Doflamingo's expression grew increasingly grave as Golden Lion's presence surged.
He resented Cyrus's interference, but he understood one simple truth better than most.
The strong made the rules.
The weak could only obey them.
Whether it was Bullet's sudden arrival or the sword Cyrus had just placed in Golden Lion's hand, Doflamingo had no choice but to accept it.
At the same time, he knew that the more difficult the trial became, the greater the rewards would be if he passed.
With that thought, Doflamingo swept one arm outward.
Moria, still buried beneath the surging white strings, was flung away from the battlefield.
It was not because Doflamingo valued their alliance.
An ally could always be stabbed in the back later, but that was better done somewhere without witnesses.
Until he officially joined the Hunter Guild, even the smallest effort to preserve a respectable image might prove useful.
"Captain!"
Outside the arena, the zombie doctor Moria had recruited hurried forward and began treating his wounds.
"Cough! Cough!"
Unwillingness flashed through Moria's eyes.
"Captain, we should stick to the original plan."
The zombie doctor lowered his voice while tending to him.
"Perona has already entered the Guild. We can follow the same path. With your strength, you'll definitely be able to rise through the ranks."
Moria understood that this was now his only option.
His injuries were too severe for him to continue challenging anyone.
He glanced toward the distant battlefield where waves of white string continued to surge, then reluctantly nodded.
Once he formally withdrew, Hunters quickly arrived and carried Moria and his crew away.
The battle continued.
Whitebeard had been watching Golden Lion's fight until three people appeared before him.
His gaze moved over them one at a time before settling on Rayleigh.
"You abandoned your post just like that?"
Whitebeard was referring to the arena Rayleigh had been assigned to guard.
"I'm a retired pirate. If Cyrus hadn't dragged me into this…"
Rayleigh stopped himself and sighed.
"Forget it. My job is already finished. I only came to watch the show."
"You want me to go easy on them?"
Whitebeard grinned.
"Don't get cocky! I'm definitely going to beat you!"
Luffy clenched his fists and glared at him.
A gust of wind swept across the arena, and another figure appeared atop the surrounding wall.
"You came too?"
Whitebeard looked over immediately.
"Shouldn't you have more important things to deal with right now?"
"I'm going to be extremely busy soon, but I can spare a little time."
Dragon naturally understood what Whitebeard meant.
Whitebeard had clearly heard about the coming war, and as leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon would soon have more responsibilities than ever.
"So these two brats aren't ordinary."
Whitebeard looked between Ace and Luffy.
Rayleigh and Dragon had not appeared here by coincidence.
"Dad, this is my fight!"
Luffy turned and shouted at Dragon.
Dragon froze, then shook his head helplessly.
"Gurararara! So that's how it is. Makes sense."
Whitebeard threw back his head and laughed before rising to his full height.
"You two brats have guts, but I won't hold back. If you lose, you can become my so—"
He stopped halfway through the sentence.
Whitebeard knew about Dragon's relationship with Garp.
Back when Dragon was still a Marine, their connection had not been a secret.
The Marines and World Government only buried the information after Dragon became the leader of the Revolutionary Army.
Older pirates still knew the truth.
If this boy was Dragon's son, then he was also Garp's grandson.
That realization immediately drained some of Whitebeard's enthusiasm.
He had not fought Garp especially often, but they had still been rivals for decades.
"Finish this quickly. I have something for you to do."
Cyrus's voice suddenly reached Whitebeard's ear.
Charlotte Linlin received the same message.
Whitebeard had originally intended to stretch his muscles and play with the two brats for a while, but Cyrus's words made him pause.
Realizing what the message probably meant, he stopped holding back.
Bonk! Bonk!
Two punches later, both eager young challengers dropped unconscious.
Rayleigh's and Dragon's eyelids twitched.
"If neither of you plans to stop me, I'm leaving."
Whitebeard looked at them.
"Leaving?"
They froze, then realized that Whitebeard had likely been given a new assignment.
When neither spoke, Whitebeard turned and walked away.
Rayleigh and Dragon each picked up one unconscious boy and left as well.
Not long afterward, Whitebeard and Charlotte Linlin returned and met Cyrus.
Unlike before, Cyrus made no attempt to conceal his presence.
His terrifying aura hung over everyone like a dark storm cloud.
Even Whitebeard and Linlin felt a chill in their hearts.
"Crocodile."
Cyrus raised one hand slightly.
"Yes."
Crocodile nodded and adjusted the Den Den Mushi beside him.
Two beams of light shot from its eyes, projecting several images into the air.
"What are those?"
"They're servants corrupted by Imu's power in Mary Geoise."
Cyrus looked toward Whitebeard and Linlin.
"You've seen something similar before. Your former captain became one."
"And?"
Whitebeard studied the images with a frown.
"These creatures are your next targets. Destroy them completely."
"So you're letting us leave?" Linlin asked instinctively.
"Yes. Whitebeard can go."
Cyrus's eyes moved over her.
"As for you, Katakuri has already gathered what remained of the Big Mom Pirates and effectively joined the Hunter Guild."
"Katakuri…"
Linlin fell silent.
He had once been the son she valued most.
Now, apparently, he had also become the most rebellious.
"Some former members of the Big Mom Pirates refused to follow him. You can recruit those children again afterward."
"What do we get in return?" Linlin asked directly.
If Cyrus expected her to work, she naturally wanted compensation.
"Your reward is that I'll stop restricting you once the job is done."
Cyrus smiled faintly.
"You won't be allowed to return to piracy, though."
"You believe I'll agree to this?" Whitebeard asked after a brief silence.
"You will."
Cyrus smiled.
"You have too many weaknesses. You raised an entire crew of talented sons, but not one of them can hold everything together without you."
"Well, there is one exception, but Teach has plans of his own."
Cyrus's smile widened.
"Your sons aren't having an easy time right now. I haven't spent enough time in the New World to bring the entire region under control yet."
He shook his head.
The Whitebeard Pirates' enormous reputation had always rested mainly on Whitebeard himself.
His commanders all appeared famous and powerful, but once separated from him, their performance deteriorated dramatically.
That was understandable.
With Whitebeard protecting them, they had never needed to consider too many consequences.
"You can leave whenever you've made your decision. Someone will give you further instructions afterward."
Cyrus waved his hand.
Two enormous doors appeared behind Whitebeard and Linlin.
Those unfamiliar with the ability stared in surprise.
Everyone who recognized it felt their hearts tighten.
In Cyrus's hands, the Door-Door Fruit had become a strategic weapon capable of changing an entire war.
"I agree."
Whitebeard nodded and entered the doorway.
"Mamamama! I'll agree too."
Linlin laughed and followed through the other door.
"Chairman, will they really obey?"
Crocodile asked quietly after the portals closed.
"Every one of them is arrogant and impossible to control."
"You used to be the same way."
Cyrus laughed, rose from his seat, and stretched.
"It's about time I got moving too."
He looked directly at Crocodile.
"Once this is over, I'll probably leave this world. I don't know for how long."
"There's even a chance I won't be able to return, but the World Government will be completely dismantled before I go."
"Chairman!"
Crocodile's expression changed drastically.
Everything the Hunter Guild possessed had been built upon Cyrus's inhuman strength.
If he suddenly disappeared, the consequences…
Merely imagining them made Crocodile's entire body tense.
"No one else will know. You'll have plenty of time to prepare."
Cyrus patted him on the shoulder.
"Besides, I'm not certain I'll be unable to return. I still don't know how long the passages between worlds remain open."
"Then don't go."
For once, Crocodile sounded genuinely anxious.
He had previously felt that Cyrus's presence above him restricted his freedom.
Now that Cyrus might leave forever, the vast Hunter Guild suddenly seemed less like a source of power and more like an unbearable burden.
Crocodile could not possibly support it alone.
"That isn't an option. Imu still has to be dealt with."
"Isn't driving her out of this world enough?"
"What happens if she grows stronger and comes back for revenge?"
Cyrus looked at him.
Crocodile paused, then shook his head helplessly.
"Now that I finally have an opportunity, I don't intend to let it go."
Cyrus continued, "As I said, there will be enough time to prepare. Once the World Government disappears, the Marines can help support the new order."
"Understood. I'll do everything I can."
Crocodile drew a deep breath and nodded, his face solemn.
"Relax. The Great Pirate Era is over. The age of Hunters has begun!"
Cyrus smiled.
"How far it goes after that will depend on all of you."
"You're talking as though the Hunter Guild has nothing to do with you anymore."
Crocodile gave a bitter laugh.
His mind had gone completely numb.
Why did Cyrus sound as though he were already settling his affairs?
The man had only just entered the prime of his life.
Still, Crocodile could not change his decision. He could only hope that if Cyrus truly left, he would eventually find a way back.
That would be best for both the Hunter Guild and the world.
Crocodile now wielded enough authority to see matters more clearly than before.
This world was fundamentally chaotic.
Without an overwhelmingly powerful existence suppressing everything, it would quickly return to its natural state of disorder.
No one else could fill that role.
The World Government had only half succeeded because it was an enormous organization rather than a single person.
Cyrus was the first individual whose personal strength alone could influence the entire world.
"Go take care of your work. You're about to become very busy."
"Yes."
Crocodile nodded and hurried away.
"Are you really going to do this? Could I…"
Robin had witnessed the entire conversation.
Once Crocodile left, she finally stepped forward.
Cyrus took her hand and smiled softly.
"Don't worry. I only told that crocodile the worst possible outcome."
"Connections to other worlds appear fairly often, and I think I've begun to understand how I might return."
"Through the Door-Door Fruit?"
Robin did not relax.
"The Door-Door Fruit probably can't manage it."
Cyrus shook his head.
The ability was powerful, but it did not truly alter space on a deep enough level.
What Cyrus suspected was that the Hollow's passage might have opened through Hueco Mundo.
If so, once he gained control of that place, he could immediately sense the next time a connection appeared.
The spatial Devil Fruit he had just acquired might also be worth experimenting with.
Disturbed space recovered very slowly.
By exploiting that, he might keep a passage open long enough to accomplish more.
"I will always follow Cyrus-sama."
Hancock's soft body pressed against his other side.
"Wherever Cyrus-sama goes, I will go too."
"Hancock…"
Cyrus looked helpless.
Unlike the rational Robin, Hancock's thoughts were entirely ruled by love.
"No matter what happens, I want to remain by Cyrus-sama's side."
Sensing that he was about to refuse, Hancock immediately looked at him with pitiful eyes, her expression wounded.
Robin's hand tightened in Cyrus's grasp, and she opened her mouth to speak as well.
"That's enough. The situation hasn't even happened yet, and we don't know what it will look like."
Cyrus did not reject them outright.
"If it's possible, we'll discuss it then."
Too much remained uncertain.
The world of the Soul Reapers also possessed an extremely high ceiling of power—higher than this world in certain respects.
Cyrus needed to continue strengthening himself before the opportunity appeared.
The only question was when that opportunity would come.
…
Several days later, after the declaration of war, the world emerged from a brief silence and descended completely into frenzy.
The World Government's oppression had long surpassed what countless people could endure.
Once someone led the way, everyone else naturally followed.
The situation became an overwhelming nightmare for the World Government.
It had prepared for rebellion to some extent, but the scale of the crisis still plunged the entire organization into chaos.
Imu remained hidden inside the Room of Flowers.
Before her lay the captured monster.
The key to another world.
It was her final contingency.
She would abandon everything here, escape Cyrus, and begin again somewhere else.
Imu possessed absolute confidence in her abilities.
As long as another existence like Cyrus did not appear, taking control of a new world should not be difficult.
That made this creature exceptionally important.
'Running away?'
Cyrus's mocking words echoed through her mind.
This was not running away.
It was a strategic withdrawal.
Why should she fight that man to the death?
Wouldn't it be better if everyone simply stayed alive?
Imu raised one hand.
Darkness spread like a curtain and enveloped the motionless creature nearby.
The black veil suddenly trembled.
Then it contracted rapidly.
"A spiritual life-form?"
For the first time, genuine uncertainty entered Imu's voice.