"Captain, I also think the Paramecia Teleport-Teleport Fruit would suit me perfectly!!!"
Once Hades fanned the flames, Van Augur was bound to be tempted. How could he not know the most widespread legend in the sniper world?
The world's strongest sniper, Dotor Ozz, rose to the very top by relying on exceptional Observation Haki and the power of the Teleport-Teleport Fruit.
"Come to think of it, among his Warlords… there are some pretty powerful Devil Fruit users too."
"And the underworld as well. Those giants have plenty of rare fruits in their collections…"
"And there's the 'God of Thunder' Enel, who vanished for a long time. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit is said to be one of the strongest Logias."
"Hey, Captain… are we seriously not going to consider Black Spear and the Warlords?!!"
With Hades hyping them up while "praising" Teach into a corner, even a lot of Blackbeard's key men felt like this was doable.
In the end, Teach had to shut it down, sweat dripping down his face.
"Zehahahaha… as for Black Spear, I'll have a plan to deal with him sooner or later."
"But right now, the main thing is planning how to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates. I already have a corresponding strategy…"
As Teach dragged everyone back on topic, Hades could only shrug inwardly. He'd wanted to trick them into grinding that "boss dungeon" for him.
But fine.
He could take his time and figure out the real secret behind how Teach could hold two Devil Fruit powers.
He had all the time in the world.
"According to reliable intel, the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander, Ace, has already arrived in the first half of the Grand Line. If we capture him and hand him to the Marines…"
"It will definitely trigger a war between the Whitebeard Pirates and Marine Headquarters. And the old man is already past his prime. That gives us our chance!!!"
Ace, after having his fun in Alabasta, still didn't know he'd become someone's target.
He'd already said goodbye to Luffy and the others, and set off again to continue hunting Blackbeard.
Ozz could only sigh.
That kid Ace really didn't have his head screwed on straight. The level of hot-blooded stupidity was only a bit better than Monkey D. Luffy.
No matter what, Ace needed a lesson he'd never forget. Without "fate" protecting him, he wouldn't live long.
It was for Ace's own good. It was also the last thing Ozz could do for Roger, and an answer owed to Portgas D. Rouge.
After all, Ozz was Ace's elder.
But once Ace survived and Whitebeard died, Ozz would no longer allow Ace to keep stirring up storms.
With the Flame-Flame Fruit, and strength that couldn't keep up with the real top tiers, Ace could just be a drifter on the sea, like Marco.
…
And during these days, Monkey D. Luffy finally collided with the first boss of the Grand Line.
The "Sand Crocodile," Crocodile.
"Gum-Gum… Gatling!!!"
"An ignorant brat…"
Luffy's fists passed through Crocodile's body, bursting up sand, but doing absolutely nothing.
Sand and wind spiraled wildly in Crocodile's palm. Even without Haki, in the desert, a Logia user with the Sand-Sand Fruit held an overwhelming terrain advantage.
A casual swing became a massive sandstorm, a desert whirlpool.
Luffy, who still hadn't mastered Armament Haki, no matter how flexible his body was or how hard his rubber fists hit, couldn't avoid having an arm drained dry.
"Aaaahhhh!!!"
Clutching the shriveled arm, now withered like a dead branch, Luffy collapsed and screamed.
Then a golden hook punched straight through his chest.
"Still don't get it? Guys like you…"
"There are as many as grains of sand on the sea."
While the crew went to stop the rebels, Crocodile and Nico Robin stood before Monkey D. Luffy.
And Crocodile, in perfect "boss who doesn't finish the job" fashion, had Robin pull Luffy out alive.
"D, huh?"
In Alubarna, the capital of Alabasta, Crocodile had already arrived.
With everyone dragged away by the rebel army, he seized King Cobra and headed straight into the underground palace.
"Crocodile…"
Coughing blood, King Cobra forced his eyes open and looked at the man in the coat. Different from how he remembered, but still unmistakable.
"This is our second time meeting, isn't it? The last time… I believe it was on Doramoss Island."
Their first true meeting had been at Old Gick's birthday banquet.
Crocodile's eyes shifted toward him slowly, contempt written plain.
"At a time like this, bringing that up…"
"What, are you hoping I'll spare you out of respect for Ozz?"
"You're already a king. Stop dreaming childish dreams," Crocodile said coldly. "Ozz has face with me."
"But you don't, King Cobra."
Nico Robin led Cobra into the city first. Crocodile crushed Luffy again.
Then he went underground.
Only…
Robin didn't seem willing to tell him the real content of the Poneglyph.
"This only records history," she said.
"What?"
Veins bulged across Crocodile's forehead. His face darkened.
"You mean the Ancient Weapon I've spent all this time chasing…"
"Doesn't exist?!!"
"Yes."
"…"
Crocodile fell silent.
Then sandstorm erupted around him. His expression turned instantly ice-cold.
Robin's heart tightened when she saw it.
"Then… you're useless."
"I thought since you knew Ozz and Mihawk, you were half one of us. I even considered taking you in," Crocodile said, voice flat as a blade.
"But now I see there's no need."
"Whether the Poneglyph truly has nothing, or you're refusing to speak, I don't trust you anymore."
"You didn't meet my expectations."
That was Crocodile.
An ambitious, ruthless boss who would do anything.
The only trust he ever truly gave was probably reserved for the companions he'd met in his youth, monsters stronger than himself, like Ozz.
Nico Robin?
She never earned a seat at the "inner circle."
Robin's face went pale. She pulled out a bottle of water and tried to resist.
But she'd overestimated herself.
A single thrust.
The golden hook punched straight through her abdomen.
"So you kept water on you," Crocodile said lightly. "You were prepared to deal with me from the start."
"But I'll forgive you."
He smiled, not even particularly angry. His cold face remained shaded and sinister.
"Because from the beginning…"
"I never fully trusted you."
"Next, I'll take Alabasta, this massive country, completely into my own hands."
"Sooner or later, I'll find Pluton, and combined with Ozz's deep pockets and terrifying deterrence…"
"Hahahahahaha!!!"
"A military nation that will make the entire sea tremble…"
"Is about to be born!!!"
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