One Piece: Starting From Picking Up Red-Haired's Arm

"Crocodile?"

Mr.5's eyes clearly showed confusion as he struggled to speak, "Why should I listen to that guy?"

So, he still doesn't know who his boss is.

"Does that mean you attacked us on your own initiative?"

Xiano rubbed his temples, momentarily speechless, "Since you know who I am, how dare you make a move? Who gave you the courage?"

"It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"

Mr.5 was on the verge of tears, filled with regret, wishing he could turn back time to ten minutes ago and slap his overconfident self.

Is this really just a rookie pirate crew that just entered the Grand Line?

The Captain didn't even need to make a move, and two random members turned out to be Logia-type Devil Fruit Ability Users?

That's a Logia-type Devil Fruit!

Since when did they become as common as cabbages?

In all his years roaming the Grand Line, he had only seen Crocodile, a Logia-type user, from afar.

And that was only a glimpse from the back of the crowd during Crocodile's triumphant return.

But today, just as he was trying to show off in front of his subordinates, he ran into two of them at once…

Seeing his expression, Xiano sighed deeply.

Really…

There are just too many inexplicable people on this sea.

There's always someone who thinks they can choose between ambition and brains, but ends up with neither.

Even someone as powerful as Admiral Kizaru, who was casually taking down Supernovas one by one, still has idiots who think they can make a name for themselves by taking a shot at him.

Xiano shook his head and was about to say something when he noticed Mr.5's eyes widen in disbelief, staring at something behind him.

Someone else is coming?

Xiano frowned and stood up, turning around. When he saw the scene before him, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Drip, drip…

The port had suddenly been engulfed in a cloud of sand, and a shadow gradually solidified within the swirling dust, stepping out slowly.

It was a man about two and a half meters tall, with a meticulously combed pompadour, draped in an expensive dark brown fur coat, casually holding a cigar in his mouth, his gaze lazy and indifferent.

If it weren't for the golden hook replacing his left hand and the scar on his face adding a touch of ruggedness, he could have been mistaken for a nobleman stepping out of a painting.

"Your boss is here."

Xiano glanced at Mr.5 and grinned, "Were you just lying and playing dumb even when death was staring you in the face, or… is this just a coincidence?"

"Coincidence?"

Crocodile bit down on his cigar and spoke indifferently, "Of course, this is no coincidence. I've been waiting for you here since this morning, Blade Swordsman… Xiano."

"As for these two…"

He snapped his fingers, and Mr.5, still in a state of shock, was instantly lifted by the sand and brought to Crocodile's feet.

"Boss! Crocodile, you're the boss, Mr.0, right?"

Mr.5 finally realized something and shouted excitedly, "Save me! I'm one of your own! I'm a High-Ranking Officer who just signed with Baroque Works, my code name is…"

Crocodile didn't even glance at him. His golden hook turned into flowing sand and instantly pierced through Mr.5's chest.

"—Just a fool who insisted on getting involved and seeking his own death."

Under the astonished gazes of everyone, the body of the high-ranking officer rapidly withered, turning into a mummy-like corpse without even twitching a few times.

"Hey, hey..." Nami was dumbfounded. "What is this bastard doing? Even killing his own people?"

"You're next, Xiano."

Crocodile spoke softly, his eyes sweeping over the faces of the Falling Stars Adventure Crew members.

"Attacking towns, killing marines, and you, the former Marine Headquarters captain, White Hunter Smoker, murdering the king of a member nation. Both of you are guilty of heinous crimes, unforgivable!"

"Today, with me personally taking action, you pirates."

He exhaled a large puff of smoke, his coat fluttering in the yellow sand, "None of you will escape from here!"

"...I say."

Nami couldn't help but poke Smoker's arm, who was closest to her. "Am I seeing things? Isn't his coat black? And there's no 'Justice' written on the back, right?"

Isn't he also a pirate?

Why is he talking like those marine officers who almost tattooed 'Justice' on their faces?

"No."

Smoker sighed, "But he's not wrong. The Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea do have the duty to cooperate with the government in arresting pirates."

"Especially him."

Smoker stared at Crocodile, "One of the first great pirates to join the Seven Warlords twenty years ago. Over the years, he has helped the marines capture countless pirates, even becoming the living emblem of the Seven Warlords system. Even the old men and women at the headquarters who most opposed and despised the Seven Warlords system could only praise the name Crocodile."

"But, it seems now."

Smoker glanced at the mummified corpse on the ground, his tone not without sarcasm, "Underneath this model Seven Warlord, there are also many unspeakable secrets."

"It seems you know quite a bit about me."

Crocodile gently flicked the ash off his cigar, "Since that's the case, you should also understand that rookies like you, who have just entered the Grand Line, are not on the same level as me. Why not just put down your weapons and surrender, saving me some effort, how about that?"

"We know you well."

Kuina suddenly spoke up calmly, "But you, on the other hand, don't seem to know much about us. Are you so arrogant as to think you alone can defeat all of us?"

Swish.

Wado Ichimonji was half-drawn, the sheath and hilt flowing with a cold, white light.

It also illuminated the determined and cold eyes of the Master Swordsman girl.

A Logia-type Devil Fruit user?

If it were back in Loguetown, she might not have been able to handle it, but after more than ten days of rigorous training, she had already mastered Armament Haki and could apply it in actual combat.

She wanted to see if a Warlord of the Sea could withstand her slash!

Xiano had remained silent all this time.

Unlike his agitated crewmates, his gaze at Crocodile was filled only with regret and dissatisfaction.

As a Warlord of the Sea active in this sea area, Crocodile's control over information and intelligence about the nearby islands surpassed even that of the marines.

It was no surprise that he had managed to ambush them first.

But with a large group of subordinates at his disposal, he chose to come alone...

Where's my Candle Poppy, my Crossdresser Poppy, my Bald Poppy?

And most importantly, where's my Arm Poppy?

It was supposed to be a grand feast, a chance for him to indulge to his heart's content, but instead, all I got was this one dish?

This feeling of being underestimated...

"It really pisses me off."

Xiano's lips curled into a grin as he twisted his neck, producing a series of cracking sounds like popping beans. His eyes gleamed with a rare excitement as he stared at Crocodile:

"Hey, everyone, get back on the ship. I'll handle this guy myself. No one interferes!"

——