Devil Fruits were undeniably valuable, so it was understandable that Reiju would suggest using them as rewards.
Crocodile still shook his head.
"No. There aren't enough."
Compared with the scale of the current crisis, the number of available Devil Fruits was far too small.
Rather than distributing them as prizes, it would be more useful to identify capable fighters and give the fruits directly to them, strengthening the Guild's forces.
"Besides, Devil Fruits aren't useful to everyone. Plenty of swordsmen have no interest in eating one."
Reiju nodded.
She had watched the Hunter Guild grow from its earliest days and had joined while the organization was still small, helping to manage its affairs from the beginning.
She understood its current condition well.
The Hunter Guild had become a force powerful enough to shake the entire world, but Cyrus's overwhelming influence was what held its many factions together.
As they had just discussed, some members genuinely worshipped Cyrus, but most Hunters were not fanatics.
If circumstances changed, there was no telling how those people would respond.
Especially now, when the Guild was suffering serious casualties.
They could not allow that situation to continue.
"Vice-Chairman."
Daz hurried into the room with a serious expression.
"We've received new intelligence. The Marines in the New World have begun moving."
"Hm?"
Crocodile spun toward him, his expression instantly grave.
"What are they targeting?"
He was worried.
From everything they had learned, the Marines had clearly split into two factions.
One group was already fighting against the Hunter Guild on the World Government's behalf.
The other was the main Marine force gathered in the New World, which had remained inactive until now.
According to their previous agreement, those Marines were not supposed to intervene.
"The monsters."
Daz's voice was solemn.
He clearly understood the significance of the report.
"What?"
Crocodile exchanged a surprised glance with Reiju.
"Based on what we knew, those Marines weren't supposed to take action. Did they reach a new agreement with the chairman?"
Reiju offered the most obvious explanation.
"No. If that had happened, the chairman would have told me."
Crocodile shook his head, then looked back at Daz.
"You confirmed the report?"
"Yes. Their main force has mobilized, along with all three Admirals."
"I see."
Crocodile nodded slowly.
"The chairman also returned Whitebeard and Big Mom to the New World, and they're hunting these creatures too. That should reduce the pressure there considerably."
After thinking for a moment, he raised his head.
"Recall half the Hunters operating in the New World and send them back to Paradise. Hunters stationed near the Calm Belts can reinforce the Four Seas."
"Understood."
Daz nodded and hurried away to relay the orders.
"Does Paradise really need reinforcements?"
Reiju asked.
"Most of the Guild's main force is already here. Mihawk and Issho are operating in Paradise, and the chairman should be here too."
"The chairman has his own target."
Crocodile raised one hand and pointed upward.
"Mary Geoise?"
Reiju understood, though confusion remained on her face.
"If that's true, why doesn't the chairman simply eliminate Imu?"
She had been wondering about that for some time.
From Cyrus's attacks on Mary Geoise to the rapid expansion of the Hunter Guild, the World Government had done surprisingly little to stop him.
That alone proved Cyrus held the advantage.
With such overwhelming power, a direct strike against the enemy's leadership should have resolved the conflict far more easily.
"I have a theory, but I can't confirm it."
Crocodile thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"It may be connected to what's happening now. Don't forget the chairman's other objective—or the monsters appearing across the sea."
"They appeared without warning, and we have no way to confirm where they came from or how many exist."
Reiju nodded.
"So the number of people capable of becoming those monsters is far greater than we imagined."
"Exactly."
During his previous conversations with Cyrus, Crocodile had sensed the chairman's contempt for Imu.
That implied Cyrus was confident he could defeat her.
Yet he had still refused to attack directly.
After considering every possibility, Crocodile could think of only a handful of explanations.
There was also what Cyrus had told him back on Sabaody—the matter of other worlds.
"The rapid increase in monsters suddenly stopping may also have been a warning."
Crocodile sat down and shook his head helplessly.
"Not one intended for us, but for the chairman."
"Then there really isn't much we can do."
Reiju sighed.
"For now, we should deal with the crisis in front of us. With the Marines moving as well, the pressure on the Guild will decrease considerably."
Crocodile lowered his head, intending to resume analyzing the situation and preparing the appropriate strategies.
"Shouldn't we report this to the chairman?"
Reiju suggested.
"He should know what the Marines are doing."
"Right."
Crocodile stopped and picked up a Den Den Mushi.
"Purupurupuru…"
It rang twice before its appearance changed, indicating that the call had connected.
"What is it?"
Cyrus's voice came through.
"Chairman, judging by your tone, you don't seem particularly concerned about what's happening around the world."
The response slipped out before Crocodile could stop himself.
The Den Den Mushi fell silent.
After several moments, Cyrus laughed.
"Just tell me what happened."
Crocodile immediately realized his tone had been inappropriate.
Fortunately, Cyrus did not appear offended.
"Yes, Chairman. We've received several important updates."
He explained in detail that the Marines had mobilized and that the number of new demon outbreaks had suddenly stopped increasing.
"Understood."
"Ahem. Chairman…"
Crocodile coughed when Cyrus showed no surprise.
"You already knew?"
"I could guess."
Cyrus's answer confirmed his suspicions.
"I've already ordered some of our Hunters in the New World to withdraw."
"That's fine. Also, send Enel to the New World."
"Enel?"
Crocodile hesitated.
"He's currently operating in Paradise. His speed allows him to clear the affected areas extremely quickly."
"The monsters in the New World are stronger. Once corrupted, some of them will be beyond what ordinary Hunters can handle."
Cyrus's voice remained calm.
"We can't leave the entire New World to the Marines and former pirates."
"I understand. You want Enel to demonstrate the Hunter Guild's strength."
"Something like that."
Cyrus did not deny it.
"I sent Doflamingo's group to handle the Four Seas, but there aren't enough of them. The Guild needs to pay close attention to those regions."
"Understood. I've already ordered Hunters near the Calm Belts to reinforce the Four Seas."
"Good. Anything else?"
"Chairman, are you currently heading toward Mary Geoise?"
Crocodile drew a deep breath and finally asked the question that mattered most.
"I want to know whether you intend to end everything this time."
"End everything? Not yet."
Cyrus's answer left him confused.
"As for when the time will come, I'm not certain."
Had Crocodile's theory been correct?
"So you're waiting for a passage to another world to open. Is that also why you deliberately allowed the World Government to steal that creature from Sky Island?"
"Yes."
Cyrus answered directly.
"I could destroy the World Government without doing that, but I have no way to predict what would happen to this world afterward."
"It might even be completely destroyed."
"That wouldn't be difficult for me to survive, but would any of you want to inherit a world already on the verge of annihilation?"
Neither Crocodile nor Reiju heard any particular emotion in Cyrus's voice.
Yet the meaning of his words left them staring at each other.
"So you really do possess the power to end all of this."
"Concentrate on your own responsibilities, Crocodile."
Cyrus's tone sharpened slightly.
"The current situation proves Imu also intends to maintain the stalemate for now. She's trying to keep matters under control while waiting for an opportunity."
"What will you do next?"
"I'm going to visit Mary Geoise and apply a little pressure."
"Understood."
The call ended.
Crocodile looked toward Reiju.
"Personally, I'd rather not live in a world that could be destroyed at any moment."
"That means the number of people capable of transforming into monsters is far beyond our estimates."
Reiju frowned.
"Perhaps the chairman shouldn't have declared war so quickly on Sky Island."
In her view, it had not been the ideal decision.
Crocodile studied her seriously.
"That's only because of where you're standing."
"At that moment, we had no choice but to declare war. It was necessary to demonstrate the Guild's strength and authority."
"You know the Hunter Guild isn't a tyrannical organization. All those nations were watching us."
"Once the World Government attacked first, refusing to retaliate would have made the situation worse."
"I understand."
Reiju took a deep breath and nodded.
"Your position determines what you can see."
Crocodile nodded, then seemed to remember something.
"About your younger brother…"
Reiju froze and stared directly at him.
"He's in East Blue, working at the Baratie."
"Not many people are visiting the restaurant right now, but apparently he has occasionally joined Hunter groups on their missions."
"According to the reports, he's doing fairly well."
"I see. That's good."
Reiju nodded, appearing relieved.
"If you'd like, I can send people to protect him."
"No."
After hesitating, she shook her head.
"It's better to leave things as they are."
Crocodile did not press the matter.