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Chapter 869: G-3 Is Huge
Chapter 869: G-3 Is Huge
New World, on some remote island.
A group of hippos in black dress uniforms roared harmoniously through the island’s river channels. On a nearby tree stump sat a man in a sleek black fur coat, his hair slicked back, biting down on a cigar while reading a newspaper.
“Hahaha!”
After a while, he let out a peculiar, high-pitched laugh that cut through the air. His laughter seemed to fuel the hippos’ roars, sending shockwaves through the riverbanks. Their combined voices resonated like a single, monstrous echo—Crocodile’s signature presence.
“Mr.1, the world’s starting to fall apart.”
Crocodile chuckled, “The world always stirs after a World Meeting, but this time… Grand Line’s chaos has spread to World Government territories. That’ll buy the pirates time. Even the Revolutionary Army’s on the move again.”
He didn’t buy the news about the Revolutionary Army’s Chief of Staff dying. If they’d truly fallen, the World Government wouldn’t have buried it with such a brief report.
“Golden Lion’s got the Seven Warlords of the Sea in his grip, and the Four Emperors are stirring too. This world’s messier than ever,” Crocodile mused. “But chaos is opportunity.”
Beside him, Mr.1 crossed his arms, his face grim. “Still, boss, Golden Lion once offered you a spot among the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Now there are rumors he plans to disband them all and recruit new ones.”
Crocodile smirked. “Just rumors. He’s not that foolish.”
Shuuu—
A sudden gust of wind. Mr.1 flicked his hand, snatching an object mid-air. A black bat flapped wildly in his grasp.
“Government message bat,” Mr.1 muttered.
The bat’s wings fluttered, and a voice burst from its mouth. Unlike news birds that delivered written reports, this one transmitted audio directly.
Kuro’s recorded voice:
“Hey, Crocodile. Time to meet at G-3 Fortress.”
Short. Direct.
Crocodile glanced at the bat, exhaled a plume of smoke through his nose, and rose slowly. His golden hook glinted as he grinned. “Let’s see what you’re up to now… Hahaha!”
…
The next day.
“That’s G-3?”
A small raft drifted toward G-3 Port. Under her parasol, a young girl squinted at the massive fortress. “Aren’t they saying Bartholomew destroyed G-3? Why does it look fully intact?”
Perona’s eyes twitched at the array of cannons. The firepower was ludicrous.
Dracule Mihawk lifted his head, his hawk-like eyes narrowing. “This is the Navy. They’ve got the resources.”
As the raft neared, Marines waited at the dock. Before it could moor, Mihawk leaped onto the pier, landing with a fluid grace that sent his coat billowing. The Marines snapped to attention—protocol for a Seven Warlord of the Sea.
At the port’s end stood Klah, adjusting his glasses. “Hawk-Eye.”
Mihawk arched a brow. “Kuro?”
“Waiting in the Meeting Hall. Follow me.”
“Hey! Is there a room for me?” Perona called.
“All arranged,” Klah replied. G-3 Fortress was vast. Even with the Navy, Seven Warlords of the Sea, and their entourages present, there was no need for crowding.
Inside the Meeting Hall, Kuro lounged at the massive round table.
“Your cigar.”
Mihawk tossed a lacquered box across the table. It hovered, then settled beside Kuro.
“Nice box,” Kuro remarked, sniffing the wood’s faint fragrance. Gold etched into the lid’s carvings glimmered. At the bottom, a dual-blade skull mark nestled under a captain’s hat with an “m”-like crest.
“A pirate’s?” Kuro frowned.
Mihawk sat beside him, pouring Kuro’s wine into an empty glass. “Seized from pirates. Obviously pirate-made.”
He sipped the wine. “Not bad. Old Man’s blend?”
Kuro opened the box. Ten cigars inside, their golden-white marbled patterns unique. He held one to his nose.
“Edible gold? And… an explosive aura?”
A cigar connoisseur, Kuro detected quality instantly—akin to Mihawk’s wine expertise.
Lighting the cigar, he inhaled deeply. Suddenly, his eyes widened. A jet of vapor shot from his mouth like steam.
He yanked the cigar away, staring at the smoke. “This…”
Mihawk leaned in. “Bad?”
Kuro exhaled slowly. “Sweet, not cloying. But when I inhaled, it churned in my mouth like steam, vibrating my palate. Intense.”
He traced the cigar’s white veins. “This texture… premium stuff. Did you wipe out a pirate crew for this? What about their base?”
Mihawk checked the box’s bottom mark. “Not the same crew. Probably looted from someone else.”
Kuro frowned. “This grade’s rare. I’ve never heard of it.”
He’d smoked every Grand Line luxury—Navy special-issue, even Sakazuki’s stash. But this surpassed them all.
(End of Chapter)
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