"The chit-chat's over. Say what you came here to say."
Crocodile leaned back, irritation written all over his face.
"Now, now, don't be so hasty," Aeridar chuckled, the corner of his lips tugging upward into a sly grin. "Crocodile, how about we form an alliance?"
The moment those words left his mouth, a murderous aura exploded from Crocodile's body, plunging the room's temperature into a biting chill.
"You playing games with me, brat?" Crocodile said coldly, eyes gleaming with menace. "I don't do alliances. If that's all you came for, you must have a death wish."
"That bloodlust... it's terrifying!"
"No wonder he's one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. His reputation's not just talk."
"For our captain to go toe-to-toe with someone like him... both of them are monsters."
Arlan, Oliver, and the rest visibly tensed under Crocodile's killing intent, every muscle in their bodies primed for a fight.
"Come now, don't be so quick to judge," Aeridar said with an easy smile, undeterred by the hostile air. "What I'm proposing is... an Alliance of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Crocodile straightened in his seat, eyes narrowing. "You're not a Warlord... wait, are you aiming to become one?"
A sinister glint flashed in Aeridar's eyes. "That's the plan."
"Hey, Captain, you sure it's wise to just say that out loud?" Arlan teased casually. "You're sitting across a Warlord right now, y'know."
"Damn, talk about ambition. You planning on taking out one of the big bosses?"
The massive swordsman behind Crocodile, Iman, rested a hand on his greatsword, voice laced with interest.
Crocodile ignored them both. His gaze bore into Aeridar for a long moment before stating bluntly, "You're not after me, then. Because you can't beat me."
To be recognized by the World Government as a Warlord, you needed overwhelming strength and notoriety. If the ranks were full, you'd have to defeat one of the current seven, and gain the approval of at least half the others, to be considered.
"Correct," Aeridar smirked. "You're too strong. You're not my target."
"Well? Want to hear what comes next?" Aeridar leaned forward slightly, his smile deepening with a shade of danger.
"I'm not fond of partnerships," Crocodile replied flatly, narrowing his eyes. "But I don't mind hearing your plan."
Of course, Crocodile had his own thoughts. This man, this so-called rookie, already had strength far beyond his peers. No one this dangerous stayed idle for long. The seas would stir again... and it would be because of him.
If this "Alliance of the Warlords" could bring more benefit than risk, Crocodile had no problem keeping such a wildcard close, for now.
"Aww, c'mon Boss, you're not seriously buying into this guy's Warlord alliance nonsense, are you?" Iman suddenly cut in, his eyes narrowed with hostility as he eyed Aeridar's crew. "A no-name pirate who got a little fame half a year ago wants to be a Warlord? Isn't that a joke?"
The room fell deathly silent. The air thickened, tense and electric.
Arlan and the others locked eyes on Iman, their killing intent spiking. No words were needed; if Aeridar gave the signal, Iman would be a smear on the wall in seconds.
Aeridar tilted his head with mock curiosity, glanced at Iman, then at Crocodile, his expression pure disbelief.
"Really, Sand Croc? This clown's your subordinate?"
Crocodile's face darkened. His jaw twitched, eyes twitching in barely suppressed fury. Internally, he was cursing Iman as a brainless idiot. He even briefly considered eliminating him right then and there.
He didn't mind arrogance, but making pointless enemies, especially ones he couldn't confidently beat, was pure idiocy. Picking a fight with someone like Aeridar for no reason? That was suicidal.
"Shut up, Iman," Crocodile barked without even looking back.
"Tch..." Iman saw a few grains of sand forming near Crocodile and fell silent immediately, clicking his tongue and stepping back in line.
"Forget him," Crocodile said, reclaiming the room's atmosphere with a flick of his gaze. "Let's hear your plan."
Aeridar gave a dark chuckle at Iman, then continued, "It's exactly what it sounds like, an Alliance of the Seven Warlords. Right now, the world's strongest powers are the Navy and the Yonko. The Navy's still fighting hard in the New World, but it's obvious to anyone with eyes, they're stretched thin."
"The Navy has the World Government's backing, so it won't be wiped out easily. But the Yonko... they've grown too strong. Even if they don't join forces, they're powerful enough to suppress Marine action across the seas. That's where the Warlords should come in."
"Seven Warlords, united, not under the Government's leash, but by our own accord. A force like that? We'd rival any Yonko's crew... maybe even surpass them. Add the Navy into that equation, and we could finally restore balance. But let's be real, this isn't gonna happen under the current system."
"The Navy has no control over the Warlords. And you Warlords? You've all got your own agendas. No trust. No unity. You'll never cooperate, at best, you're background pieces in someone else's war."
Aeridar's voice turned sharp, mocking. "You may share the same title, but you're scattered. The Yonko don't see you as equals. To them, you're nothing more than pawns used by the Government to delay the inevitable. Worse, you're constant targets for ambitious pirates looking to make a name for themselves."
Crocodile fell silent.
Because deep down, he knew, every word was true.
The Warlords weren't like the Yonko. When threats came knocking, the Yonko had elite officers and fleets to handle it. The Warlords, on the other hand? They had strength, sure, but not enough to match the Yonkos' overwhelming armies. Many Warlords were no stronger than an Yonko's top officers... some even weaker.
Yes, there were exceptions, like Dracule Mihawk, whose swordsmanship was arguably on par with the Yonko themselves. But Mihawk was a lone wolf, with no crew or kingdom to speak of. If he went up against a Yonko (any but Shanks, perhaps), he'd be crushed by sheer numbers.
Then there were the Warlords with solid forces, like Doflamingo or Boa Hancock. Powerful, no doubt, but still far behind a Yonko's fleet in terms of manpower and raw destructive capability.
And as for standing toe-to-toe with a Yonko? Not a chance.
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