Crocodile's pupils dilated as his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
A powerful wave of fear crept into his body, rapidly consuming his mind.
Just three days ago, Crocodile had received a mandatory summons from the Navy.
The target?
Whiteflame.
At first, Crocodile had laughed it off. He thought it was ridiculous that the Navy would go to such lengths to mobilize this many forces—for one man.
But when he saw the long list of this man's "crimes," the laughter died on his lips.
Doflamingo, Gild Tesoro, Jack the Drought, Charlotte Cracker, Admiral Kizaru, Charlotte Smoothie, Queen the Plague...
All crushed.
Even the Celestial Dragons, the noble rulers at the very top of the world, hadn't escaped his wrath.
From these feats alone, it was obvious—
This man's power far exceeded anything Crocodile had imagined.
And so, without hesitation, Crocodile refused the Navy's summons.
He would rather forfeit his title as a Warlord than risk facing Whiteflame head-on.
Crocodile was no fool.
He knew he didn't stand a chance—not against anyone on that list, let alone the one who killed them all.
Answering that summons would be a death sentence.
Still, before sending his reply of refusal, Crocodile wanted to seize Alabasta using the last of his influence as a Warlord.
His goal: the ancient weapon Pluton.
If he succeeded, even without the Warlord title, he would have a trump card powerful enough to stand his ground against the Navy.
It would elevate him from a former Warlord to a true contender for the Pirate King's throne.
That was why he had launched his invasion of Alabasta early.
And now, it had led to this war.
But as the saying goes—man proposes, God disposes.
Crocodile had done everything he could to avoid Whiteflame.
Yet fate played its cruel trick.
Not only had Whiteflame appeared in Alabasta—he had witnessed the very war Crocodile instigated.
And worse—Crocodile's own idiotic subordinates had provoked him.
The disaster he had tried so hard to avoid... had arrived anyway.
"M-Mr. Bai… I-I sincerely apologize. That was… that was my mistake."
Crocodile caved instantly.
This was the same man who once dared to challenge Whitebeard without flinching—
But now? Before Whiteflame, he was like a dog with its tail between its legs.
The reason was simple:
Whitebeard had no interest in killing him.
But Whiteflame?
From the killing intent in his eyes, it was clear—this was someone who would kill him… without a second thought.
He had even killed a Celestial Dragon.
Who else in the world would this man hesitate to kill?
"Did I hear that right…?"
"Crocodile… apologized?"
Princess Vivi stood frozen, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She wasn't a Warlord or a Marine.
She had no idea what kind of monster Whiteflame truly was.
"This…"
The King of Alabasta and Koza shared the same stunned expression.
For Crocodile—a man so strong, so proud—to bow his head like this?
If they hadn't seen it themselves, they would never have believed it.
And now… they understood.
This young man—this Whiteflame—was more terrifying than they could have ever imagined.
"Crocodile… I preferred the version of you from earlier."
Whiteflame said coldly.
"Huh?"
Crocodile blinked, confused.
"At least that version of you… would've died with more dignity."
The moment the words left his lips, Whiteflame raised his foot—
and fired a blinding laser.
This wasn't just a basic Glint-Glint Fruit laser like Admiral Kizaru's—it was far more potent.
Condensed photon energy.
A true laser beam, many times stronger.
BOOOOM!!!
The beam swallowed Crocodile completely.
A thunderous explosion echoed.
Even the royal palace was not spared—it collapsed into rubble.
Koza quickly rescued Vivi and the King, watching in horror as the palace crumbled.
"What… what kind of power is this?!"
Just one attack had caused this much destruction.
If he fired again, would the entire kingdom vanish?
"Boss!!"
The members of Baroque Works were horrified.
They frantically tried to dig Crocodile out from the rubble.
But all they uncovered…
was a shattered corpse—his clothes and hook unmistakable.
The body of Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Kill the rest of them too."
Whiteflame ordered coldly.
Ten IBMs launched from behind him, swooping down on the Baroque agents.
Blood sprayed.
The horrific scene of IBMs devouring flesh turned the faces of everyone pale—
even Koza, leader of the rebel army, struggled to hold back the bile rising in his throat.
"Nico Robin—where do you think you're going?"
Suddenly, white threads burst from the ground, binding the fleeing Robin in place.
She struggled violently—but the threads were like iron chains, holding her tight.
She couldn't move.
Looking at Crocodile's corpse, Robin knew—
She wouldn't be escaping this time.
"You can do whatever you want to me…"
"But… before that, please give me one moment."
Nico Robin raised her head.
Her voice was calm, but her eyes burned with resolve.
"I know what you're looking for."
Whiteflame lifted a finger.
White threads surged from the ground.
A massive stone tablet—twice the height of a person—rose up, covered in ancient inscriptions.
"A Poneglyph!"
Robin's eyes sparkled with desire.
This was what she had searched for her entire life.
To uncover the Void Century, she had endured 20 years of hardship—just for this!
But then… her expression changed.
The light faded from her eyes.
Disappointment and sorrow spread across her face.
This Poneglyph wasn't a record of history.
It was one that contained information about the Ancient Weapon: Pluton—the one Crocodile had been searching for.
Robin wasn't interested.
She had always sought truth, not weapons.
"My dream is fulfilled. Do what you want—kill me if you must."
Robin closed her eyes, awaiting the end.
"You don't need to die."
Whiteflame said indifferently.
"From now on… you belong to me. Your life is mine to decide."
With a flick of his fingers, the threads pulled Robin toward him, placing her gently before him.
"What do you want from me?"
Robin asked coldly.
"What any pirate would want," Whiteflame replied,
and in a flash, he took Robin in his arms and soared back to the Nine Dragons.
The floating island once again began to drift across the sky,
gradually disappearing over the horizon.
Suddenly, raindrops began to fall.
The dry skies turned dark.
Rain—for the first time in three years—poured down on Alabasta.
"We… we're saved?"
"It's rain! Real rain!"
"It must've been that man! The one who flies through the sky, the one who killed Crocodile—he's a god! He must be a god, come to save us!"
All at once, the people dropped their weapons.
Former enemies embraced like brothers.
In the pouring rain, they wept, danced, and celebrated their rebirth.
Whiteflame had come and gone in minutes.
But in that short time—
he had saved a country that had nearly lost hope.
Whiteflame didn't care how "great" people thought he was.
He didn't know—nor did he want to know—how many were now kneeling, praying toward the departing Nine Dragons.
He only knew one thing—
He had gained something far more valuable today:
Nico Robin—the pirate world's most beautiful and mysterious woman.
Back on the Nine Dragons, Robin was set down.
The four women on board circled around her, curious and cautious.
"Are these women… all ones you've captured and imprisoned here?"
Robin asked quietly, her gaze sweeping over them.
To her, such cruelty was nothing new.
In her 20 years of running, she had faced far worse.
She had survived only because of her Hana Hana no Mi powers and unyielding strength.
"That's none of your concern."
"All you need to understand is… your life now belongs to me."
Whiteflame's voice was calm, but resolute.
"You can't keep someone who has given up on life by your side."
"If you don't kill me now, I will do it myself."
Robin didn't flinch.
"Your dream is to uncover the Void Century, isn't it?"
"What if I told you I could find the true Poneglyphs—the real ones that hold the truth of history?"
Whiteflame glanced at her, his tone icy and sure.
Robin's eyes lit up.
"You can find them?!"
"To me, conquering the world is only a matter of time."
"Compared to that, finding some ancient texts is nothing."
"If you can really take me to them… then I'll do anything you ask!"
Robin said, gritting her teeth in resolve.
"Don't get it twisted. You belong to me now."
"You don't have the right to refuse."
Whiteflame turned and walked away, not sparing her another glance.
"Whiteflame…"
"Just… who are you?"
Robin stared at his back, deep in thought.
[To be continued...]
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