From the moment Cross took the letter to watching Gloriossa board her ship and depart, his entire body felt numb.
Aside from his legs nearly giving way under the pressure of Gloriossa's Conqueror's Haki, he was utterly shocked by the letter in his hand.
Seriously…
Who the hell would believe that one of the Cross Guild's three titans had traveled all this way just to deliver a Marine letter to a pirate?
If word got out, the entire sea would laugh at them…
One of the most sought-after beauties on the seas delivering mail for you!?
Cross gave a bitter smile as he watched the ship fade into the distance…
"Damn it… I forgot to ask Gloriossa-sama to sign my forehead…"
...
"Cross, what the hell just happened?"
"It's… complicated." Cross shook his head at his gathered crewmates before raising the letter toward Gecko Moria.
"There's a letter here—sent by the Marine, delivered through the Cross Guild, addressed to you."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone froze.
Their eyes instinctively darted to Cross.
Was he really spinning such an outrageous lie just to get Moria's attention?
But to their surprise, Cross remained dead serious the entire time.
So serious that even the perpetually drunk Moria snapped out of his stupor…
"Hurk!"
The massive man lurched to the side, streching violently.
After what felt like an eternity, Moria finally lifted his head.
"Believin' it or not… don't matter."
"You—!"
Cross couldn't hold back any longer.
He grabbed Moria by the waistband and yanked hard.
"You damn onion-headed bastard! So what if you took one loss at sea!? I've eaten more defeats than you before I even met you! But I didn't drown myself in booze like you!"
"The letter's right here! Read it or don't—your choice!"
"But if you choose to ignore it, I won't hesitate to take the crew and leave! Because the Moria we knew is already dead!"
Cross's voice was loud, but it cracked with emotion.
As one of the first to sail with Gecko Moria, he cared about this onion-headed man more than anyone else.
With that, he slapped the letter onto Moria's chest and turned away, sitting with his back to him.
He couldn't bear—or perhaps didn't dare—to watch Moria make his choice.
Moria's drunken haze, stirred by Cross's furious outburst, began to clear as pain surged through him.
He looked down at the letter on his chest.
The Marines… he didn't like them.
And those faint wing patterns on the letter, especially the aura they carried…
He hated it even more.
It felt like they were natural enemies.
But his brother's furious words still echoed in his ears.
Moria took a deep breath.
He drowned himself in alcohol, living in a drunken stupor, simply trying to escape the overwhelming guilt that threatened to consume him.
Many of his comrades, his brothers, had perished on the battlefields of Wano Country.
Even Cross bore over a dozen deep, bone-exposing wounds…
All sustained while protecting Moria's back.
In the end, the one he couldn't overcome was himself.
Losing comrades was too painful.
But when he looked at the remaining brothers again, he found no resentment in their eyes—only concern and anger.
Was this what they called "frustration at his lack of resolve"?
Lost in thought, Moria's hand moved almost unconsciously toward the letter…
He opened it gently and pulled out its contents.
"Shichibukai Appointment Letter?"
"Cross, what the hell is this?"
Cross whipped his head around, staring at Moria.
Regardless of the Shichibukai appointment, he knew one thing for certain…
The Gecko Pirates were back!
******
One week later.
Michael stamped the official seal on the Seraphim Ship.
The document in question was the confirmation of the fourth Shichibukai—Gekko Moria's identity and status.
"Michael, are you really sure this guy will take the job?" Crocodile sat nearby, puffing on a cigar, exhaling thick clouds of smoke.
At least there weren't any annoying brats around lately.
If she didn't get to smoke a few, she'd go insane.
"Why wouldn't he? The man's emotionally fragile. Now's the perfect time to strike. He'll agree for sure…" Michael chuckled.
"But once that fragile heart shatters, whether he collapses completely or rises stronger—that's not my problem. Worst case, another stronger pirate takes him out and inherits his Warlord spot."
It was just another tactic to divide the pirates…
Aside from Red-Haired Shanks, whom Michael held in higher regard, even Doflamingo and Chin Jao were little more than high-grade expendables.
Let alone Moria, whose current state was unknown.
"Hey, Michael, according to the charts… we're about to enter the territory of 'Big Mom pirates.'"
A flash of blue-green lightning flickered before Michael's eyes as Enel's face, tinged with a faint aura of death, appeared before him.
Compared to when he first descended from Skypiea, his expressions had grown much more varied.
Right now, for instance, he looked like a disgruntled office worker.
Ever since Michael tricked him into joining the Marines, Enel had served as the Seraphim Ship's navigator and…
Power source.
As one of Vegapunk's prototypes, the Seraphim Ship could run on conventional fuel or alternative energy sources.
And as the user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Enel became the ship's most indispensable component…
Michael hadn't refueled in half a year!
His wallet had noticeably thickened because of it.
"Oh? We're almost at Totto land?" Michael looked up, thoughtful.
"If the charts you gave me are accurate, we can bypass the so-called 'Secret Route' and head straight to Whole Cake Island."
"Alright, go back to powering the ship and get us moving," Michael said with a smile.
"Aren't you interested in sweets? When we get to Big Mom's tea party, eat to your heart's content! Don't hold back!"
Enel rolled his eyes and vanished in a flash of lightning...
If there was one thing he'd learned since coming to the Blue Sea...
It was definitely not to fall for Michael's empty promises!
"You... are you really planning to crash Big Mom's tea party uninvited?" Crocodile frowned. "I know you're not afraid of her, but you should understand—she's not like that old man Whitebeard. She's... just insane."
"Insanity is good," Michael clapped his hands and laughed. "At least once I figure out the habits of a madwoman, I can find ways to weaken or even eliminate her threat..."
As he spoke, Michael waved the Warlord appointment document in his hand.
Stella, who had been studying 'Iron Cloud' nearby, looked up in confusion.
"Don't tell me... you want to make Big Mom a Warlord?"
"Of course not. She's crazy, not stupid."
Michael raised an eyebrow...
"But her children? That's another story."
-----------------------------
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