[Arches an eyebrow.] Everyone loses sometimes, kid. Even the world's best. It's not losing that's the problem, it's making sure you come back with a vengeance.

[Waves a hand.] But either way, how will you find them all? All those world's toughest swordsmen.

[He's just...]

[He can't.]

[This kid has no idea how big the world is.]

[Marco's not even sure if he should admire the blunt determination or facepalm a hundred times over.]

[No no, maybe he's just not giving him enough credit.]

Okay, and what if they have friends who aren't swordsmen? Like if you wanted to mess with Vista and say I decided to interfere? And if you're going to be sailing and swordfighting, who's going to do the cooking? Or find the names of the strongest people and where they are?

[Laughs.] Vista doesn't hide behind us. But I have a bad habit of being very overprotective of my family. [At least he can admit it?]

You're missing the big picture matey. In a crew everyone relies on each other and that's our best strength. Cooks get to cook more because someone is driving, and because they're cooking, someone else can focus just on sails. And because someone else is navigating, cooking, sailing, and doing all the trading that needs done, the swordsmen get to focus just on becoming the best swordsmen they can be.

Even if you can do all those things; cooking, sailing, handling charts, talking to people, it takes time that you could have been using just for sword things.

Right now, you're in training, right? Do you do all the cooking, swabbing decks, getting money to pay teachers and buy food, or does someone else help on those things so you can focus on learning?

I didn't say you join my crew, brat. We've got enough swordsmen and you have to earn that right. [Which you haven't. And won't. GTFO. You're not wanted. In a game of Davy Back, he's not taking you. ALTHOUGH in Luceti he does need a swordsman; as was evidenced by his earlier point about missing Vista for such things, but yeah, no. Still not taking you. Unless Zoro turns out to actually be part marimo, then he would. For the novelty of it.]

I said you join the Straw Hat crew. Meet them before you knock them, eh?

[Too many people wanted pet mini-Zoros. But yes, pirate = lawbreaker. He'll just con Jinbei into helping him avoid authorities on this matter.]

Straw Hat Luffy.

He's going to be the next pirate king.

Look, I used to be a little like you on that, believe it or not. I didn't think I needed anyone else and I didn't have a good reason to be a pirate when most of them are idiots. My captain changed that. He changed the world for me. I don't know if that's the same for you, but from what I remember you're pretty much Luffy's first mate? And that tends to be the case for us first crew members.

Meet your crew before you write them off. They've even impressed me, and that's not easy, so they might take you by surprise, eh. If nothing else, I know they've helped you get closer to your goal. That's the kind of crew they are.

[Gives him a moment. See? Smart kids all over Luceti. At least Zoro is letting it all sink in. Which is genuinely more than Marco can say for most of his own damn brothers. And they're adults! Also, poor Zoro. Marco KNOWS he lucked out with the best damn captain ever.]

In the meanwhile would you like a cookie or something?

[He's the weird one? He's not the one sighing about cookies man. And he gestures in, making sure Zoro doesn't get too lost. It's like he knows. Actually Marco doesn't know, he just gets a little Mama Bird-like sometimes. It drives his crew nuts.]

I'm thinking I want one with nuts.

[Insert puns here.]