Sanji's eyes turned into hearts. "Madam, please, there's no need for thanks!" He swooned, his body instinctively lurching forward, eager to embrace the beautiful woman he had just saved.
But his fantasy was shattered by the sound of rushing wind and sand. In a flash, he was a dried-up husk, collapsing onto the deck with a soft thud.
"Don't kill this guy." A cold voice cut through the air.
"You..." Crocodile started, her gaze fixed on the man who said this.
"For now, shut up," Rodin said, his glance silencing her instantly.
Crocodile's eyes widened with a hint of panic. Was her life no longer her own? Was she about to be a puppet, manipulated at will?
Rodin tossed the emaciated Sanji overboard. Three years of sailing together, a small amount of shared history, was enough to spare him his death. He then turned his attention to Crocodile. Even as a woman, she still stood over two meters tall, taller than him, but that didn't detract from her impressive figure.
"You know how to use Haki, right?" Rodin asked, a question he'd been curious about for a while. It made sense that someone who had made it to the New World would know how to use it, but seeing Croocodile's performance in Alabasta had been... underwhelming.
Crocodile frowned, her body stiffening as she gave a slight nod. Inside, a torrent of silent curses were aimed at the man who looked down at her.
"Good," Rodin said simply. He pulled a pair of black, fishnet stockings from his system inventory. "Put these on."
Logia-type Devil Fruit users, like Crocodile, often became too reliant on their powers. They'd become lazy, focusing on their elementalization and convenient abilities rather than training their bodies and Haki. These stockings, a reward from his system, could evolve her Haki to a higher level. The boost, he knew, would be significant.
"This is an artifact to make you stronger. Do it quickly. Wouldn't want to be misunderstood."
Crocodile's eyes went wide. Stronger? She didn't believe it for a second. Besides, in her world, stockings and high heels were things men wore. Women didn't wear anything like that. Her former self would never have allowed it.
But her body was no longer hers to command.
The black pants fell away, and soon, the fishnet stockings were on. A deep blush crept up her face, making her look even more attractive. The indignity of the situation—a proud Shichibukai being forced to dress like this—was almost too much to bear.
Rodin took a moment to appreciate the sight before turning away.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the restaurant, a frantic Marine burst in.
"Captain, it's not good! The Krieg pirate escaped!" The man's left cheek was bloody, his face pale with fear.
Fullbody, who was still on the floor, was equally panicked, blood from his nose and head staining the wood.
"Krieg's gang? Isn't that the strongest pirate crew in the East Blue?" The diners murmured, recognizing the notorious name.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out.
Gin, the "Man-Demon," stepped in from behind the Marine and calmly shot him with a flintlock pistol.
Screams erupted from the diners as they scrambled to hide in the corners of the room. Only the chefs remained calm, used to the chaos.
"Another guy trying to mess with my shop?" Zeff grumbled. He glanced at the straw-hat wearing kid who had just put a hole in his roof. He was still waiting to settle that score. Now this?
Gin strolled into the restaurant, walking past Captain Hope without a second glance. An air of silent menace surrounded him, but before he could take another step, an invisible force shoved him backward. He stumbled, landing on a nearby dining table like a doll, his momentum instantly gone.
Zeff, his beard tied in two braids, cursed at the sight of the person who had appeared. "You bastard! Get out of here!"
Fullbody, meanwhile, whispered, "That waiter is going to be killed."
"Damn it!" Gin propped himself up on the table, his right hand raising his flintlock pistol and aiming it. But then, his gaze shifted past the man.
The tall, shadowed figure standing at the door made his pupils contract in an instant.
It wasn't just him. Zeff and Fullbody both saw it and froze. The way this new arrival was dressed…
"Are you kidding me?" they all thought.