Watching Crocodile remain completely unmoved, Marine Admiral Sengoku could only feel helpless.
The Marines had already tried to persuade her several times, but she was even more stubborn than a brick wall, rejecting them outright every single time.
Had she decided that Austin would come rescue her sooner or later?
Yeah, at this rate, they would have to let her go eventually...
For the sake of his own achievements, Sengoku had no choice but to come persuade her personally.
"The Shichibukai are an organization created by the World Government to stand alongside the Marines and the Emperors of the Sea. You only need to follow orders occasionally.
"Why refuse such generous terms?"
In Sengoku's view, this was already an extremely lenient policy toward pirates. Not only did it grant them the legal right to plunder, but it also brought them considerable fame.
For the overwhelming majority of pirates, aside from a small minority, it was an incredibly worthwhile choice.
If this had been the old Crocodile, she might really have agreed in order to accomplish certain goals.
But she clearly did not see it that way now.
During the time she had spent following Austin, she had witnessed far too many glimpses of the Heavenly Palace and the daily dealings of the most powerful figures in the world.
It had made her somewhat arrogant—so arrogant that she was nearly awakening Conqueror's Haki.
The mere World Government...
They were nothing but a bunch of trash constantly restrained by Austin.
What right did they have to demand Crocodile's submission?
Not even in name.
Even after Sakazuki's brutal beating, Little Sand clearly had yet to fully recognize the gap in her own strength.
She was still using the "Austin comparison method."
"Then... has Austin joined the [Shichibukai]?"
Seeing Crocodile's gloomy gaze and obvious