Cyrus stared silently at Crocodile.
Under that steady gaze, Crocodile gradually began to feel uncomfortable.
Had it been anyone else, he would already have sent a sandstorm crashing into them.
But the man in front of him was Cyrus, and attacking him would accomplish nothing beyond earning Crocodile a beating.
"All right. Pretend I was talking nonsense."
Cyrus waved a hand and changed the subject without explaining how much he truly knew.
"You've worked hard lately. You can ask me for one thing."
"One thing?"
Crocodile paused.
As far as he was concerned, being allowed to build an organization like the Hunter Guild with his own hands was already an enormous reward.
The feeling of wielding such vast authority was intoxicating.
Better yet, he had someone overwhelmingly powerful backing him, which made everything far easier.
Still, Crocodile had no intention of wasting an opportunity Cyrus had personally offered him.
The problem was that after thinking it over, he could not find anything he genuinely needed.
Back in Alabasta, he had dreamed of using Pluton to create his own ideal nation.
Looking back now, that goal had really been nothing more than an excuse to run away from reality.
These days, he controlled the Hunter Guild, an organization capable of standing against both the Marines and the World Government.
With Cyrus behind him, Crocodile was effectively one of the most powerful men in the world.
Whatever he wanted, he could usually obtain with a single order.
"Chairman, if we really discover another world, are you planning to leave this one?"
His thoughts eventually returned to the strange islands Cyrus had ordered him to investigate.
The information they had gathered already suggested that other worlds might truly exist.
But if Cyrus left this world, Crocodile knew he lacked the strength to control an organization as large as the Hunter Guild on his own.
Someone stronger would either seize it from him or crush him beneath their influence.
He had no illusions about that.
"I'll go."
Cyrus nodded without hesitation.
Noticing the look in Crocodile's eyes, however, he smiled and waved a hand.
"Relax. Before I leave, I'll settle everything here. At the very least, I'll wipe out the World Government completely. And visiting another world doesn't mean I'll never come back."
"That's good."
Crocodile quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"What were you worried about? That I'd run off and abandon everything?"
Cyrus smiled at him, then shook his head and rose.
"You should keep getting stronger too. The Sand-Sand Fruit is powerful, and you've developed it well, but you can still go further. Think carefully about what else your ability can do. I may have a use for you in the future."
Crocodile froze, then looked at him in surprise.
"You mean that if we reach another world, we might…"
An idea surfaced in his mind.
"Perhaps. I certainly wouldn't go there just to be a tourist."
Cyrus headed toward the door.
"I'm going out for a walk to clear my head. After that, I'll head straight to Sky Island. As for your request, tell me once you've decided what you want."
Only after Cyrus had left did Crocodile finally recover.
"Conquering other worlds?"
He murmured the words to himself.
He was not entirely certain that was what Cyrus meant, but judging by everything he knew about the man, Cyrus would never enter another world and quietly mind his own business.
He was bound to cause something enormous.
And honestly, that did not sound bad at all.
…
Cyrus had no idea what conclusions the sand crocodile was reaching, nor did he particularly care.
There was still no guarantee they would find another world in the first place.
Every world had its own protagonist, but Cyrus did not know whether that was an actual rule.
If they failed to discover a path themselves, he might have no choice but to let Straw Hat Luffy continue his voyage and see where it led.
Then again, several people had apparently discovered those disappearing islands before.
It was also possible that outsiders had already entered this world—or that people from here had accidentally crossed into others.
That meant the phenomenon really did exist.
He would deal with it after the Hunter Exam.
He needed such a place to deal with Imu anyway.
Lost in thought, Cyrus wandered through Sabaody.
The archipelago had changed considerably since his previous battle against two Admirals destroyed several of its groves.
Despite that, it was even livelier than before.
With the cancerous presence of the Celestial Dragons gone, life on Sabaody had genuinely improved.
The world might be undergoing enormous upheaval, but to ordinary travelers, life was not all that different from before. In some ways, it was actually safer.
Celestial Dragons no longer visited the archipelago, and the number of pirates roaming the sea had dropped sharply.
That was the result of pressure from both the Marines and the Hunter Guild.
In the past, whether through limited manpower or simple indifference, the Marines had allowed piracy to spread nearly unchecked.
Now they had competition.
As the Hunter Guild's reputation continued to rise, the Marines had been forced to put in more effort of their own.
Any pirate who drew too much attention would soon find either Marines or Hunters knocking on their door.
Ironically, although Cyrus was responsible for much of this change and his name was now known across the world, most ordinary people would struggle to recognize him in person.
His height was nothing unusual by the standards of this world, and he lacked anything as distinctive as Whitebeard's crescent mustache.
Even if someone thought he looked familiar, they would never believe the young man walking beside them was the chairman of the Hunter Guild and one of the most powerful people alive.
Holding a skewer of grilled meat, Cyrus suddenly stopped and looked toward a nearby stall.
Something was cooking over the flames.
Judging by the smell, it seemed to be fish paste or some other seafood shaped into meatballs.
Business was booming.
The owner worked with eight arms, each one moving rapidly as he flipped and prepared the food.
There were plenty of Fish-Men on Sabaody now.
Their situation was still far from ideal, but it had improved greatly compared with the past.
Public slave auctions selling Fish-Men and merfolk had mostly disappeared, largely because the Hunter Guild had begun suppressing them aggressively.
As a result, conditions on Fish-Man Island had improved as well, and some of its residents had begun coming to the surface for reasons other than piracy.
"That guy…"
Cyrus bit the rest of the meat from his skewer and walked over.
"Please wait in line. There are too many orders right now."
Hachi kept his head lowered as all eight hands moved busily. Sensing someone approach, he spoke without even looking up.
When the person remained standing in front of him, he finally raised his head.
The instant he saw Cyrus's face, all eight arms froze.
Fear spread across his features.
Hachi recognized him.
He had never met Cyrus personally, but after Arlong was killed in East Blue and Jinbe rescued him, Hachi learned who had done it and began following the news.
He had watched Cyrus leave East Blue, accomplish one impossible feat after another, and eventually become a figure even Fish-Man Island had to look up to.
The improvement in Fish-Man Island's current situation was also largely thanks to him.
Jinbe had mentioned that many times.
As for avenging Arlong, no Fish-Man had ever seriously suggested it.
"Hachi?"
One of the nearby customers noticed his reaction and called out curiously.
Hachi's entire body began trembling.
"How much?"
Cyrus glanced at him, then at the young mermaid beside the stall.
"Fifty Berries per skewer. Ah—no, no! It's free!"
Hachi answered instinctively, then realized what he had said and began frantically waving all eight arms, moving them so quickly they blurred.
"Do I look like someone who eats without paying?"
Cyrus frowned.
"No! Of course not!"
Hachi's thoughts had completely stopped working.
By now, everyone nearby had noticed something was wrong and turned to study Cyrus.
He was tall, handsome, and young, with short black hair.
The sword in his hand stood out more than anything else.
Its narrow blade and hilt glowed with a molten red light, making it obvious that it was no ordinary weapon.
Was he some famous swordsman?
"When did Fish-Men start coming to Sabaody?"
Since Hachi seemed incapable of answering, Cyrus turned toward the mermaid girl beside him.
"Not long ago. Brother Jinbe said it was safe enough to come up now."
The girl looked frightened too, probably because of Hachi's reaction.
"Jinbe came here as well?" Cyrus asked.
"Brother Jinbe wants to join the Hunter Guild. He also wants the Guild to establish a branch on Fish-Man Island, but I don't think it worked out."
The young mermaid had no idea what she should or should not reveal, so she simply told him everything Jinbe had been doing lately.
"Oh? Crocodile never mentioned that."
Cyrus nodded thoughtfully.
"Are you Chairman Cyrus?"
A young man wearing a silver Hunter badge on his chest stared at him excitedly.
Cyrus looked over and gave a slight nod before turning back to the mermaid.
"Find a way to contact Jinbe. Tell him to speak directly with Crocodile and say that I sent him."
With that, Cyrus waved a hand, took one step forward, and vanished.
"You said Chairman Cyrus? You mean that Chairman Cyrus?"
"Who else would I mean? The Guild only has one chairman."
The young Hunter was still thrilled that Cyrus had nodded to him. When someone questioned him, he immediately turned around and answered.
Everyone nearby inhaled sharply.
The air almost seemed warmer after so many people sucked in a breath at once.
"It makes sense, doesn't it?" someone muttered. "The Hunter Guild's headquarters is here. Why wouldn't its chairman appear on Sabaody?"
The others nodded repeatedly.
It did make sense.
Still, failing to recognize such an important figure immediately felt like a terrible mistake.
They would have a much harder time bragging about the encounter later.
Hachi and the mermaid finally recovered.
"Come on!"
Abandoning the stall entirely, Hachi grabbed the girl and ran.
No one paid them any attention. Everyone else was still staring excitedly in the direction Cyrus had disappeared.
…
"Fish-Man Island could be useful."
Cyrus had not left Sabaody yet.
He stopped in front of the former Rip-Off Bar. The sign had changed, but the building was still being used as a tavern.
As he stepped inside, he continued considering Fish-Man Island.
Princess Shirahoshi was still young, but her identity as Poseidon already gave her enormous potential.
This world was dominated by the sea.
The ability to communicate with and command colossal Sea Kings could have an extraordinary impact here.
As long as Shirahoshi remained safe, the power she could wield would be no weaker than Pluton or Uranus.
However, Fish-Man Island was no longer the only route into the New World.
Cyrus took a seat and tapped the bar.
"A glass of juice."
He laid 'Flame' horizontally in front of him.
Gulp.
Someone audibly swallowed.
Cyrus turned toward the sound and narrowed his eyes.
A teenage boy wearing a white hat covered in black spots sat squeezed together with a white bear.
Both were trying very hard not to look in his direction.
Cyrus could tell their bodies were rigid and all their attention was fixed on him.
"Your juice."
The bartender's voice drew Cyrus's gaze back.
He tossed over a Berry coin.
It no longer looked like ordinary currency. The Hunter Guild's emblem had been stamped across its surface.
"Take that to Hunter Guild headquarters," Cyrus said as he picked up his drink. "Tell them to send both of you to Sky Island. You'll be participating in the Hunter Exam."
The boy and the bear stared at the coin spinning on their table and swallowed in unison.
They did not have the option of refusing.
Once they understood that, the pair snatched up the coin and bolted for the door.
"Pay your bill!"
The bartender shouted and instinctively pulled a flintlock from beneath the counter.
"I'll cover it."
Cyrus searched his clothes but found few loose Berries, so he tossed a gemstone onto the bar instead.
He had no idea when he had picked it up.
"That's far too much."
The bartender immediately put away the gun and smiled broadly.
"Then don't disturb me."
Cyrus waved him off and continued drinking his juice.
Running into familiar faces was only a minor interruption.
The boy had probably dared to appear on Sabaody because he had heard what happened in Dressrosa and knew Doflamingo had been driven into hiding.
Trafalgar Law, the user of the Op-Op Fruit.
Cyrus tapped one finger lightly against the bar, then put the matter aside and returned to thinking about Fish-Man Island.
Placing the island under the Guild's protection would be simple enough.
Fish-Men could function on land without too much difficulty, but merfolk remained poorly suited for life above the sea until their tails split into legs.
They could be treated as potential recruits for the future.
Cyrus shook his head slightly.
By the time he found a path to another world, he might never need to call upon Fish-Man Island at all.
He finished the juice in one swallow and rose.
Having such a recognizable identity really did make it difficult to travel casually.
Cyrus stepped outside.
A door appeared before him, and he walked through it.
Only after he vanished did a crowd rush toward the tavern.
Judging by the emblems they wore, every one of them was a Hunter from the Guild.