With Katakuri becoming the final new Warlord, this ill-fated organization had at last found some temporary stability.
At the same time, in the New World, the very first Warlord of the Sea from the era of the Great Pirate Age—the former Warlord, Crocodile—stood silently before an island that looked hauntingly familiar. He took a deep drag of his cigar.
"Hmph… Over twenty years, and this island's still standing. That's rare enough."
Though the terrain had changed since then, Crocodile still recognized it.
"Whitebeard…"
After a long pause, he recalled the bitter memory of challenging Whitebeard and failing, then fleeing to this island to recover from his wounds.
"Who would've thought… it was all just coincidence back then. Damn shame I wasted all those years."
He moved toward the island's center, searching through aged memories for the passage leading underground.
But before long, the sound of fighting echoed through the trees.
"Damn it."
Clenching his cigar between his teeth, urgency flashed across Crocodile's face.
"Someone beat me here?!"
"This island sits at the crossroads of territory ruled by three of the Four Emperors… The Marines are busy with Totto Land, Marco's forces are in retreat, and Kaido just got pushed back by the Navy. No one should be here!"
No time to dwell on it. In a flash, he turned into a sandstorm and surged toward the center.
"Straw Hat!"
At the island's heart, Gecko Moria stood furiously with Absalom and his zombie legion, facing down a tense-looking Luffy and his crew.
Though not everyone from the Straw Hats was present—Franky, Brook, and Merry stayed behind to guard the ship—those who were here weren't to be underestimated.
"Why is it you again?! How the hell did you find this place?!"
"We should be asking you that! We have the treasure map. How'd you end up here?"
Sanji lit a cigarette, exhaling slowly. "In fact, we should probably be thanking you. That map came straight from your own stash."
"Moria's actually not the worst person," Zoro said casually, fingers tapping the hilt of his famed black blade, Shusui. "But the fact that he showed up… pretty much proves this map's legit."
"And who knows what kind of unexpected treasure might be waiting inside?" Robin added.
"Hey Moria! More zombies, huh? Looks like we didn't teach you enough of a lesson last time!" Luffy shouted, eyes narrowing.
Back during their clash at Thriller Bark, they'd only defeated Moria thanks to Lola and her crew's help. Without their intel, the Straw Hats would've been completely wiped out. Anyone who lost their shadow to Moria's powers couldn't survive in sunlight—a cruel fate.
Seeing Moria's undead army, Luffy instantly knew the warlord had once again victimized countless people.
"Straw Hat! You stole my treasure! And because of you, I lost my place as a Warlord!"
Moria raged. With Blackbeard now dead, Straw Hat Luffy had become his greatest enemy aside from Kaido himself.
"You used my treasure to find this place?! This is fate, my chance for revenge!"
"Zombie legion, attack! Kill them all!"
His scream was frenzied. He'd imagined this moment for years, but never like this.
"I'll rise again! I'll be the Pirate King! This treasure… you'll never have it!"
Shadows surged from Moria's feet as his arms stretched wide. Empowered by those shadows, his zombie army roared into a frenzy.
"Die!"
"Pirate King…?" Luffy's eyes didn't waver. He shouted as the zombies charged.
"The one who'll be Pirate King… is me!"
"Gear 3!"
"Gomu Gomu no Gigant Pistol!"
Zoro charged forward, his blades crackling with Haki.
"We're not the same crew we were two years ago!"
"Santoryu: 1080 Caliber Phoenix!"
"Oi! Leave some for me, damn mosshead!"
Sanji leapt into the sky, right leg wrapped in Haki and ablaze.
"Your zombies hate salt. Let's see how they like fire!"
...
By the time Crocodile arrived, the Straw Hats and Moria were locked in intense battle.
The Straw Hats had grown far stronger—but so had Moria.
In the two years since his defeat, Moria had refined his Devil Fruit powers and even trained in both Armament and Observation Haki.
Operating from the shadows in the New World, he'd scavenged the corpses of pirates fallen in the endless turf wars. With Absalom and his Clear-Clear Fruit, he had built a deadly and stealthy zombie army. The fight was evenly matched.
Crocodile's entrance, marked by a massive sandstorm, immediately drew attention from both sides.
Materializing from the swirling sands, he scowled at the scene.
The notorious Straw Hat Pirates. His former "colleague," Gecko Moria. Neither side looked particularly appealing.
"Crocodile?! How the hell do you know about this place?!" Moria barked.
Was this a treasure hunt or a goddamn convention? More people than treasure!
"..."
Crocodile's expression darkened. He tapped the golden hook on his left hand and spoke coldly.
"So tell me, Moria… Straw Hat… How did you find this place?"
"Isn't it obvious?! Captain John is one of my zombies!" Moria spat, nearly foaming at the mouth. "If the Straw Hats found a treasure map left behind by him in my hoard, fine. But you?! How did you know?! Why does everyone know about the damn treasure?!"
"I see…"
Crocodile's eyes narrowed.
"Hmph. Captain John? I was here over twenty years ago."
His words stunned Moria and Luffy alike.
"Hmph… Unlike you lot, pathetic as you are, only I have what it takes to unlock the true value of this treasure!"
"Nico Robin… I've heard you joined the Straw Hats. Never had the chance to see for myself…"
Crocodile turned toward Robin with a chilling grin.
"You know… I should be thanking you. You opened my eyes back then… Miss Allsunday."
The rest of the Straw Hats glanced toward Robin in surprise.
"You know him? Wasn't he the first Warlord to get stripped of the title?"
Robin nodded calmly.
"That's right. Crocodile, the former boss of the Baroque Works criminal syndicate. He once conspired to incite civil war in Alabasta, aiming to seize control of the kingdom…"
"Only to be crushed by Fleet Admiral Wright and King Cobra of Alabasta."
"But a group as massive as Baroque Works, with operations spanning nearly half the first half of the Grand Line, required vast resources to maintain."
Robin's eyes bore into Crocodile, who now wore a stiff expression.
"Back then, I always found it suspicious. A single casino operation could never fund that kind of network."
"Now I understand."
"If this really is Captain John's legendary treasure… then it's highly likely that Crocodile used its immense wealth to build Baroque Works from the ground up."
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