Chapter 106: Sand Crocodile
Inside an office.
"The entire Baroque Works has been annihilated, and even Robin has fallen into Rhodes's hands. Judging from her tone, she must have been... compromised before finding the opportunity to report..."
"What a dragon-slaying swordsman!"
"It seems I haven't sailed the seas for years, and now some talented brat dares to challenge me?!"
Crocodile slowly put down the Den Den Mushi. Even with his cunning nature, he couldn't help but seethe with rage. The scars on his face seemed to glisten with bloodlust, becoming even more menacing.
Meanwhile, a layer of sand swirled in response to his emotions, shrouding the already dim office even further.
He had been away from Rainbase for the past few days on business in Alabasta's capital city. Just as he was about to return, he suddenly discovered that his headquarters had been completely taken over. From the vice president to the officer agents, everyone had either died in battle, defected, or survived in humiliation.
In the blink of an eye, Crocodile had gone from being the head of a massive, transoceanic criminal syndicate to being completely alone.
Without the support of Baroque Works, his grand plan for seizing the nation was practically finished.
Crocodile's fury was palpable—years of meticulous planning destroyed in a single day. But he was, after all, a notorious pirate and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
There are no wrong nicknames, only wrong reputations.
Crocodile, true to his moniker "Sir Crocodile," was cold-blooded, fierce, and patient.
Suppressing his inner turmoil, Crocodile calmed himself and quickly sensed something was amiss.
Robin, that woman who changed employers as often as she changed clothes—how could she be so loyal to him in the first place?
"Are you trying to lure me out?"
"Are you so confident you can defeat me?"
Crocodile remained skeptical.
The enemy's arrogance could be his advantage.
"Rhodes was able to kill Diamante and Nightwind, so his strength is probably comparable to mine."
Crocodile was confident, but also self-aware of his own capabilities.
After a moment's deliberation, Crocodile suddenly pulled out a special Den Den Mushi from his pocket and made a call.
"Crocodile?" a calm voice echoed from the other end.
"I need backup..."
Crocodile said calmly.
As external affiliates of the World Government, the Shichibukai held privileged positions, carrying both responsibilities and rights. Naturally, they could request support from the Marines or the World Government for combat situations.
However, few ever exercised this right.
After all, it was incredibly humiliating. Each of the Shichibukai was a legendary pirate. Asking for backup from the Marines or World Government would invite ridicule from across the world, and even fellow Shichibukai would look down on such weakness.
But with over a decade of national strategy about to be thwarted, Crocodile, consumed by rage and hatred, cared nothing for such empty pride.
Besides, it was clear Rhodes was targeting him specifically.
Pride meant nothing when faced with death.
Rainbase.
With Robin and Vivi as his two highly capable secretaries, Rhodes was content to be a hands-off boss with little to worry about.
As Rhodes strolled through the streets of Rainbase, admiring the desert scenery and the beautiful, lightly dressed women, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket suddenly rang.
"Boss, Crocodile wants to meet me outside Rainbase in two hours."
"Also, word from Nanohana Harbor says a large naval vessel has docked. I believe a Vice Admiral from headquarters has arrived, but we don't know who it is yet."
"A Vice Admiral from headquarters?"
Everything was proceeding according to plan. Rhodes's reaction was calm. After a moment's consideration, he said, "You and Vivi should gather all the evidence. It'll be useful when the time comes."
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Robin hesitated before suggesting:
"Boss, according to your plan, we could definitely win over this Vice Admiral and get them to help us deal with Crocodile."
Crocodile had violated a fundamental taboo among the Shichibukai. Pirates plotting against member nations was completely unacceptable to the World Government. If exposed, it would very likely lead to the Vice Admiral switching sides.
Furthermore, Rhodes still had Princess Vivi as his trump card.
But Rhodes had no intention of doing that.
He needed a strong opponent to test his current strength.
A Vice Admiral from headquarters, plus Sir Crocodile—individually, he had a high probability of victory, but facing both would require a real fight to determine the outcome.
Moreover, no matter how much he talked or how elaborate his plans were, nothing could compare to a stronger fist and a sharper blade.
Only by demonstrating overwhelming strength would Marine Headquarters truly take him seriously, and the position of Shichibukai would undoubtedly be his!
Two hours later, Rhodes finally met his target: Sir Crocodile.
Back in his day, Crocodile had also been a supernova and legendary pirate, wreaking havoc across the Grand Line just like Luffy would later do.
Unfortunately, he had challenged Whitebeard too early and lacked the necessary spirit. Crocodile was decisively defeated, losing his warrior's heart. He ultimately fled back to the first half of the Grand Line in disgrace, hoping to make a comeback with the legendary Ancient Weapon Pluton.
However, his plan, which had taken over a decade to develop, had been completely derailed when Baroque Works—a crucial component—was directly dismantled by Rhodes.
He had no choice but to confront Rhodes directly.
Pride was a factor, but more importantly, he needed to reclaim Baroque Works and eliminate any witnesses.
"Where's the Vice Admiral?"
Looking at the familiar figure with his scarred face and cigar, Rhodes smiled and said, "You alone are no match for me."
"Don't get cocky, brat!"
Crocodile's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he spoke sternly:
"Come out, Vice Admiral Momonga! It seems this Dragon Slayer is confident he can take on two opponents at once."
Footsteps could be heard.
A few seconds later, a Marine officer draped in a coat bearing the kanji for "Justice," wearing Vice Admiral epaulettes and sporting a distinctive mohawk, appeared on the sand dune to Rhodes's right.
It was Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Momonga!
Even among the Vice Admirals at headquarters, he was considered one of the elite.
The moment this man appeared, Rhodes's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Crocodile, you didn't mention your opponent was the Dragon Slayer, Rhodes."
Upon arriving at the battleground, Momonga couldn't help but frown and spoke curtly to Crocodile.
A while ago, Vice Admiral Momousagi had been... patrolling near Dressrosa, forcing Doflamingo to stay put. The situation had been quite chaotic, and most of the Navy's high command were aware of it, which is how they learned about Rhodes, the great swordsman's disciple.
Crocodile, however, didn't care. He glared at Momonga with a cold gaze and said icily:
"What? Are you planning to disobey the World Government's orders?!"
"Tch..."
Momonga's brow furrowed with obvious displeasure, but he couldn't argue.
He sighed softly and apologized to Rhodes:
"It's my duty. Please forgive me."
"No problem. I need an elite swordsman like you to test my kenjutsu."
Rhodes gently grasped the hilt of his sword and smiled calmly.
Momonga was a top-tier swordsman in his prime, a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters. He largely represented the pinnacle of what mortals could achieve. Beyond that level, the Admirals and Fleet Admiral existed on another plane entirely—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them monsters.
Crocodile, perhaps lacking the heart of a true warrior, hadn't developed his Haki, but he had devoted all his energy to mastering his Devil Fruit, and his strength remained formidable.
Especially his unique ability to absorb moisture from human bodies was truly fearsome.
The combined strength of these two would be a real challenge for Rhodes.
(End of Chapter)
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