"I'm sorry, Zero-chan... I lost..."
Through a Den Den Mushi, Crocodile heard Mr. 2's weak and regretful voice. The man had given it everything he had, but his opponent was too strong.
Crocodile ended the call without saying a single word.
"Useless idiot, I told you to run!"
The man punched the wall beside him, destroying it.
He had never expected Bon Clay to defeat Allen, but that had never been the goal. His objective was to gather information about the White-Haired pirate's crew. That was why he had those ships available as cannon fodder. However, Crocodile had warned him that, under no circumstances to fight Allen directly.
Crocodile was not moved by Bon Clay's loyalty. The man was an essential part of his plan, and now he was out of commission.
"What do we do, boss?" asked a man standing inside the office.
He was sturdy and muscular, with a shaved head like a monk. He had a scar across his face and a kanji tattooed on his chest. He wore training pants and an open coat.
The man was none other than Daz Bones, also known as Mr. 1, Crocodile's strongest subordinate.
"What do we do?!"
Crocodile felt the urge to attack Daz Bones but restrained himself.
The question was stupid. They were facing someone capable of surviving Garp and who had just fought Portgas D. Ace to a "draw." Not only that, Allen had displayed several outrageous abilities, especially the power to freeze the entire coast of Nanohara.
"Allen Walker... that bastard also has Aokiji's and Kizaru's powers!" Crocodile growled.
Crocodile had eyes and ears throughout Alabasta, allowing him to watch a transmission of Allen's battle against Ace.
He did not know the full extent of Allen's abilities or how he could copy Devil Fruit powers, but he assumed the worst-case scenario: that Allen could use all of an Admiral's techniques, though without their full strength or elemental transformation.
The latter was only an assumption, but otherwise Ace would not have been able to damage him. It was a little embarrassing, but many people knew Ace had not spent much time learning Haki. Therefore, if Allen possessed a Logia's elemental transformation, Ace would not have been able to hurt him.
"It must be a Paramecia... however, we don't know its limits, the conditions for using it, or how many times he can use those powers," Daz Bones said.
The man remained calm, not because he believed they would win, but because he was the type of man who would not blink in the face of death.
"A Paramecia... that makes sense," Crocodile said thoughtfully.
He was an intelligent man. Intelligent enough to deceive an entire kingdom by presenting himself as a hero. Intelligent enough to create an enormous organization like Baroque Works without anyone discovering his true identity.
And it was precisely that intelligence that told him he was cornered.
Without Robin, forget about finding the Poneglyph. Even if he found it, he could not read it.
Then there was the loss of Bon Clay.
Bon Clay was capable of becoming another person simply by touching their face. With that power, impersonating King Cobra, Vivi's father, was easy.
Crocodile had planned to have Bon Clay act as a tyrant until the very end while using Cobra's appearance. That way, civil war would become inevitable.
But now Bon Clay was out of commission. Even if he wasn't dead, he was in no condition to continue pretending to be King Cobra.
What options did he have?
Run away? Never!
He was so close to his goal that fleeing now would be a betrayal of himself.
Negotiate? Impossible!
Crocodile had seen Vivi aboard Allen's ship. He didn't know whether she had promised Allen money, power, or even herself, but he found it impossible to believe Allen would abandon a beautiful woman like Vivi for his sandy backside.
"We can only fight..." Crocodile said with a grim expression.
Daz Bones remained silent, but perhaps that was indeed the best option.
Crocodile was a Shichibukai, one of the pirates chosen to terrorize other pirates. He was strong—there was no denying that—but on the other hand, Allen Walker was also very strong.
"Call everyone," Crocodile ordered.
"...?" Daz Bones widened his eyes.
"Call everyone!"
A cruel gleam appeared in Crocodile's eyes.
The power of numbers...
Baroque Works was a massive organization. People only paid attention to the elite agents and officers, but the lower-ranking Millions and Billions were what truly allowed Baroque Works to function on such a large scale.
"Allen Walker's only weakness is his crew. Most of them are ordinary women."
"We'll attack that weakness. We'll force him into a battle of attrition through sheer numbers, and once he's exhausted, I'll deliver the final blow."
It was cruel.
Crocodile intended to sacrifice all his subordinates to wear Allen down.
At the same time, it was the correct move.
Long battles were the Achilles' heel of the current Allen.
Daz Bones showed no reaction to the ruthless order. Crocodile was not a good person, and Daz himself was an assassin, but sacrificing all your subordinates for victory was a merciless and somewhat cowardly move even by Crocodile's standards.
Once Daz Bones left the room, Crocodile sat in his chair and clenched his teeth in fury.
"I was so close!"
How many years had Crocodile spent in Alabasta? How much time had he invested in creating Baroque Works?
And now everything was about to be destroyed by a brat who had only recently set sail.
"No, it was my fault... I should never have let Nico Robin escape my grasp. I should never have let the princess escape. It was arrogance. I was arrogant. I believed that no matter what the princess did, she would never become an obstacle. And as for Nico Robin, I was naive."
Robin was known as a demon. No one wanted her near them. No one wanted to be targeted by the World Government.
He had been confident that the woman would never betray him because there was nowhere in the world that would accept her.
"You'll pay for this, Nico Robin..."
He knew Robin was a ticking time bomb, so once he obtained Pluton, he had planned to kill her.
But everything had gone to hell simply because Allen had accepted her into his crew.
"Marines and the Demon Child... is that bastard just a lustful womanizer?!"
....
At the restaurant, Allen paid the bill for his crew and left a small tip for the inconvenience.
He had planned to collect Jackson's bounty, but he wasn't about to drag a corpse halfway across the city.
So he simply took the spiked metal arm as proof and left the restaurant, leaving Ace behind. The guy had no money, so he'd have to figure out some way to pay the owner.
Allen suggested he could pay with his backside, but Ace refused.
When they arrived at the Marine base, the men and women stationed there were frozen with fear, while the captain in charge glared at Allen with hostility and sweat dripping down his forehead.
"Bastard, release Captain Hina immediately!" the captain shouted, his eyes bloodshot.
"No," Allen replied mockingly.
The captain felt humiliated. This guy saw him as nothing more than a joke.
Yet he didn't dare attack.
He wasn't stupid. Just moments ago, he had received reports that Allen had fought Portgas D. Ace.
What chance did he have of winning?
Hina silently apologized. She could understand the captain standing before her, but she hoped he wouldn't attack Allen. Despite being fairly reasonable, Allen never hesitated to crush his enemies.
"Stop making a fool of yourself and just pay the twenty million for Jackson," Allen said.
Nojiko understood immediately and tossed the spiked metal arm at the Marines' feet.
"Jackson's body is at the restaurant near the harbor. You can verify it."
"..."
The captain silently examined Jackson's arm.
He knew the pirate had arrived, but generally speaking, as long as pirates behaved themselves, the Marines avoided confronting them inside cities in order to prevent civilian casualties.
"Walker, what do you intend to do with Captain Hina? If you harm her, the Marines will never forgive you."
Allen laughed once again.
"She's mine for as long as I decide. Now stop wasting my time and give me the money, or I'll take it myself."
The captain stepped back.
It was humiliating to obey a pirate, but a small-town captain had no chance against the White-Haired Demon.
Under the pressure, he straightened himself and walked back into the base.
"Do you think they'll pay?" Uta asked with a smile as she hung from Allen's shoulders.
"They will," Allen replied confidently.
"Most likely he'll contact Headquarters, and they'll order him to pay the bounty. There was no reason to risk the lives of two dozen Marines out of pride. Hina is tired," Hina sighed before looking at Allen seriously. "However, you should be aware that when the Marines move against you, they will do so with overwhelming force."
Not only had Allen survived Garp, but he had also demonstrated that he could stand on equal footing with Whitebeard's second division commander.
That was absurd and elevated him to an entirely new threat level in the eyes of the Marines. When they struck, they would strike hard.
"I know," Allen smiled.
He had learned his lesson with Garp. He would never underestimate the Marines again.
Ten minutes later, the captain emerged carrying a sack and threw it at Allen's feet.
"There's your money. Now get lost, pirate!" he growled.
Tashigi and Hina immediately paled.
Was this idiot trying to get himself killed?
As expected, Allen didn't let the disrespect slide.
He vanished and appeared before the captain, who was much larger than him. Despite that, a single slap shattered several of the man's teeth and knocked him to the ground.
The Marines pointed their weapons at Allen, but Robin immediately disarmed them.
"There was truly no need for this," Allen said coldly. "I could have come to your base, killed everyone here, and taken all the money. However, I didn't want to be a common criminal. I'm a pirate captain with standards, and generally speaking, I don't mind showing the Marines a little courtesy. As a result, I expect a certain degree of courtesy in return."
The captain didn't dare answer.
The slap had broken his jaw.
Allen was far stronger than him.
Allen turned around and walked away, the girls following behind him.
As for the money, Nami happily carried it.
"Marine, remember one thing. I'm a man and a pirate who prefers courtesy over chaos. However, I won't hesitate to fight anyone if it means protecting my crew. Tell Sengoku that," Allen said with a smile.
The captain watched Allen leave in silence.
It was frustrating, but he had to admit that the bastard possessed more style and presence than almost any pirate he had ever seen.
....
The crew returned to the Black Pearl, though not before doing some shopping in Nanohara.
This time, Allen didn't separate the group. They had to worry not only about the Marines but also about Baroque Works.
Later that afternoon, everyone gathered in the ship's kitchen to discuss their next move.
In the end, they decided to enter Alabasta and travel to the capital, Alubarna, in search of Vivi's father.
"We need to warn my father about what Crocodile is planning," Vivi said while holding her chin. "My father doesn't know that Crocodile is responsible for the drought or what his true objective is."
Robin nodded.
"Now that Crocodile is cornered, he may resort to more drastic measures, such as obtaining the Poneglyph's location by force."
"But Vivi-chan, won't your father be angry when he learns you risked your life like this?" Kaya asked.
"That..." Vivi smiled awkwardly.
The princess had infiltrated Baroque Works without her father's knowledge.
She knew King Cobra was cornered by the growing dissatisfaction among the people. It had pushed the country to the brink of civil war because they believed the king had monopolized the rain, causing drought throughout the rest of the nation.
"The masses are so easy to manipulate~" Mikita mocked.
"Hey."
Allen scolded her, and Mikita stuck her tongue out playfully.
"Sorry, Captain~"
"It's true. Going to Alubarna is the best option."
There was no point in searching Rainbase for ghosts. Crocodile wasn't going to be there anyway. However, both Crocodile and the rebel army ultimately targeted King Cobra, so staying close to him would allow them to react to Crocodile's moves.
"Robin, who leads the rebel army?" Uta asked.
"Huh?... A man named Kohza," Robin replied.
At that name, Vivi let out a sad sigh. It wasn't her father's fault or Kohza's. Everyone had been manipulated by Crocodile and pushed to the brink of war.
"Allen, what are we going to do with the Black Pearl?" Nami asked.
Allen remained silent for a moment before deciding.
"Nojiko, Kaya, Hina, and Uta will stay on the ship. The rest of us will go to Alubarna."
"Huh? Why?" Uta pouted.
Allen patted her head with a smile.
"After me, you're the strongest. I need you to protect Nojiko, Kaya, and the ship."
"I understand," Uta replied, blushing.
[I knew it. You have a real talent for handling women~]
"Wait? You want me to go with you?" Tashigi exclaimed.
Nami laughed.
"We can trust Hina-san to behave, but Miss 'I'm Going to Capture Allen Walker' isn't exactly reliable~"
"Ugh... fine," Tashigi snorted. "Besides, I don't mind helping rid the world of a Shichibukai."
"Hey, be careful with those words. If Headquarters hears you, you'll get into trouble," Allen teased. "After all, the Shichibukai are your allies."
Both Tashigi and Hina made faces as though they'd swallowed insects. It was difficult to claim they represented justice when they literally had pirates working alongside them.
"Allen, stop teasing the girls."
Robin lightly elbowed him while scolding him with the authority of an older sister.
"Okay, okay, I get it."
Allen shrugged.
Seeing Allen actually listen to Robin made the girls laugh.
It was comforting to have an older-sister figure capable of keeping Allen somewhat under control.
"Alright, get some rest and prepare to leave first thing tomorrow morning," Allen ordered.
....
That night, Allen left the bath with a towel around his neck after taking a shower. Alabasta's heat was difficult to ignore even with his strength.
As he exited the kitchen carrying a drink, he spotted Vivi standing on the deck, gazing toward Nanohara's shoreline.
Vivi's hair swayed in the desert breeze while her eyes reflected the sky.
This was her land.
Her home.
No matter how hot it was, even that was something precious to her.
"Now I understand that you only realize how much something matters after you've lost it," Vivi said with a smile.
Allen walked over and stood beside her.
"Don't worry. We'll get it back," he replied with a slight smile.
Vivi looked at the young man's profile. When he wasn't acting strangely, it was easy to appreciate how charming he was.
Beyond his physical attractiveness, he seemed dazzling to her.
Fearless in the face of the world. Certain of his own path, and despite all his ego and eccentricities, strangely magnetic and captivating.
'What am I thinking?!'
Vivi blushed and looked away.
Allen noticed and smiled mischievously.
"Princess, isn't it a little late to be embarrassed after you tried to seduce me with that dance?"
"Ah!" Vivi cried out, embarrassed. "I wasn't trying to seduce you! It was a hypnosis attack!"
"Oh? Then maybe you should try hypnotizing me again," Allen teased as he leaned closer. "Who knows? Maybe it'll work this time."
Vivi turned completely red before spinning around and running away.
Allen laughed.
"Saving an entire country to win such a cute princess is totally worth it~"
[And you dare claim you're a pure-hearted good person.]
"Hey, I haven't laid a hand on her."
[Sure, but who knows how long that'll last. Besides, aren't you forgetting something?]
Allen looked toward Nami's cabin. Through the window, candlelight could be seen flickering inside.
Before leaving for Alubarna, Allen intended to raise the girls' levels.
He knew what that implied, so he mentally prepared himself for the torture of watching Nami melt in his arms while being unable to do anything.
"Alright!"
Allen walked firmly toward Nami's cabin, completely unaware of the malicious smile forming on Lenalee's lips.
====
A/N: Dual cultivation is coming... or is it bait again? 🍷🗿
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