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"The so-called Oka Shichibukai are the seven Great Pirates officially recognized by the World Government, each granted the legal status of a pirate with the right to plunder legally! And in essence, they exist to confront the power of the Yonko of the New World!" Buggy explained.
"Legally sanctioned Great Pirates?" Kuina froze for a moment.
"The seven Warlords of the Sea are: the Sand Crocodile Crocodile, Gekko Moria, Pirate Empress Boa Hancock, Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma, Donquixote Doflamingo…"
"As well as the World's Strongest Swordsman, Hawk-Eyes Mihawk, and the Sea Hero Jinbe!"
After Buggy finished speaking, he noticed subtle changes in the expressions of Kuina and Fisher Tiger.
"The World's Strongest Swordsman?" Kuina muttered softly, her pupils suddenly shrinking as a trace of ambition burst forth in her once-clear eyes.
"Jinbe, huh?"
Meanwhile, Fisher Tiger revealed a faint smile, falling into memories of the past.
Kojin did not disturb the two of them. Instead, his eyes shifted forward thoughtfully.
He was curious about what exactly had changed within Crocodile's Baroque Works. Or rather, what had caused the battle between him and Luffy.
"Did he betray us?" Kojin's gaze gradually sharpened as he fell silent.
He had disappeared for far too long, so long that human nature itself had become difficult to discern. Among the enormous force he once established, how many people were still worthy of trust? How many would still follow him unwaveringly?
From Buggy leaving West Blue, he had already vaguely sensed that something had changed there, and now, with the situation in Alabasta, it became even clearer that something was wrong with Crocodile as well.
"If you truly dared to lay a hand on my family…" Kojin sighed softly.
But reason told him that Crocodile was not foolish enough to do something like that.
Everything would only become clear once they reached Alabasta.
…
Five days after setting sail from Water 7, the battleship docked at Nanohana Port.
Kojin and the others wasted no time and immediately headed toward the royal capital, Alubarna.
Alubarna, Royal Capital
"To think that after so many years, we would meet again under circumstances like these." A deep voice sounded out as white smoke drifted through the air. Smoker stared at the man bound in Seastone shackles before him with a complicated expression on his face.
"So that brat who still smelled of milk back then now dares stand before me acting all high and mighty?" A cold sneer escaped Crocodile's lips as he raised his head.
The two had not met for many years. Ever since Kojin had been sent into Impel Down, many people from West Blue seemed to have reached a silent understanding and rarely contacted one another anymore.
Especially Crocodile, who had survived under the identities of Pirate and Warlord of the Sea, seeming almost like a genuine traitor.
"You know, I've never really understood your true stance." Smoker took a deep drag from his cigar, his expression dark.
Back then, because of his age and strength, there were many things he did not understand. Such as the mysterious organization created by that man, and the countless complicated matters tied to it.
And now, one of those very issues stood before him again.
What exactly was the true identity of Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?
"Stance?" A mocking curve appeared on Crocodile's lips. "Doesn't something like that naturally change along with one's identity?"
Smoker's expression turned cold as he stared at the man he once respected as a superior.
"So your current stance is that of a vicious Great Pirate trying to overthrow Alabasta?"
"Kuhahahaha! That's quite an interesting question. If you insist on making me explain it, then you're making things difficult for me." Crocodile chuckled softly, though disappointment and frustration flashed through his eyes.
He had once carried dreams and ambitions. But in the end, he had undeniably failed. The Pluton he longed for was completely different from what he had imagined.
And now, everything had become a complete mess.
If that man were to find out…
At that thought, Crocodile fell silent.
'Well, so be it if he found out.'
'Who had he done all this for, anyway?'
"Haa…"
Smoker exhaled a stream of smoke, his expression both ugly and conflicted.
"You will be personally arrested by me, stripped of your Warlord title, and ultimately sent to Impel Down!"
Hearing this, Crocodile showed neither nervousness nor fear.
"I imagine this isn't easy for you either." As he spoke softly, he slowly raised his head toward the sky.
"The world has felt completely different ever since the day that man disappeared. I can no longer find any meaning in being alive. I can't even feel the reality of my own existence anymore."
His voice sounded distant, mixed with a trace of self-mockery.
But Smoker remained silent. He understood those words deeply and could clearly feel the same emotions himself.
"He'll come back!" Smoker suddenly gritted his teeth and shouted.
He simply could not believe that the man he had once admired and followed wholeheartedly would just suddenly disappear from everyone's sight like that.
Without leaving behind even the slightest message.
"Kuhahahaha! You really do remind me of that naive kid from back then." Crocodile burst into laughter.
Smoker's face grew even darker. With a wave of his hand, the Marines behind him immediately stepped forward, preparing to escort Crocodile to Marine Headquarters.
Suddenly, Crocodile's teasing voice echoed beside his ears.
"Kuhahahaha! You don't actually think you've managed to capture me that easily, do you?"
"Or do you really believe that some rookie wearing a straw hat could defeat me and leave me in such a miserable state?"
Smoker's expression changed drastically as he suddenly looked forward.
"Buzz!!"
Sand suddenly swirled upward into the air. The Marines who had just approached cried out in alarm as they were blown backward.
"What exactly are you trying to do?!" Smoker shouted angrily.
Amid the drifting sand, Crocodile's figure reappeared. The Seastone shackles that had bound his hands were already gone.
Clearly, from beginning to end, he had never truly been captured.
"Do you know about Pluton?"
"That ancient weapon of legend, possessing unimaginable destructive power! As long as I obtain its power, I can threaten the World Government and force them to hand over that man!"
"What a perfect plan that would be!"
Crocodile suddenly roared, madness appearing across his face.
"I did all of this, establishing Baroque Works, gathering information from all over the world. I learned far too many things. And the more I learned, the more clearly I understood just how terrifying that man truly is. That's why I believe more firmly than anyone else that he will eventually return."
"But…"
At this point, his expression suddenly turned cold.
"Who can afford to keep waiting?"
"To him, time may as well be eternal. It leaves no marks on him, nor can it bring him to ruin. But to us, it is the cruelest blade in the world, one we can never escape!"
Taking a deep breath, Crocodile stared directly at Smoker.
"If he was captured and imprisoned by the World Government, then I would use absolute power to rescue him! And if something else happened to him, then the power of Pluton would become critically important in the future!"
"But unfortunately…"
At this point, he shook his head with both regret and fury.
"I failed!"
"That little girl actually refused to trust me!"
"Damn it! Who was it that saved her back in Ohara? Who was it that gave her a chance to live?"
"Human nature truly is difficult to understand. It chills my heart."
Smoker remained silent.
Vaguely, he felt like he finally understood Crocodile's true intentions. But even so, he had never imagined Crocodile would go this far, even attempting to overthrow Alabasta for it.
"But I still have a chance. The Poneglyph in Alabasta was only a guide. Pluton isn't here. I will find it and claim its power!"
The madness and rage on Crocodile's face suddenly faded, replaced instead by calmness and indifference.
Smoker suddenly felt irritated and took a deep drag from his cigar.
"You've gone completely insane!"
"If he comes back…"
Crocodile abruptly interrupted him.
"I can't care about that anymore!"
"Bullet's transformation and madness!"
"Rosinante's disappearance!"
"Buggy's betrayal!"
"Everyone has been struggling for this, trying to see him again as soon as possible, or at least find some trace of him. And that includes you, too, doesn't it? Leaving West Blue, obeying Headquarters' arrangements, then heading to East Blue."
"And what next? Enter Marine Headquarters to investigate his whereabouts?"
"It's useless. Those people have already sealed their mouths shut. Especially toward Marines who came from West Blue like you, they won't reveal even the slightest bit of information."
Crocodile sneered coldly.
Smoker became even more agitated.
Suddenly, his fist clenched tightly, and his eyes sharpened.
"What? You want to fight me?"
Crocodile's gaze turned icy.
"No… not that!"
The sharpness in Smoker's eyes vanished instantly, replaced instead by disbelief and confusion as he stared directly at the sky ahead.
A dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly spread across the clear sky, tearing through the void and arriving above Alubarna in the blink of an eye.
"BOOM!!"
Only then did the thunderous roar finally resound.
Immediately afterward, electric light exploded outward. Blue arcs of lightning spread in every direction, blocking Crocodile's path.
"Buzz!!"
An indescribably powerful aura swept across the entire area, causing dust and sand on the ground to erupt violently upward.
Then, before the shocked eyes of Smoker and Crocodile, a tall and powerful figure stepped out from within the lightning.
"Long time no see… Crocodile."
The familiar voice rang out, and the figure ahead finally revealed his full appearance.
"During the time I was gone… It seems you've been quite busy."
Kojin first glanced at Smoker before slowly turning around, his eyes falling upon Crocodile.
"You…"
"You?!"
Crocodile's pupils contracted violently as his entire body trembled.
An indescribable emotion surged into his heart, leaving him momentarily speechless.
"I vaguely remember back then, in Whitebeard's territory…"
"You also did something that left me quite surprised."
After a brief pause, Kojin spoke in a teasing tone.
"After all these years…"
"You're still just as foolish as ever!"
(End of Chapter)