Aside from Emperor Kaido and the Marines, quite a few pirate crews had also taken an interest in Tony Tony Chopper. If they could get that little reindeer under their control, even if they didn't need him immediately, they could always sell him later for a hefty price.
In the kingdom of Alabasta, at the headquarters of Baroque Works—
As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile had reached the limit of his patience. Several of his top agents had gone missing, and he had been unable to contact Nico Robin for days.
The last report came from Mr. 3. He had gone to Little Garden to assassinate the Straw Hat crew and Princess Vivi. Now, after so many days without news, Crocodile had already assumed the mission had failed.
What caught his attention from the screen wasn't just Chopper—but the fact that this "God of Zoans" had joined the Straw Hats. Judging by the timeline, they had likely already arrived at Drum Island.
With such a legendary ship doctor joining them, the Straw Hats might truly become a threat—one capable of disrupting Crocodile's carefully laid plans in Alabasta.
His grand scheme to overthrow the entire kingdom was nearing completion. Hundreds of thousands of rebel forces were converging toward the capital. And now, this rookie pirate crew had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Crocodile no longer dared to underestimate them.
Bzz… Bzz… Bzz…
The Den Den Mushi rang.
It was his partner calling.
"You'd better explain what's been happening these past few days."
Crocodile's calm voice carried a chilling killing intent. His temper had reached its breaking point—he needed an outlet.
On the other end, Robin lounged casually on a small turtle ship, legs crossed.
"Our operation failed. We ran into a Devil Fruit user who could turn into a giant. Neither Mr. 3 nor I were his match."
The three Baroque Works agents had been defeated and captured by the giants.
Over the past few days, Robin had been working alone to rescue them—and finally succeeded. Mr. 3, Miss Goldenweek, and Mr. 5 were all saved.
However, her small boat couldn't carry everyone, so she temporarily left them behind on Little Garden.
As for the two giants—they had been knocked unconscious and left drifting in the sea.
Crocodile knew very well that this "Devil Child," Robin, never truly gave her all in battle. But she wasn't truly his subordinate—just an ally.
If not for her ability to read the Poneglyphs, he would never have tolerated her presence.
Harboring her was an enormous risk. If the World Government discovered it, his position as a Warlord would be stripped instantly.
"I'll send people to pick up those useless fools. You head straight to Drum Island."
"I'll go there myself—with Mr. 1."
His tone was cold.
"I'll bury the Straw Hats in that winter island."
For a mere rookie crew to require his personal intervention—it was already giving them more respect than they deserved.
As for that reindeer doctor—
He might spare its life.
Handing Chopper over to the Marines could bring certain benefits. A scientific talent like that could easily be traded for a Devil Fruit.
After all, among Baroque Works agents, aside from a certain dog, most were Paramecia users.
Chopper wouldn't be of much direct use to him.
Crocodile's true goal had always been the Ancient Weapon—Pluton.
Yet he still hadn't found the Poneglyph in Alabasta.
And that king he had framed… still refused to talk.
If Nefertari Cobra weren't a ruler of a World Government member nation—eligible to attend the Reverie—Crocodile would have killed him long ago and taken his place.
A notorious pirate pretending to be a hero…
The irony was almost laughable.
But within Alabasta, there was another figure lurking—
A future Warlord.
The captain of the Blackbeard Pirates—
Marshall D. Teach.
"Damn it… if only we'd stayed on Drum Island a bit longer. Why couldn't that screen appear earlier?"
The large, burly man grumbled at the sky.
"If Wapol hadn't run so fast, we'd already have gotten that Munch-Munch Fruit."
Jesus Burgess cracked his knuckles. With his monstrous strength, that fruit would have suited him perfectly.
A champion fighter with a bounty of 20 million Berries—he relied purely on brute force.
"Captain, let's grab a fast ship and head back to Drum Island. I'm interested in that reindeer."
Sitting atop his sickly horse, Doc Q spoke lazily.
As a doctor himself, he had little fondness for healers who saved lives.
Fortunately, when the Blackbeard Pirates rampaged through Drum Island earlier, Chopper and Dr. Kureha had hidden away—otherwise, they wouldn't have survived to meet the Straw Hats.
"Drum Island's exposure will attract many forces," said Van Augur calmly.
"Pirates are one thing… but the Marines are troublesome."
"We shouldn't clash with them yet. The captain still needs to obtain the title of Warlord."
Nearby, Lafitte adjusted his black top hat, a cunning smile forming.
"Captain… we could cooperate with Crocodile."
"He should still be in Alabasta. Given your past as a former crewmate of Whitebeard, he'll trust you."
"Then… at the right moment, we kill him."
"Take his Devil Fruit—and his Warlord position."
Years ago, Crocodile had been utterly crushed by Edward Newgate.
That defeat shattered his ambition.
Instead of growing stronger, he turned to relying on external power—the Ancient Weapon Pluton.
In Blackbeard's eyes—
Crocodile had already lost the heart of a true powerhouse.
He was no match for Teach.
"A Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit…"
Teach grinned.
"Our crew needs a Logia user."
Stepping over the corpse of a Warlord to claim that title—
That would shake the entire sea far more than capturing some rookie pirate.
Originally, their target had been a rising rookie worth 30 million Berries—
Monkey D. Luffy.
Looks like…
That Straw Hat kid got lucky this time.
Everything preserved exactly as your script.
Only cleaned for readability and correctness.
Send Chapter 39 when ready.
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