The atmosphere seemed solemn.
Ace didn't leave either, just staring at Luffy, seemingly worried about why Luffy wanted to stop him.
Time really can change a lot. Even that idiot Luffy would now say something like, "Don't go, you can't beat him."
He had become calmer and no longer acted recklessly like before.
Seeing his younger brother grow up, Ace felt relieved—but not going was impossible!
Meanwhile, Luffy was deep in thought.
Unless he broke Ace's leg and tied him up, Ace would definitely leave.
Once he left, he'd probably be defeated by Blackbeard and handed over to the Marines in exchange for the title of Shichibukai.
After that, the Battle of Marineford would break out.
Should he go save him then?
Ace clearly belonged to the group of friends, and because of him, the Whitebeard Pirates could also be classified in the same group.
So if he could save him, he would.
Of course, apart from these considerations of interest, Ace and this body shared a brotherly relationship.
It would be a bit unreasonable not to save him.
Of course, how to save him was also a technical matter.
Thinking of this, Luffy turned his head to look at Cobra and Vivi, and smiled, saying:
"I'll take care of Crocodile. Any objections?"
Cobra was stunned for a moment.
"That Shichibukai was defeated by you, so it's only fair that you deal with him however you want," Cobra replied with a smile.
Nodding, Luffy put away Ace's vivre card and advised him:
"You should practice more Haki in the future, Ace."
He extended his hand.
Ace hesitated for a moment, then shook his hand, smiling.
"Next time we meet, let me see your companions too, Luffy!"
Encounters are fleeting.
Ace set off on his journey to find Blackbeard, satisfied.
Few of them watched him leave the banquet hall.
Robin rested her chin on her hand and smiled slightly. "I thought you were going to break his legs."
"Am I that fierce? Robin, do you have some misconception about me?"
Luffy rolled his eyes speechlessly.
"Is it a misunderstanding? I feel like if I ran, you'd break my legs, and even if I was tied up, you'd keep me by your side by force~"
Robin's tone was full of teasing.
Luffy: "Don't even say that, you're too good at reading people!"
If Robin ran away, he would use violence to bring her back.
"It's different. You guys are different." He smiled helplessly.
"I had planned to die there, but since you saved me, you have to take responsibility, Captain Luffy~"
Is she doing this on purpose? Does she like to tease me like this?
Luffy grumbled in his heart. This mature older sister had been like this since the first time they met. Maybe Robin liked it.
"Just call me Luffy."
As he said that, Luffy took out a Den Den Mushi and quickly dialed a number.
"Hello, Grandpa?"
"Luffy…"
Compared to the last time they spoke, Garp was clearly not as happy when he received the call this time.
"What trouble are you causing now, Luffy?"
Luffy laughed awkwardly. What's with these people? They're all so good at reading others!
"Grandpa, the next question is crucial."
"Did you cause trouble?"
"Just one question. Does Marine Headquarters know about the fruit I ate?"
He deliberately omitted the word "rubber."
After all, telephones are not 100% secure, and there was a possibility of eavesdropping.
Also, he had to consider Garp's reception environment.
Regarding this issue, Garp remained silent for a moment.
"At the very least, the fact that you are a Devil Fruit user is known by our Marine intelligence department."
In other words, if Marine didn't know exactly what fruit he ate, it meant the World Government didn't either—at least for now.
"Thank you, Grandpa."
After expressing his gratitude, Luffy cut off the communication.
"What are you planning, Luffy?" Robin smiled faintly, her eyes still focused on him.
"For the sake of world peace, I have been working hard."
Luffy shook his head and continued to enjoy the delicious food.
At that moment, a soldier from the guard team arrived at the entrance of the banquet hall.
He didn't enter, but instead saluted and said, "Your Majesty, Captain Hina requests an audience."
Marine Captain? Cobra was surprised. He looked at Luffy and declined, saying, "I'm receiving guests…"
"Let her in. I also have something to discuss with her," Luffy suggested.
Seeing him say that, Cobra immediately changed his mind, nodded, and gave the order.
Not long after, Hina entered the banquet hall with several Marines.
"What's the matter, Captain?" Cobra invited Hina to sit down and then asked directly.
"Your Majesty Cobra, I hope you will hand over the criminal Crocodile to us," Hina made a serious request. "Although it's not good to say this, it concerns the face of the government."
Upon hearing this, Cobra immediately frowned.
Vivi gritted her teeth, her favorable impression of the Marines plummeting.
After reporting for so long, the Marines hadn't solved any problems. When Mr. Luffy and Mr. Ace defeated Crocodile, they suddenly stepped forward to catch him.
"Marine!" she couldn't help but say, "Crocodile is a Shichibukai. What are you going to do with him?"
"Right now, he's no longer a Shichibukai. The World Government has stripped him of his title regarding the crimes he committed in Alabasta…" Hina was also helpless.
She had previously reported the situation to Sengoku, who then provided feedback to the World Government.
Considering the World Government's situation, the Five Elders demanded that Crocodile be taken away.
How could they take him away?
Hina could only go see the king.
She looked at Vivi apologetically and said, "Princess Vivi, I hope you can provide evidence of Crocodile's crimes."
Luffy laughed and said, "The government's face? Is it because he committed too many crimes in Alabasta that he was stripped of his title? Or is it because he, a Shichibukai, was defeated by a rookie pirate and lost his title?"
There's no need to think about this question. Of course, it's the latter.
The Shichibukai are recognized by the World Government as pirates with legitimate authority to plunder.
Each of them possesses immense power that can rival that of a country.
Now, a rookie pirate had defeated him. What use was he?
Even considering the World Government's face, they still needed to protect Crocodile.
At the very least, the incident in Alabasta couldn't be reported truthfully, or the content of the news would need to be changed to portray the government in a favorable light.
"What do you mean, Straw Hat Luffy?" Hina frowned.
"I have a proposal."
Luffy said, "If a rookie pirate defeats a Shichibukai, it truly embarrasses the World Government. But if that pirate is immediately made the new Shichibukai, it becomes a brilliant move by the government!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned.
"You want to take Crocodile's place?" Hina said in astonishment.
"Why not? If even someone like him can be a Shichibukai, I'm much stronger than he is."
"Why?"
Why?
Of course, it was to conveniently save Ace.
You see, in the Battle of Marineford, the people closest to the execution platform are Garp and Sengoku.
Next are the three Marine Admirals in front of the platform.
And then, the Shichibukai.
As long as he participated in the war as a member of the "Red Side," when the three Admirals left their seats, he could immediately turn against them and easily rescue Ace.
After all, Garp was a mole, so it would be easy to pretend and save someone.
When saving someone, strategy was also important.
Of course, this was all based on the premise that he ate the Rubber Fruit without the government knowing.
So, he needed to ask Garp.
As for becoming a Shichibukai, he would have to obey the orders of the World Government...
That was just a joke.
The next collective action of the Shichibukai would be the Battle of Marineford in more than two months.
After the battle, he would simply leave, without caring about that useless title.
In addition, there was another potential benefit.
Once he became a Shichibukai, Blackbeard might change his target. If he did, Ace might realize he had to flee if he couldn't win, and he wouldn't choose to fight to the end.
Then there would be no need to fight at Marineford or rescue anyone.
Of course, that possibility was very slim.
"I cannot make that decision," Hina shook her head.
"Then let someone who can make the decision come and talk to me," Luffy said casually, continuing to enjoy his food. "Before that, Crocodile will not be handed over to you."
Pausing for a moment, he teased her, "Or perhaps you can try to capture him by force? Of course, I suggest you at least send an Admiral."
Hearing this, Hina glared at him angrily.
"I see. I will report to the higher-ups. Well then, King Cobra, Princess Vivi, farewell."
After saying that, she left the banquet hall.
As soon as she exited the palace, she stamped her foot on the ground in frustration and lit a cigarette.
"So being Vice Admiral Garp's grandson is quite something, huh? So arrogant! It's really annoying!" Hina was very angry.
Well, this guy really had the capital to be arrogant.
Even though the wanted posters only allowed for capturing him alive, she had no way to deal with him.
"Captain Hina!"
The subordinates waiting outside rushed forward.
"Give me the Den Den Mushi!"
Here is your text with full grammatical correction while keeping the same tone, format, and style:
Naval Headquarters, Marineford.
Marshal's Office.
Sengoku rubbed his temples with a headache and said irritably, "Garp's grandson—this kid is causing a lot of trouble!" On the sofa, Tsuru was calmly drinking her tea.
"Crocodile was eliminated?"
"According to Hina's report, he was defeated by Fire Fist Ace, but before that, he had already been injured by Straw Hat Luffy."
"He can injure a Logia... Has he mastered Armament Haki? The rookies these days are truly remarkable." Tsuru smiled faintly—worthy of being Garp's grandson.
"But what is the relationship between Fire Fist Ace and those two?"
"I'm not sure yet, but from what we know, they're not enemies."
Sengoku pondered, "Fire Fist Ace is chasing a traitor. This information from the New World can't be wrong. This could be an opportunity."
Others might not know, but how could he not know?
Fire Fist Ace is the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
However, before that, they were all in the New World, under the protection of Whitebeard's name, so it wasn't easy to touch them.
"Leave aside the matter of Fire Fist Ace. Straw Hat Luffy made a request."
Sengoku explained the situation regarding the Shichibukai.
Tsuru was immediately stunned.
This kid really knows how to cause trouble. She even suspected that he might have had his eye on the Shichibukai title from the beginning—deliberately taking one down to make room for himself...
It's not impossible.
Perhaps resolving the Alabasta incident was just a side benefit.
"No matter what his intentions, he really helped us. Following the proper procedures, dealing with Crocodile would be troublesome, and it would waste a lot of time."
Tsuru sighed. "At least he did a good deed."
Although they stood on different sides, she quite admired Garp's grandson.
"Making him a Shichibukai would perfectly resolve the situation in Alabasta."
"What do you think, Sengoku?"
Hearing this, Sengoku shook his head helplessly. "Garp's entire family is a bunch of troublemakers! I proposed to the Five Elders that we leave this to you guys for now."
Naming someone a Shichibukai is something he would have to go to Mariejois for personally.
Fortunately, these two places were already very close.
Not long after.
At the peak of the Red Line, the location of the World Government—the Holy Land, Mariejois.
World Government Headquarters Building.
Five Elders were standing or sitting, frowning as they listened to Marine Admiral Sengoku's report.
"So you're saying that Crocodile really did those things?"
The speaker was dressed in a black suit, with curly white hair, a white beard, and a flat hat. He had a scar on his left cheek.
He was one of the world's greatest authorities—one of the Five Elders, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn.
"The evidence is conclusive. Princess Nefertari Vivi of Alabasta personally infiltrated Baroque Works and investigated for two years," Sengoku nodded.
"The Nefertari family..."
Jaygarcia shook his head.
This family was originally formed by Celestial Dragons, and their ancestors were among the 20 kings who founded the World Government.
The other four Five Elders scoffed.
"So you're saying he planned this for at least five years?"
"Calculating the time, it was after Doflamingo stole the power of Dressrosa."
"Imitating criminals? How ridiculous!"
Doflamingo's success came from the fact that he was a Shichibukai—and a Celestial Dragon. 800 years ago, the Donquixote Family was the royal family of Dressrosa.
Who do you think you are, Crocodile, to steal a country? Especially a large country like Alabasta!
Even if you succeed, you won't escape the consequences.
At this moment, the Five Elders were quite disdainful of Crocodile's actions.
They didn't know about the relationship between Pluton and Alabasta.
At this point, Sengoku pondered and said:
"Straw Hat Luffy, Garp's grandson—how strong is he?"
"Garp fought him in Loguetown. His grandson has mastered Conqueror's Haki and is also a Devil Fruit user. His combat power surpasses Crocodile's."
Sengoku answered truthfully, without hiding anything.
"Conqueror's Haki?!"
The Five Elders were all surprised.
The rest didn't matter—what mattered was the user of Conqueror's Haki.
"Will the events of over 20 years ago repeat themselves?"
"Garp's son joined the Revolutionary Army back then and is now causing us trouble!"
"But considering his combat power, he is indeed a suitable candidate."
"If he becomes a Shichibukai, it would indeed be the perfect solution to the situation in Alabasta."
The key was to preserve the reputation of the World Government.
A rookie pirate defeating a Shichibukai?
But a new Shichibukai defeating an old Shichibukai? The public opinion is entirely different.
As for Alabasta, it didn't really matter.
Just make some adjustments in the newspapers.
Sengoku silently awaited the decision of the Five Elders.
After some contemplation, one by one, they agreed to the request.
The next day, news about the new and old Shichibukai, as well as the situation in Alabasta, appeared in the newspapers.
On this day, the name of Monkey D. Luffy resounded throughout the world!
(End of chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉