During this period on Beehive Island, the Marines repeatedly sent envoys to negotiate with the Phoenix Pirates, hoping to redeem Admiral Kizaru.
Marco, however, had no intention of releasing him.
Kizaru was a Logia Devil Fruit user of the highest caliber. Capturing him had required careful planning and a measure of luck. If he were released now, capturing him again in the future would be far from guaranteed. Marco would not allow such a valuable asset to slip away so easily.
At this moment, aboard the Moby Dick, Marco dismissed a subordinate after hearing the latest report.
Half a month earlier, after the Marines suffered defeat at Whole Cake Island, Marco had proposed launching a counterattack against Marineford and even the Holy Land.
Kaido believed the timing was not right and argued that it was premature to wage a direct war against the World Government. However, he agreed with Marco's strategy of driving all Marine forces out of the New World.
Big Mom strongly opposed attacking the Holy Land. She only agreed to strike Marineford because both Kaido and Marco supported the idea of expelling the Marines from the New World. With the balance of power shifting, she had little choice but to follow.
In truth, Big Mom had no desire to provoke further large scale conflict.
The Big Mom Pirates had suffered devastating losses at Whole Cake Island. More than half of her core officers had fallen, and nearly two thirds of her ordinary forces were dead. Even her 100,000 Homies had been completely destroyed.
Though they claimed victory, it had come at a tremendous cost.
Now, Big Mom wished to recover in silence. If not for political pressure within the alliance, she would have preferred to avoid antagonizing the Marines altogether.
On deck, Marco sat casually at a table, playing cards with several captains.
"Captain Marco," Jinbe reported as he approached, his tone steady. "The Marine envoys have been sent away."
Marco nodded slightly, studying the cards in his hand.
"If they are gone, then that is fine. If they want to exchange prisoners, ordinary Marines can be discussed. But Kizaru is non negotiable."
Jinbe's expression turned serious.
"The Marines are firm as well. They are offering ten Devil Fruits and five billion Berries in exchange for all captured personnel. In truth, most of that is meant for Kizaru. The rest are incidental."
Jozu let out a low chuckle.
"That is obvious. One Admiral is worth more than thousands of ordinary Marines."
Jinbe nodded.
"But we cannot imprison several thousand Marines indefinitely."
Jozu crossed his arms.
"If that is the case, we could transfer them to Big Mom. Has she not expressed interest in those prisoners? It would solve our problem."
Marco considered the idea briefly.
"It is not impossible. Keeping thousands of prisoners consumes food and manpower. However, if we give them to her, there must be compensation. Otherwise, we gain nothing."
At that moment, a gentle voice called out.
"My dear."
Garett stepped forward, her expression slightly hesitant as she glanced at Marco and the others.
Vista noticed immediately and smiled.
"Well then, we will leave you two to talk. No need for us to intrude."
Jozu folded his cards as well and stood.
"Hey, I had a strong hand," Marco muttered, watching them walk away.
He then gestured for Garett to sit beside him.
She sat down quietly and naturally wrapped her arms around his, leaning into him. Marco placed an arm around her waist without hesitation.
They had been married for some time now, and their relationship had grown steadily. In the beginning, Garett had been reserved, and Marco himself was not particularly proactive. Though they were husband and wife, their connection had felt distant.
Over time, however, Garett had gradually opened her heart. Marco, in turn, accepted her fully. She was beautiful, gentle, and sincere in her devotion. Her presence brought him a sense of calm that he had not expected.
"What is it?" Marco asked directly.
Garett hesitated before speaking.
"Mama contacted me. She hopes I can persuade you to hand over those captured Marines to her."
Marco paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"If that is all, then fine. Since you are the one asking, I will give them to her."
Garett looked relieved but continued.
"There is another matter. Mama also asked where the Moby Dick is headed."
Indeed, the Moby Dick had already left the core territory of the Phoenix Pirates. Only Marco knew its destination.
A cold glint appeared briefly in Marco's eyes.
"So that is why you came."
Garett quickly shook her head.
"No. If you choose not to say, you must have your reasons. I will not pry into matters that are not my place."
Marco studied her for a moment, then relaxed.
"It is not a secret for long. We will arrive soon. Our destination is Zou."
"Zou?" Garett repeated softly. She had heard of it, though she had never been there.
As an intelligent woman, she did not ask why he was going.
Instead, she said firmly, "I will not tell Mama about this. That is not why I came. There is something else I have been meaning to say."
Marco looked at her with mild curiosity.
"What is it?"
Garett's eyes were filled with emotion.
"Since marrying you, I belong to you. But Mama has been asking me to report on you regularly. I only told her trivial details about daily life. I never revealed anything about the Phoenix Pirates. Still, I did not want to hide this from you anymore."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"I am sorry."
Marco's expression softened.
"There is nothing to apologize for. I am glad you told me. Honesty matters more than anything else between us."
He truly was not surprised. He had never shared core secrets with her, nor with most others. Major decisions were made by him alone, and discussions with the captains were often formalities. There had been little meaningful intelligence for her to pass along.
Garett hesitated again, her cheeks flushing faintly.
"Recently, Mama gave me another task. One that makes me feel ashamed."
Marco waited patiently.
Garett bit her lip, her embarrassment evident.
"She wants me to conceive a child with you as soon as possible, and then report back about it."
The implication was clear.
Marco did not react with anger or shock. Instead, his gaze sharpened slightly, though his tone remained calm.
"So that is her intention."
Garett quickly added, "I do not want to treat our marriage like a political arrangement. I want what happens between us to be genuine, not something ordered by Mama."
Marco placed a reassuring hand over hers.
"Our life is ours. No one else decides it."
His voice was steady, firm without being harsh.
"We will choose our own future."