arlong's dead—that's enough. I have no interest in hunting anyone else down."

"I would have let him go, even if he was there at the time. For your sake," Sanders said with a smile.

"Alright, I overthought it," Rayleigh replied, adjusting his glasses and smiling.

"By the way, I ran into the Pirate King's doctor at Reverse Mountain. I mentioned you, and he asked me to send his regards," Sanders continued, sharing a bit about Crocus's current situation.

"He's still alive, huh? That's great to hear," Rayleigh smiled warmly. "Thank you for bringing me this news."

Rayleigh nodded and added, "And with your leniency toward Hatchan, the coating for your ship is on the house this time."

"Thank you," Sanders replied, not one to refuse a favor.

"Your ship's still at the port, right? Do you need it moved to a specific spot?" Rayleigh asked.

"The port is fine; I appreciate it," Sanders responded. "We'll stay on Sabaody Archipelago for a few days to get everything ready before we set off."

Rayleigh nodded with a slight smile, indicating he understood.

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T/N:

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