Somewhere in the New World, on a deserted island.
Such islands were countless in the New World...
Most were used as temporary camps by various pirate crews.
And on this island, one pirate crew had taken root.
"Captain Moria! How much longer are we staying here?!"
"That bastard Kaido's already begun expanding wildly across the New World!"
A massive figure leaned against a tree, lazily drinking alcohol.
His hair resembled a flaming onion, and his features bore a striking resemblance to the legendary "demon"—horns on his forehead, pointed ears and teeth.
A stitched scar ran across his scalp.
This was Gecko Moria, who, years ago, had fought Kaido in Wano.
Now, he looked utterly defeated, ignoring his crewmates entirely.
His ever-present greatsword lay discarded, half-buried in the weeds.
"Kishishishi, good booze... damn good booze!" Muttering, he took another swig.
His loyal crewmates exchanged uneasy glances.
Though they were no saints, they trusted and revered Moria wholeheartedly.
He was their leader, their captain—they couldn't just watch him waste away .
"Captain Moria! Snap out of it!"
One crewmate gritted his teeth, raised his hammer, and smashed Moria's enormous jug.
Clear booze spilled across the ground.
But Moria reacted sluggishly, taking a long moment before his face twisted in confusion...
"Oi oi... why'd you go and break my jug...?"
"Captain! We only lost once! Why are you completely giving up ? Both you and Kaido were ambushed by Kozuki Oden and driven out of Wano Country, so why can the Beasts Pirates keep moving forward while we're wasting our time hiding on this deserted island?"
The man's voice echoed across half the island.
All the remaining members of the Gecko Pirates had gathered.
Truth be told, the pirate crew still had its core strength intact.
As long as Gecko Moria remained the Gecko Moria he once was, they could make a comeback...
But the reality was...
Just one defeat had completely crushed this proud yet fragile man.
Drowning himself in alcohol, he dragged the entire crew down with him.
Not a single one of them would blame Moria...
Yet Moria couldn't get past this mental hurdle himself.
"Vice-Captain Cross! There's a ship approaching the shore!"
"Do you even need to ask? Drive them away! How long have we been here—do you really need my orders for this?!"
"That's exactly why I'm asking you—I don't know if we should drive them away!"
Cross, who had just finished shouting at Moria, froze.
His impatient expression turned serious.
Turning around, he glared at the messenger pirate and demanded.
"What's going on? Who in the world would come to such a remote, deserted island?"
"Although it's just a small boat..." The pirate delivering the message swallowed hard before continuing.
"But the flag flying on it belongs to the Cross Guild!"
Cross's eyes instantly widened.
Ever since Rayleigh, Gaban, and Gloriossa established the Cross Guild as its three leaders, its formidable reputation had quickly spread to every corner of the sea.
After all, as a neutral organization daring enough to issue bounties on both the World Government and pirates alike, the Cross Guild had truly opened everyone's eyes.
It was absolutely outrageous!
But after one pirate crew accidentally sank a World Government vessel and decided to capture those with bounties to deliver them to the Cross Guild...
They immediately received a hefty reward.
From that moment on, no one ever doubted the Cross Guild's legitimacy again...
Because they actually paid!
Over the years, the Cross Guild's bounty scope had expanded exponentially.
It wasn't just the World Government and pirates—targets ranged from Celestial Dragons and royal families down to rich merchant and corrupt Marines...
You name it, they had it.
"Why would a Cross Guild ship come here?"
Frowning, Cross hurried toward the shoreline.
He refused to believe the Cross Guild's ship had aimlessly drifted to this uninhabited island.
The only possibility was that the Cross Guild had tracked their Gecko Pirates' movements through various clues.
After all, they still had to leave the island occasionally to gather supplies and resources, so it wasn't surprising an organization like the Cross Guild could trace them.
"Could the Cross Guild be targeting us?"
"Don't be ridiculous." Cross rolled his eyes at the panicking pirate. "The Gecko Pirates haven't been seen on the seas for years. Most probably think we're already dead... Why would the Cross Guild bother with a half-dead crew like ours?" Read complete version only at noveⅼfire.net
"Besides... the Cross Guild only acts to protect its own interests."
Cross dared to investigate precisely because he understood the Guild's nature.
And let's face it—to legends like Rayleigh, Gaban, and Gloriossa...
Their crew was nothing more than small fry.
If those big shots wanted them dead, it'd be over in an instant.
So... you only die once, but if you live, you live forever!
"Tch, they're really taking their sweet time."
At the uninhabited island's shore, a tall, long-legged beauty dressed in Amazon Lily attire glared impatiently toward the jungle depths.
Nearly five minutes had passed since that pirate scrambled off to deliver the message—why hadn't anyone appeared yet?
"Did they actually flee after hearing it's the Cross Guild?"
"If they dared stand me up, I swear I'll put their bounties on the list the moment I get back!"
The visitor was none other than Gloriossa herself.
Just as she grumbled and prepared to note this offense in her little black book, Cross's burly figure emerged from the jungle.
"My apologies for the delayed welcome! Friends from the Cross Guild!"
"Hmph, what makes you think you can call me 'friend'?"
Gloriossa's brow furrowed as Conqueror's Haki instantly surged forward from her.
As the former empress of Amazon Lily, Conqueror's Haki was practically standard equipment for her.
Cross instantly felt his hair stand on end as he finally recognized the figure before him—Gloriossa, one of the three titans of the Cross Guild!
This sensation… It was something he'd only ever experienced when facing Kaido and Kozuki Oden!
Yet, gritting his teeth, he didn't collapse.
This reaction made Gloriossa raise an eyebrow.
"Thought you were just some small fry… Turns out you're somewhat useful."
"This letter—someone entrusted the Cross Guild to deliver it to Gecko Moria."
With that, she handed over an envelope stamped with the Marine's insignia.
But beside the blue Marine emblem, faint wing-like patterns encircled it.
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