New World, Calai Bali Island.
Headquarters of "Buggy's Delivery."
"Rumors say Crocodile is Captain Buggy's subordinate—I never thought it was true!"
"Captain Buggy truly is amazing!"
"Speaking of which, Vice-Captain Mr.3 also had some history with Crocodile, didn't he?"
"Trafalgar Law is here too? That guy's no pushover either. Is he trying to follow Captain Buggy?"
The pirates buzzed with excitement.
Captain's Quarters.
"I'm sorry, I really don't have any money!"
Buggy groveled on the floor, wailing as he begged Crocodile to spare his life. His pathetic display left Law utterly dumbfounded.
Was this ridiculous fool really the same man who had sailed with the Pirate King, sworn brother to Red Hair Shanks, the mastermind behind the Impel Down breakout, and the "Clown King" who shone so brightly in the Summit War?
Before coming here, Law had assumed he was dealing with a formidable figure—someone worth being nervous about, even preparing for battle.
But… this?
And then there was "Candle Demon" Mr.3. Rumor had it he had defeated two giant captains, and during the Summit War, he had rescued Ace right under Fleet Admiral Sengoku and a host of Marine elites.
His resume was nothing short of explosive.
Yet, at this moment, his fawning attitude wasn't much better than Buggy's.
Law was starting to question his life choices.
"Crocodile, are we really teaming up with this trash?"
"Though he's a worthless fool, he still has some use."
Crocodile pressed his foot down on Buggy's head.
The title of Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea and the convict pirates outside all had their uses. He didn't have much choice.
He needed to establish a new organization—one that required money and manpower. Though Gurd would invest, he had to keep control of the founding shares.
That was non-negotiable.
"The new organization will be called the Cross Guild. Any objections?"
"Whatever."
Law had no issue with the name. It didn't matter to him.
He was just looking for a temporary base to gather strength. Once the time was right, he'd leave to pursue his own goals.
Meanwhile, on Hachinosu Island.
Golden Lion, having taken over the island, wasted no time openly recruiting followers. As one of the most prominent pirates at the moment, his appeal was immense.
The main reason was that the Beasts Pirates had set their recruitment standards too high—only the strongest could join, leaving ordinary pirates to settle for other crews.
Fortuna Community , Resort Beach.
"Zephyr joined Hoenn?"
Gurd was surprised.
He had expected Zephyr to take more time before making a decision—perhaps even forming the Neo Marines first. He hadn't anticipated such a straightforward move.
It was likely due to Kuzan's influence.
With that master-disciple bond in play, anyone would have to think carefully.
As for capturing Weevil, he'd leave that to Zephyr.
The same went for Dore, Smoker, and the others.
Many of Kuzan's former subordinates had resigned from the Marines. These officers had long been dissatisfied with the World Government and trusted Kuzan implicitly.
The situation was looking favorable.
Gurd turned his gaze to the bird-man sitting across from him.
"Mr. Morgans, have you considered my proposal?"
"Absolutely! This is huge news!"
Morgans agreed without hesitation.
Before him lay Golden Lion's wanted poster and the freshly printed promotional flyers for the Cross Guild.
Such explosive headlines were bound to send shockwaves through the world.
And besides, the man before him wielded influence rivaling the World Government. When someone like that personally sought him out, Morgans couldn't refuse.
Now his working principle is to listen to the World Government on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, give face to the Hoenn Government on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, leaving one day free to act as he pleases.
Gahahaha~~~
Three days later, the newspapers were published.
[The New Four Emperors]
Kaido, Big Mom, and Golden Lion.
And the leader of the Cross Guild, the "Thousand-Li Clown" Buggy!
The two vacant seats of the Four Emperors were finally filled, shocking the world. While the Underworld had anticipated Golden Lion's inclusion, the sudden rise of the Cross Guild was far more intriguing.
However, pirates had no doubts about the Cross Guild's strength.
The duo of Buggy and the Candle Demon had long been renowned, and now the Cross Guild had further bolstered its ranks by recruiting Crocodile and Trafalgar Law, significantly increasing its power.
Moreover, the Cross Guild issued bounties on Marines, a move even more shocking than the announcement of the new Four Emperors.
Fleet Admiral: Five Crowns, representing five billion Berries !
Admirals: Three Crowns, three billion Berries !
Vice Admirals: Five Stars, five hundred million Berries !
Captains: One Star, one hundred million Berries !
With few exceptions, the bounties for Marine officers were set at these benchmarks, with only minor fluctuations.
Marine Headquarters.
The conference room was thick with smoke.
The officers' faces were grim. The Cross Guild's bounties meant one thing—their lives were now under threat.
With the lure of money, their danger would no longer come solely from pirates.
In the dining hall, Sengoku and Tsuru were having tea.
"This Cross Guild... it must be Gurd's doing!"
"I was thinking the same thing!"
The two were in agreement.
Nowadays, no major event in the New World could escape Gurd's influence—or rather, nothing like issuing bounties on Marines could happen without his approval.
Leaving aside what benefits the Cross Guild gained from this, the sheer amount of funding required was beyond what most could afford.
The Cross Guild couldn't possibly have that much money.
"What a terrifying tactic!"
Sengoku sighed.
He could guess Gurd's intentions.
With bounties in place, officers would constantly fear for their safety while carrying out missions—even the civilians they protected might turn on them.
This would severely damage Marine morale. Worse still, trust between the Marines and civilians would erode.
Now, all it needed was a spark.
Additionally, the Hoenn Government's recruitment efforts had already unsettled the ranks. The defection of officers like Dore had dealt a heavy blow to the Marines.
A Marine rushed in to report.
"Mr. Sengoku, we've just received word—Rear Admiral T-Bone has been killed. The culprit was a poor citizen of the Pepe Kingdom!"
"..."
Dark clouds fell over Sengoku and Tsuru's eyes.
Just as they had feared.
But for the victim to be T-Bone... it was too cruel.
That young man was full of justice, a fine officer who loathed evil and cared deeply for civilians, beloved by his subordinates.
Tsuru let out a long sigh.
"The killer's family must be living happily now."
"..."
Sengoku remained silent.
They understood why this had happened.
The bounty was only a small part of it. The true cause of Rear Admiral T-Bone's death was this wretched world that made life unbearable for its people.
They couldn't blame the killer.
At this point, there was only one solution.
Crush the Cross Guild as soon as possible!
Yet even without the Cross Guild, another organization would take its place. The root of this incident lay in the struggle between two regimes.
"Let Sakazuki handle it."
Sengoku shook his head helplessly and changed the subject, asking, "Tsuru, how is your granddaughter doing now?"
"Kujaku is in Hoenn, out of danger."
Tsuru gave a slight shake of her head.
Kujaku was stationed at the G14 branch. When Dore submitted her resignation, she had specifically contacted Tsuru to relay updates about Kujaku's situation.
In these troubled times, it wasn't bad for Kujaku to remain with the Hoenn Government—at least she wouldn't have to face the darkness of the World Government.
(End of Chapter)