"Run! Run!"
"Hahaha~ Hand over your valuables!"
"Help! Save me!"
"Damn pirates, you're all gonna die!"
"…"
Under the night sky, the Sabaody Archipelago was in utter chaos.
Screaming crowds surged everywhere, and fires had been ignited in various places, adding to the disorder.
Fleeing slaves, rampaging pirates, opportunistic robbers, desperately rushing Marines, and panic-stricken civilians… Tonight, the Sabaody Archipelago was even livelier than a festival.
Cross sat atop the silver giant eagle, surveying the various islands of the Sabaody Archipelago from the sky, constantly suppressing unruly pirates and criminals. Sometimes, he would also help those who deserved assistance.
Suddenly, he saw a group of over a dozen armed men surrounding three girls in the forest below. Without a second thought, he urged the giant eagle to dive down.
Screeeech—
A sharp eagle cry suddenly pierced the air above the forest. A silver giant eagle with a wingspan of over five meters plunged down from the sky, streaking over everyone's heads like a silver bolt of lightning. It snatched one man from the crowd and carried him directly into the air.
"Let me down! Let me down!"
The man screamed in terror, thrashing in mid-air.
"Are you sure?"
Cross's face showed a strange expression. He craned his neck to glance at the ground below, estimating it to be about a hundred meters high. Then, as if yielding to a request, he had the giant eagle release its sharp talons, dropping the man.
"No! No! Aaaahhh—"
Thump—
The man shrieked as he plummeted rapidly, hitting the green grass with a heavy thud, like a weighty object falling to the ground. He splattered into a bloody mess on impact.
"It's the Marines!"
"Run!"
"Don't run! He's just one man!"
"Shoot! Shoot him down!"
"…"
The dozen or so criminals erupted into chaos. The timid ones turned and ran, while the bolder ones immediately raised their muskets, firing 'bang, bang, bang' shots at Cross, who was circling overhead.
Suddenly, gunshots echoed loudly, and the muzzle flashes were especially prominent in the night. Many lead bullets struck the silver giant eagle's body, emitting 'clanging' sounds like metal striking metal.
However, where the lead bullets hit the silver giant eagle's body, there were only faint indentations, no other effective damage. If this were a game with explicit damage numbers, it would only show -1, -1, -1, -1, -1…
"Is this bird made of steel?!"
Someone cried out in terror, their face aghast. Seeing that their firearm attacks were ineffective, the morale of this group instantly plummeted. Even the toughest among them threw down their weapons and scattered in all directions with their companions.
Soon, without Cross even having to act, the sheer presence of the silver giant eagle easily dispersed the criminals. In the process, its sharp talons killed seven or eight people.
Whoosh—
A moment later, Cross returned to the forest, letting the silver giant eagle land. He then leaped off the eagle's back. The three girls huddled together in terror, looking fearfully at Cross and the massive silver giant eagle behind him.
Cross looked at the three girls before him, one with long black hair, one with long green hair, and one with long orange hair. They appeared to be around 15 or 16 years old, and their clothes were somewhat tattered, which made him feel a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen them somewhere before, but he couldn't recall where at the moment.
"Don't wander around at night. Find a safe place to hide."
Cross, cigar in his mouth, walked unhurriedly towards the three girls and said softly, "Where's your home? Can you get back by yourselves?"
The three girls looked at the young Marine before them with surprised expressions. The girl with long black hair gathered her courage and asked in a low voice, "Aren't you here to arrest us?"
Cross smiled and said in a gentle tone, "You are free. Why would I arrest you?"
Hearing Cross's words, the three girls relaxed slightly and sat down tiredly on the ground.
"I can't take you home. Do you have somewhere else to go?" Cross asked softly.
The three girls exchanged glances, then shook their heads uneasily.
Suddenly, Cross's expression subtly tightened. He placed his left hand on the hilt of Kagehide at his waist, his gaze sweeping past the three girls and towards a large tree.
"Who's there?"
"I've been discovered, haven't I?"
A figure emerged from behind the large tree. The person's glasses glinted in the moonlight as he said with a light chuckle, "Young people these days are truly remarkable. It seems the Marines have another excellent member!"
Under the moonlight, the person had long, curly white hair, a beard on his chin, and a vertical scar over his right eye. He wore a somewhat tattered white coat over an orange-yellow top with black buttons, dark red capri pants, and straw sandals.
"You're… Dark King Silvers Rayleigh!"
The moment Cross saw the man, he involuntarily held his breath, his pupils instantly contracting to pinprick size.
There was no mistake; this man before him was indeed the former first mate of the Roger Pirates, known as the 'Right Hand of the Pirate King,' the famous Dark King Silvers Rayleigh!!
"Hehehehe~"
Rayleigh chuckled, stroking the white beard on his chin, and said, "I thought I could fool a young Marine, but it seems I was recognized after all!"
"Haaah—"
Cross's expression was unreadable. He licked his somewhat dry lips, then took a puff from his cigar, slowly exhaling smoke, and said gravely, "What a joke. The second-in-command of the Roger Pirates, a legendary man, how could I not recognize you?!"
Honestly, he was quite excited now. Although he knew Rayleigh was on this island, he hadn't expected to meet this legendary figure under such circumstances.
"The 'Dark King' title is a thing of the past. I'm just a retired old man now!" Rayleigh said with a smile. "Also, I have some connection with these three girls. How about I take them home?"
At this moment, after hearing Rayleigh's words, Cross seemed to realize something. He said meaningfully, "For the esteemed Dark King to personally save someone, these three beautiful young ladies wouldn't happen to be descendants of some great pirate, would they?"
"If my old eyes aren't deceiving me and I haven't mistaken them, they should be from Amazon Lily. Am I right?" Rayleigh said, winking at the three girls.
Cross's expression remained unchanged, but he thought to himself, 'As expected, it's them, the future Boa sisters!'
So, this black-haired girl must be the future Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, known as the 'World's Most Beautiful Woman.'
Cross scrutinized her. Although she looked dirty, she still exuded remarkable beauty.
Then, Cross nodded, noncommittally. "If they agree, I have no objections!"
The Boa sisters looked at Rayleigh, then at Cross, and finally nodded, agreeing to go with Rayleigh. Although Cross had saved them, he was a Marine after all, inherently not from the same faction as them.
"Thank you for saving us. Can you tell me your name?" Boa Hancock stood up, looking earnestly at Cross.
"I haven't seen you, and you don't need to know my name!"
Cross smiled and shook his head. He turned his back to the Boa sisters, leisurely walking towards the silver giant eagle, and casually waved his hand, saying, "If you truly wish to know, remember that the sea is mysterious. Perhaps we'll meet again in the future. At that time, I'll introduce myself properly!"
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