If anyone else had provoked him like this,
Crocodile would've already slaughtered the entire group.
He had the strength for it.
But the man before him was not "anyone else."
Adrian—
whose debut shook the whole world.
Who marched into a Marine branch openly,
kidnapped Garp's grandson,
extorted the Navy,
and fought the Admirals head-on before leaving unscathed.
Such a record was unheard of in the past
and likely impossible to replicate in the future.
Though Crocodile had never seen Adrian fight in person,
rumors of such magnitude were never baseless.
"Boss… should we start the fight?"
Mr. 1 whispered, already in combat stance.
Before joining Baroque Works,
he was a feared assassin from the West Blue—
cold, emotionless, and efficient.
Crocodile frowned.
Then, after a long moment of thought—
"…Forget it. There's no need to make an enemy of someone like him."
He had infiltrated Alabasta, built Baroque Works,
and destabilized the kingdom from the shadows
not because he was bored.
He had a goal—
to find information about the ancient weapon Pluton.
Years of preparation, manpower, and resources
were invested for this single purpose.
Starting a war with Adrian now
was the opposite of wise.
To accomplish great plans,
patience was essential—
a belief Crocodile held firmly.
"Ahh, so it's Adrian.
I must say, I admire you."
Crocodile forced a strange smile.
"I've long found the Navy unpleasant.
Your actions lately have been… refreshing."
His attempt at friendliness couldn't have been more obvious.
Even Robin was stunned.
This… wasn't the Crocodile she remembered.
"That won't work on me."
Adrian had no intention of "getting along."
He had only one reason for coming:
to rob this man blind.
"To me, the Marines are enemies.
But so are you pirates."
Adrian said calmly.
"I'll repeat myself.
I'm a bandit.
I do whatever I want.
Burning, killing, looting—
those are my favorite hobbies."
"So if you know what's good for you—
hand over all of your treasure."
His lofty, dismissive tone
treated Crocodile and his entire crew
as if they were nothing.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO OUR BOSS LIKE THAT!"
Baroque Works agents roared in fury.
Weapons were drawn,
the air crackling with killing intent.
A single spark would ignite a full-scale brawl.
Adrian only smiled.
Baroque Works was not some weakling pirate crew—
they were the first true formidable enemy Luffy faced in the original story.
If not for overwhelming protagonist plot armor,
Luffy would've died dozens of times.
Crocodile and his group were no joke.
Just as the chaos was about to explode—
"Who told you fools to draw your weapons?!"
Crocodile bellowed.
The room fell dead silent.
No one understood what their boss was trying to do.
"I know you're strong.
But you're still a junior,"
Crocodile said steadily.
"I'll call you Adrian, little brother."
He still wanted to avoid confrontation.
"You said you're a bandit… just another kind of brigand, right?"
Crocodile snorted, then sighed.
"I don't care for bandits—
but you, I respect.
And I have no desire to fight you."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Adrian asked bluntly.
"You came all this way.
As your elder, I can't let you leave empty-handed."
Crocodile clapped his hands.
Several subordinates emerged,
struggling to carry a heavy, gold-plated chest.
"Open it."
The chest revealed piles of gold, jewels,
and treasures piled high like a mountain.
Nami's eyes sparkled, drool practically forming at her lips.
"Consider this a welcome gift from me to you, Adrian."
Crocodile said smoothly.
At this level,
he assumed the conflict could end peacefully.
Robin was stunned.
The way her old boss could bend and stretch
was truly beyond anything she expected.
"Hahaha—Crocodile,
has your brain short-circuited?"
Before anyone could breathe in relief,
Adrian sneered.
He glanced at the treasure chest—
for only a second—
before dismissing it completely.
"You've plundered the seas for years,
and operated in Alabasta for even longer.
Your accumulated wealth must rival that of nations."
Adrian said coldly.
"You present one chest.
Are you insulting me?"
Suddenly—
a crushing wave of killing intent
and spiritual pressure slammed down on the room.
Crocodile's expression finally changed.
This man…
could not be fooled.
"What I want," Adrian said calmly,
"is all of your wealth.
If you refuse—
I'll take it by force."
"Adrian… I gave you face,
so I called you little brother."
Crocodile growled, rage breaking free.
"But you really think I fear you?"
A Warlord of the Sea
was not someone who could be treated lightly.
"I tried to be civil.
But you push and push—
you snot-nosed brat."
He was furious.
He had ruled Baroque Works for years,
controlled Alabasta from behind the scenes,
and grown accustomed to dominating all around him.
His bottom line was the Pluton plans.
If he handed over all his wealth,
Baroque Works would collapse overnight.
"Since you're asking for death—
THEN DIE!"
"MEN!
KILL THEM ALL!"
At once, Baroque Works agents charged forward,
weapons raised high.
Adrian exhaled through his nose, amused.
"Now this…
this is the Crocodile I remember."
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