Cyrus's group had just finished clearing another island.
It was already the seventh they had dealt with in a very short span of time.
The normally energetic Kuina and Zoro had grown increasingly quiet.
Everything they had witnessed clearly exceeded what they were prepared to handle.
The number of people who had died—and the number of monsters they had killed with their own hands—was far beyond anything they had imagined.
Cyrus offered no words of comfort.
Some things had to be understood and accepted through personal experience. Only then could someone truly grow stronger.
He calmly studied the two silent swordsmen.
'I've changed too.'
The realization left him faintly helpless.
His former self would never have imagined remaining so calm in the face of so much death, much less deliberately creating the circumstances that led to it.
"When will this finally end?"
Hancock seemed to notice how oppressive the silence had become and cautiously asked Cyrus.
Her expression was unusually careful, as though she were trying to read his mood.
"It'll end when the time is right. This stage of the conflict will soon settle into a stalemate. After that, we'll have to wait for the opportunity to appear."
Cyrus turned toward Robin.
"I already left a mark on that creature. When the passage opens and I travel to the other world, I'll try to stabilize the entrance."
Robin still looked worried.
"Are there many monsters in that world?"
"Countless."
Cyrus shook his head.
"But to the truly powerful beings there, the creature we encountered was nothing more than a weakling."
During the early events Cyrus remembered, an Adjuchas might have qualified as a minor boss.
As the story progressed, however, creatures at that level became little more than cannon fodder.
Only true Arrancar were important enough to possess names of their own.
And there was someone in that world whose abilities Cyrus wanted to imitate.
He wondered whether he could defeat that old man.
Of course, Cyrus had no idea when in that world's history the passage would open.
Perhaps that man had not become an old man yet.
The thought made Cyrus's fingers twitch faintly with anticipation.
A battle against someone like that should be satisfying.
As for Aizen, there was no doubt that he was powerful.
Cyrus simply had no desire to deal with another scheming mastermind.
Avoiding him entirely would be preferable.
"If you stabilize a passage between the two worlds, wouldn't that also allow the powerful beings from their side to enter ours?"
Robin looked at him seriously.
"That's true."
Cyrus smiled and nodded.
"But this world isn't entirely without powerful fighters. Even without me, it wouldn't be helpless."
He shook his head.
"Strictly speaking, the creature we encountered was a spiritual being—something ordinary humans shouldn't be able to see. Yet when it entered this world, it changed."
"Yes, you explained that before."
Robin nodded.
"That means the fundamental nature of power differs between the two worlds."
Cyrus continued after a moment's thought.
"That creature was also heavily suppressed here, especially when it came to replenishing its energy. Otherwise, Bege would never have been able to drag it before me."
After giving that explanation, Cyrus rose and looked toward Zoro and Kuina.
"If either of you regrets coming, I can send you away now. I know where Master Koushirou is."
"Regret? That word doesn't even exist in my dictionary."
Zoro, who had been sitting with his head lowered, immediately looked up and stubbornly met Cyrus's gaze.
"Do you even own a dictionary?"
Cyrus scoffed.
"You barely recognize half the words in one."
Zoro's face turned scarlet.
Had he stood any chance of winning, he probably would have attacked Cyrus on the spot.
"This opportunity is valuable too, isn't it?"
Kuina raised her head and spoke seriously, apparently amused by their argument.
"Exactly."
Cyrus lifted an eyebrow and nodded.
"Realizing that already puts you far ahead of Zoro."
Zoro's expression darkened when Cyrus somehow dragged him back into the insult.
"We're saving people."
He released a slow breath and spoke earnestly.
"Even if we only save one person, that's still one more person alive."
"Excellent spirit. I have high hopes for you."
Cyrus gave him an approving thumbs-up.
"But what happens after this war ends?"
Kuina asked another surprisingly thoughtful question.
"Will pirates disappear?"
Cyrus glanced at her with mild surprise before shaking his head.
"No. Pirates will never disappear."
"Even if the World Government is completely defeated and the rules of the world are rewritten, more pirates will eventually appear."
"This is a world dominated by the sea."
As long as that remained true, piracy would never be eradicated completely.
Even if every pirate alive today were killed, new ones would take to the sea after enough years passed.
"Speaking of pirates…"
Robin glanced at Cyrus, thought for a moment, and continued.
"After the declaration of war and the end of the exam, many of the pirates on Sky Island quietly slipped away. Several were people the Guild had intended to monitor closely."
"I know, but we don't have time to worry about them right now."
Cyrus shook his head.
"Besides, anyone with even a little sense won't cause too much trouble under the current circumstances."
Robin gave him a helpless look.
"According to you, most pirates don't possess much sense. They have plenty of muscle but very little between their ears."
"We should've arrested them all on Sky Island and killed them."
Teach muttered from nearby.
"Don't forget that you used to be a pirate too."
He had spoken quietly, but Cyrus heard him perfectly and looked over.
"That was the past, Chairman Cyrus."
Teach grinned, exposing the gaps in his teeth.
"I'm no pirate now. I'm an officially recognized Hunter of the Hunter Guild."
"Zehahahaha! I can finally say that without anyone arguing."
Cyrus's mouth twitched.
"Keep us moving. I'm going to rest for a while. Tell me if anything happens."
He waved and headed toward the captain's cabin.
Teach activated his ability, and the Rose Hunter, which had begun slowing, accelerated once again.
"Is there really no way Cyrus can take us with him this time?"
Hancock stared at Robin, hoping she would offer a different answer.
"No."
Robin's expression shifted slightly as a thought occurred to her, but she kept it to herself.
"This was always meant to force Imu out. We probably won't be able to follow. The closer the plan gets to its conclusion, the more cautious Cyrus will need to be."
There were no outsiders aboard, and anything she said was unlikely to leak.
But unlikely was not impossible.
If careless speculation reached the wrong person and interfered with Cyrus's plan, the consequences could be disastrous.
Robin had heard enough from Cyrus to understand the outline.
Imu could transfer her consciousness into other people.
The countless demons appearing throughout the world were likely alternative vessels she had prepared.
That meant she could shift her mind into another body whenever necessary.
Robin could not even imagine how such an ability might be countered.
Imu also possessed the strange mist that had nullified Devil Fruit abilities during Cyrus's first attack on Mary Geoise.
Within this world, she was effectively a monster with countless lives.
The best solution was to sever her connection to this world and prevent her consciousness from transferring anywhere else.
Once Robin reached that conclusion, she also understood that the current situation was precisely what Cyrus wanted.
He was cornering Imu until she had no choice but to take the only path left to her.
Everything that happened next would likely serve that objective.
But until it was over, Imu could not be allowed to understand the trap.
The key was already in her possession.
When the right moment arrived, she would instinctively choose the path most favorable to herself.
After all, Imu's abilities were powerful enough to establish herself in almost any world.
Given enough time, she might even seize control of another one from the shadows.
Silence returned to the ship.
The journey between target islands offered one of their few chances to rest.
Only by recovering their strength and clearing their minds could they remain composed in the next battle.
Before they reached the next island, however, Crocodile sent an urgent message.
Holding the Den Den Mushi, Robin quickened her steps and reached the captain's cabin in several flashes.
"Come in."
Cyrus's voice sounded before she could knock.
Robin opened the door.
Cyrus sat at a table beside the porthole. A disorderly stack of papers lay before him.
"Crocodile sent a report. The Fleet Admiral was attacked."
She walked straight to the point and handed him the Den Den Mushi.
Cyrus placed it on the table.
"Go ahead."
His tone remained calm, as though he had expected something like this.
"Chairman, we just received confirmation that the World Government attacked the Marines."
Crocodile's voice came through the snail.
"One of the Five Elders personally took part. He's an awakened Mythical Zoan user, an extremely powerful swordsman, and there were more than a dozen other strong Devil Fruit users with him."
"Is Sengoku dead?" Cyrus asked immediately.
"Uh… critically wounded."
Crocodile hesitated before answering.
"Critically wounded? Has Sengoku become that weak?"
Cyrus sounded genuinely puzzled.
"Not necessarily. The Marines are trying to suppress the details, so we don't know exactly what happened."
Crocodile continued.
"But the other attackers were all powerful fighters."
"Only one of the Five Elders appeared?"
"Yes."
"Then either they disagreed among themselves, or they thought one Elder would be enough."
Cyrus leaned back.
"Which do you think it was?"
Crocodile remained silent briefly before giving his answer.
"The first."
Afterward, he added, "From the World Government's perspective, the Marines have genuinely betrayed them. I'm not surprised they attacked Sengoku."
"Neither am I. Honestly, I expected them to act sooner."
Cyrus laughed.
"The World Government now considers part of the Marines an enemy. Naturally, they'll try to eliminate them."
"Chairman, what are you implying?"
Crocodile asked cautiously.
"Who do you think the World Government considers its greatest enemy?"
"You, of course. They would do anything to kill you."
Crocodile answered without hesitation.
"But do you believe they'll actually come after me?"
Cyrus smiled.
"They wouldn't dare. If they had the courage, they wouldn't have waited this long."
Crocodile sounded completely certain.
"So if they can't deal with me, who will they target instead?"
This time, Crocodile did not answer.
"You, Sand Crocodile."
Cyrus smiled broadly.
"You're my second-in-command and the vice-chairman of the Guild. The Hunter Guild's growth owes far more to you than it does to me."
"That isn't true. Without you, Chairman—"
"Enough. This isn't the time for flattery."
Cyrus cut him off.
"You're definitely one of their targets, and your priority will be high."
"If they're willing to attack Sengoku, assassinating you is an obvious option. If they succeeded, the Guild would fall into disorder for a while."
That was no exaggeration.
Crocodile directed nearly every practical aspect of the Hunter Guild's operations.
If he died and the flow of orders suddenly stopped, widespread confusion would be unavoidable.
"They want to kill me?"
Crocodile's voice hardened.
"I may not be as powerful as you, Chairman, but I'm hardly weak."
"Do you think you're stronger than Sengoku?"
Cyrus asked.
"Being stubborn won't protect you, Crocodile. What matters is whether you can actually survive."
"Understood."
Crocodile answered respectfully.
"They'll probably move soon. Attacking at this point would make sense."
Cyrus considered the situation and rose.
"You're going there personally?"
Robin stepped forward when she saw him move.
"Yes."
Cyrus nodded.
"If one of the Five Elders is personally involved, I might as well turn up the pressure on Imu."
"They've governed the world in her place for centuries. If one of them dies, her sense of danger should increase considerably."
"Turn up the pressure on Imu?"
Robin no longer knew how to respond.
"Then what comes afterward?"
She quickly began considering Cyrus's next steps.
"If that's truly your intention, you should follow it by visiting Mary Geoise—or simply destroy Imu's current body."
"They attacked your people. Doing nothing in response wouldn't suit you."
"What makes you think I'm that vindictive?"
Cyrus shook his head.
Then he waved dismissively.
"Keep an eye on the others. I left a flame seed behind. If anything unexpected happens, activate it."
"All right."
Robin nodded.
Cyrus swept one hand through the air.
A doorway appeared before him. He stepped through, and both the man and the door vanished together.
Robin shook her head faintly.
When a man had something he needed to accomplish, all his woman could do was support him from beside him.
She could only hope everything proceeded smoothly.
The best outcome would be for every event to unfold exactly as Cyrus expected.