On the vast, snow-covered plain, a sudden, desperate scream rang out: "...Stop it, Vergo!"
A burly man, whose entire body was covered in black-purple Armament Haki like a metal statue, slowly stood up. He stopped beating the other man on the ground. His face, hidden behind dark green, gold-rimmed glasses, was expressionless as he gazed forward.
In the snow nearby, a small boy lay prone, his face streaked with tears and snot. He watched the terrifying man walking toward him, his expression filled with dread.
Boom!
Suddenly, a dazzling bolt of lightning struck the ground behind the man named Vergo with a deafening roar. It was as fast as a flash of light. The ground, covered with thick white snow, was scorched into a crater the size of an adult's head. The black soil was still hot and smoking, and the lingering heat melted the surrounding snow.
"Winter thunder?!" Vergo stopped and frowned slightly, looking up at the turbulent dark clouds. He felt that the lightning was strange but couldn't quite put his finger on why. However, he quickly shook the odd feeling away and continued walking.
"St-stop... let him go... L-Law is just a child..." In the snow, which was now stained with blood, the man lying on the ground barely managed to turn over. He shakily reached out in Vergo's direction and pleaded weakly.
"A traitor to the family deserves a bloody lesson, no matter who they are!" Vergo didn't look back. His voice was cold, and he completely ignored the plea of the man behind him, his footsteps continuing forward.
But he hadn't taken two steps when his Observation Haki suddenly sensed something was wrong, causing him to turn around. He saw a shadowy human-like monster with bat wings flying rapidly from the mountain, followed by a hot fireball hovering behind it.
"What is that... a Devil Fruit user?!" In the blink of an eye, he saw the humanoid monster fly above his head and stop. It was accompanied by a whistling, bone-chilling wind that kicked up a flurry of snowflakes from the ground.
"You're... Vergo from G-5, aren't you?" A cold voice filled with a hint of menace rang out.
Cross gently flapped his black bat wings, looking down at the burly man standing below him. He had a bowl cut hairstyle, wore dark green, gold-rimmed glasses, and had a serious expression. There was also food residue on his cheek and lightning-shaped sideburns. He was shirtless despite the freezing cold, and, most importantly, his entire body was covered in a powerful layer of Armament Haki. Paired with his clearly defined, muscular physique, he looked like a metal statue from ancient Greece.
Cross thought, With Armament Haki at the 'Full-Body Coating' level and such a terrifying presence, it's no wonder this guy was able to become a Marine Vice Admiral and the commander of Branch G-5 in just 15 years. His strength is not to be underestimated!
However, at this moment, Vergo also recognized Cross. He secretly thought, Damn it, Amphitrite Cross!
"Can you tell me what you're doing here?" Cross glanced at the child lying on the ground and the other man covered in blood, and asked on purpose.
Needless to say, the small boy wearing a fluffy winter hat with leopard spots was the future Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar D. Water Law.
The other man, who had been beaten half to death by Vergo, had short blonde hair, a red hoodie, a black feather coat, and clown makeup on his face. He was Donquixote Doflamingo's biological younger brother, Donquixote Rosinante!
"It's an honor to have Commodore Cross know my name. But it's just two pirates, so there's no need for you to trouble yourself!" Vergo's eyes flickered, but he said with a straight face, "Just leave them to me."
"Is that so... Too bad. You've hit the wrong person. This man is a spy Admiral Sengoku placed in the Donquixote Pirates. He's one of us." Cross slowly descended. The "black jumpsuit" on his body receded like a fluid, turning back into the shadow on the ground. He then looked at the seriously injured Rosinante and said softly, "Before I came, Admiral Sengoku entrusted me to find him and bring him back to Marineford. So, leave these two to me!"
"Admiral Sengoku!" Vergo's face changed. He had no idea that Rosinante was connected to Admiral Sengoku.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh..." Suddenly, Rosinante let out a low laugh, his voice filled with an overwhelming sense of relief. He knew that he and Law were safe now.
He had heard of this man, who was a rising Marine star in recent years, a monster who could fight with Doflamingo at just 15 years old. Even as an undercover agent, he had heard of his reputation and had heard Doflamingo mention his name more than once.
Similarly, Law, who was not far away, also realized that they had encountered a real Marine.
"Vergo... he's a subordinate of Doflamingo, an undercover spy in the Marines!" Although the tears on his face were frozen, it didn't stop him from screaming as loudly as he could.
"Is that so? Another spy, huh..." Cross smiled brilliantly upon hearing this. He faced Vergo and said, "Then, Lieutenant Commander Vergo, do you have an explanation for this?"
At this moment, Vergo's face was colder than ice, and he said in a low voice, "That's just a child's nonsense, just to get back at me for beating him up. Please don't take it seriously!"
"Oh~ Then, Commander Rosinante, do you have anything to say?" Cross raised an eyebrow noncommittally and looked down at the lying Rosinante.
However, before Rosinante could speak, Vergo charged forward and threw a punch at Cross's head. The powerful force was wrapped in a fierce, knife-like aura, making it feel especially cold in the snowy weather.
"Spiky Shadow Lizard!" Cross's expression didn't change, and he didn't even move. The shadow under his feet, Scáthach, turned into a solid black spear and shot out, piercing Vergo's chest as fast as lightning.
Clang—
Before Vergo could react, he was sent flying by the rapidly extending shadow spear. A fierce, circular gust of wind was created, blowing away the surrounding snow.
Law's mouth was wide open as he watched Vergo turn into a black blur, crashing hard into the snow dozens of meters away with a dull thud, kicking up a six-foot-tall plume of snow.
"Cough, cough, cough..." Soon, Vergo crawled out of the sunken snow pit, coughing lightly. He gritted his teeth, his expression unsightly. "Damn it, to have run into such a troublesome person!"
Fortunately, his powerful Armament Haki had prevented the attack from breaking his guard, although it had left his chest feeling a bit tight.
"Attacking a superior officer, a Marine Commodore at that... Vergo, it seems you really are Doflamingo's spy in the Marines!" Cross's expression was solemn, and his tone was low. "Since that's the case, in the name of a Marine Headquarters Commodore, I hereby strip you of your title as Marine Lieutenant Commander!"
"Pirate Vergo, surrender now!"
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