章 9: Respect

"What the actual fuck is wrong with devil fruit users?" I yelled at Law for no particular reason, "I had my lunch back there! You're gonna pay for it, or I'll cut you down."

I wasn't serious, of course. I knew I couldn't take him on—not right now. His devil fruit power was a bad match for me. Hell, the only worse match would be Buggy, the guy who couldn't even be hurt by Mihawk's sword. Imagine trying to fight someone who can't be sliced by a blade—it's ridiculous.

Bepo laughed out loud at my outburst. Law, on the other hand, stayed calm.

"Relax,. We're not here to hurt you. Now, put the sword down, please."

He was right. It didn't make sense to fight them. These were the people I planned to work with anyway. So, I sighed, sheathed my sword, and took a seat in the empty chair beside me. Both Law and Bepo followed my lead and sat down too. I noticed we were in a restaurant now. The owner didn't even seem bothered by our sudden appearance. This must be a regular hangout for the Heart Pirates.

"So, what's this? A recruitment pitch or something?"

"Right on the money."

"And what are you, pirates?"

"Yeah, I'm the captain of the Heart Pirates."

"The Heart Pirates? What kind of name is that? Did your girlfriend dump you or something?"

It was a joke, albeit a bad one, but to my surprise, Law's face turned red with embarrassment. Was I onto something? Ah, young love! Not that I was in any position to judge—I'd never had a serious girlfriend myself.

"No, it's not like that," he said, flustered. "I'm a doctor. My devil fruit lets me take the hearts out of my enemies."

I raised an eyebrow. He wasn't telling me everything, and I could tell. The name probably had something to do with Doflamingo. But I wasn't going to pry. Poking around in other people's secrets is a good way to get yourself killed in this world. So, I just shrugged.

"Look, kidnapping me aside, you seem like decent people. But being a pirate? That's a big NO for me. Most pirates I've met are just pure scum."

"Yeah, that's true. But I can promise you, my crew isn't like that."

"Sure. But why should I believe you?" I paused a bit, pretended to think about something, then asked, "Just tell me one thing. Why did you become a pirate?"

I wasn't just asking to make conversation. I was genuinely curious. Law had beef with Doflamingo. 'Beef' would be an understatement. More like raging hatred. He wasn't a fan of the World Government either. It was because of their negligence that Flevance met its end. But Law was a smart man. He could easily use his OP level devil fruit as a bargaining chip to get a good position in the Navy. Then use the Navy to get stronger, and when he was strong enough, he could've just gotten his revenge. So, why a pirate?

As soon as I asked, the mood shifted. Things got tense. Bepo looked like he was about to say something goofy to lighten the mood, but Law stopped him. His expression darkened, and he gripped the hilt of his sword.

"I have a goal, Zephyr," he said slowly, his voice steady but intense. "I don't trust you enough to tell you everything yet. But let's just say it's a goal that'll be really hard to reach. To get there, I need power. You can get power by joining the Navy, sure. But..." He paused, his voice catching slightly. There was pain behind his words, or maybe anger. "I'm sick of society. My crew and I—we're good people, all of us. But we've been wronged over and over; society has let us down time and again. We didn't commit crimes or anything. It was because we're different. And that was the only reason that they ever needed after all. So, I say, FUCK SOCIETY!

"Being a pirate doesn't give you much, but it gives you freedom. Freedom to get stronger, to reach your goal without having the world sneer at you every step of the way. Freedom to live or die on your own terms. Freedom to dream of chasing outlandish ambitions without being mocked. What more reason do I even need?"

I could see it in his eyes—the fire. I somehow just knew that it wasn't just about revenge. There was much more to it. I just knew it. I knew it because it was that same fire I had when I first picked up a sword in my room back on Earth, pretending to be a swordsman, knowing full well it was all make-believe. But the feeling, that fire... it was real. The kind that pushes you forward no matter what stands in your way.

I found myself chuckling, surprising both Law and Bepo. They knew it wasn't a laugh of mockery.

Law had laid his soul bare before me, and I respected that.

Without a word, I unsheathed my katana and placed it on the table. Both of them stared at me in confusion, but I pressed on.

"This is just a regular katana," I began. "Nothing special. Made by an ordinary blacksmith with ordinary materials. Yet, both of you saw how I used it to parry that massive club earlier. It was so fascinating, wasn't it? I didn't even know I could do that. It wasn't perfect, though. I probably cut the sword's lifespan in half with that one move. But if I were a true master, there wouldn't even be a scratch. Wouldn't it be a magnificent sight to behold?" My eyes were maybe looking insane right now.

They still looked puzzled, but I continued, trying to put my feelings into words.

"The sword is such an interesting thing to me. It always has been. I want to learn everything about the sword. How kings use it to defend their country, how beggars use it to protect their last scrap of food, how a lover uses it to protect their partner, how a parent uses it to save their child, how an assassin uses it to kill their target. I want to master the blade in every way possible. I want to reach the point where I can cut mountains and, at the same time, pluck a flower without damaging a single petal. I want my sword to be both my savior and my destroyer. Does that... make any sense?"

They were confused. So was I. I had never spoken these things out loud before. It's a lot harder than I thought.

Bepo scratched his head, still trying to figure it out.

"So... you want to be the world's strongest swordsman?"

"No, no, that's just a title. My dream is different. I don't even know how to put it into words yet. My vision is not as clear as Law. Anyways, the reason I told you this is because I saw a fire in Law's eyes when he talked about being a pirate. When someone shows you their fire, their reason for living, their soul, it's only right to show yours in return. It's a sign of respect. I tried to do just that, and failed miserably. This is important because I wouldn't work under someone that I couldn't respect."

I looked at Law, meeting his gaze directly. "So, tell me, Captain. What do you want me to do?"