"Huh?"
"Hunter King?" Crocodile froze, blurting it out instinctively.
Then he caught Don's unfriendly glance and immediately shut his mouth.
"That's enough talk. I've said all that needs saying. I won't stay any longer — make preparations as soon as possible."
With that, Don waved a hand toward Robin.
Issho also stood, his white, sightless eyes locking onto Crocodile, staring long enough to make the man's skin crawl before finally turning to follow Don out.
"I'm going to test something — see if I can take a Giant's Hakoku head-on."
Without stopping his stride, Don waved lazily over his shoulder, and the three of them left Rain Dinners.
Crocodile stood in place, watching their figures fade into the distance.
Only when Daz and the others crept cautiously back inside did he come to his senses.
"Cut through everything... and become the strongest, huh?"
Crocodile unconsciously ignored certain conditions in Don's words.
That line reminded him of the man he used to be — before he crossed paths with Whitebeard.
"Has Mr. 3 returned yet?" he asked, turning to Daz.
"They've been notified, but the two Giants started fighting again. Our people don't dare move closer — if they get caught in the crossfire, we'll have casualties. But, Boss... are we really giving up on the bounty for those two Giants?"
Daz knew better than anyone that Crocodile had been eyeing that particular bounty for quite some time.
"It's meaningless now. We'll abandon everything here and head for the Sabaody Archipelago."
After a long silence with his eyes closed, Crocodile suddenly opened them, his tone firm.
"Huh?"
Not just Daz — everyone around him looked bewildered.
Abandon everything here?
They had been working in Alabasta for years. Plans were nearly complete — if they acted soon, they might seize control of the kingdom within a few years.
"He wasn't wrong," Crocodile muttered. "I really have changed... But now I want to see just how far he can go."
He waved dismissively and strode toward the exit. After a few steps, he stopped again.
"Oh, right. Sell Rain Dinners. It should fetch a decent price."
——
Port City of Canola.
Don landed lightly from the sky, still holding Robin in his arms as the flames around him dissipated.
A few moments later, Issho floated down beside them.
"Looks like you've adapted quickly," Don remarked, glancing his way.
"The floating ability you described — from the Fuwa Fuwa Fruit — I can imitate it somewhat using my Gravity Fruit, but only on a limited scale. I can't sustain it or affect as much as you said."
Issho replied calmly after touching down.
"That's already impressive. Back then, the Golden Lion could make whole islands float. In battle, he could even drop them on his enemies."
Don chuckled. "That's probably why Oda had to ban that kind of power — too broken."
The Fuwa Fuwa Fruit wasn't necessarily terrifying in direct combat, but in terms of mass destruction? No one could stop it.
If one could lift dozens — hundreds — of islands and drop them at will, even the Navy Headquarters or Mary Geoise would be wiped out in an instant.
Of course, that's assuming the hidden monsters of the world didn't intervene. Even the Five Elders or the Holy Knights would struggle to resist such devastation.
"Dropping islands on people?" Robin blinked, her mind struggling to picture it.
"Can a Devil Fruit really do something like that?" she asked, turning to Issho.
"Perhaps. But it would require developing one's fruit to the highest level."
Issho thought for a moment, then nodded.
He hadn't attempted such attacks himself — he could summon meteors from the sky, yes, but doing it endlessly was another matter.
Still, he could imagine it: meteor after meteor, falling without end. One or two could be stopped... but ten? Twenty? Fifty?
Against that kind of assault, survival would be nearly impossible.
"Maybe that's what happens when a fruit awakens," Don mused. "The Golden Lion's control over his power — it felt like that level of mastery."
"Awakening?" Robin echoed softly, intrigued.
"When a Devil Fruit is developed to its limit, and the user truly understands their ability, they can unlock its higher form — an awakening. Once that happens, their power increases dramatically."
Don explained as the three of them headed toward the port.
"Can mine awaken too?" Robin asked, unable to hide her curiosity.
She was all too aware of the gap between her and Don — a gap that seemed impossible to bridge.
But if awakening was real...
"Any fruit can awaken," Don replied after a moment's thought. "The difficulty just varies."
Zoan and Paramecia awakenings had been documented — Logias, not so clearly.
But when Akainu and Aokiji fought for the Fleet Admiral position, they permanently altered the climate of an entire island.
That might very well have been an awakening.
"You're already strong, Robin. But if you awaken... you'll be even stronger."
Robin watched his back, her voice soft with emotion.
"I still have no idea how to reach that point," Don admitted with a wry smile. "But hey, we've got time."
Issho, listening quietly beside them, could sense it — the way Don and Robin interacted wasn't like captain and subordinate.
It felt... closer. Like equals — maybe even family.
He still hadn't completely bought into Don's ideals, but something about the man's words lingered in his mind.
If you want to change the world, you have to act first.
On their way to the docks, the three stopped for a hearty meal.
Compared to Don's appetite, Issho's was downright modest.
As they ate, the chatter around them caught their attention.
Apparently, a massive rift had appeared in the desert overnight — a blazing-hot canyon said to be filled with crystals and gems.
"They say it came out of nowhere! The air got so hot, and when the dust cleared — bam! — a canyon full of glowing stones!"
"Really? Must've been an earthquake or something!"
"Some say it was a meteor strike! But that doesn't make sense — meteors leave craters, not canyons."
As the debate spread, the rumor grew louder and wilder.
By the time Don and the others finished their meal and left, the entire town was abuzz.
"That commotion's going to draw attention," Don remarked as they walked.
"You mean the fight?" Robin asked. "But not many people actually know who was involved, right?"
END OF CHAPTER
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