After completing his mission, Enel returned to Raleigh's ship, where Raleigh had long since returned to his office.
Enel knocked on the door and barged in without waiting for Raleigh's response.
Raleigh was resting with his legs propped up on the desk. Seeing Enel walk in, he knew everything was over.
"So, Enel, no one noticed you, right?" Raleigh asked casually.
Enel took the Devil Fruit out of the collector and tossed it into Raleigh's lap. Then, he helped himself to a cup of tea. After taking a sip, he spoke gloomily.
"Raleigh-sama, I don't understand why there are people like this in the world. Even when he was about to die, he showed no remorse for the people of the Drum Kingdom I mentioned. What does he even think of human lives?"
Hearing Enel's words, Raleigh quickly rose from his office chair, disregarding the Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit in his hand.
He set it aside and walked over to Enel, patting his shoulder.
"Enel, I'm glad you can feel this way, but I hope you won't let these emotions weigh you down. In this world of broken order, there is too much inequality and outright evil. It exists in the minds of all kinds of people, and the Pirates we usually face are mostly this type."
"But let me tell you, the root of this mindset comes from the Celestial Dragons' view of other races—it's an evil that trickles down from the top. The Celestial Dragons treat other races like livestock, and the kings and nobles of nations have inherited this mentality. What they see as normal is precisely the evil we can't tolerate. This is what I've been doing all these years. Only with great strength can we set new rules for this world."
Raleigh was pleased that the highly talented Enel had encountered this issue.
Others, having followed Raleigh earlier, unconditionally trusted him and had long formed their own definitions of such matters.
Among those who followed Raleigh, only Enel and Bullett lacked such preconceptions.
However, Bullett's mindset was already set.
Deeply scarred by the Endless Warring Nation, he developed a bloodthirsty and warlike nature. Enel had been raised by Raleigh since he was young, but his carefree personality had prevented him from realizing this issue earlier.
Still, it wasn't too late.
As long as Enel could figure it out, he would become someone with unwavering convictions.
After Raleigh's brief guidance, Enel finally regained some of his spirit.
Raleigh patted Enel's shoulder. "Don't dwell on this too much. After all, it's not something you can figure out all at once. Anyone facing this issue needs time to resolve it. If you feel stuck, go out and take a walk. I'll give you a break."
"Take the Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit with you and head to the Island of Science to deliver it to Vegapunk. This time, there's no time limit. Come back whenever you want, until you've figured things out."
Enel's expression was complex, but he was grateful to Raleigh.
He truly needed to think about whether he should continue serving in the Navy and whether he should stay on this path.
As Enel stood up and left, the Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit was taken with him.
The messenger entered and handed the latest newspaper to Raleigh.
The newspaper contained no major events that would shake the Grand Line—only minor skirmishes.
However, on the third page, Raleigh once again saw Crocodile, whom he had warned before.
Crocodile was now different from before.
In the photo, Crocodile's sharp hook pierced through a pirate's jaw, lifting the pirate's corpse high into the air.
Behind him were pirates who had died in various ways, as well as his subordinates cutting down pirates.
After Raleigh's lesson, Crocodile had temporarily suppressed his ambitions and was now diligently carrying out the tasks Raleigh had assigned him.
To reduce the number of pirates, Crocodile, as the boss, personally appeared at the exit of Reverse Mountain to begin the slaughter.
The newspaper mentioned many things, but the most important line was that Crocodile had been hailed as a "hero" by the people of Alabasta.
Raleigh didn't care what Crocodile was doing behind the scenes. He only needed Crocodile to ensure the reduction of pirate numbers.
Even if Crocodile's current behavior was an act, Raleigh had ways to make him keep up the act for a lifetime.
Who said a hero who acts for a lifetime isn't a hero!
At the port of Alabasta, Crocodile stood on the deck of his large ship, watching the cheering crowds around him. An inexplicable anger rose within him.
He had no desire to be some damned hero.
He was Crocodile, a man destined to become a New World Overlord!
How could he spend his days killing low-level pirates in small places like Alabasta and Reverse Mountain, playing hero to a bunch of fools?
Thus, Crocodile appeared before the fervent crowd with a gloomy expression, unsmiling, and a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.
"Crocodile-sama, you are so handsome!"
"Crocodile-sama, you are the hero of the Kingdom of Alabasta!"
"Long live Crocodile-sama!" "Long live Crocodile-sama!"
Watching the jubilant crowd, Crocodile inwardly cursed them as fools, yet on the surface, he had to maintain a serious demeanor.
Before the ship even docked, he leaped directly from the deck onto the shore.
His sharp golden hook, slicked-back hair, expensive cigar clenched between his teeth, and the wide cloak billowing behind him made Crocodile shine in the eyes of the people.
Of course, much of this was an added halo in the eyes of the crowd.
Crocodile raised his hand slightly and spoke with seriousness.
"Everyone, preventing pirates from ravaging the Kingdom of Alabasta is the duty of Baroque Works. There's no need to bestow the title of hero upon me. If we must speak of heroes, then every member of Baroque Works who fights against pirates is a hero of the Kingdom of Alabasta!"
Upon hearing Crocodile's words, the already ecstatic crowd nearly lost control until a voice rang out.
"Crocodile-sama, can I... can I join your Baroque Works?"
Crocodile was inwardly delighted.
Only now did he feel that the title of hero wasn't so bad after all—at the very least, it could attract a large number of fools.
At that time, a large number of young men would be sent to Reverse Mountain to battle Pirates and earn reputation, while the loyal Baroque Works executives and members could confidently carry out their own tasks within the Alabasta Kingdom.
"Very well, our Baroque Works welcomes everyone to join actively!"