Two days later.
Carocal Island, City of Sculpture, Skoggy.
This city falls directly under the jurisdiction of the World Government. While most officials are locally elected, a select few are appointed by the government itself, and its annual taxes are submitted in full to Mariejois.
Of course, it's also a world-renowned city, its moniker, the City of Sculptures, speaks for itself. Skoggy is a sacred haven for sculptors from across the globe, where every street and corner brims with artistic creations.
Wood carvings, stone statues, metal effigies… depictions of humans, Fish-Men, knights, beasts, demons, countless statues of all types can be found here.
And in the bustling V-shaped harbor, two first-class Marine warships and four second-class warships were docked side by side, their presence unmistakable.
Such a large Marine fleet was a rare sight, and naturally drew the curiosity, and speculation, of the civilians gathered onshore.
Some believed the fleet was merely making a temporary stopover.
Others insisted a notorious pirate must've landed on Carocal Island, which explained the military presence.
Still others theorized that a high-ranking Marine officer or World Government dignitary was scheduled to inspect the region, with this fleet serving as their escort.
Whatever the case, rumors ran rampant, some plausible, others outright bizarre.
But the Marine officers stationed here had no time for idle gossip. At that very moment, representatives from the six warships were convened in a city government building, specifically, in a conference room of the Tax Office HQ.
Over twenty Marine officers sat in solemn silence in the spacious meeting room, their expressions grave as they watched a tall man stride toward the front.
"Arara~ By orders of Admiral Sengoku, I'll be leading this meeting."
"Some of you might not know me, so allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kuzan, Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters. I wield the Logia-type Ice-Ice Fruit."
The man speaking had messy hair, a blue-purple bandana with the Marine seagull emblem, round-lensed sunglasses, and a long black coat bearing the Marine insignia. Underneath was a matching blue-purple shirt, and draped over his shoulders was the cloak of justice signifying his rank as Vice Admiral.
Kuzan, Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters. Admiral Candidate.
From his seat, Cross raised his head and met the man's gaze. Kuzan responded with a warm, knowing smile.
Cross understood immediately: Kuzan was looking out for him. Otherwise, how could a mere recruit, with no rank or experience, be seated among such a gathering? Every other officer in the room undoubtedly recognized Kuzan, a powerhouse of the Marines.
Aside from Kuzan and Borsalino, both Vice Admirals and prospective Admirals, the room also included four Rear Admirals, two Commodores, and over a dozen Captains. Only Cross was a fresh recruit.
Still, as Cross glanced around the room, he noted that several officers were familiar faces, though none of them recognized him.
Once the room quieted down, Kuzan pulled out three bounty posters and pinned them to the whiteboard behind him.
The center poster showed a strikingly handsome man with piercing eyes and long golden hair, a crown atop his head. He wore a black coat embroidered with gold trim over a red checkered shirt, a dark crimson cape flowing from his shoulders.
The right-hand poster featured a brawny man laughing wildly, shirtless with rippling muscles, clad in red trousers and sporting a gold championship belt around his waist.
The left poster depicted a man with a cold, expressionless face and short black hair, dressed in a white medical coat, a scalpel gripped in his hand.
"According to intel from CP agents embedded in the Impaler Pirates, they suffered heavy losses after clashing with the Big Mom Pirates on Cullen Island. Only their flagship, the Impaler, and about 700 crew members returned to the first half of the Grand Line."
"The crew is now led by their captain, Vlad Uren, also known as the Impaler Duke. A Paramecia-type user of the Thorn-Thorn Fruit, with a bounty of 762 million berries, along with two remaining core officers."
Kuzan's voice hardened as he pointed at the whiteboard's posters.
"Oli Baka, known as the Gladiator Fiend, is the Impaler Pirates' combat commander. A Paramecia-type Muscle-Muscule Fruit user, bounty 588 million berries. Originally from the West Blue, he was an undefeated champion in the underworld's gladiator circuits and ranks just below Vlad Uren in strength."
"Bel von Gero, the Polluter, serves as the ship's doctor. A Paramecia-type Anesu Anesu no Mi (Anesthesia) user with a 375 million berries bounty. He was once a government physician with extraordinary medical skills, but obsessed with toxins and plagues. He unleashed a virus on an entire nation, killing hundreds of thousands of innocents, all for the sake of experimentation."
The room erupted into shocked murmurs.
The gathered officers exchanged uneasy glances; some angry, some cautious, others visibly shaken.
Despite the Impaler Pirates suffering a devastating defeat, their core remained dangerously potent. They were, after all, a well-known pirate crew in the New World, and not to be underestimated.
Cross, having listened closely, now understood why Marine Headquarters had dispatched two Admiral-level Vice Admirals. It wasn't merely a matter of priority, the mission demanded overwhelming force. A quick, decisive strike would prevent the Impaler Pirates from recovering and rising again.
"So scary~ What a bunch of monsters,"
Borsalino muttered, lips puckered in mock fear, though his casual tone betrayed no real concern.
No one batted an eye at his theatrics. They were used to it.
"This time, our chosen battlefield is Carocal Island for a reason," Kuzan continued. "The many statues scattered across Skoggy can be used to our advantage. Cross, why don't you explain your ability to everyone?"
He looked toward the corner of the room, gesturing for the young recruit to come forward.
Cross stood up calmly, unfazed by the roomful of high-ranking officers. He walked to the front and gave a small smile.
"Commanders, I'm a new recruit recently enlisted in the Marines. Amphitrite Cross. I'm honored to work with all of you."
"A kid? What's he doing here?"
"What good are a bunch of statues that can't even move?"
"He's gotta be some kind of special Devil Fruit user, right?"
"…"
The officers couldn't help but whisper among themselves when they realized Cross was just a child.
But Cross ignored the chatter. Standing at the podium, he continued in a clear, steady voice:
"I'm a Paramecia-type user of the Live-Live Fruit. I can enliven all the sculptures in Skoggy, turning them into fearless warriors. During the battle against the Impaler Pirates, these living statues can serve as our vanguard forces, greatly reducing our casualties."
"What?!"
"No way... he can really do that?!"
"Is this for real? That's amazing!"
"No wonder Marine Headquarters chose Carocal Island! It's the perfect battlefield!"
"…"
The room lit up with excitement, as the officers suddenly turned eager eyes toward Cross, their murmurs filled with admiration and anticipation.
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