The Shichibukai system was established before the Great Pirate Era. The World Government, aiming to curb the increasingly rampant pirate forces, conceived it with the idea of using pirates to fight pirates, making them kill each other.
According to the World Government's standards, only pirates with monstrous strength or extremely high notoriety qualified to be recognized and invited by the World Government to become "legal" pirates.
Furthermore, upon becoming a Warlord of the Sea, the pirate's bounty would be frozen, and the World Government would no longer prosecute any past crimes. Even future acts of privateering would be tacitly approved by the World Government, requiring only tribute if discovered.
In addition, they could make "individual requests" to the World Government. As long as these requests didn't cross the World Government's bottom line, everything would be allowed, even claiming a private sea area, prohibiting entry to the World Government and Marines, or engaging in illegal trades like arms smuggling and human trafficking.
However, since its inception, the Shichibukai system had faced countless disapproving glances. The Marines and various affiliated nations fiercely opposed and resisted it.
The 'Warlords' members were also generally considered World Government lapdogs by other pirates, leading many great pirates to refuse the World Government's invitation. Consequently, the Shichibukai system had never been fully staffed in the more than ten years since its creation.
"Huh?!"
At this moment, Moria looked surprised, thinking he had misheard.
"If you have any conditions, you can state them now. I will relay them to Marine Headquarters and the World Government." Cross walked step by step towards Moria, his expression resolute. He looked up at the monster, who was six or seven meters tall, speaking neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"Kishishishi~"
Upon hearing this, Moria couldn't help but let out a strange laugh, his tone disdainful. "Marine brat, what makes you think I'd be willing to become a Warlord of the Sea?"
He truly hadn't expected that one day, he would be invited by the World Government to become a Warlord of the Sea.
"You're unwilling?" Hearing this, Cross couldn't help but frown, completely surprised by Moria's reaction. In the future, Gecko Moria was indeed a member of the Warlords of the Sea, so Cross had thought this mission would be easy to complete.
Now, it seemed he might need to use his "silver tongue" and persuade Gecko Moria to join the Warlords of the Sea with eloquent words?
"Kishishishi~ Of course, I have no intention of being the World Government's lapdog!" At this, Moria leaned forward slightly, his eyes filled with killing intent as he glared at Cross. He said with a sinister smile, "Besides, I really feel underestimated! To send a mere brat like you over... isn't Marine Headquarters afraid I'll slaughter you?"
A strong surge of killing intent erupted from Moria.
Cross wore a mocking expression, sneering dismissively, "You're nothing but a beaten dog, driven away by Kaido. Stop acting so arrogant!"
Instantly, Moria's face turned grim, and he gnashed his teeth. "You damn brat, you really dare to talk!"
His defeat at Kaido's hands was the lifelong shame and nightmare that resided deep within his heart, a forbidden topic. To be mocked by a mere Marine brat filled his chest and mind with surging fury.
"Die!"
The next second, Moria roared and furiously swung his fist, striking fiercely at Cross. Cross's expression remained unchanged. He calmly extended his palm, blocking Moria's fist.
As fist and palm collided, a dull, thunderous boom erupted. A powerful, visible shockwave spread out in a ring in all directions, shattering the surrounding bluestone ground inch by inch and kicking up swirling dust.
"B-bomb?!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"M-monster—"
"..."
Just a single collision caused such astonishing destruction, shocking the nearby bounty hunters. Their eyes bulged, and their jaws dropped to the ground.
"Nani?!" At the same time, Moria looked stunned. He hadn't expected this brat to block his fist so easily.
"Attacking a Marine..." Cross stared expressionlessly at Moria, his gaze turning dangerous. He asked in a deep voice, "So, you've clearly rejected the invitation to the Warlords of the Sea?"
"What if I did?" Moria glared with bloodshot eyes, and swung another punch at Cross.
Rumble—
Cross swiftly dodged, flipping backwards over ten meters. Where he had just stood, Moria's immense force had smashed a large hole, shattering the bricks.
"Alright, in that case, I, Amphitrite Cross, in the name of justice, hereby arrest you, Gecko Moria!" Cross's face turned cold. He gripped the hilt of his sword, slowly drawing Kagehide from his waist, inch by inch.
"You mere brat, stop being so arrogant!" Moria was enraged by Cross's words and roared, "Shadow Spear!"
In an instant, the shadow beneath his feet became active, rapidly extending forward, transforming into a pitch-black long spear that lunged towards Cross.
"Soru!"
Rumble—
In a flash, Cross vanished from his spot. Several houses in the town behind him were immediately pierced through by the Shadow Spear, which had extended dozens of meters.
However, the next second, Cross appeared before Moria like a ghost, striking him with a lightning-fast slash across the chest.
Splish—
Amidst the soft sound of flesh being cut, crimson blood splattered into the air. Moria hadn't even reacted when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. A gruesome, nearly meter-long wound appeared, and blood surged out.
"Ahhhhhhh—" Moria fell backward onto the ground, screaming in agony.
"If you don't want to be a lapdog, then you can be a dead man!" Cross's eyes were filled with killing intent, his voice icy cold. He reversed his grip on Kagehide and thrust it down towards Moria's head.
"Brick Bats!!!"
At the crucial moment, Moria let out a roaring shriek. The shadow beneath him split, forming a large number of black-purple bat-shaped shadows that overwhelmed Cross, engulfing him in a swarm of bats.
"Damn it!" Cross felt his vision black out as he was surrounded and pushed away from Moria by a large number of shadow bats.
Helpless, Cross had to swiftly swing Kagehide, dispersing the attacking bat shadows one by one. However, the sky was filled with too many shadow bats, and they came too suddenly.
Losing the initiative, Cross found it difficult to fend off the shadow bats from all directions.
"Shadow's Asgard..."
Suddenly, Cross heard Moria's low growl. The sky-full of shadow bats vanished, and his field of vision suddenly cleared.
But at this moment, those shadow bats rapidly converged, forming a human-shaped solid shadow, similar in appearance to Moria. It fiercely swung a punch towards Cross.
Boom—
Cross was caught off guard and was sent flying by Moria's shadow clone, with a gust of wind spreading out and stirring up a cloud of dust.
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