The One Piece world has seen the emergence of some incredibly powerful organizations over the years. The Marines, who are the military face of the World Government are quite possibly the strongest organization in the series at the moment. The likes of the Shichibukai roamed the seas with great freedom prior to their dissolution, while the Yonko rule the New World like Kings and hold tremendous power. At the same time, the likes of the Revolutionary Army exist to take power from the Celestial Dragons and liberate those who are oppressed.
With the dissolution of the Shichibukai system and the fall of two of the Four Emperors, it was a given that the balance of power in the New World would start to shift. In One Piece 1056, it was finally revealed that a completely new organization has now been established. This group goes by the name of the Cross Guild. While not everything has been revealed about it just yet, its existence has sent ripples across the New World and shifted the power balance of the One Piece world tremendously.
What Is The Cross Guild?
Introduced in One Piece 1056, the Cross Guild is an organization established by none other than the Yonko of the Sea, Buggy. After the dissolution of the Shichibukai system, Buggy seems to have successfully escaped from the Marine battalion that was pursuing him and his former organization, called Buggy's Delivery. With the incredibly huge number of allies that he had acquired over the past two years and the connections that he had to the likes of Shanks, and even several members of the Roger Pirates, it was quite easy to see why Buggy was given special attention by the World Government.
As such, several other powerful pirates of the New World also ended up joining forces with him. This eventually led to Buggy becoming an Emperor of the Sea with great power and authority in his hands. The establishment of this organization means that the many powerful pirates who are being hunted by the World Government can now seek refuge under Buggy's name. In the New World, one can either oppose the Emperors or take shelter under the name. As such, Buggy's influence will only continue to grow as will his power, thanks to the Cross Guild.
Who Are Its Members?
The Cross Guild is most certainly a massive organization with several powerful pirates. However, at the moment, only three of its members have been revealed to the fans. As mentioned already, the organization is spearheaded by the Genius Jester, Buggy the Clown. He is seen as the leader of the group, although, what the exact dynamic within the organization is remains unknown. After Buggy comes the World's Greatest Swordsman in One Piece, Dracule Mihawk. Mihawk is one of the former Shichibukai who fought the Navy after the dissolution of the system. It appears that he was able to successfully fend them off and then join forces with Buggy to fight the growing influence of the Marines. Mihawk is widely recognized as one of the strongest characters in the One Piece world and, as such, he is quite possibly the strongest member of the Cross Guild. In the past, he was a rival to Shanks and although he might not necessarily be as strong as the Yonko, his influence and pedigree are immense.
Sir Crocodile is the last known member of the Cross Guild. Just like Mihawk, he is one of the former Shichibukai, however, he didn't suffer from the dissolution of the system. Crocodile stopped being a Shichibukai after Luffy defeated him during the Alabasta arc. Following his defeat, he was locked in Level 6 of Impel Down. During the great prison breakout that was led by Luffy shortly before the Paramount War, Crocodile escaped from Impel Down and after the war, returned to the New World. Since then, he's most likely growing in both power and influence and, currently, is most likely one of the strongest pirates in the New World. Crocodile appears to be the second strongest member of the Cross Guild after Mihawk.
The Role Of The Cross Guild
The Cross Guild functions similar to a Yonko crew and it is only because of its existence that Buggy has been recognized as one of the Emperors of the Sea. Just like any other crew, the Cross Guild is most certainly trying to expand its influence in the New World and fight for supremacy against other powerful factions that exist there. However, at the same time, the Cross Guild is doing something that no pirate in the history of the One Piece world ever has. As mentioned by Kid, Buggy, the leader of the Cross Guild, has started issuing bounties for the Marines. For the very first time, the Marines are being hunted by the likes of the Pirates and the bounty hunters.
Now, the world of One Piece appears to be even more chaotic than it ever was. The likes of the Admirals and the Vice-Admirals of the Marines are being heavily hunted and huge rewards have been put on their heads. As such, the Cross Guild appears to be the most dangerous pirate organization on the seas currently. While fans only know about just a few of their members, it is a given for them to have several other pirates and bounty hunters within their ranks. With such tremendous power, they will surely turn the tides in this turbulent era.