Minion Island.
This island is located east of Swallow Island. Its climate is strange; while both Swallow Island and Lubeck Island in the same sea area have a spring/autumn climate, Minion Island is in a perpetually harsh winter, a land of snow covered year-round.
When Cross arrived, heavy snow was falling over the island, coating the surveillance ship docked at the shore in a layer of white.
Marduk landed on the surveillance ship, and Cross leaped onto the deck. Seeing only a handful of Marines on deck and on guard at the shore, he couldn't help but ask loudly, "Where is everyone? Where did they all go?"
As soon as he spoke, a cold wind blew by, making Cross shiver and feel a long-lost chill.
"Snowy weather is really annoying!" Surtur grumbled from behind Cross.
As a being of fire, it naturally disliked this cold feeling, but the heavy snow flurries that got close to it were all instantly vaporized by the high temperature of its body.
"Commodore Cross, I'm Captain Lunta of Branch G-5!" Just then, a long-faced Marine wearing a beige coat and a Marine hat rushed over. He respectfully saluted Cross and explained, "I didn't expect you to arrive so suddenly. Most of the men went to search the coast according to Vice Admiral Tsuru's orders. But a few minutes ago, there was a faint but fierce gunfire from the mountaintop, so I sent the rest of the men to check it out, leaving only forty to guard the battleship!"
"Fierce gunfire..." Cross's expression changed upon hearing this, and he subconsciously looked toward the mountaintop of Minion Island. However, the coast's terrain was too low, and his view was blocked by the dozens of meters high cliff, so he couldn't see what was happening on the mountain top.
"Wait a minute..." Suddenly, Cross remembered that on his way here, he had vaguely seen thick smoke and fire coming from the mountaintop of Minion Island. He hadn't paid it any mind, assuming the pirates were just lighting a fire to keep warm. But now, he realized something was wrong, because the smoke and fire from the mountaintop were too large to be from a normal fire. Combined with what Captain Lunta had said about the fierce gunfire, something must have changed on the island.
Could it be that Rosinante has already succeeded? Or has Doflamingo already landed and clashed with Diez Barrels's crew?
"Commodore Cross, is something wrong?" At this moment, Captain Lunta saw the look on Cross's face and asked with a puzzled expression.
Cross didn't speak. His expression kept changing as he tried to recall this part of the Ope Ope no Mi arc. However, after nineteen long years from his past life to this one, he had long forgotten the details of this non-main-plot story. The frustrating part was that he remembered the general course of events but couldn't recall the specifics, no matter how hard he tried. It was as if a mist was obscuring his memories, and he could only describe this feeling as "annoying."
"Haaa..." After a moment, Cross let out a heavy sigh and looked at Captain Lunta with a sharp gaze. "I suspect a major change has occurred on the island. If I don't call back in ten minutes, you are to notify Vice Admiral Tsuru and have her come to Minion Island immediately. Doflamingo has very likely already landed on the island!"
"That's impossible!" Captain Lunta exclaimed in shock. "Commodore Cross, my men haven't spotted any ships from the Donquixote Pirates yet!"
"Whether it's possible or not, we'll know in ten minutes! Remember, ten minutes!" Cross ignored his shock and repeated his instruction directly.
With that, he took out a wanted poster of Doflamingo and a photo of Rosinante from his coat. He turned to Marduk and ordered, "Look carefully at these two. Then go and observe from the sky. If you find them, strike them with lightning! But remember, if you see the former, hit him with a real bolt of lightning, and if you see the latter, don't hit him directly, just strike next to him!"
Marduk carefully examined the wanted poster and photo in Cross's hand, trying to remember the two people's appearances. He then nodded and said, "Master, I've got it!"
"Go!" Cross waved his hand, and Marduk shot into the sky. Its body of black clouds, flickering with electricity, also expanded.
Rumble...
Rumble... Rumble...
Before long, the sky darkened. The entire Minion Island was covered by a black cloud, and dazzling lightning bolts flashed and intertwined within the billowing dark clouds, creating a loud thunderous roar.
Seeing this sight, the Marines on the surveillance ship were stunned, not expecting this famous Marine star to be able to change the weather!
"Am I dreaming?!" Captain Lunta's face was blank as he muttered in disbelief, "To be able to do this... Isn't that a bit too exaggerated?!"
Then, Cross looked down at his shadow and said in a low voice, "Scáthach, Demon Wings!"
"Yes, Master!"
The next second, to Captain Lunta's horror, the graceful shadow came to life. It crawled onto Cross's body like a black fluid, gradually enveloping his entire body until it stopped at his neck, like a form-fitting black jumpsuit.
But the transformation didn't stop there. Two lumps bulged from the black jumpsuit on Cross's back and quickly formed into two giant bat wings. Their pitch-black color emanated a purple glow, like the wings of a demon.
Immediately, Cross's expression turned serious, and he shouted in a low voice, "Surtur, come with me!"
Whoosh—
The two giant bat wings on his back flapped violently, instantly kicking up a fierce and cold gust of wind that sent the snow on the deck flying everywhere. Then, Cross shot up like a rocket, with a fireball following closely behind. He had officially set foot on Minion Island.
According to the intelligence from the Marine intelligence division, there was an abandoned ghost town on the mountaintop of Minion Island, where Diez Barrels's crew was stationed. So Cross planned to go to the mountaintop to see for himself.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Minion Island, a pink pirate ship was docked on the shore. Its figurehead was a flamingo wearing red sunglasses.
Doflamingo, wearing red sunglasses and a pink feather coat over his dark red suit, slowly stepped off the ship. By his side were a cute little girl and another person holding a large Den Den Mushi shaped like a flamingo. Behind Doflamingo were nearly ten more men and women with peculiar appearances, some fat and some thin—the members of the Donquixote Family.
Rumble...
Rumble... Rumble...
Doflamingo looked up with a surprised expression. He noticed that at some point, a large dark cloud had covered the sky above Minion Island, and loud thunder was roaring constantly.
"The weather seems a bit off," he said.
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