Although Luffy had spoken first, breaking the tension, Smoker, the leader of the Marines present, still hesitated, unsure what to say.
At this moment, it was Tashigi, the female officer, who showed no such restraint.
Or perhaps it was simply that she didn't care about pride, letting justice take priority over everything.
She stepped forward, standing firm, and addressed Luffy directly:
"Captain Luffy, we have obtained confirmed intelligence proving that Crocodile is secretly attempting to seize control of the Arabasta Kingdom, a member nation of the World Government.
This constitutes a serious violation of the World Government's interests.
The evidence is conclusive. We request that you fulfill your duties as a Warlord and assist us in apprehending him!"
A soft breeze brushed through Tashigi's hair, lifting her short strands across her face, but her stern expression did not waver.
The scene fell silent again.
Even Crocodile, battered and bloodied, could only stare with a hint of amusement at Tashigi's demand to arrest him.
Childish Marines.
This was Crocodile's assessment, not just of Tashigi, but of Smoker as well.
If not for the sudden arrival of the Starry Sky Pirates, they would have been swallowed by the sand long ago.
And now, absurdly, they were asking a group of pirates to capture another pirate.
Only those who had grown up in an ivory tower, shielded from the world's darkness and cruelty, could even think such a thing.
Besides, Crocodile held valuable intelligence; the Starry Sky Pirates had no reason to hand him over.
He was confident of that. After all, the information he possessed was enough to spark anyone's interest.
And Luffy's response aligned perfectly with Crocodile's expectations.
"So, you want someone, huh?"
Luffy chuckled softly, looking at Tashigi standing boldly before him, teasing:
"Look, he's right there. Why don't you catch him yourselves?"
"But, "
"No need to continue, Tashigi!"
Tashigi began to protest, but Smoker stepped in behind her, blocking her path.
His freshly lit cigar burned as always, but the smoke curling upward no longer held the calm, serene quality it had before.
Smoker's eyes tensed, staring at Luffy and his crew who had completely disregarded them.
At this moment, he realized just how helpless one could be in this world without strength.
He slowly lowered his arm, letting Tashigi go, and spoke solemnly to Luffy:
"We understand.
We will report the situation here to Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and the final decision will be left to him."
"Mm, thank you…"
Luffy waved casually, uninterested, leaving Smoker to say whatever he wanted.
His point was clear: compared to the Starry Sky Pirates, the Marines had no right to intervene. They were merely warning Luffy gently that their actions could conflict with the Warlord status.
But… Luffy simply didn't care.
The only Marine he paid attention to was his grandfather, Captain Garp.
And Garp's position in the Marines was already unshakable.
Even his father's rebellion hadn't affected Garp; why should a mere Warlord matter?
Realizing he wasn't needed, Smoker turned and left with his subordinates.
Only Tashigi, the "justice-driven fool," kept glancing back, unwilling to leave Crocodile unapprehended.
After the Marines and civilians departed, only the Starry Sky Pirates, Crocodile, and Princess Vivi, whose kingdom was temporarily safe, remained in the ruins.
Luffy glanced back and noticed Zoro, lost in thought.
Having read the original story, he knew Zoro was staring at Tashigi, who resembled Kuina.
But she wasn't Kuina.
Luffy walked over to Zoro and called casually:
"What's wrong?"
"Uh… nothing…"
Zoro shook his head lightly, still silent afterward.
Luffy, seeing Zoro remain quiet, didn't push further, not wanting to stir painful memories.
Instead, he noticed Crocodile, who hadn't made a move to escape, and then addressed Vivi at the rear of the group:
"Vivi, with Baroque Works out of the picture, you should be able to handle the remaining issues yourselves, right?"
For Luffy, with Arabasta's main threat neutralized, the "level" was cleared perfectly.
But…
Vivi's expression shifted slightly at Luffy's words.
Though kindhearted, she was also aware of the darkness that power often brought.
The rebels had indeed formed due to the kingdom's inequality.
Without Baroque Works causing chaos, she felt confident she could restore order.
Yet…
Power… could be alluring.
"Monkey D. Luffy, Captain…"
Before Vivi could respond, Crocodile, recovering some composure, spoke to Luffy from a distance.
Though he had relied heavily on his Devil Fruit, Crocodile's stamina remained monstrous even among the New World's pirates.
During the brief pause while Luffy spoke with Smoker, Crocodile had subtly adjusted himself. The wounds he had sustained were already beginning to heal.
Curious, Luffy turned to him, wondering what the defeated pirate could possibly want to say.
Crocodile slowly stood upright, his aura of dominance undimmed, a bloodstained smile curling at his lips. He spoke confidently:
"Captain Luffy, since you are so merciful…
I am willing to completely withdraw Baroque Works from the Arabasta Kingdom."
"Oh? You… are willing?"
Luffy laughed, a teasing smirk crossing his face.
"Uh…"
Crocodile faltered slightly at Luffy's expression.
After a pause, he lowered the framework on his shoulders, his arms no longer raised so high, adopting a resigned stance:
"You are correct…
The weak submit to the strong; that is the law of survival in this world.
I can see that Captain Luffy does not wish to take the life of a meaningless weakling…"
"Huh? Go on!"
Curious about Crocodile's strange confidence, Luffy leaned in.
Crocodile wasn't foolish, yet even now he dared to speak to Luffy so casually.
A gentle breeze fluttered Crocodile's black coat, partially restoring the dignity lost in defeat.
A wicked grin spread across his lips as he spoke slowly:
"I believe, Captain Luffy, you already know what is hidden in this desert kingdom, don't you?"
"You mean the Ancient Weapon?"
Without hesitation, Luffy answered quickly, following Crocodile's words.
"I thought so…"
Hearing this, Crocodile's expression shifted to one of knowing satisfaction.
Yet his confident demeanor remained unchanged.
His face darkened, as though he were about to reveal a world-shattering secret:
"Although Captain Luffy knows that Arabasta is connected to an Ancient Weapon, judging by your reactions, it seems the information you have is limited, isn't it?"
"You… what are you saying!?"
Realizing something was amiss, Vivi interjected.
No! It's a lie! Everything is a lie!
They knew about the Ancient Weapon?!
Impossible… only the Nefertari family had known this secret!
A secret guarded for eight hundred years!
Wait…
If Luffy and his crew knew about Pluton, the memory of their arrival would suddenly make sense…
When Nami invited her aboard, she said: "We're heading to Arabasta!"
Could it be that their original goal was Pluton all along?
Of course!
Otherwise, why come here first instead of dealing with the rebels?
They must have planned this from the very start!
Pirates… there's no good among them!
Vivi instinctively moved toward the outskirts of the Starry Sky Pirates, but no one noticed.
Luffy glanced at her briefly, then turned back to Crocodile, eyes glinting with anticipation:
"Continue…"
Crocodile paused, his voice dropping lower:
"Before anything else, I wish to make a deal with all of you in the Starry Sky Pirates…"
But before he could finish, Luffy cut him off mercilessly:
"Give me the intel, or you die. That's your only choice!"
BOOM!!!
A surge of overwhelming power engulfed Crocodile.
He despised it most when someone tried to dodge the point at a critical moment!
It was like reading a story and discovering the author skipped a crucial chapter, infuriating!
Crocodile's face changed instantly under the pressure of Conqueror's Haki.
Dizziness filled his mind, and his vision blurred.
After a long moment, the pressure finally eased.
All that remained was Crocodile's stunned expression.
He had seen Conqueror's Haki before… but never had it affected him!
This was a first.
At that moment, Crocodile's judgment of Luffy changed completely.
Not even the strongest man in the world, Yonko Whitebeard, had ever made him feel this way.
Different! Absolutely different!
This… was not the same level…
Yonko.
He realized he had underestimated them.
And now, surviving today would be nothing short of a miracle.
With this thought, Crocodile's expression shifted again.
It was the kind of expression that even made Luffy pause.
Like… awe.
The weak admiring the strong.
"Such terrifying power…"
Crocodile murmured, then continued:
"Then, I will get straight to the point.
The beginning of all this… must be traced back to the Pluton…"
"What!?"
Luffy was genuinely shocked.
It seemed Crocodile knew far more than he had imagined…