Cross walked out of the Fleet Admiral's office in a daze, returning to his own office feeling lightheaded. He didn't even react to the many Marine officers who greeted him along the way.
"Meow~" Bastet lay on the sofa, letting out a lazy meow, as if greeting Cross.
"Hm?!" Cross suddenly snapped awake. He looked at Bastet stretching on the sofa, then at the open Seastone cat cage, surprised. "Little one, when did you get out?"
"Meow~" Bastet yawned, casually glancing at Cross. "That female two-legged creature let me out!"
"You mean the Great Advisor, right?!" Cross walked to the sofa, half-believing, and sat beside Bastet. He reached out to stroke Bastet's little head, only to find that she didn't resist at all. In fact, she even submissively nudged his palm.
This discovery filled Cross with both surprise and delight. He hadn't expected her to change her temperament. Ever since he caught Bastet, every time he tried to pet her, she would be extremely unwilling, forcing him to grab her paws and "pet" her by force.
As a result, after every forceful petting, Bastet would cause trouble in the office, which was why he had to lock the mischievous cat in a Seastone cage.
But this time, he'd only been gone for a few days and let Great Advisor Tsuru feed her, yet Bastet had been "disciplined" into such docility. Could it be that Tsuru possessed some cat-taming technique?
Suddenly, Cross seemed to realize something. His gaze towards Bastet became inexplicably strange. He whispered, "Wait, you suddenly became so well-behaved... could it be that you were 'washed'?"
"Meow!" Instantly, Bastet's fur bristled. The small black cat suddenly stood up on the sofa and fiercely swiped her front paw at Cross's arm.
Sizzle!
Sharp cat claws raked across his dark, metallic-like right arm, instantly producing a series of sparks.
Seeing this, Bastet glared with her amber-green vertical pupils, angrily jumped onto the coffee table, then leaped onto the sofa opposite and lay down.
Seeing such a strong reaction from the little creature, Cross knew immediately that he had guessed correctly.
"Hahahahaha~" Cross burst into uncontrollable laughter. He even envisioned a comical scene of Bastet losing her power, hanging on a clothesline like an outfit.
Great Advisor Tsuru is a Paramecia-type Wash-Wash Fruit user, capable of turning people and objects into clothes to be washed and hung dry. She possesses the ability to "wash" any item; washed objects lose their form, while living beings lose their power. She can also slightly "wash away" people's "evil," purifying their hearts and weakening their malice.
Most importantly, as a high-ranking official at Marine Headquarters, Tsuru has been supporting the Marines alongside Sengoku and Garp since before the start of the Great Pirate Era.
She's not only a strategic genius with extensive experience and knowledge but also possesses enough strength to make Donquixote Doflamingo flee in fear.
It's clear that if Bastet tried to be mischievous in Tsuru's hands, she'd definitely end up "washed." She'd completely met her match.
"Meow! Meow! Meow!" Bastet was furious, meowing non-stop at Cross, so agitated she couldn't even speak human words anymore.
"Alright, alright, I won't laugh anymore!" Cross managed to stop laughing, even wiping away tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes. "Don't be angry. Have you eaten? I'll get you some dried fish!"
"Hmph~ I've already eaten!" Bastet huffed, tilting her head up, but still couldn't resist the temptation of dried fish. So, she said tsundere-like, "However, if you sincerely apologize, I think I'd like two more!"
"Alright, your litter-scooper will get them for you!" Cross readily agreed, smiling as he stood up and walked to a cabinet nearby. He opened the cabinet door and took out two long, cylindrical cans.
These were canned silver cod that he had bought specifically for Bastet, as there wasn't much cat food or dog food in this world.
...
A few days later, the News Coo flew to various parts of the world, bringing a big piece of news.
Major newspapers competed to report, and News Coos flew by, scattering newspapers like snowflakes.
Whether it was the World Economy News Paper, The Times, or other newspapers, photos of Moria's corpse and Cross's portrait were printed on the front page, letting the world know that this was a victory for the Marines, a victory for justice!
Furthermore, with the news of Moria's defeat at the hands of the Marines, morale soared across the world and among various Marine branches and divisions. The lingering low morale caused by the attack on Mariejois was almost completely swept away.
...
Onigashima, Wano Kingdom.
This island, shaped like a monstrous horned demon, is located near Wano Country and serves as the headquarters of the Beasts Pirates.
Grumble, grumble, grumble~
In the depths of a gloomy cave, a terrifying figure like a demon god sat cross-legged on the ground. He held a large red sake gourd, pouring sake into his mouth with grumble, grumble sounds. The rich alcoholic liquid overflowing from the corners of his mouth dampened his black beard on his chin.
This man was extremely tall and burly, with loose black hair draped over his shoulders, a pair of long, dragon-like horns on his head, and a long, dragon-whisker-like mustache. His left arm bore a dragon-scale tattoo. His upper body was bare, with an X-shaped scar on his right abdomen. A purple top hung from his waist, with two golden chains dangling from its hem. He wore wide, dark green pants on his lower body, with a shimenawa rope tied around his waist, and a purple fur cape draped over him.
In the perception of countless people, they would say: If it's one-on-one, always bet on Kaido!
This man was none other than the pirate known as the "Strongest Creature" among all living things in land, sea, and air, the Governor-General of the Beasts Pirates, one of the overlords of the New World, and a Zoan-type Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon user—Kaido of the Beasts!!!
"Kaido-sama, something big has happened!" A pirate rushed into the cave, waving a newspaper in his hand, shouting anxiously, "Moria! Gecko Moria has been killed by the Marines!"
"Moria... hiccup... such a familiar name..." Kaido blinked his bloodshot, drunken eyes, letting out a boozy hiccup. Instantly, an unpleasant smell of alcohol permeated the entire cave.
"It stinks!" The pirate couldn't help but cover his nose, nearly getting knocked out by the fumes. His head spun, and he almost tripped over a shattered sake barrel on the ground. Steadying himself, the pirate pinched his nose, cautiously watching Kaido, who hadn't reacted for a long time. "Is he drunk?!"
"Hiccup... Idiot, I'm not drunk, Worororororo~ hiccup~" Kaido let out another hiccup, laughing with intense drunkenness.
"Kaido-sama, Gecko Moria, who escaped your hands back then, has been killed by a Marine rookie!" The pirate held up the World Economy News Paper in his hand and unfolded it in front of Kaido.
"Hmm—" Kaido, with blurry, drunken eyes, leaned forward, trying hard to open his eyes wider and read the newspaper's contents.
A moment later, Kaido's eyes suddenly widened. He burst into tears: "Waaahhhh... Waaahhhh... Moria, why did you have to die like this? And at the hands of a rookie? How disgraceful!"
"Waaahhhh~ It can't be helped, I can only blame you for being too weak, Wororororororo~," Suddenly, Kaido's expression changed. He wiped the tears from his face and laughed wildly, "Wororororororo~ This is so interesting! To actually kill that idiot Moria... Amphitrite Cross, huh? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before!"
"But from today onwards, I'll remember your name, Wororororororo... Wororororororo..."
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