chapter 102

"It's finally time for you to die, you stubborn old man," Artur Bacca remarked while looking down on the collapsed Wolf, who was gasping for breath while laying on his back.

"Now go to hell!" the pirate captain exclaimed, taking out a gun, aiming it straight at the inventor's head, and preparing to kill him, but he suddenly froze as a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

"I can't let you do that," I said with a smirk as I landed right behind the pirate captain, my hand gripping his shoulder. "You said you wouldn't interfere as long as we stay out of your way!" Artur Bacca said in a calm voice after taking a moment to relax his rigid body.

"I also specifically ordered you not to be an eyesore, and you weren't pleasant to look at from over there," I replied while gesturing towards the rooftop where I was sitting a moment ago.

"You're not an easy man to find, Wolf," I said as I turned to look at the inventor, cutting off whatever the pirate captain wanted to say. "Who..., who are you?" Wolf asked with some difficulty, wincing in pain as he spoke.

"My name is Johnny silver hand," I replied with a smile. "A pirate captain, an adventurer, and a musician," I added, raising a finger with each title.

"If you're here for the treasure, then you're too late. There is no treasure left," the inventor said with a scowl, struggling to adjust himself and sit cross-legged on the ground.

"I already have more money than I can spend, and I can always rob more when I need to," I remarked in a dismissive tone. "So no, I'm not interested in some paltry treasure that a dead pirate left behind," I added while shaking my head.

"Then why are you here?" Wolf asked with a perplexed tone. "I'm here because I want to recruit your ward, Trafalgar Law, but we can get to that later," I replied and promptly proceeded to knock out Artur Bacca and Volcana, unleashing my Conquerors Haki to take care of the rest.

"No wonder you're not interested in the treasure," Wolf said with a dazed expression while looking at the surrounding collapsed pirates.

"What do you plan to do with him?" Wolf asked while looking at Artur Bacca with a complicated expression. "Nothing, in particular. I'm going to leave deciding his fate to you as a meeting present," I replied with a smile.

"I see, then I'll take you up on that offer," Wolf remarked, standing up after some struggle, and went to pick up a sword from the ground, quickly making his way back towards the pirate captain with a resolute expression.

"Are you going to kill your own son, Wolf-YA?" Came a calm voice from the side, causing Wolf to freeze mid-swing as he tried to cut off Artur Bacca's head in one single, swift motion.

"This ingrate is no son of mine," Wolf said with a scowling expression. "He was going to kill me along with everyone in Pleasure town!" he added, sword still in his hand.

"He was always selfish since he was a child," the inventor explained, heaving a tired sigh. "No matter what his mother and I tried, he never changed," he added, shaking his head.

"I even went with him when he decided to become a pirate, hoping for the cruel reality of a pirate's life to change his heart for the better, but he grew even more selfish and evil," Wolf said with a pained expression.

"He even came back here and destroyed Pleasure town when he failed to reach the grand line to look for some worthless treasure, causing his own mother to become ill out of heartbreak and die because she thought it was her fault that he turned out like this!"

"I have to take responsibility for all evil deeds he committed as the person who brought him to this world, or he will continue to harm innocent people!"

"I know that much, Wolf-Ya," Law replied in a calm tone. "But he is still your flesh and blood, and you already know my past," he added with a complicated expression.

"I don't wish to see more families tearing each other apart anymore, Wolf-YA!" Law said, shouting this time as he made his towards Wolf, gently resting a hand on the inventor's shoulder.

"That person, his own flesh and blood, his brother, killed him after he saved my life," Law explained with a pained expression. "If you do this, then you will surely regret it, Wolf-YA," he concluded, causing the inventor to close his eyes with a sad expression and look away.

"If you people have some sea stone, then I might have a solution to this dilemma that doesn't involve killing him," I interjected from the side while pointing towards the pirate captain.

"And who are you?" Law asked in a suspicious tone as he turned to look at me. "He's the person who took care of this ingrate and his subordinates, a pirate captain," Wolf explained, causing Law to raise an eyebrow, seemingly even more suspicious.

"The name is Johnny," I added from the side with a smirk. "And I don't suppose you've helped Wolf out of the kindness of your heart, did you now?" Law asked again, frowning as he looked at me.

"Not at all," I replied with a beaming smile. "I helped Wolf because I want you because he's related to you, of course," I added, still smiling.

"And what do you hope to gain from me by helping Wolf-YA?" Law asked, his frown becoming deeper and deeper as the conversation continued.

"I want you to join my pirate crew, Law, or would you prefer I call you by your full name, Trafalgar D. Water Law?" I stated, taking a step backward to avoid a sword swing by the surgeon.

"Who are you, really? And how do you know that name?" The surgeon asked with a scowl, pointing the tip of his sword at me.

"My full name is Johnny D Linder," I said, smiling as I raised my hands in mock surrender. "I know a lot of things, like how Donquixote Rosinante and the special devil fruit he gave his life to get," I added, dodging another sword swing as I did.

"Are you trying to threaten me?" Law asked an icy tone of voice, his scowl becoming more pronounced. "Not at all. Now, how about we take care of this guy before we finish this conversation, hm?" I asked, delivering a kick to Artur Bacca's head as he woke up and tried to stand, knocking him back to unconsciousness.

"He's right, Law, besides he saved my life, so stop attacking him," Wolf said from the side, causing Law to hesitate for a second. "I'm sure we can find out what this man wants from you after that," he added, causing Law to sheath his sword with a sigh.

'Bingo! This guy seems to be close to Law, which means that the wait was worth it!'

"Now, how about the sea stone?" I asked after Law put away his sword. "I have some stashed in my lab, but what do you intend to do with it?" Wolf asked with a frown.

"Just get me some, and I'll show you," I replied while shrugging my shoulder. "So be it, Penguin, Shachi. You two hurry up and get that red box from my lab," Wolf instructed with a sigh causing the two young men to rush into the forest.

"It looks like all the fun is over," Came Wilson's voice for the sky as he landed next to me. "Why did you even bother telling us to come along if you were going to end everything before we even arrived, captain?" Kozue added with a pout as she landed next to Wilson.

"Sorry about that," I said while shrugging my shoulders, not even putting in any effort to look sorry with a deadpan expression. "If it's any consolation, then it all ended in a matter of seconds, and it wasn't fun in the least," I added with a sigh.

"Whatever," Wilson said, seemingly uninterested in the fight. "Who are those two?" he asked as he turned to look at Wolf and Law as the inventor met his gaze with a nod while the latter seemed vigilant.

"Wilson and Kozue meet Wolf and Law, the two people we've been looking for," I introduced them to each other with a smile, with everyone nodding at each other, except for Law, who had a frown on his face.

"This is Law? The guy we came here all the way here from west blue to find?" Wilson asked while giving the surgeon a once over, causing me to nod. "He doesn't seem much," Wilson concluded with a shrug.