Strongest Possessor of One Piece

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A few words from Crocodile made Trens even angrier, but he couldn't refute them.

To be fair, the man in front of him hadn't directly killed his companions. But now, hearing Crocodile shamelessly twist the story, claiming he'd actually helped them, made it even harder to accept.

"You, you bastard!" Trens clenched his gun tightly, shaking with rage.

"What? Want to FIGHT me?" Crocodile sneered. "Here? Those two aren't about to stand by and watch you die."

"Don't get cocky, Crocodile!" Jason shouted.

"Enough. All of you, shut up!"

A cold voice suddenly rang out, not loud, yet it echoed directly into everyone's ears, piercing and painful, as if a bomb had exploded right beside them.

"Captain…" Jason's face shifted, and he fell silent immediately.

Seeing even Jason stay quiet, Trens lowered his head too, fiddling silently with his gun.

Crocodile sat next to Rojen, watching the man meditate cross-legged with closed eyes. A flicker of shock passed through his gaze.

That voice… it hadn't even been loud, but it had left his head buzzing, like a bomb had gone off beside his ears.

"This kid… is dangerous. And that big guy, and even the kid with the gun, they all obey him without question… He must have some kind of background…" Crocodile's expression grew heavier as he looked at Rojen, thoughts churning.

And yet, on this guy's wanted poster, there was only a name and a bounty. His true identity, affiliations, even his abilities, completely unknown.

The camel cart continued its slow journey through the desert. By nightfall, the driver finally stopped.

"The night winds here are fast and fierce. In this desert, the nights are the most dangerous. We'll rest until dawn and then set out again."

At his words, everyone got down from the cart.

"Trens, come with me," Jason called.

Trens quickly followed. The two of them walked to the back of the cart. Jason pulled open the curtain.

"Rouge, rest here tonight. We'll set off again tomorrow." Smiling warmly, Jason addressed the woman inside.

She and Lordling slowly stepped down, helped by Trens and the others, and walked toward the campfire that Rojen and Crocodile had already built.

As they sat around the fire, Crocodile's eyes flickered. When he saw Rouge, his expression darkened in confusion.

"A pregnant woman? They're actually bringing along a pregnant woman?"

"Just what kind of group is this…?"

"…Wait. No, something's off."

As Rouge got closer, his eyes narrowed.

"That face… I've seen it somewhere before."

"She's a wanted criminal too. I don't remember the bounty, but I'd never forget that face."

"Trens, go fetch some water from the cart," Jason said again.

Trens answered and scurried off.

"Captain, this Trens kid's not bad. Let's keep him with us," Jason chuckled, sitting down near the fire.

Rojen didn't respond, just smiled and shook his head.

"He's still got his own path to walk. Don't drag him into ours, or you'll ruin his life."

Jason scratched his head in mild embarrassment and dropped the subject.

Soon, Trens returned, passing out water to everyone. But when it came time to give water to Crocodile, his expression turned cold.

"What's the matter? Don't want to give me any, kid?" Crocodile teased.

"You're the kid!" Still bitter, Trens angrily tossed the bottle over.

Crocodile caught it with a grin. As the group sat around the fire, they slowly started chatting.

"Sister-in-law, how are you feeling after all this bumpy travel?" Rojen asked gently.

"I'm fine," Rouge replied. "But… did you all fight earlier?"

"We did. Nothing serious, though, don't worry," Rojen nodded.

"You guys, I'm not too worried about your strength, after all, you're not Marine Admirals."

Rouge was smiling as she spoke, but then her gaze swept over to Crocodile and Trens, and she suddenly paused mid-sentence. Changing the subject, she asked:

"These two new faces, who are they?"

"We can't afford to drag others into this mess."

"That's Trens, a chuuni kid with decent spearmanship," Jason declared loudly, pulling Trens over. "We ran into him on the road and saved him."

As for Crocodile, it was Rojen who made the introduction.

"He's called Crocodile, a pirate."

"Pirate?"

Rouge's eyes narrowed with a puzzled look as she glanced at Crocodile.

From what she knew of Rojen, any pirate he came across was usually killed on the spot. But this time… she didn't press further.

Crocodile, who'd been silently staring into the campfire, had actually been listening carefully to every word.

Having just joined this group, he was eager to understand their lineup, strength, and true identities.

And just moments ago, he had clearly heard the half-sentence Rouge didn't finish. Though incomplete, he quickly dissected its deeper meaning.

"Marine Admirals?!"

"She mentioned Marine Admirals, and even said she wasn't worried about these guys' strength, could it mean they've actually faced a Marine Admiral before?"

"But… how is that even possible?!"

Crocodile was stunned. He knew all too well the power of the Admirals, they were the peak of the world's combat strength. As for himself, he couldn't even muster the courage to stand before one, let alone fight.

Just who the hell are these people?!

"Jason, your strength is impressive, but your technique is terrible."

"Heh heh, Captain," Jason chuckled, "I've always had brute strength since I was a kid, but no one ever taught me, had to figure it all out myself."

"Tomorrow, I'll teach you a set of palm techniques. Fist techniques, too," Rojen said calmly.

"Really?! That miracle training method you taught me last time, I've been practicing every day! I can feel myself getting stronger!" Jason exclaimed excitedly.

"Mhm. This time I'll teach you the Subduing Dragons Eighteen Palms for palms…"

"And for fists, the Arhat Fist."

Jason didn't know the significance of these martial arts, but even just hearing the names gave him a rush of excitement.

"Jason-bro, will Captain teach us martial arts too?" Trens asked curiously from the side.

"Captain's amazing, and he knows so much." Jason grabbed Trens, and the two of them started whispering to each other excitedly.

Rojen had good hearing, he caught every word, and simply shook his head.

Jason, of course, was trying to sweet-talk Trens into joining them, talking about all the benefits of adventuring together.

Suddenly, a loud pop-crackle burst from the fire, and the flames leapt higher.

At that moment, Crocodile finally spoke, his voice low, serious, and pressing:

"…Just who are you people?"

"You don't carry a pirate flag, so you're not pirates. But you're definitely not Marines either!"

Rojen raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

"As you've already seen… we're criminals."

"World Criminals!"

(End Of This Chapter)