After the Marines and the World Government forces had departed, a figure slipped into the area.
He walked over to the disturbed earth, brushed the soil aside with his hands, and revealed a silver suitcase hidden beneath. It was Grimm.
Click…
When Grimm opened the case, he saw neatly arranged rows of black bullets and arrowheads of various types.
A smile spread across his face as he reached out and caressed them. The moment his fingers touched them, the ammunition vanished instantly.
"Ding! Development of Sea‑Prism Stone ammunition is complete!"
"Hmm… excellent. I can hardly wait to summon her. That promise of 'one shot, one kill'… I wonder if it can truly be achieved?"
Grimm opened his system inventory and looked at the golden card representing power on the level of an Admiral.
"If she comes out… with the right positioning, she could easily one‑shot a Vice Admiral, couldn't she? And if I equip her with the Spectral Garb, as long as she stays still, not even Observation Haki would be able to detect her…"
Sea Horse Island — New World
Viewed from a map, this island was shaped like the number "7", closely resembling the creature it was named after. It was not a kingdom, but merely a small island with a single town.
Inside the town's tavern, countless pirates drank and made merry. They lived by the philosophy of "enjoy today, for tomorrow may never come". It was a dissolute lifestyle, but one that was as addictive as poison.
Right now, the center of attention among the crowd was a pirate sitting in the far right corner of the tavern.
He was a giant of a man, standing over five meters tall — so tall that even while seated, his head nearly pierced the ceiling.
He had a distinctive, bizarre hairstyle resembling green onions, and his face and neck merged into one long, elongated structure.
Small horns protruded from his forehead, and his mouth was filled with sharp, jagged teeth, making him look exactly like a demon.
"That's him… Gekko Moriah, known as the Hero of the West Sea!" one pirate whispered nervously.
"I heard he challenged Kaido of the Hundred Beasts, one of the Four Emperors, in battle not long ago… and his crew was completely wiped out. He barely escaped with his life thanks to his comrades covering his retreat!"
"He lost, sure… but just having the guts to challenge Kaido makes him an incredible man!"
"That's right! And after that defeat, his bounty skyrocketed to 300,000,000 Berries!"
Everyone murmured in hushed tones, terrified of angering Gekko Moriah. After all, a bounty of 300 million was far beyond what most of them could even dream of.
Meanwhile, Moriah sat alone at his table, his eyes bloodshot. His mind was consumed by the words Kaido had spoken just before annihilating his crew:
> "You bastards playing pirate dress‑up… you don't understand the first thing about being a pirate. I was feeling generous, so crawl back to Paradise and drink your milk, Gekko Moriah!"
He hadn't escaped because Kaido let him go… it was because Kaido didn't even view him as worthy of being killed. He wasn't even worth the effort.
Humiliation! Pure humiliation!
Moriah's grip on his goblet tightened until the glass began to crack and shatter under his fingers.
Thud…
Just then, the tavern door creaked open again.
Normally, this wouldn't have drawn much attention — but when the patrons casually glanced toward the entrance, they were so shocked they nearly fell out of their chairs.
"F‑F‑F‑FOUR EMPEROR!!"
At that word, everyone in the tavern — including Moriah, who had been lost in the agony of his defeat — turned to look in shock.
Walking toward them was a man wearing a white trench coat, with a golden cross pendant resting on his chest. He wore a calm, confident smile.
Before this, the pirates had only whispered nervously in Moriah's presence. But when Grimm entered, they were so terrified they forgot to breathe.
Cold sweat dripped down their faces. It wasn't until Grimm sat down at the bar counter that someone finally managed to speak.
"W‑wait… that's… that's Grimm, one of the Four Emperors, isn't it?!"
"Why would an Emperor come to a dump like this?"
"I heard recently he wiped out all the nobles, wealthy merchants, and gang leaders in the twelve nations under his rule… and he even killed Vice Admiral Sakazuki, a Logia user!"
The bartender, who was wiping glasses at the back, swallowed hard at the sight of Grimm. He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "S‑sir… what would you like to drink?"
Grimm pretended to think for a moment. "Something local. The Holy Light blesses you."
"R‑right away! Please wait a moment!"
The bartender quickly put down the glass he was cleaning, turned around, took out a fresh bottle of green liquor, and carefully poured a glass before setting it in front of Grimm.
"Hey… Your Holiness!"
Suddenly, a disheveled‑looking pirate captain stood up and took a step toward the bar. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, yet his expression was a contradictory mix of fear and extreme excitement.
"I… I really admire pirates like you… who kill without mercy…"
He paused for a few seconds to steady his nerves and collect his thoughts. Then, continuing more calmly, he said, "So… what do you say? Could you let me serve under you? Just like how countless crews pledged their loyalty to Whitebeard?"
Following him, a second, then a third, and a fourth pirate stood up from their seats and shouted toward Grimm's back.
'Kill without mercy'? Grimm couldn't help a bitter smile at that description. Yes, he had killed many people… but it was never senseless slaughter. Everyone he had eliminated were people who had long ago made their choice and were prepared to die.
"Yes! Take us with you! Our captain is a great pirate with a bounty of 180,000,000 Berries!"
"I've always wanted to join your crew! Please, let me in!"
"Me too! Me too! Accept my crew as well, please!"
What started as a few voices quickly turned into a frenzy. In an instant, the quiet tavern was filled with a chaotic chorus of people begging to join him.
Heh…
From the back of the room, the only other person who hadn't stood up — Gekko Moriah — let out a mocking, strange laugh. He looked with disdain at the pirates scrambling to apply for a position.
Just a bunch of trash who want to hide behind a powerful pirate's name so they can do whatever they want in the New World… People like that will never become the Pirate King.
Amidst the excited and nervous chatter, Grimm — still facing away from them — swirled the liquid in his glass, turned his chair around slowly, and faced them.
The moment he turned, the feverish excitement in the room vanished completely. It was replaced instantly by pure, suffocating tension.
"Serve under me… you say?"
Grimm's smile widened as his gaze swept over every pirate in the tavern. He was about to tell them plainly that he had no use for trash.
But then, his eyes locked onto the massive figure in the far right corner — the only person in the entire room who had not stood up or asked to join: Gekko Moriah.
Grimm slowly raised his hand, his smile never faltering, and pointed directly at Moriah.
"Very well then… Let the head of that man there be your first test of loyalty to me, gentlemen!"
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