One side of the banquet.
"Ha ha! Sir Crocodile, having a hero like you truly puts us at ease!"
"Exactly! I heard Sir Crocodile is one of the Shichibukai, a big shot who can speak directly with the government!"
Crocodile leaned back strategically and reservedly accepted their praise.
"Our Lodestar Island is truly fortunate. Not only do we have a great hero like Commodore Longinus, but also a little hero like Sir Crocodile. With them here, those trash pirates would never dare invade us."
Crocodile's smile froze on his face. A little hero? Were these people serious?
"With Commodore Longinus's strength and achievements, he'll sooner or later be promoted to admiral or fleet admiral at Marine Headquarters. When that happens, Sir Crocodile will become a Guardian Deity like the commodore!"
Crocodile's expression stiffened. These bastards were treating him as a backup? It would have been one thing to treat him as a backup, but they actually dared say it to his face!
"I knew it! Sir Crocodile must be a fan of the commodore just like us, which is why he specifically came to Lodestar Island to begin his own legend. He's paying tribute to a legend!"
Bang!
Unable to endure it any longer, Crocodile crushed the wineglass in his hand. Coldness surged in his eyes as flying sand swirled across the ground. Just as he was about to turn those bastards into mummified corpses, an arm settled over his shoulder.
At the same time, a gentle whisper sounded by his ear. "How careless. If water splashes onto sand, wouldn't that expose a weakness?"
Crocodile's body tensed. He had not noticed the person behind him at all, and this man had even pinpointed the weakness of his ability in a single sentence.
"Marine Commodore Longinus, what do you mean by