Time flies, especially when one is busy. Fortunately, Cross wasn't too busy. The truly troublesome individuals were in the New World, the la
Time flies, especially when one is busy.
Fortunately, Cross wasn't too busy.
The truly troublesome individuals were in the New World, the latter half of the Grand Line, kept in check by Marine Headquarters.
Only some new generation pirates or a few old pirate hands were mildly problematic, but the Marines in other branches weren't useless either, so genuinely difficult foes were relatively rare.
However, Cross's missions weren't limited to this. He often collaborated with the World Government's CP organizations to combat various disruptive terrorist groups.
The Sabaody Archipelago in particular wasn't just the last island in the first half of the Grand Line; it was also the closest point to Mariejois, the Holy Land. Such a unique location naturally attracted countless shady characters.
On this vast ocean, apart from the World Government-affiliated nations, there were also non-World Government-affiliated nations.
Non-World Government-affiliated nations generally fell into two categories: one type was too weak and had no unique features, so the World Government naturally paid them no mind.
The other type possessed strong national power or relied on dangerous terrain, thus not needing the World Government's protection, allowing them to thrive independently in this cruel sea.
However, among those powerful nations, whether World Government-affiliated or not, there were always ambitious individuals.
They secretly spied on the lofty World Government, often taking advantage of turmoil or even secretly instigating chaos to fish for greater profits from the World Government, or even presuming to replace it.
Therefore, the World Government had only one attitude towards these meddling hands: sever them.
One comes, one is severed.
A pair comes, a pair is severed.
Kidnappings, assassinations, infiltrations, protections, thefts... In the shadows of the Sabaody Archipelago, CP organization agents were exceptionally active, constantly battling those attempting to probe the World Government's secrets.
Among them, the Big Mom Pirates, the top intelligence business in the underworld, were old adversaries of the CP organization.
On this day, Cross received another mission and hurriedly set off for the Sabaody Archipelago on his silver giant eagle.
Cross was already very familiar with the Sabaody Archipelago, as it was the place he was dispatched to most frequently.
It didn't take long for Cross to arrive at Marine Base G-66 on the island, traveling several times faster than a warship.
"Screech—"
Accompanied by a long eagle cry, Cross, riding on the silver giant eagle's back, descended amidst a roaring wind in front of the fortress building at the Marine base.
"Cross!"
"Rear Admiral Gobert!"
A man with short brown hair, standing two and a half meters tall, greeted Cross with a smile at the main entrance.
This man had a long, thin face with sunken cheekbones, appearing somewhat peculiar. He wore a grass-green suit with white stripes, a dark green shirt, and a beige tie. A white Marine coat of justice was draped over his shoulders, and he wore black leather shoes. This was indeed the commander of the Marine Base on the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Come quickly, I just got some excellent black coffee and cigars. Perfect time to try them!" Gobert warmly patted Cross's shoulder, walking alongside him.
"Eh?!"
Cross's face showed surprise. "Still have time for coffee and cigars… Didn't you say it was an urgent mission?"
"It doesn't matter, the CP 'black dogs' haven't arrived yet anyway." Gobert said nonchalantly.
"So it's another one of their troubles to solve… Do you have specific details?" Cross frowned, asking in a deep voice.
"I don't know much. I was just asked to assist their CP organization's operation. Anyway, I just need to send some men; it's nothing important!" Gobert shook his head, then shouted to his aide-de-camp nearby, "Jess, go brew two cups of my best black coffee!"
"Yes, Rear Admiral!"
The young aide-de-camp respectfully saluted and then hurried away.
"I remember the last few times, it was because the enemy's numbers were too many, or their strength exceeded their estimates, that we Marines needed to intervene temporarily. Is there another big operation this time?" Cross thoughtfully stroked his chin, slowly muttering to himself.
"Who knows," Gobert said perfunctorily. "Anyway, recently, there haven't been any groups with more than a hundred people, and even the pirates sneaking ashore are small pirate crews with less than a hundred members. Their bounties aren't high either, so it's nothing important!"
"Hahaha~"
Hearing this, Cross laughed. "You, you know there are pirates landing on the Sabaody Archipelago and you just let them be? You're really quite lazy!"
"It's not a big problem; it doesn't matter!" Gobert said, losing interest.
Soon, the two arrived at Gobert's office.
As the highest military officer of the Sabaody Archipelago, Gobert's office was quite spacious, with very luxurious decor. The sofas, coffee tables, bookshelves, desks, and chairs were all expensive brands.
After all, the position of military commander on the Sabaody Archipelago was a lucrative one. The number of merchants and various factions wanting to curry favor with Gobert was countless, all hoping to receive his 'care'.
The Sabaody Archipelago was a mixed bag, with gangsters, pirates, merchants, World Government officials… almost every kind of person imaginable. But those who could do business on the island generally had backing, from high-ranking World Government officials to relatives of high-ranking Marines, and even many who worked for the World Nobles.
However, there's a saying: "A local official is better than a faraway emperor."
As the highest military officer of the Sabaody Archipelago, if you offended Gobert, even if a World Noble was behind you, if he was determined to mess with you, he could absolutely take you down before the World Noble's protection arrived, or completely wipe out all your businesses on the Sabaody Archipelago.
Most importantly, Gobert wasn't without backing. He was a member of the Neutral Faction, one of the three major Marine factions. As long as he didn't commit any major mistakes, the occasional bribe was something Marine Headquarters would turn a blind eye to.
After all, the position of base commander on the Sabaody Archipelago was a lucrative one. If they were to truly investigate, almost every base commander had issues.
"It's not your first time here; make yourself at home!"
Gobert casually pointed to the sofa, then turned to a display cabinet nearby and took out a wooden box.
"I won't be polite!"
Cross also didn't stand on ceremony and sat directly on the sofa.
"Here, try my cigar. A merchant gave it to me recently!"
Gobert sat on the sofa opposite Cross, opened the wooden box in his hand, placed it on the coffee table, and said casually.
Cross took a thick, brown cigar, sniffed it lightly for a few seconds, and said, "The fruity wood aroma is very rich, and there's a faint vanilla scent!"
"Quite knowledgeable!"
Gobert glanced at Cross, then nonchalantly picked up a cigar cutter, clipped a cigar, struck a match, and slowly lit it.
"Just so-so, I only started smoking last year!"
Cross also picked up a cigar cutter, holding it at the same height as Gobert.
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