A Little Game

"Mr. Jacques."

"Even if we haven't found Major Arrow's body, we'll carry on Lord Arrow's will!"

They stood before Major Arrow's empty grave.

Swan's small face was filled with resolve.

After all this time, she had transformed from a kidnapped young lady into someone who could beat Slave Catchers into the ground.

"I refuse to accept this cruel world!"

"That's the slogan of the Arrow Followers."

The words weren't quite what Swan remembered, but the hatred for this rotten world and longing for the New World behind them moved her deeply.

She didn't know what lay ahead, nor had she ever thought about what kind of hero she wanted to be.

She had given her life to Lord Arrow long ago, so of course she would fight for him for the rest of her life!

Buggy hadn't said anything at the time, but that was what Swan believed.

"I'm glad you feel that way..."

Jacques forced a comforting smile onto his tearful face.

"Major Arrow would be very happy to hear that."

He wasn't grieving at all!

He was just angry that Arne had run off without taking him along!

After all, he knew the truth about Arrow's identity better than anyone.

Ever since he'd seen Captain Buggy's actions on the screen, Jacques had been on edge, afraid someone would connect Arrow and Buggy. If that happened, he'd be exposed too.

But, to his surprise, with the Navy's elite forces stretched thin, he, Jacques, had risen from Sergeant to Second Lieutenant in just two months.

At the District 66 Base, where manpower was scarce, he was even in command of more than a dozen men.

The former base commander, Rear Admiral Sicily, had taken a bit of the blame for the Celestial Dragons' auction because of his poor leadership.

Rumor had it he'd been sent to Bridge Country to build bridges alongside a CP Organization member.

Being in charge wasn't easy.

The man who had replaced Sicily was Rear Admiral Brownie, who'd distinguished himself in the war.

He'd been promoted too.

Jacques shook his head. He wondered when Captain Buggy would come back for him.

Maybe it was better if he didn't. At least then he wouldn't get caught.

If the leverage Buggy had given him came out, Jacques would be ruined.

"Let's go."

"The archipelago is in chaos right now. For quite a while, the Navy will only be stationed at District 66 and Red Port."

"As long as you stay away from those places, the World Government won't come after you."

Sabaody Archipelago was in a state of great turmoil.

Swan and the Arrow Followers, led by former Navy officer Brey, had made Commoner Street their base and were cracking down on the Slave Catchers. They'd also attracted many slaves to join them, and had become one of the archipelago's major powers.

As an aside, the late Major Arrow had become the group's spiritual symbol.

Besides the Arrow Followers, there were factions formed by the former Slave Catchers, Supernovas waiting to have their ships coated, and small gangs that had grown powerful after raiding the nobles' homes.

But the strongest group on the archipelago was still the Nine Snake Pirates, who, for some unknown reason, had stopped at Area 13.

The current Shichibukai, the Pirate Empress, was powerful enough to crush every other faction.

But no one knew why they seemed to have no intention of taking over the island.

It was as if they were looking for someone...

Jacques couldn't be bothered to care, and he didn't have the power to do anything about it anyway.

The last rays of sunlight over the sea stretched his shadow long across the ground.

Night fell.

On the sea a little farther away, a solitary island that had stood motionless suddenly rose up.

The gecko, which had been hiding in the water beneath the island to avoid the sun, poked its head out again.

It opened its mouth wide and silently roared toward the moon.

Buggy couldn't help wondering what kind of shadow Moria had stuffed into this corpse.

"Moo."

Dream Tapir gently nuzzled Buggy's shoulder.

"Go on."

"Give the people on the island a good dream."

Dream Tapir nodded obediently, then took off from Buggy's shoulder. The dark, moonless sky was the perfect place for it.

As it flew, white mist gradually spread around it.

"Mary Geoise... Is it really that easy to get up there?"

Beside him, Moria asked, his earlier enthusiasm fading as cold sweat trickled down his face.

He realized he'd always underestimated just how crazy this clown was.

The moment Buggy brought up his idea, Moria's fear had crowded out every last bit of the black light.

"It's just a little game."

"There's nothing to worry about."

Buggy grinned reassuringly.

After discovering a new use for the gecko, he'd moved Moria's standing as a Tool Person above Morgans's.

He could also plant the bombs he'd carefully made inside the corpses.

A dazzling fireworks display seemed to be just around the corner.

A little game?

Moria glanced at the explosives planted all over the gecko's body and shuddered.

Would they blow up the entire Holy Land?

"Besides, it's not realistic to rely on this Little Cutie to cross a natural barrier like the Red Line."

"The Navy and the World Government have a firm grip on that land."

The gecko could swim through the sea at a decent speed, but crawling over land—especially across the entire Red Line—would take days, if not longer.

And the Giant Gecko was, in essence, a Sea King. It wasn't likely to last long crawling through a dry environment.

Moria knew that well.

Compared to the Red Line, Reverse Mountain was the difference between an easy level and a nightmare dungeon.

That was why he hadn't taken this ship to the New World back then.

"Still, the gecko may not be able to cross the Red Line in one night, but with Dream Tapir's help, it could climb up the Red Line in a single night."

Buggy grinned slyly, his voice coaxing and strangely persuasive.

"Don't forget, the World Government declared you dead outright."

"And as for me, I've always believed that what doesn't kill you only makes you stranger and stronger."

"Show the World Government how powerful you are!"

He didn't speak quickly, but his words struck a chord with Moria.

That was right. Once Dream Tapir's mist covered the whole island, Terror Thriller Bark could quietly draw near without anyone knowing.

Then, during the evening, the gecko could climb onto the Red Line and start crawling.

By dawn—or maybe even by the middle of the night—the gecko could reach Mary Geoise without anyone noticing!

The World Government would pay for what they'd done!

Moria thought of the way the World Government and Navy had deceived him, treating him like trash once he'd served his purpose.

Revenge!

He had to get revenge!

He would show the World Government that he was Gecko Moria!

A great pirate they couldn't afford to underestimate!

It was just an island he'd treated like home for more than twenty years. So what if he blew it up?

As Moria's gaze slowly hardened,

the two fingers pressed against his back finally withdrew, satisfied.

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