Amid the cheers of the crowd, Caelan prepared to take Crocodile away.
Suddenly, he stopped and looked off into the distance.
A golden flash shot down from the sky at high speed, landing right in front of him.
A tall man, nearly three meters in height, appeared wearing a Marine cloak of justice and a golden suit.
Crocodile, who had been limp in Caelan's grasp, opened his eyes.
"Admiral Kizaru of the Navy."
"You really value me… but it seems you're a bit late."
Crocodile looked at Kizaru and gave a bitter smile.
He had expected this after his plans were exposed.
But what he hadn't expected was to be taken down by Caelan before the admiral even arrived.
Crocodile couldn't help but glance at Caelan. This guy was almost on par with an admiral in strength.
As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, it wasn't a loss to be caught between these two monsters.
He mocked his own bitterness and consoled himself.
Caelan observed Kizaru with interest. This was his first time seeing one of the top combatants in the world.
Unfortunately, all he saw was a laid-back demeanor and that annoyingly smug face.
Cobra and the surrounding officers also recognized Kizaru, but they had little respect for this belated "justice."
If they'd waited on him for rescue, they'd be under tombstones by now.
Kizaru glanced at the defeated Crocodile in Caelan's grasp and the cheering soldiers behind him, then fell silent.
He had rushed over, but still arrived late.
Fortunately, Caelan had defeated Crocodile and stopped the rebellion.
"Newcomers these days are really terrifying."
Kizaru stepped onto the crystal basin beneath his feet and commented with amusement.
This level of destruction far exceeded the damage caused by his Yasakani no Magatama.
This Caelan kid was truly surprising.
"You're here for Crocodile, Admiral," Caelan said casually.
Now that Crocodile had lost his status as a Warlord, he was fair game for a bounty.
Thanks to a period of cooperation, Caelan and the Marines had built a foundation of basic trust. He had no interest in keeping the bounty for himself.
"Haha, don't worry, young man. The bounty will be delivered from the nearby base."
Kizaru replied with a grin.
After that, Kizaru took Crocodile and left happily.
Not bad at all. He thought it would be a hassle, but it turned out to be a simple pick-up job.
Marine Headquarters – Fleet Admiral's Office
"You mean you didn't even make a move, and Caelan already took care of Crocodile?"
Sengoku looked at Kizaru in disbelief.
Crocodile was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and one of the trickiest Logia-type Devil Fruit users, especially in a desert terrain that favored his Devil Fruit.
Very few in the entire headquarters could guarantee victory against him.
Caelan had only just entered the Grand Line, so defeating a few of Crocodile's subordinates was already pushing it. This was outrageous.
"Yeah, and not only did he defeat Crocodile, he didn't even get injured."
"He's really as terrifying as a monster."
Kizaru sighed, his tone exaggerated as usual, but the shock on his face was real.
"If I remember correctly, he's only been in the Grand Line for about half a month, right?"
"And he's already reached this level? That progress is insane."
Sengoku rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Seeing Kizaru's expression, Sengoku could only accept that Caelan really did defeat Crocodile.
But it was just too unbelievable. Even tabloid newspapers wouldn't dare to publish something so exaggerated.
It had only been half a month since he left the East Blue, and the opponents he defeated jumped from small fry to a Warlord. That kind of leap was absurd.
Crocodile's strength was easily above that of a Marine vice admiral. Only admirals could be confident in defeating him.
Yet Caelan defeated Crocodile without suffering a single wound.
Did that mean Caelan's strength was already near-admiral level?
It had only been 7 or 8 months since his debut in the East Blue, and now he had defeated a Warlord.
"Good thing he's a bounty hunter. If he were a pirate, we'd be in real trouble."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had been silent until now, finally spoke with a sigh of relief.
In her opinion, Caelan's current strength placed him at the top end of the Warlords, and his potential might even match that of the Four Emperors.
If Caelan became a pirate, he would certainly become the youngest Yonko, and the Marines would face yet another unsolvable problem.
Thankfully, Caelan accepted the Marine-issued bounty hunter license. For now, he was an ally.
"Now, we need to seriously consider how to deal with him moving forward."
Sengoku placed his hands on the desk, his tone solemn.
The Navy had paid attention to Caelan before, but that was back when he was in the East Blue.
Now that he had defeated Crocodile, he needed much more attention.
His current rank as a headquarters captain was far below what he deserved. It was even a little insulting.
"Raise his hunter's license level to Rear Admiral and give him Rear Admiral treatment."
Sengoku thought it over briefly and made his decision.
The Navy had no better way to draw Caelan in, so this was the best they could do to show their appreciation.
"Alright, we'll proceed with that."
Sengoku stroked his beard and sighed.
He really couldn't think of a better option, so this would have to do for now.
In his heart, Sengoku knew this still didn't match Caelan's value, but it was already the highest recognition they could offer at the moment.
Sengoku let out a long sigh.
Why wouldn't Caelan join the Marines?
If he were willing to enlist, Sengoku wouldn't mind personally persuading the Five Elders to name him an admiral candidate.
In Sengoku's eyes, Caelan was destined to become a Four Emperors-level powerhouse.
If only Caelan would join the Marines, he could lead them into a brand-new era.