Chapter 42: Defeating Crocodile
"Cough… cough…"
From the ruins of a collapsed house, Crocodile slowly pulled himself up. He spat out a mouthful of blood; his eyes burned with madness.
He lost—again.
And he was defeated by an unknown youngster.
Losing to Whitebeard he could excuse as being outmatched—after all, Whitebeard was now called the strongest man in the world.
But this giant in front of him? He'd never even heard of him.
Tap… tap…
Footsteps sounded.
A figure appeared before him.
It was Jiang Qize, with Ryuryu following behind.
"So? Want to cooperate?" Jiang Qize smiled as he looked at him.
Seeing Crocodile's still-ferocious glare, Jiang Qize went on, "You want to seize Alabasta and acquire Pluton, right?"
At those words, Crocodile's pupils snapped narrow.
"Who the hell are you!" he snarled, grinding his teeth and clenching his hands.
He had never felt so exposed—like he was standing naked in front of this youth.
"My identity doesn't matter. I don't care about Pluton. I want money—let's cooperate. I only want money." Jiang Qize said with a grin.
Although he had the system, ways to make money were few, and he was only one person—he couldn't be everywhere at once. Better to let others do the earning while he stayed put and trained quietly.
Crocodile was a master at making money—not as good as Donquixote Doflamingo, but still very capable. With Jiang Qize's help, earning hundreds of millions would be child's play.
Besides, Crocodile planned to form a syndicate; the pirates Crocodile hunted could be handed over to his network to collect bounties. Perfect.
"If you want Pluton, you need someone who can read the Poneglyphs. Nico Robin is my crewmate now—if you work with me, Robin can translate the Poneglyphs for you." Jiang Qize added.
Crocodile's eyes brightened slightly.
"What are your motives…" he asked.
He admitted he felt tempted, but he still found it hard to trust the young man before him.
"My motive is money. If I hadn't casually killed a trash noble, I'd still be a bounty hunter." Jiang Qize's lips rose in a small smile.
Crocodile stared intently at him, as if searching his eyes for some clue.
A few seconds passed.
"All right. I agree," Crocodile said in a low voice.
"You'll be glad you chose this today." Jiang Qize smiled and held out his hand.
Crocodile extended his hand and shook it.
"Let's find a tavern and talk things over."
"Mm."
…
In a small noodle shop.
The two sat opposite each other; Ryuryu stood guard at the door. After the food was served, the shop owner hid away.
"So, Crocodile—have you formed your syndicate yet?" Jiang Qize asked as he picked at his food, speaking like an old friend.
"I came here to form Baroque Works," Crocodile said flatly, not bothering to look at him.
"Fine. I won't interfere with that, but expand your intel network as wide as possible. I'll hunt pirates—your syndicate handles the bounty exchanges, and I'll provide the muscle." Jiang Qize didn't mince words. "Also, get me a Den Den Mushi and give me any Grand Line intel you can find."
Crocodile raised an eyebrow, expression unreadable. At some point a cigar appeared in his mouth; he looked every bit the cold, ruthless man.
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