章節 13: Crocodile

-Three days earlier

Johan: "Finally, a few days ago, I received news from Crocodile. After suffering a devastating defeat at the hands of Whitebeard, he abandoned his dream of becoming the Pirate King.

Now that he's back in Paradise, it's an excellent opportunity to recruit him.

From now on, his main goal will be obtaining the ancient weapons to either destroy or dominate the world.

After returning from the New World, it seems he's stationed on an island near the Sabaody Archipelago, currently ruled by a dynasty unaffiliated with the World Government. It's likely involved with pirates and other criminals, posing a problem to control for the Marines, as they never attempted to establish a Marine branch as they did in the entire Grand Line.

The main family of the dynasty was the 'Baratheon Family,' who held the most power, but they were attacked by the second most powerful family, the 'Emporio Family.'

Surely, Crocodile will want to take advantage of the chaos within the dynasty to seize power, much like he did to some extent with Arabasta."

-A few hours later

When Johan arrived at the port on his merchant ship, he saw that his hypothesis was correct. Several pirate crews were in the port.

Instructing the ship's crew to watch carefully, Johan walked directly towards the nearest village.

Among his many crew members was a promising man named 'Elric.' Seeing his potential, Johan personally taught him some skills, like Armament Haki and Tekkai.

To his surprise, Elric proved to be very skilled and unlocked both abilities, albeit at basic levels. Using Haki in Paradise is a great advantage. Along with his swordsmanship skills, he had enough potential to become Johan's personal bodyguard.

Johan: "Hehehe, since I'm here, it wouldn't hurt to capture a few pirates on the side." With his characteristic smile, Johan moved out of sight, leaving Elric in charge of the ship.

-Main city of the Kingdom, 'Starkloff'

Inside a small pub, some pirates, mercenaries, and bounty hunters were enjoying sake and having a good time. At the bar sat a young man with a dangerous aura, smoking a cigarette and with a horizontal scar on his face that gave an imposing impression.

This man is the future Shichibukai 'Sir Crocodile.'

Pointing slightly with his hook, he spoke to the bartender.

Crocodile: "Silence... come closer. What are the chances of the Prince dying?"

Waiter: "Uh... excuse me sir, I don't understand your question. ¿Who do you mean by 'the Prince'?"

Crocodile quickly took out a gun and pointed it at the waiter.

Crocodile: "Huh, I don't like being lied to. Don't play dumb; the conflict between the dynasty families is in full swing right now. The main candidate is 'Prince Ivankov.' ¿Are you seriously telling me you have no idea, being the bartender of a damned pub in the capital?"

Bartender: "I-I didn't mean that, sir. I just hear random rumors... All I know is that Prince Ivankov was poisoned, and now the Baratheon family has the upper hand..."

Crocodile: "Kuahahaha, see, it wasn't that hard. Now, have a nice dream." Crocodile was about to poison the bartender when a voice interrupted.

¿?: "It seems I'm not the only one who enjoys poison... Desert Crocodile, Bahahaha."

Crocodile was surprised by the comment and calmly observed the young man who entered the pub. Elegant hat, dressed in a white shirt, black pants, and a dark blue captain's trench coat.

Crocodile: "Desert Girasole!"

The next moment, Crocodile turned his right arm into sand and smashed it into the ground, creating an egg that enlarged and left the ground in pieces. Upon leaving the almost destroyed tavern, he thought the young man had died, but was surprised once again by a blow to the back.

Johan covered his right fist with a thick layer of Armament Haki and struck Crocodile hard, sending him flying and crashing into the wall.

Johan: "I thought you'd be more sensible, and here I came to talk peacefully."

Crocodile emerged from the rubble with several streaks of blood running down his face.

Crocodile: "Tsk, someone who's been following me for hours isn't someone looking for peaceful conversation. Besides... I know you. You're that new merchandise distributor in the underworld... Lexter, ¿right?"

Johan/Lexter: "Well, it's flattering to be famous. Hehehe."

Crocodile: "What you did just now was Haki. ¿How did you learn it in Paradise?"

Johan/Lexter: "Oh, you have a sharp eye. It seems that punch got you thinking."

Crocodile: "Disappear, Desert Sword!"

A massive sword formed from sand was directed at Johan, who covered himself with Haki and Tekkai to avoid damage.

Crocodile, without wasting time, quickly closed the distance to Johan, attempting to strike him with his venomous hook, but it was stopped by a black hand. Without apparent harm, Johan broke the hook by crushing it and then turned to deliver a kick to Crocodile, causing him to recoil several steps.

Crocodile: "Desert Sword!"

The battle began anew with an attack from Crocodile, but none of his moves had an effect on Johan. He closed in on Crocodile and launched several blows with Armament Haki without giving him a chance to defend.

Crocodile: "Stop bothering me, you wretch! Sabres!"

A small tornado emanated from his palms and struck Johan, causing him to collide with a small house. Due to the wall's collapse, the family who was peacefully having lunch was crushed.

Johan emerged again with almost no injuries, except for a trickle of blood on his forehead.

The exchange of blows continued for an hour until both were exhausted. On one hand, Johan was practically unscathed, but due to his weak physical attributes, Haki, and Tekkai had drained him quickly.

Crocodile was in worse shape, with injuries, bruises, and some broken bones. Without sand on the island, he was at a disadvantage.

Johan/Lexter: "Uff, Uff, Hehehehahaha, give it up, you don't stand a chance against me... Besides, I have a tempting offer."

Crocodile: "You have nothing that interests me, but don't get too confident... I'm still standing, Kuahahaha."

Johan/Lexter: "I know perfectly well that you're no longer interested in being a pirate... Join me, and I'll help you obtain Pluton..."

Crocodile: "You bastard, who told you that?"

Johan/Lexter: "You probably know him... it's Prince Ivankov. Besides, he revealed something interesting about your past..."

Veins in Crocodile's face became visible.

Crocodile: "So, it was you who attacked him... Tsk, that fool, I should've killed him earlier..."

Johan/Lexter: "Anyway, I don't give a damn about your past; I just want you to work for me. Not only will you have unlimited resources, but you'll also witness the destruction of this world..."

Crocodile: "You seem very convinced and full of your own ego. Kukuku. ¿What guarantees that you won't betray me?"

Johan/Lexter: "You'll have to figure that out on your own. But to be more sensible... you're nothing more than a chess piece, more important than the others, but sooner or later, you'll be eliminated. ¿What better way to go out than by witnessing destruction in your wake?"

Crocodile: "Kuahahaha, you're truly strange... Although you'll have to watch your back, Lexter. My goal will always be above your orders."

Johan/Lexter: "Bahahaha, fine by me; I don't care. All my subordinates have to be free to pursue their goals along with mine..."

Crocodile contemplated deeply. ¿Is this man an idiot? ¿Or just someone with a goal larger than this world? This made him smile slightly.

Crocodile: "As you wish... if you keep your word, I have no problems, Lexter..."

Johan/Lexter: "Excellent, you see... currently, some of my commanders are having trouble on an island. How about I take care of your problems here, and you go help them? Consider it a welcome gift."

Crocodile: "Huh, I don't care... I only came here to assess the possibility of seizing power in the Kingdom and killing Ivankov, but with this battle, I've realized that being in a non-desert climate puts me at a disadvantage."

Johan: "Perfect, here are two pointers, one to Little Garden and the other to our temporary base on Kyuka Island. We'll meet there in a week."

Disappearing instantly, Crocodile observed the castle. A few minutes later, he turned into sand until there was no trace left.