One Piece: My Crew Is Trash!

"Back for barely a day, and you've already made waves, even daring to break into Impel Down for a jailbreak! You're the first to ever attempt something so audacious!" Morgans exclaimed after a few quick pleasantries.

Naturally, the World Government wouldn't publicize the humiliating incident of Zyhark's raid on Impel Down. The report on Hancock's escape merely said, "prison break." Such a cover-up might fool the ignorant masses, but for the major players, it was far from a secret.

"I never expected you'd fall so quickly," Zyhark teased. "Replaced by the World Government in just three years."

Surviving a relentless manhunt by the World Government was impressive, but Zyhark couldn't resist poking fun at the cocky birdman.

"Shows what you know! Sacrificing everything for the story of the century—that's a real man's dream!" Morgans shot back, raising his head proudly, feathers ruffling with pride.

Three years ago, the expose on the Celestial Dragons' atrocities had been his crowning moment.

"Pity. I was hoping to give you even bigger news. Seems you're not up for it, though," Zyhark replied with a hint of disappointment.

"What are you planning now?" Morgans's eyes gleamed with madness and excitement.

Morgans had no doubts about his "temporary ally" Zyhark's knack for making headlines. If Zyhark announced plans to storm Mariejois itself, it wouldn't come as a shock. The Demon King Organization, in terms of top-tier strength, now rivaled the Marine Headquarters.

"To gather all the Poneglyphs and reach the final island—Raftel."

"What did you say?!"

Even prepared for surprises, Morgans was taken aback. The Den Den Mushi's expressive face showed his birdman persona with wide eyes popping in shock.

"Here's the truth: I already have three Poneglyphs. I've even confirmed the location of the final one," Zyhark said coolly.

Naturally, his goal wasn't the empty title of Pirate King. Branded "Demon King" by the World Government, he was already seen as a force equal to a Pirate King.

His true purpose for reaching Raftel was to sacrifice the One Piece itself to summon new allies, pushing his power to the next level. Not to mention, Raftel likely held countless other treasures, which, along with the Golden City on Skypiea, would be pivotal in his negotiations to sway the Marines.

Yes, his ultimate goal had always been the World Government alone.

While mountains of gold might not sway Sengoku, Garp, and others, they would be indispensable bargaining chips for an alliance against the World Government.

"Raftel, huh? That name brings back memories…" A new voice interjected as the Den Den Mushi's appearance shifted, now wearing round glasses with a scar over its right eye.

"Rayleigh?!"

This time, Zyhark was the one taken aback.

Both the voice and the image of the Den Den Mushi left no doubt—the caller was none other than the long-vanished "Dark King," Silvers Rayleigh!

He had been mulling over how to track down the old guy, only to find him chatting with Morgans.

"Well met, Zyhark," Rayleigh greeted with his trademark smirk.

"Old M—cough, Rayleigh-sensei, where are you? Is Shakky and the Amazon Lily crew all right?" Zyhark barely contained his excitement.

"You rascal, just when I was figuring out how to reach you, here you are calling me," Rayleigh laughed.

Previously, Zyhark had lost the secret Den Den Mushi he'd used to contact Morgans due to Aqua's antics in the Konosuba world. Thus, Morgans had no way to reach him.

As Rayleigh's voice faded, the Den Den Mushi transformed again, sprouting a delicate antenna with a lady's cigarette in its grip.

"Thanks for your concern. I'm fine, as are the ladies," Shakky's soft, steady voice reassured him.

"Hehe, you owe me for this, Zyhark! Sneaking an entire kingdom's people away was no easy feat!" Morgans boasted.

Of course, he tactfully left out the part where Rayleigh's sword had been pressed to his neck.

"What happened?" Zyhark asked, bewildered.

After a lengthy explanation, Zyhark finally understood.

Three years prior, love-stricken Hancock had been unstoppable, even defying Rayleigh and Shakky's attempts to dissuade her.

Forced to evacuate Amazon Lily, Rayleigh and Shakky had prepared for the worst.

Meanwhile, Morgans, relentlessly pursued by CP agents, had arrived on Amazon Lily, seeking refuge as Zyhark's ally.

Rayleigh had swiftly dealt with the assassins, and, with a serene smile, "requested" Morgans's assistance.

Given that the entire ocean was under the World Government and Marine control, finding a truly safe haven was nearly impossible. So, Rayleigh and Shakky decided to head to Skypiea, specifically the Axis Order stronghold on Birka, which Zyhark had once mentioned.

The end result was Morgans, under immense "persuasion," reluctantly dumping all his news equipment from his airship to transport the citizens of Amazon Lily to Birka in several covert trips under cover of darkness.

There, they settled on the "Trial of God" island, shielded by the perpetual lightning barrier, hiding from prying eyes to this day.

No wonder Moriah had been clueless!

After learning of the harrowing evacuation, Zyhark felt a surge of admiration for Shakky's foresight and Rayleigh's grit.

Who would have guessed that the lightning field left intact to preserve the moon relics in the Trial of God would end up playing such a vital role!

It was a perfect full-circle moment.

After hanging up, Zyhark promptly found Hancock, who was fiercely training with dragon-transformed Kanna in the back hills, and informed her of Rayleigh, Shakky, and Amazon Lily's safety.

"Thank goodness… they're all right… they're really all right!" Hancock couldn't hold back her tears, emotions of relief and guilt flooding out uncontrollably.

Despite her usual remarks about people dying for her beauty, Hancock was a true tsundere at heart, deeply caring about those close to her.

Without delay, Zyhark took Ishtar and Darkness on the Endless Dream to Bilca.

The situation was growing increasingly urgent; he needed to obtain the final Poneglyph from Wano Country to stand a chance against the World Government.

But first, Shadow Island, his temporary base, needed reliable defenders.

While his crew was formidable, Zyhark couldn't shake the uneasy feeling of leaving his unrestrained companions behind, especially when facing Kaido at his peak.

Thus, retrieving Rayleigh and Shakky became essential.

As for bringing along the second clumsy goddess and the eccentric knight, it was a chance for them to get a firsthand look at this strange new world.

After all, two clumsy goddesses couldn't coexist peacefully for long.

Leaving Aqua and Ishtar together unsupervised… he shuddered to think of what state Shadow Island would be in by his return!

(End of Chapter)

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