"You know me?"
Hearing Crocus's words, Cyrus was taken aback.
"I saw you in the newspaper before!"
Crocus looked at Cyrus with a grave expression.
If it were some rookie pirates just entering the Grand Line, he wouldn't mind giving them some pointers.
But this young man before him was no simple dude.
When he had previously read that Cyrus was from the East Blue, it had reminded him of his former captain.
He still remembered what he had lamented at the time.
The East Blue, known as the weakest of the seas, had produced the Pirate King and the Navy Hero Garp.
And now, another remarkable young man had emerged.
And what do you know, in such a short time, the man himself was standing right in front of him.
"So that's how it is. It seems I'm already a celebrity in the Grand Line." Cyrus said, his expression calm.
"A celebrity indeed, but those pirates are probably very eager to find you."
Crocus's eyes locked onto Cyrus, and he released his Observation Haki to lock onto him as well.
After all, he still remembered Cyrus's identity as a Pirate Hunter.
And he himself still had a massive bounty issued by the Navy on his head.
Although the Roger Pirates had disbanded long ago, their bounties were still active.
If it were anyone else, Crocus might not care.
But against Cyrus, who had fought two Admirals, he couldn't afford not to be cautious.
"I'm going to Alabasta!"
Looking at the wary Crocus and his aged appearance, Cyrus's fingers twitched, but he extinguished the thought of making a move.
Crocus might be stronger than Chinjao, but since he had just entered the Grand Line, he didn't want to bully another old man.
After hearing Cyrus's words, Crocus was about to speak, but he noticed Cyrus's gaze.
From that look, he understood Cyrus's thoughts and was so angry he almost laughed.
This kid seemed to be underestimating him!
"Young man, you seem very confident in yourself."
Crocus tightened his grip on the harpoon in his hand.
"Although I'd love to fight a veteran, among the Roger Pirates, the Dark King Rayleigh, Red-Haired Shanks, Gaban, and Bullet would all do."
The moment Cyrus said this, Crocus understood that Cyrus had recognized him.
"Are you looking down on me because i'm an old man?"
Crocus's Observation Haki remained locked on Cyrus.
He knew very well that if a powerhouse like Cyrus were to strike, it would surely be as fierce as a thunderbolt.
"Sorry, I'm not looking down on you!" Cyrus shook his head.
"I just want your Log Pose. I have some business to take care of in Alabasta."
"My Log Pose doesn't have the coordinates to the final island!" Crocus said in a deep voice.
"I'm not interested in the final island you damn old man! But if you don't hand over the Log Pose, then I'll have to test your skills."
As he spoke, Cyrus took a step forward, and his Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted from his body.
The Conqueror's Haki pressed down on Crocus, as well as on the island-sized whale, Laboon, beneath their feet.
"Fine!" Crocus looked at Cyrus in shock.
Conqueror's Haki.
'This young man actually possessed Conqueror's Haki!'
'It seemed the news reports had left out a lot of details.'
Moreover, people who possessed Conqueror's Haki were not the type to be restrained.
'It looked like this young man was going to stir up a lot of trouble in the Grand Line.'
With this thought, Crocus turned and walked away.
Cyrus didn't stop him, simply waiting on Laboon's head.
In the distance, Robin, on the ship, had thought Cyrus would fight the man on the whale's head, but from afar, it seemed no fight had broken out.
Crocus was very fast.
It seemed he wanted Cyrus to leave as quickly as possible.
He tossed his Log Pose to Cyrus.
Cyrus didn't linger either, flying across the sea's surface and landing back on the ship.
And the Island Whale Laboon submerged directly into the sea.
"I thought you were going to fight." Robin said, looking at Cyrus who was examining the Log Pose in his hand.
"I'm not some battle-hungry person. Besides, he's old. If I fought him, it would be bullying." Cyrus said, tossing the Log Pose in his hand to Robin.
"The magnetic fields in the Grand Line are chaotic, so regular compasses are useless. You should know that. This is that old man's Log Pose."
Robin raised her hand to catch the tossed Log Pose, glanced at it, and nodded.
"Get ready to set sail. I remember the nearest island is one where Pirate Hunters gather." Cyrus said, sitting down directly on the prow.
Robin used her ability and began to row.
...
Inside the Island Whale Laboon, Crocus was contemplating what had just happened.
Having sailed the seas for nearly sixty years, he had encountered all sorts of things.
He wasn't actually bothered by today's situation.
It was just that Cyrus's Conqueror's Haki had taken him by surprise.
As he thought, he took out a Den Den Mushi and walked toward a passage inside the whale.
Not long after, Laboon, which had submerged into the sea, resurfaced, and he dialed the Den Den Mushi in his hand.
"This is rare. You're actually contacting me."
The appearance of the Den Den Mushi in his hand quickly changed, transforming into a face with one eye closed.
"I met an interesting young man."
After setting up a beach chair he had brought up with him, Crocus lay down and said.
"A young man? Do I know him?"
The person on the other end was clearly curious.
"Mmm, you might know him, or you might not, if you haven't been auctioning yourself off recently."
Crocus, clearly aware of the other person's activities, said.
"You mean he's become so famous recently that even I would have heard of him? Is it in the newspaper? Shakky, get me the latest newspaper."
The person on the other end was the Dark King Rayleigh, and his voice rang out.
"The Pirate Hunter, Cyrus." Crocus said in a calm tone.
"Oh, oh, found it!"
The Dark King Rayleigh's voice came through.
"This young man is quite impressive."
Rayleigh on the other end was obviously a fast reader and had already gotten some understanding.
"He has Conqueror's Haki."
Crocus was very concerned about this.
After all, he had sailed with Roger for so long and had only met a few people with Conqueror's Haki.
But without exception, all of them were powerhouses of the sea.
"Conqueror's Haki? No wonder he was fine after fighting Navy Admirals. But to cause such a huge incident in the North Blue and not get a bounty, could he have connections with the Navy?"
"I don't know about that, but when I met him just now, he mentioned you, as well as Shanks, that kid Bullet, and Gaban."
As Crocus said this, there was a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.
"He recognized you?"
Rayleigh didn't seem to mind Crocus's words, but he could guess what had happened.
"Mmm, he snatched my Log Pose." Crocus said.
As soon as he said this, Rayleigh on the other end fell silent.
It took a while for him to react.
"This young man is targeting me? I've been retired for so long."
"Who knows? Your bounty is just that high."
A malicious smile appeared on the corner of Crocus's mouth.
"I say, you didn't tell him my location, did you?"
Rayleigh suddenly had a bad feeling.
"I didn't do that. But now that this young man has reached the Grand Line, he might reach the Sabaody Archipelago soon."
"As long as you didn't, that's fine. I'm just a retired old man now, I just want a quiet life," Rayleigh said.
"I'd be a fool to believe you. If he finds your location, it'll certainly be interesting. I think he probably won't give up on fighting you."