On the third day after Rojen arrived at Tesloki Island,
In the sea region near Tesloki Island, a wooden ship with a crocodile-shaped figurehead was speeding forward. It had come from Reverse Mountain and hadn't stopped once along the way, heading straight here.
At the bow, the voices of two men could be heard talking.
"You didn't have to come with me."
The fierce-looking man with a cigar in his mouth spoke calmly.
"You, the old boss, have already left. Where else could I go?"
The man wearing sunglasses replied coldly.
"We're different. I'm a member of Nether Soul, you're not."
Crocodile shook his head.
"I'm curious."
The dark-skinned, stern man in sunglasses suddenly said.
"Hm?"
Crocodile responded.
"I'm curious what kind of man could make someone like you give up the Baroque Works organization you painstakingly built over so long, without even a moment of hesitation!"
"Heh heh… a very remarkable man, I suppose."
Crocodile paused, then said with a smile.
It was a strange answer. The stern man thought about it for a moment, then chose to remain silent.
After all, the answer would reveal itself soon enough, why rush?
"Trust me, this trip won't be a waste for you, Mr. 1."
After a brief silence, Crocodile spoke again.
Mr. 1 raised his head in confusion.
"Only under his guidance will you become even stronger."
"Is that so?"
Mr. 1, Daz Bones, responded noncommittally.
"Heh heh."
Crocodile didn't argue further. Only those who met that man would truly believe in his incredible abilities.
Gradually, Tesloki Island came into view from the ship.
"This island… has a lot of pirates."
Mr. 1's expression grew serious.
Even from a distance, they could see numerous pirate ships piled along the shore, stretching endlessly, packed tightly together without a single gap. What surprised him even more was that even more pirates were stationed along the coastline.
From afar, it gave the impression that the entire island had already been taken over by pirates.
He glanced at Crocodile beside him and saw that the man merely wore a faint smile, showing no sign of tension.
In truth, Mr. 1 didn't know much about Crocodile, especially his past. He only vaguely knew that this man had once challenged the world's strongest, Whitebeard Edward, and after that battle, returned alive with only a scar on his face.
That alone was remarkable. To survive in front of that man who stood at the pinnacle of the world was already something to be proud of.
But as for Crocodile's true strength, he had no real understanding. What Crocodile displayed more often was his strategic mind.
Like a crocodile lurking beneath the water, until it encountered prey, its head remained hidden below the surface, cautious and alert.
Before long, the wooden ship reached the shore.
As the two disembarked, the pirates along the coast all turned their gazes toward them.
In an instant, the pressure made Mr. 1 feel his body grow heavy, tension rising in his chest.
"These pirates… although individually weaker than those in the Grand Line, what's frightening is their sheer number!"
A quick glance revealed hundreds of them. Each one radiated a fierce, battle-hardened aura.
These were seasoned pirates, veterans who already had the qualifications to enter the Grand Line.
"What are they doing here? It seems like they're guarding something…"
Mr. 1 felt a suspicion forming in his mind, though he didn't dare confirm it.
At that moment, Crocodile stepped forward, standing in front of him and facing all the pirates.
His ferocious face and indifferent demeanor instantly drew everyone's attention. Almost immediately, the pirates recognized him.
"It's Crocodile! He's Lord Rojen's companion, let him pass!"
With that shout, admiration and reverence filled the eyes of all the pirates.
Sand Crocodile! Another powerhouse for sure! Just from his calm, composed yet imposing manner, one could already sense the aura of a top-tier fighter, something that inspired fear.
"Big Brother Crocodile, Lord Rojen is in the bar at the end of the street. I'll take you there!"
Very quickly, a sharp-witted pirate ran up and spoke eagerly.
Seeing this, the others slapped their foreheads in regret.
"Damn, that guy was fast, why didn't I think of that?!"
In the blink of an eye, that pirate led Crocodile and Mr. 1 away from the area.
At noon, another wooden boat docked, and six figures jumped ashore.
"Hahaha, we've finally arrived!"
"Old Boss Rojen, we, the Dragon-Elephant Six, have come!"
"Great! We can finally reunite with the old bosses!"
"I've been looking forward to this day for so long!"
Among the six, some laughed wildly, some trembled with excitement, and others were so emotional that they even cried. Their reactions, and the meaning behind their words, made all the pirates realize that these six strange individuals were undoubtedly members of the Nether Soul Pirates.
"Hey, you lot! Tell me, where is our old boss right now?!"
The fifth among the six shouted loudly at the pirates on the shore.
"At the bar at the end of the street."
A pirate quickly pointed it out.
The six nodded in satisfaction and strode forward.
"Old Sixth, how did you know they'd be aware of the old boss's whereabouts?"
"Isn't it obvious? Just look at them, they're clearly guarding our old boss, keeping others from disturbing him."
"You could tell that?"
"Of course! You think my Observation Haki was trained for nothing?!"
As their voices faded, the six disappeared from sight.
At the same time, inside the bar, around a large table, everyone looked at each other with different expressions.
Chaporos rested his head in his hands, staring at Lordling with admiration.
"Goddess… my goddess! I've finally seen you again!"
Smack!
A loud slap rang out as Lordling's hand sent his face snapping to the side.
"What a disgusting look!"
Lordling said with disdain.
"As long as you're willing, you can slap my other cheek too, my love."
Chaporos showed no embarrassment at all. He turned his head and offered the other side of his face.
On his left cheek was already a clear handprint, he had clearly been slapped before.
"Shameless bastard!"
Lordling cursed, turning her head away, no longer bothering with this scoundrel.
Jason and Crocodile stared at each other, both expressionless. The atmosphere between them was strangely tense.
Mr. 1 stared at Robin, his gaze flickering with complex thoughts.
Under the cold man's stare, Robin felt uneasy and didn't dare lift her head.
Trens watched everyone's expressions at the table with great interest, finding it amusing as he casually poured himself a drink.
As for Rojen, he wasn't engaging with the group for the moment. Instead, he sat there talking quietly with Nalene.
The atmosphere in the bar was strange, eerily quiet.
At that moment, the Dragon-Elephant Six burst in through the door.
"Old Boss, we're here! We've missed you so much!"
Their loud shouting instantly shattered the silence.
(End Of This Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395