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"Dragon of the Revolutionary Army, I'm curious. How do you know Ikki? Does someone like him really need you to deliver a message in person?"
Whitebeard asked.
"Ikki has a gift for teaching that's proven useful to us more than once. We value him highly, so I was willing to carry this message myself. As for how we came to know each other, it was one of my own people who reached out to him first."
Now that Dragon saw Whitebeard had held the crew back from fighting, he quietly let the wind gathered in his hand dissipate.
"A gift for teaching? I've heard that man has some remarkable methods when it comes to swordsmanship. Even the Revolutionary Army is paying attention to him now. Seems the rumors about Ikki are true after all," Vista said.
At that, Dragon turned to look at him, taking in the two famous swords resting at his waist.
"You must be Vista, captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Fifth Division. Part of the reason I've come is because of you," Dragon said.
"What does this have to do with me? I don't recall having any dealings with the Revolutionary Army. For that matter, I've never had any dealings with Ikki either," Vista said.
As a swordsman, Vista had always been drawn to Ikki's reputation, to his skill and to the unusual blades he wielded. If the chance ever came, Vista would have liked to meet him, maybe even trade a few words on the way of the sword. But that was only ever a private thought. In truth, the two of them had no connection whatsoever.
"That man's not eyeing your swords, is he, Vista?" Jozu asked, his voice low.
"My swords?"
Vista glanced down at the two blades on his hip and nodded slowly.
"If the rumors about Ikki are true, then yes, he might well have an interest in them." He looked back up at Dragon. "Dragon, if Ikki sent you here, he isn't asking me to hand them over, is he?"
"That's exactly right. That's what Ikki told us to say. And there's more. He also has a message for Whitebeard. He wants the Supreme Grade Sword, the Murakumogiri, that you carry."
Dragon nodded toward Vista, then turned his gaze to Whitebeard.
Both men's faces darkened at once. These were weapons that had stood at their sides for decades. Handing them over to some stranger, just like that, was unthinkable. Whitebeard was no swordsman himself, but he treasured the naginata in his hand all the same. Getting him to give it up was, without exaggeration, a thing that would only happen over his dead body.
Ikki had, in fact, once considered simply taking both swords by force. But after learning what the World Government had planned, he'd decided he needed another way to get his hands on Whitebeard's blade.
"If the two of you hand your swords over to Ikki, he's willing to fight beside you in the war at Marine Headquarters. He'll help you rescue Ace," Dragon said quickly.
The words landed, and the Whitebeard Pirates, who moments ago had been keyed up for a fight, went dead silent. Every eye turned to the dragon of the Revolutionary Army in disbelief. It took a long moment for the meaning to sink in.
"Ikki's going to help us save Ace? Did I hear that right? How is that even possible?"
"Your ears are fine. He said it plain as day, I heard it too."
"Wait, isn't Ikki a Shichibukai? And he's actually offering to help us?"
"If it really means getting Ace back, it's not unreasonable to ask him to give up his swords."
"Are you out of your mind? Vista's blades and Dad's naginata have been with them for years. You think you can just ask them to hand those over?"
"No. Absolutely not. We are not giving our weapons to Ikki."
The crew's voices rose again, and if glares alone could kill, the dragon standing before them would have died a dozen times over. Dragon, for his part, silently thanked whatever luck had brought him to the Whitebeard Pirates specifically. Any other Revolutionary Army officer sent in his place might not have made it off this deck alive.
Amid the uproar, Vista and Whitebeard were the calmest men on board.
"I've heard what Ikki's done before. That he makes a habit of taking famous swords from their masters," Vista said, after a moment's thought. "Revolutionary Army, is this the truth? If I hand over my blade, Ikki will really help us rescue Ace?"
The rest of the crew was clearly unhappy at the thought of him giving up his sword, but for Vista, sacrificing it was not out of the question, not if it meant getting Ace back. Just as Ikki had predicted, the sword mattered to Vista, but weighed against his family and his crew, even a treasure like that was something he could set down.
"Vista, what are you saying? You don't actually mean to hand over your swords?" Jozu's eyes went wide.
As one of the crew's oldest members, Jozu knew exactly how long those two swords had been at Vista's side. They were closer to family heirlooms than weapons. Something like that wasn't meant to be given up so easily.
"Jozu, you don't need to say anything more. Leave this to me," Vista said, glancing over at him, his expression serious.
"Dad, talk him out of this," Jozu said, turning to Whitebeard with worry plain on his face.
"Let him speak, Jozu," Whitebeard said, waving a hand, his own expression just as calm.
Jozu fell silent, a bad feeling settling in his chest. He wasn't the only one. Marco and the rest of the crew were thinking the same thing. If Vista was willing to give up his sword and Whitebeard wasn't stopping him, something wasn't right here. Remembering that Dragon had come here asking for Whitebeard's own blade as well, Jozu and the others began to suspect their captain meant to hand over the Murakumogiri too.
"That's exactly what Ikki asked for. Along with your sword, Vista, he wants the Supreme Grade Sword Murakumogiri that Whitebeard carries," Dragon said, nodding to each of them in turn.
"Hold on. Do you even need my sword? The two blades I carry aren't Supreme Grade, they're only Great Grade. Surely handing over two famous swords is enough to earn his help," Vista said, frowning.
Like the rest of the crew, he had no wish to see his captain give up his weapon either.
"Vista, which matters more to you? Your two swords, or Fire Fist Ace?" Dragon asked, his tone even.
"Ace, obviously," Vista said without hesitation.
"There you have it. If you yourself believe your swords are worth less than Ace's life, then it's only fair that Ikki ask for more in return."
Vista ground his teeth, wanting to argue, but found no way to counter that logic. With nowhere else to turn, he looked to Whitebeard for help.
"Dragon of the Revolutionary Army, can you guarantee that if Vista and I hand over our swords, Ikki will help us rescue Ace?" Whitebeard asked.
"Dad!" several of the crew called out, tension gripping them at once.
Dragon paid the anxious pirates no mind. He gave a slight nod and answered calmly.
"Ikki is a man of his word, especially where famous swords are concerned. He's never once lied about a sword, and he's never lied about payment either. Truth be told, he first meant to simply take both your swords by force during the war at Marineford."
"But he happened to overhear, while at Marine Headquarters, that the World Government intended to use him against the Whitebeard Pirates and then turn on him in turn. To protect himself from that, he chose to strike this bargain with you instead."
"You don't need to worry that he'll simply seize your weapons and vanish. This is a promise, nothing more, and it doesn't come due until Ace is truly free. There's no rush to hand anything over before then."