"I will not fail my mission."
A sharp gleam flashed in Crocodile's eyes, his slicked-back hair shining with oil.
Right now, beneath Davy Jones, he enjoyed the highest authority and status.
The pirates known as the "Three Paradoxes," "Thirteen Curses," "Two Malbeasts," as well as all the "Followers," were under his command. He had truly achieved the position of "second only to one, above a thousand."
Even Jinbe—who was also one of the "Twin Omens"—had to obey Crocodile's instructions in certain matters.
This was the consensus throughout the entire Davy Jones Pirates.
Crocodile was now experiencing, for the first time, the thrill of holding elite forces and countless bargaining chips in his hands, playing a grand game against the other Four Emperors.
No—he corrected himself—against the remaining three.
When he only had Baroque Works or that initial little pirate crew, he never could have imagined this feeling.
Very soon, Crocodile would lead a massive pirate army and depart from Silent Island, marching all the way toward Totto Land, aiming to connect the two territories into one continuous domain.
Meanwhile, Davy Jones ordered Jinbe to return to Fish-Man Island immediately, to continue fortifying their rear.
The undersea route was extremely important to them. It was their current source of wealth—their "treasury," the "engine" that kept their operations running.
Fish-Man Island was also their original stronghold—their base foundation—and it could not be lost.
As for Davy Jones himself, he would head to the Isle of Haunted Shadows, taking command at the center.
Before leaving, Jinbe made a firm decision.
"Captain, please allow me to bear the Mark of Contract as well."
He had always hated having any sort of brand on his body.
It reminded him too much of Fisher Tiger and the elders of the Sun Pirates—of their past as slaves to the Celestial Dragons.
They had all been branded with the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon, and spent their entire lives fighting against the memories of that enslavement.
But in Davy Jones, Jinbe had seen a future unlike that of any other Emperor.
Perhaps three or four years from now, the entire New World would be under Davy Jones' rule, waging war against the Celestial Dragons and the World Government atop the Red Line.
Just as he once predicted—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Jinbe had already seized the chance to bring the Sun Pirates into the Davy Jones Pirates while on Fish-Man Island. Now, he intended to fully board this ship.
He wanted fish-men and merfolk to have choices in their future.
And besides—how could he expect Davy Jones to trust him as much as he trusted Crocodile if he, one of the Twin Omens, did not bear the Mark of Contract?
How could he earn the respect of the Paradoxes and the Curses?
This time, Jinbe was resolute—he expressed his loyalty in front of everyone.
As expected, without any surprise, Davy Jones entered a contract with him.
This was Davy Jones' effortless finesse. He had never forced Jinbe—he simply waited for Jinbe to come to him of his own will.
Back in the East Blue and Paradise, he had desperately needed manpower, which was why he dragged Alvida, Buggy, Kuro, Crocodile, and others onto the ship.
But now, in the New World, he was surrounded by powerful subordinates—there was no need for such measures.
At this stage, ambitious pirates or those with unique ideals were trying everything they could to join him and gain a share of the spoils.
The effects of the Paramount War, The Punk Hazard Battle, and the Charlotte Silence War would only accelerate this trend.
Once "the Deep-Sea King" finished issuing his orders, Marco finally had a chance to approach.
"Captain Davy Jones," he said earnestly, "I believe I've shown more than enough sincerity on behalf of the Whitebeard Pirates."
Davy Jones understood his meaning.
According to Crocodile, Marco had indeed fought fiercely in this war—he was the one who killed Katakuri and Smoothie.
After thinking for a moment, Davy Jones said,
"I'll send Kuro and Buggy back with you to negotiate the details of the Whitebeard Pirates joining us."
Hearing this, Marco smiled, finally feeling a weight lifted from his heart.
He knew it was unrealistic to expect Davy Jones to immediately send reinforcements to the Whitebeard Pirates. Their current focus was clearly on devouring Big Mom's territory.
Once that land was absorbed and their power expanded, Davy Jones would naturally turn his gaze toward the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates.
And the people he sent… were very meaningful.
One was Kuro—"Trickery," one of the Three Paradoxes.
From Marco's observation, Kuro and Alvida were essentially Davy Jones' closest confidants, representing his direct will.
The other was Buggy—"Thousand-Ryo Metamorphosis" Buggy of the Thirteen Curses.
Buggy had ties to Ace's father, Roger, and it was Buggy who had persuaded Davy Jones to intervene in the Paramount War.
His connections with Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates needed no elaboration.
Davy Jones was not looking down on the weakened Whitebeard Pirates. On the contrary, by sending Kuro and Buggy, he was showing how seriously he regarded their potential alliance.
Marco believed that once this "alliance" was finalized, not only would they be able to protect Whitebeard's homeland—they would finally be able to take revenge on their enemies.
Enemies like Sakazuki… and Charlotte Linlin.
Marco's eyes turned cold.
Ever since losing Whitebeard, they had suffered defeat after defeat, losing countless comrades. They had been swallowing their rage for far too long.
Given the chance for revenge, they would strike hard—without hesitation.
The way of the pirate: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
With that, the next major movements became clear.
Davy Jones would bring Alvida to the Isle of Haunted Shadows, commanding from the center.
Jinbe would take Hachi, Kraken, and MoMoo back to Fish-Man Island, ensuring the undersea route remained secure.
Marco, along with Kuro and Buggy, would travel to Whitebeard's homeland to finalize the details of their alliance.
Crocodile would lead the rest to carve up Charlotte Linlin's territory.
Because among the Three Paradoxes, Alvida and Kuro had their own missions, Crocodile had only Law under him—which was clearly insufficient.
Thus, from the Thirteen Curses, Davy Jones promoted Kid, Buggy, and Hawkins into the ranks of the Paradoxes.
With this, the internal structure of the Davy Jones Pirates shifted subtly, becoming:
"Twin Omens,"
"Six Paradoxes,"
"Ten Curses."
Buggy, of course, was thrilled beyond measure.
Kid and Hawkins didn't laugh aloud, but the curl at the corners of their mouths revealed their satisfaction.
Everyone had different thoughts about these promotions.
Crocodile and Jinbe weren't bothered—they had always occupied the highest ranks as Omens, and were long accustomed to great power.
Marco, meanwhile, was quietly calculating.
Once the Whitebeard Pirates joined, they would at least need to give Ace an Omen position—otherwise, he'd have no way to explain it.
As for Law, Alvida, and Kuro—who had originally been High-Ranking Cadres among the Paradoxes—they now felt immense pressure.
Especially Kuro, who had foreseen this moment.
Now the nightmare had come true. And more Curses were eyeing their positions, hungry and ambitious.
They must have all realized it by now—
Only by grinding and competing could they rise.
Uneasy, Kuro adjusted his glasses, resolving to perform exceptionally well in the upcoming negotiations with the Whitebeard Pirates.
The Curses, seeing a window for advancement, had mixed reactions. Some were already plotting how to stand out during the conquest of Big Mom's territory; others lacked ambition and simply went with the flow.
Regardless—
A massive upheaval that would sweep across the entire New World
was about to begin.
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