Watching Crocodile, who had flown over a kilometer and landed like a ragged cloth bag on a dune outside the town, tumbling over a dozen times before stopping,
Bitz looked contentedly at his ape-like hand and clenched his fist tightly.
'As expected, what Haki can achieve, Ki, the most fundamental energy within a living being, can also accomplish.'
'Having verified this, I don't need to fear so-called Logia users anymore.'
In high spirits, Bitz immediately laughed heartily.
On another dune, Robin watched the laughing giant ape with awe in her eyes, her body trembling slightly.
"Is this the power of the Saiyans? If every member of this race possesses such strength, then what force could have led to their extinction?"
At this moment, Robin genuinely became interested in the Saiyan race.
She wished to uncover the secrets of this race. She wanted to know why, despite such immense power, she had never seen even a single word about them in history books.
......
After his excitement subsided, Bitz finally remembered his main task and strode towards where Crocodile had fallen.
His massive size made each step feel like it could trigger a small earthquake.
Hearing the commotion, Crocodile, who was still clinging to his last breath, barely opened his eyes.
His vision was already blurry; he could only vaguely see a huge black shadow and a touch of crimson in Bitz's eyes.
Summoning his last ounce of strength, Crocodile asked his final question in a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, his words broken and intermittent.
"You... what kind of... person... are you?"
"Heh, want to know my name? Since you're about to die anyway, I'll be merciful and tell you."
A trace of mockery appeared on Bitz's ape-like face, his tone arrogant as if bestowing a favor:
"Remember this, little crocodile. The one who killed you is the Prince of the Saiyans, the universe's strongest fighting race, the noble Bitz."
"Remember to say hello to King Yama for me in hell, although he might not be there."
"Fighting race... Saiyans... Bitz? A completely unknown race and name."
"To think I... was defeated by such a nobody... How unwilling."
Perhaps it was a final surge of clarity before death, Crocodile's words became more numerous.
Seeing he could still talk this much despite being so severely injured, Bitz had to admire the physical constitution of people in the One Piece World.
"But this is the end. Go to hell, Old Croc!"
As the words fell, Bitz opened his large mouth, and a small Ki blast, one meter in diameter, shot out.
Under the terrifying explosion and high temperature, Crocodile, along with the yellow sand within a hundred-meter diameter and ten-meter depth beneath him, vanished from the world.
"Phew~ That was scary. I was really afraid I'd get too excited and sink the island with one blast. Good thing I held back at the end."
The power surge in the Great Ape form made Bitz almost fail to control his strength, nearly blasting through the entire Sandy Island.
He felt a sense of lingering fear about this and decided to use the transformation as little as possible in the future if he could.
Of course, after giving himself some time to develop, he probably wouldn't need the transformation anyway.
Thus, the Warlord of the Sea, the future co-founder of Cross Guild with Buggy and Mihawk, known as the 'Emperor's Father,' Sir Crocodile, met his end.
He turned into nutrients, merging into the land of Alabasta that he had plagued for three years.
Although defeating Crocodile didn't take much effort—it was basically his own personal show-off session—Bitz still felt a sense of accomplishment from defeating a 'powerful enemy.'
Letting out a heavy breath from his large mouth, Bitz turned and walked towards the location where he sensed Robin was.
Robin watched dazedly as the giant ape approached her. Even after Bitz stopped in front of her, she hadn't yet recovered from the shock of Crocodile being instantly killed.
It wasn't until Bitz crouched down and reached out to grab her that she flusteredly snapped back to reality.
"W-wait... wait!"
The image of the giant ape casually swatting Crocodile to death was still vivid in her mind. Seeing Bitz's outstretched large hand, Robin instinctively wanted to dodge, afraid he might accidentally crush her.
Bitz seemed to realize this and changed from grabbing to offering his palm, letting Robin climb onto his hand.
This time, Robin didn't refuse. Somewhat cautiously yet curiously, she leaped onto his palm and allowed him to place her on his shoulder.
Jumping onto Bitz's left shoulder, she touched the sideburns area covered in brown fur, remarking with some surprise:
"Unexpectedly quite soft. If it were smaller, it would definitely be a very popular pet."
"Pet? After witnessing my strength, you can still say that? You really are something else, woman."
Hearing Robin compare him to a pet, Bitz almost lost his composure.
This woman truly wasn't afraid he might casually crush her to death. Her audacity was a bit too much.
Robin smiled without answering, sitting down on his shoulder by herself.
Bitz also fell silent, simply sitting cross-legged on the ground, enjoying the rare beautiful moonlight of the night with her.
The two remained tacitly silent for a few minutes. Finally, Robin, driven by curiosity, broke the tranquility.
"You... aren't going to change back? Can you not change back?"
Gazing up at the full moon hanging high in the sky, Bitz didn't hide it and said directly:
"For now, yes. I have to wait until the full moon disappears to return to my original form."
As he spoke, Bitz suddenly realized his clothes were already destroyed. If he reverted, he would be naked.
"Robin, did you bring the clothes I bought?"
"Besides yours, I bought a few sets for myself too."
Robin, empty-handed, just chuckled.
"Do I look like I brought anything out?"
Bitz: "...."
"Whatever, I'll have your subordinates bring them over when it's light."
Bitz didn't dwell on this small matter. At worst, he'd just streak; his skin was thick enough anyway.
Although she didn't bring clothes, Robin did carry her recording pen and notebook with her.
Seeing that Bitz seemed to be in a very good mood, she took the opportunity to ask for more details about the Saiyans.
Robin: "Is this transformation a racial trait or a personal ability? Are there any necessary conditions?"
Bitz: "Racial trait. As long as you have a tail and a full moon, you can transform."
Robin: "What's the difference between the transformed and untransformed state? Is it just a pure increase in strength? How much is the increase?"
Bitz: "An all-around enhancement. Transforming into a giant ape increases my power tenfold."
Robin: "You mentioned earlier that you are the Prince of the Saiyans. Is that true?"
Bitz: "Correct. I carry the most legitimate royal Saiyan bloodline."
Robin: ....
Bitz: ....
Having nothing better to do, Bitz selectively told Robin what he could, satisfying her curiosity quite a bit.
But regarding why the Saiyans went extinct, where they lived before, what their social structure was like, and other such questions, Bitz remained silent, fully whetting her appetite.