Crocodile sat lazily on a leather sofa, a thick cigar burning between his fingers. Smoke curled upward as his eyes scanned the nearest newspaper.
The headlines carried the usual world news—pirates rising, marines clashing, territories shifting—but nothing that stirred his blood.
"A new pirate on the seas," he muttered. "Names like Law and Kid… what boring trash. This world is so dull."
Compared to the movements of the Emperors, this was nothing more than noise. Crocodile tossed the paper aside, uninterested.
Inside the Baroque Works headquarters, the atmosphere shifted suddenly. A wave of terrifying pressure swept through the hall, slamming against everyone present.
"Haki… Conqueror's Haki!"
The realization hit Crocodile like a storm. His cigar slipped from his mouth as several of his subordinates collapsed to the ground, knocked unconscious instantly.
He turned sharply, and his gaze locked onto the man standing before him.
"You…" Crocodile's expression darkened.
The man was someone he had been watching closely for a while, yet he hadn't expected him to walk through these doors today.
Vane. The Pirate Emperor.
A chill ran down Crocodile's spine. His instincts screamed danger. Facing Vane was no different than facing a natural disaster. Still, he refused to back down and immediately shifted into a fighting stance.
"I mean no harm, Crocodile."
Vane spoke calmly, lowering himself onto the sofa across from him. His relaxed manner was disarming, but Crocodile's heart hammered. That aura… that overwhelming presence… it crushed him without effort.
What terrifying power. Crocodile gritted his teeth. Was this man stronger than Whitebeard himself? How could such a thing be possible?
Trying to steady his breath, Crocodile asked, "What business brings a man like you here?"
Vane leaned forward slightly, his smile calm but unreadable. "How about becoming mine?"
"…Your subordinate?"
Crocodile's lip curled. "Look elsewhere. I don't bow to anyone."
He was a man of pride. Not even Whitebeard had earned his loyalty—he would never willingly become a pawn for another.
"I want you, Crocodile...as a Subordinate of course," Vane said simply.
Crocodile raised his hand, his palm facing upward as grains of sand swirled into a miniature storm. His message was clear: if Vane wanted a fight, he'd get one. This was his kingdom. The desert was his domain.
Outside the hall, Robin and Vivi had just arrived. Their eyes widened at the sight of the Pirate Emperor himself. Before they could react further, the entire building shuddered violently.
A deafening crash followed as a figure was hurled out through the windows, smashing into another structure across the street.
"That coat… that's Crocodile!" Vivi gasped.
Her hands trembled. Could it be that Vane had really come to defeat Crocodile? Could her country be freed from the tyrant's grasp?
She dared not believe it, but the sight before her made her heart leap with hope.
Back inside, Vane didn't bother squeezing through the broken window. He simply kicked the wall open with overwhelming force, dust and rubble scattering everywhere as he stepped into the open air with majestic ease.
The ground shook again. Crocodile, covered in dust and fury, struggled to his feet.
"Damn you… starting a war so casually!" Crocodile spat.
Before he could fully stand, Vane's leg whipped toward him. His foot gleamed with Armament Haki, striking Crocodile square in the face.
The impact was devastating. Crocodile's body was sent hurtling like a cannonball, smashing through a stone pillar that crumbled under the force. He tumbled across the ground, blood dripping from his forehead.
"Eroding Reincarnation!"
Slamming his palm against the ground, Crocodile unleashed his desert powers. The earth cracked apart as waves of sand erupted, swallowing buildings and filling the air with choking dust.
"Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're an Emperor!" he roared, blood streaking down his face. "I am Crocodile!"
His voice carried pride, but beneath it was fury and disbelief. Just one kick had drawn blood.
That power… it was monstrous.
Crocodile steadied himself, his expression grave. This man, Rhett Vane—the new Pirate Emperor—was unlike anything he had ever faced. His strength was beyond comprehension, like a force of nature itself.
_____
Milestone,
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter