The Cross Guild’s influence has finally hit the Marines, costing them one of their most seasoned veterans.

One Piece is different from the other shonen anime in more ways than one. The series subverts many classic shonen tropes, and this is one of the main reasons behind its success. One of the things that One Piece does differently from its counterparts is how it deals with character deaths.

Some of the popular shonen anime, such as Naruto, Attack on Titan, and Dragon Ball, tend to kill off characters for the sake of the plot or just to evoke emotions in the audience. While most of these deaths are successful in creating the effect that they want, there are some that just feel completely unnecessary. Neji’s death in Naruto is the perfect example. The ninja could have easily protected himself and survived, but the author didn’t want that to happen. One Piece, in comparison, rarely relies on the death of a character to make an impact, but when it does happen, it holds a lot more weight.

A Legend Dies

One Piece Chapter 1082 contained a lot of information about Buggy and the rest of the Cross Guild. The Emperor revealed that he wanted to claim the One Piece and become the King of the Pirates. The admission came as a shock to Mihawk and Crocodile, who were confident that Buggy would always remain under their thumb. The events taking place at Emptee Bluffs stole the attention of everyone, causing a major death to go under the radar.

The character whose death was confirmed was none other than Vice Admiral T-Bone. As a Vice-Admiral, he had a high bounty on his head, which caused people to kill him. The Vice Admiral was killed in the Pepe Kingdom. According to Tsuru, the people living in the Pepe Kingdom are extremely poor, and they can’t even afford to buy food for themselves, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people every year. So, a Marine going into such territory wasn’t the best idea. The death of T-Bone was shocking, but he probably gave himself up so that they could claim the bounty and feed themselves. He was a kind man who went out of his way to help people in need. This incident proves that the Cross Guild’s bounty system is dangerous and could cause a lot of problems for the Marines in the future. Sengoku claimed that the Cross Guild needed to be destroyed as it would damage the morale of the troops. But for now, it seems that the Cross Guild will not be tamed so easily.

The Bounty System

The Cross Guild was created by Dracule Mihawk and Crocodile. The two former Shichibukai were aware of the possibility of the Marines hounding them through the New World. They knew that they could not continue fighting them for long. So they joined hands and came up with the Cross Guild. In order to curb the threat of the Marines, the two pirates came up with a bounty system. It was a simple idea that operated on the same principle as the Marines’ bounty system.

Crocodile and Mihawk were confident that giving Marines bounties would cause civilians, pirates, and other criminals to hunt them. The ranking for the Cross Guild’s bounty system has not been explained completely, and there is very limited information available that can help the audience understand the gist of it. The pirates on Hachinosu said that a regular Marine captain has one star on their bounty poster, which stands for 100 million berries. However, a person like Koby was given five stars instead of one. This is due to his accomplishments as a soldier. It is unclear how high the numbers can go, but the bounties of Vice Admirals, Admirals, and Fleet Admiral must be over 500 million.

What Happens If The Cross Guild Is Not Stopped?

It is very likely that Crocodile came up with the idea to put bounties on the heads of the Marines, and so far it has provided excellent results. The Marines have been getting extra help from the common people due to their bounty system for decades. But with one swift move, the Cross Guild managed to turn the tables on the Marines. If things continue in the same manner, the Marines will suffer a lot more casualties and won’t be able to function properly. So the upholders of justice will have to take action.

With that being said, the Marines currently have their hands full. Admiral Kizaru and a fleet of hundred ships are currently on their way to Egghead Island to erase Vegapunk’s name from the history books. Fujitora has not been seen since the altercation with the Revolutionary Army. Ryokugyu was last seen on Phoenix Island, where he captured Edward Weevil. He is very likely on his way to Impel Down. Vice Admiral Garp is in Hachinosu, so he is out of the picture as well. Therefore, the Cross Guild faces little to no threat at the moment, and it can actually do something massive that will change the entire world. For now, the organization is dealing with an internal problem after Buggy stated that he wanted to claim the One Piece. Whether Crocodile and Mihawk decide to go along with Buggy’s decision remains to be seen.

Src: gamerant.com