Hawkeye and Issho offered no comment on the massacre Cyrus had just committed.
They simply stepped over the charred remains of the pirate coalition and followed him down the street toward the Rip-off Bar.
Meanwhile, Crocodile had just received the Den Den Mushi call from Robin.
He wasn't surprised in the slightest by the news of the slaughter.
The sudden reappearance of the Dark King on Sabaody was the ultimate stimulus for the world's criminal underworld.
At this point in time, at least half of the pirates actively sailing the Grand Line had set out directly because of Gol D. Roger's final words on the execution stand in Loguetown.
The Great Pirate Era was built on the pursuit of his legendary treasure, the One Piece.
But where was the Final Island?
For years, no one had found it.
As the former first mate of the Roger Pirates, Silvers Rayleigh was a living, breathing map.
Besides the global infamy a pirate could gain by killing him, there was the highly probable chance that Rayleigh knew the exact coordinates of Laugh Tale.
He was a walking jackpot!
Crocodile had actually been considering how to utilize this massive influx of ambitious pirates to build the reputation of the soon-to-be-established Hunter Guild.
Then Robin had called and informed him that the President had already incinerated a few hundred of them.
Leading his Baroque Works cleanup crew quickly to Area 13, Crocodile was still genuinely taken aback when he saw the sheer scale of the devastation.
The entire street was a blackened, smoking crater strewn with charred corpses.
"Clean this mess up," Crocodile ordered his agents, taking a drag from his cigar.
"Confirm the identities of the bounties. Bag the heads and prepare to cash them in at the Marine base."
After giving the orders, Crocodile straightened his coat and walked into the Rip-off Bar.
Inside, he found Cyrus's group of four casually sitting around a table, drinking.
Rayleigh and Shakky were stationed behind the counter.
After a quick scan of the room, Crocodile walked over to Cyrus's table.
"Morgans just contacted me," Crocodile reported, ignoring the pleasantries. "Tomorrow's global headline will officially add the title 'President of the Hunter Guild' before your name."
"Oh? Is the infrastructure completely ready?" Cyrus asked, pausing his drink with a look of mild surprise.
"This is your Guild. Could you at least pretend to care about its operational status?" Crocodile retorted, his eye twitching.
"I care deeply! That's exactly why I think so highly of your administrative skills and am leaving the boring paperwork entirely in your capable hands," Cyrus grinned.
"Oh. Thank you so much," Crocodile deadpanned, squeezing the words through gritted teeth.
"No need to thank me. It's the least a good boss can do," Cyrus waved a dismissive hand.
"I am seriously beginning to wonder if my choice to join you was a massive mistake," Crocodile muttered, turning to grab a chair from a nearby table.
"As if you actually had a choice," Cyrus chuckled, glancing over at him.
Hearing this, Crocodile's mind flashed back to the apocalyptic beating he had received in the Alabasta desert. He took a slow breath.
'It seems... I really didn't have much of a choice.'
"Look, I'm leaving the logistics to you," Cyrus said, leaning back in his chair. "My job is to step in when a monstrous amount of violence is required. The rest is your domain."
"I understand. I'll accelerate the construction timeline," Crocodile sighed. "How much longer do you plan to stay on Sabaody?"
"Not too long. Why? Did something happen?"
"Yes. My intelligence network just picked up a disturbing shift," Crocodile said, lowering his voice.
"A major slaving syndicate has captured a massive number of Fish-men and Mermaids. They are planning to hold an exclusive, large-scale auction here on the archipelago very soon. It's causing a massive stir in the underworld."
"Isn't that completely normal for this island?" Cyrus asked, raising an eyebrow. "Human trafficking isn't exactly rare here. Right, Rayleigh? Don't you literally sell yourself into slavery every time you lose at the casino?"
Rayleigh, who had been quietly eavesdropping while sipping his rum, nearly choked on his drink.
He turned his head and glared at Cyrus.
"I know it's common, but the operational scale of this specific auction is highly unusual," Crocodile explained, frowning deeply.
"I've been analyzing the archipelago's economy. Yes, there are always slave auctions, but the merchandise is usually scattered across different houses. This time, however, someone has deliberately concentrated a massive, high-value shipment of Mermaids into a single event."
"Deliberately?" Cyrus stroked his chin, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"It is specifically designed to attract the Celestial Dragons," Crocodile stated bluntly.
"And then?" Cyrus nodded in agreement, prompting him to continue.
"What do you mean, 'and then'? Isn't that enough of a crisis?" Crocodile hissed, leaning forward.
"Celestial Dragons moving freely about the Sabaody Archipelago will cause a massive chain reaction. The Marines will deploy Admirals as bodyguards. The island will be locked down. It could severely affect the establishment of our Guild!"
Although he was an ambitious and ruthless pirate, Crocodile was a pragmatist.
He understood that you did not casually provoke the World Nobles.
The Celestial Dragons themselves were pathetic, weak fools, but harming one meant inviting the wrath of Marine Headquarters.
"Ah, so that's what you're worried about," Cyrus smiled, finally understanding Crocodile's anxiety.
"Relax. As long as those idiots don't waltz directly into my line of sight, I won't make a move," Cyrus said with a casual wave of his hand.
He absolutely despised the parasitic World Nobles, but out of sight, out of mind.
Besides, going on a crusade to wipe them all out right now would definitely stall the launch of his Hunter Guild.
'But... if they were to appear right in front of me...' Cyrus thought to himself.
He honestly wasn't sure if he could hold back.
He was fully aware of the consequences of killing a Celestial Dragon.
But if one of those space-suited degenerates got in his face, he had a sinking feeling his temper would win.
"If an 'accident' happens, it will completely derail our plans," Crocodile warned, staring intently at Cyrus.
"No, it won't. Even if the worst-case scenario happens, the plan will not be interrupted," Cyrus chuckled lightly.
He took a sip of his drink and looked thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Defeating the Dark King or capturing a few Emperor-level pirates can bring me incredible global fame. But... publicly executing a few Celestial Dragons? I imagine that would generate exactly the same amount of hype for the Guild."
The entire bar instantly fell dead silent.
Everyone's eyes snapped to Cyrus.
"You really have some terrifying nerve, kid," Rayleigh finally remarked, letting out a heavy sigh.
How can he speak of initiating a taboo so casually?
"I understand," Crocodile muttered, rubbing his temples.
From Cyrus's words, the former Warlord finally understood his boss's bottom line: He absolutely did not have one.
To speak of murdering the gods of this world so lightly... Crocodile had never even considered such a direct method of gaining infamy.
The retaliation that would follow far outweighed any potential marketing benefits.
"Let me know the exact time and location when the auction starts," Cyrus ordered smoothly.
Issho and Hawkeye both slowly turned their heads to look at him.
"Are you truly planning to go through with this?" Hawkeye asked, his golden eyes narrowing slightly.
Even for a man who chased strength, there had to be a limit to lawlessness.
"It just suddenly occurred to me that, despite everything, I don't think I've ever actually experienced a true, desperate life-or-death battle," Cyrus said, looking directly at Mihawk.
"Perhaps an Admiral... or whatever monstrosity the World Government sends... is exactly the catalyst I need for my strength to evolve again. So, Rayleigh, you'll really have to work hard to teach me Coating before the auction."
Rayleigh: "..."
'What does your suicidal ideation have to do with me?!'Rayleigh stared at Cyrus, utterly speechless.
"I really cannot stay on this island anymore," Shakky sighed, extinguishing her cigarette in the ashtray with a deeply helpless expression.
"Sky Island officially welcomes you, Miss Shakky!" Cyrus beamed cheerfully.
If Shakky and Rayleigh relocated to the sky, they would make incredible high-level NPC examiners for the future Hunter Exams.
They were perfectly qualified to give the rookies a terrifying surprise!