Vice-captain of Whitebeard pirates

Thinking this way, Larson and Rayleigh's eyes fell on Marco.

At that moment, Marco had no idea his nightmare was quietly approaching.

A few minutes later...

Marco's eyes widened, staring at Larson and Rayleigh in disbelief.

"Really? Are you serious? You want me to lure those black hands into attacking? How could you come up with such an outrageous plan? Am I not a human being? You want to use me because of my Devil Fruit? Am I just some kind of tool to you?"

"Marco, calm down," Larson replied.

"You are now carrying the fate of both our pirate crews. Whether or not we uncover the rules of the fourth level directly affects our ability to reach the deepest part of Yerug Island.

Think about how important your role is. And you're questioning it now? Is this something the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates should say?"

Larson's expression was very serious, as if he were delivering a message of great importance.

In the past, Marco might have been intimidated by Larson's demeanor, but things were different now. He had gained experience and understood Larson's tactics.

Marco stood firm. "No, you don't understand how dangerous it was earlier. If Uncle Rayleigh had been just one step slower, I would've been grabbed by that hand. Who knows what would've happened if I had been caught? If my Devil Fruit abilities were suppressed, I'd be done for."

Larson smiled and said, "See, you said it yourself. With Rayleigh and me here, do you really think that black hand can harm you? It won't even be able to touch you. You've got to trust us, but more importantly, trust yourself."

Marco hesitated, and Larson patiently waited, watching him silently.

"Alright!"

Marco seemed to make up his mind, sighing. "Larson, it's not that I'm afraid to face it.

It's just... I feel uncomfortable with how you always treat me like a tool."

"Why do you think that?" Larson frowned.

Treat Marco like a tool?

How did Marco figure that out? Hadn't he hidden it well?

Of course, if he wanted to keep Marco happy, he had to make sure Marco didn't catch on to his real thoughts. Larson decided to keep playing along for now.

"You keep bringing it up." Marco curled his lips. "You only think of me when it's dangerous, and you don't think I'd notice? How could I not feel like a tool?"

Larson chuckled. "Isn't it because of your abilities?"

Marco wasn't convinced. He felt like Larson was tricking him, but even so, hearing Larson say that out loud gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.

"Fine," Marco exhaled. "Let's do it. I'm ready."

"Good." Larson waved to the group examining the black hand from a distance.

"Marco will fly up again shortly to lure the black hand. This time, don't rush to cut it off. We'll observe its characteristics and figure out the conditions that trigger its appearance."

Everyone looked at Marco differently now, especially Shanks, who gazed at him with newfound respect.

No one expected Marco, who seemed like just a kid here, to willingly risk himself for the investigation.

He truly lived up to being the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates—so courageous at such a young age, destined for greatness in the future.

That was the sentiment shared by most of the Roger Pirates.

Marco wasn't aware of these thoughts, but he did notice the way people were looking at him. He held his head high, his face filled with determination, as if he were a general preparing for battle.

What a sudden change in atmosphere.

"Are you ready?" Larson asked.

Marco nodded and then used his Devil Fruit powers to slowly rise into the sky.

"Be careful. Pay close attention to that dragging sensation when the black hand appears this time."

"Got it!"

Marco took a deep breath and continued to control his ascent.

He wasn't flying too fast, mostly because he was nervous, but also worried that if he ascended too quickly, the black hand might appear suddenly, leaving him no time to react.

This time, he didn't plan to escape. He couldn't just flee the moment the black hand appeared like last time. This time, he was going to face it head-on.

Below, Larson and the others observed silently. Rayleigh had already placed his hand on his sword. Even though Larson had said there was no need to worry, Rayleigh was still concerned that something unexpected might happen.

What surprised Rayleigh was how calm Larson seemed—he showed no signs of preparing to act.

Is Larson not worried about Marco at all?

Sensing Rayleigh's gaze, Larson looked over and gave a slight smile. "You've been staring at me for a while. If anyone else saw, they'd think you had some... special interest."

Though Larson's words seemed like a joke, they were also a subtle test of Rayleigh.

After speaking, Larson watched Rayleigh's reaction closely. Rayleigh frowned, clearly puzzled. "Special interest? What do you mean by that?"

Larson noticed that Rayleigh genuinely didn't seem to understand, which made him quietly sigh in relief. It was better this way.

Having confirmed that his suspicion was unfounded, Larson instantly felt more at ease. His tension over Marco's situation seemed to melt away.

Rayleigh, on the other hand, touched his face, utterly speechless at Larson's half-hearted explanation. But there was nothing he could do. He wasn't going to press Larson for details on whatever "special interest" he meant. Instead, he refocused on Marco, avoiding further distractions from Larson's cryptic remarks.

By now, Marco had continued his ascent. He had already surpassed the height where the black hand had appeared earlier, which made him even more cautious. Every movement he made was careful and calculated.

Slowly but steadily, Marco flew higher, reaching a position about 15 meters up, edging closer to the 20-meter height limit of this island.

But still, the black hand did not appear, and Marco grew increasingly tense. The higher he flew, the less time he would have to react if it suddenly emerged.

But he couldn't stop. His mission wasn't complete, and he remembered what Larson had told him before he took off, along with the looks of expectation from everyone below. There was no turning back now.

Taking another deep breath, Marco's resolve hardened.

It's just some shadowy enemy, right? If they think they can use me, they'll have to catch me first!