"The so-called King Shichibukai!"
"They are the seven great pirates recognized by the World Government. They have all been granted the status of pirates who can legally plunder!"
"Its essence is to fight against the power of the Four Emperors of the New World!"
Bucky explained.
"A great pirate who plundered legally?"
Guina was startled.
"The seven warriors are Sand Crocodile Crocodile, Moonlight Moria, Empress Boya Hancock, Tyrant Bartholomew Bear, and Don Quixote Doflamingo."
"And the world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk, and Kaisha Jinbe!"
After Bucky finished speaking, his expressions changed slightly when he saw Kuina and Fisher Tiger in front of him.
"The world's greatest swordsman?"
Guina murmured, her eyes suddenly shrinking, and a glimmer of ambition burst out from her originally clear eyes.
"Jinbei?"
Fisher Tiger showed a smile on his face and fell into the memories of the past.
Xia Le did not disturb the two people in front of him, but turned his eyes and looked forward.
He was a little curious about what changes had taken place in Crocodile's Baroque studio. In other words, what was the reason for his fight with Luffy?
"Rebellion?"
His eyes gradually became sharper, and Xia Le fell silent.
He has been missing for a very long time, so long that he cannot distinguish human nature. How many people in the once huge power are worthy of trust now? Will you still follow yourself unswervingly?
From the time Baki left the West Sea, we could vaguely notice the changes in the West Sea.
Looking at the changes in Alabasta, we can even tell that something is wrong with Crocodile as well.
"If you are really bold, dare to take action against my relatives."
Xia Le sighed softly.
But reason told him that Crocodile was not such a confused person.
Everything will become clear only when we arrive in Alabasta.
Departing from the Seven Rivers Capital, about five days later, the warship docked at Rapeseed Port.
Xia Le and his party did not waste any time and headed towards the capital Albana.
——
The royal capital of Albana.
"We met again after so many years. I never thought it would be in this situation."
A low voice sounded and white smoke floated. Smoker stared ahead at the man chained by sea tower stone shackles with a complicated expression on his face.
"Does that young boy from back then dare to stand in front of me and show off his power now?"
A sneer came out, and Crocodile looked up.
The two have not seen each other for many years. Ever since Xia Le entered Impel Down City, many people from the West Sea seemed to have reached a unique tacit understanding and did not have much contact with each other.
Especially Crocodile, who survives as a pirate and a warrior, is more like a real rebellion.
"You know what? I've never understood your true position."
Smoker took a deep breath from his cigar and said with a gloomy expression.
Back then, due to his age and strength, he didn't know many things clearly. For example, that man, the mysterious organization he created, the complex affairs involved in it, etc.
Now that it was placed in front of him, it was also one of them that made him embarrassed.
What is the true identity of Crocodile of the Sand, one of the Shichibukai?
"position?"
The corner of Crocodile's mouth curled up, and there was a hint of teasing in his words.
"Wouldn't this kind of thing change accordingly as the identity changes?"
Smoker's face turned cold and he stared at the superior he once respected: "So, your current position is that you are a very evil pirate who wants to overthrow Alabasta?"
"Guhahahahaha!"
"That's an interesting question."
"If you insist on asking me to explain, you are making things difficult for me."
Crocodile chuckled, a look of loss and frustration flashing in his eyes.
He embraced dreams and ambitions, but the end result was undoubtedly failure. The Pluto he hoped for was completely different from what he had imagined.
Instead, things have now become a mess.
What if that man knew about it?
Thinking of this, Crocodile fell silent.
Just know it if you know it!
Who did he do all this for?
"call!"
Smoker blew out a puff of smoke, his face complex and ugly.
"You will be arrested by me personally, your Wuhai identity will be revoked, and you will eventually be sent to Impel Down City!"
Hearing this, Crocodile did not feel any nervousness or fear.
"You must be feeling very uncomfortable too!"
Speaking softly, he slowly raised his head and looked at the sky.
"The world seems to have been completely different from the day that man left!"
"I can no longer find the meaning of life."
“I can’t feel the reality of being alive.”
The voice was a bit ethereal, and there was also a hint of ridicule in it.
But Smoker remained silent. He understood the words spoken by the other party and could clearly feel the same feeling.
"He will come back!"
Smoker suddenly gritted his teeth and said.
He couldn't believe that the man he admired and followed wholeheartedly would suddenly disappear from everyone's eyes.
Moreover, not even a scrap of news was left behind.
"Guhahahahaha!"
"I seem to see the innocent you you once were."
Crocodile laughed.
Smoker's expression was extremely gloomy. He waved his hand, and the navy behind him immediately stepped forward and prepared to escort him to the navy headquarters.
Suddenly, teasing words rang in my ears.
"Guhahahaha!"
"You don't really think you can catch me so easily, do you?"
"Or do you believe that a mere newcomer wearing a straw hat can defeat me? And make me become so embarrassed?"
Smoker's expression changed and he looked forward suddenly.
"Buzz!"
I saw sand and dust suddenly flying up, and the navy who had just approached the opponent screamed in surprise and were blown back.
"What on earth are you going to do?"
Smoker asked loudly.
Amidst the flying sand, Crocodile's figure appeared in front of him again, but the sea-tower stone shackles that bound his hands had been released.
Obviously, the other party was never really arrested from beginning to end.
"Do you know Hades?"
"That is an extremely powerful weapon in ancient legends!"
"As long as I master its power, I can threaten the world government and make them hand over that man!"
"What a perfect plan!"
Crocodile suddenly said loudly, with a look of madness on his face.
“I learned so much from doing all this, building Baroque Studios, collecting intelligence from around the world.”
"And the more you know, the clearer you become about what a terrifying person he really is."
"So, I believe more than anyone else that he will come back eventually."
"but!"
When he said this, his expression suddenly turned cold.
"Who can afford to wait?"
"Time may be eternal to him. It will leave no trace and will not cause him to die."
"But to us, it is the most cruel and unavoidable long knife in the world!"
Taking a deep breath, Crocodile stared at Smoker.
"If he is caught and imprisoned by the World Government, use absolute power to rescue him!"
"If he has any other accidents, Pluto's power will also play a vital role in the future!"
"But alas!"
Having said this, he shook his head regretfully and angrily.
"I failed!"
"That little girl doesn't believe me!"
"Damn it, who saved her in O'Hara, who gave her life?"
"Human nature is so difficult to distinguish, and it chills me."
Smoker was silent.
Vaguely, he seemed to understand the other party's purpose. But being able to do this to such an extent, even at the expense of subverting Alabasta, was something I still didn't expect.
"But I still have a chance."
"The historical text of Alabasta is just a guide, Pluto is not here."
"I will find it and harness its power!"
The madness and anger on Crocodile's face suddenly receded, replaced by a touch of calm and indifference.
Smoker suddenly became a little irritable and took a deep breath of his cigar.
"You're so messy!"
"If he comes back."
Crocodile interrupted him abruptly: "I can't control that much!"
"Barrett's transformation, his madness!"
"The Disappearance of Rosinandee."
"Bucky's Rebellion."
"Everyone is working hard on this, hoping to see him as soon as possible or find any clues about him."
"This includes you, doesn't it? You left the West Sea, obeyed the arrangements of the headquarters, and then headed to the East China Sea."
"What's the next step? Enter the headquarters and ask for news about him?"
"It's useless. Those guys have been silenced for a long time. Especially for a navy like you who comes from the West Sea, no information will be leaked."
Crocodile sneered.
Smoker grew more and more agitated.
He suddenly clenched his fists and his eyes sharpened.
"What? Do you want to fight with me?"
Crocodile's eyes turned cold.
"No, it's not!"
The sharpness in his eyes suddenly dissipated, replaced by a trace of doubt and disbelief, and Smoker looked straight at the sky in front of him.
A bright bolt of lightning spread rapidly in the clear sky, piercing the void, and reached above Albana in the blink of an eye.
"Boom!"
It was only then that a sound of thunder sounded.
Immediately afterwards, lightning suddenly flashed in front of him, and blue arcs spread in all directions, blocking Crocodile.
"Buzz!"
An inexplicable and powerful aura swept across the entire place, causing dust on the ground to rise.
Immediately afterwards, in the shocked eyes of Smog and Crocodile, a strong and powerful body stepped out from the thunder and lightning.
"Saxi ignores it."
"Crocodale!"
A familiar voice sounded, and the figure in front finally revealed its full appearance.
"You seem to have done a lot of things during my absence."
Xia Le glanced at Smoker first, then slowly turned around, his eyes falling on Crocodile.
"you!"
"you?!"
Crocodile's pupils shrank and his whole body trembled.
An unspeakable emotion surged into his heart, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.
"I vaguely remember being on Whitebeard's territory."
"You also did something that surprised me."
After a pause, Xia Le spoke in a teasing tone.
"So many years have passed."
"You're still so stupid!"
(End of chapter)
