Vice Captain

The warships were littered with fresh corpses, and the ships that were sailing were now stranded on the sea.

The Hell Pirates stood in different positions on the deck... some were wiping the blood off their bodies, some were shouting, and some were looking indifferently at the tightly closed hatch not far away.

As a hand pushed open the heavy hatch, everyone's attention immediately focused on it.

The first one to emerge was naturally Oboro.

But the one that follows closely behind is the real focus.

Crocodile wearing prison clothes.

And there's Mr1 Daz Bones following behind him.

Regarding the members of Baroque Works, the Navy is escorting them in batches... quite a few have already been brought back, but the main focus is on these two.

Of course, some escaped and were not captured.

Besides the core members, there are a considerable number of people in Alabasta who are involved with Baroque Works, such as the Million Elders and the Million Elders.

"From now on, he is one of us."

Long clapped his hands and said.

Dom and the others remained relatively calm, clearly having anticipated this outcome.

"I'm joining you only because I need a temporary 'foothold,' or you can think of it as a partnership. If you die one day... or get killed by those guys, I'll leave immediately. Of course, with you as my shield, charging ahead, I can plunder your wealth to my heart's content." Crocodile stared expressionlessly at the group of companions he was about to 're-acquaint with,' and said coldly, "I'm not like these greenhorns, God Slayer."

"No problem."

Long smiled.

He held up a finger, emphasizing, "But remember what you just said: as long as I'm alive, you're a member of the Hell Pirates, and my orders are absolute."

Crocodile glanced sideways, met Oboro's gaze for a moment, and said nothing.

That's considered an implicit agreement.

Then, his eyes darted around and fixed on Enel, "So... it must be him, the guy who lost to Fire Fist Ace recently."

"That's right."

Long nodded slightly. "So you really have been watching us from the shadows all along."

"With a guy like you around, and you still don't keep an eye on things... then all these years I've spent at sea have been for nothing."

Crocodile strode forward, approaching Enel, and stretched his shoulders as he walked. "Useless... if it weren't for him, you would have died several times over."

That's right, Crocodile is cursing Enel.

The words were blatantly disdainful.

"Scum... If it weren't for us, you wouldn't be standing in front of me like this, spouting nonsense."

Enel's face darkened.

There was no outburst of rage, only a murderous aura, his eyes cold and sinister.

Moreover, he himself may not even have realized it.

For the first time, he used 'we' to encompass all members of the Hell Pirates.

Clearly... his state of mind has changed somewhat.

"Hiss..."

Now?

"Is a fight about to break out?"

Upon seeing this, Dorans and the others retreated.

Before they could even process the fact that a former Shichibukai had joined the fray, the situation on the scene was about to become turbulent again.

That was so exciting!

Kaka's eyes lit up, his face beaming with excitement.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, Crocodile will be the vice-captain of the Hell Pirates from now on," Oboro said, hands in his pockets, as if remembering something.

Judging from everyone's reaction, there was no objection.

Firstly, Crocodile has extensive experience and is very strong.

Secondly, Crocodile has extensive experience in managing One Piece crews and forces.

Of course, most importantly, he has a very thorough understanding of the world.

Crocodile agreed to join the Hell Pirates with ulterior motives, which he made no attempt to hide. Having lost his Shichibukai title and being targeted by the World Government, joining forces with the God Slayer was a viable option. He was quite shrewd; if he refused, Oboro would truly kill him... which would be a net loss for Crocodile. Besides, if the sky were to fall, with Oboro, the government's 'third wheel,' protecting him from the shadows, he wasn't in too much danger.

They can also take advantage of the Hell Pirates' popularity to continue earning what they want at sea...

Until the day that something happens to Oboro or he dies, he can leave.

Crocodile clearly didn't trust Oboro that much, and didn't think Oboro was qualified to challenge the Yonko or fight against the Celestial Dragons... What he always wanted was to create an organization with himself at the head, or with him having absolute control, just like Baroque Works.

In his eyes, Long was a valuable scapegoat in the short term.

Both he and Oboro understood each other's thoughts. The latter wanted to use his fame and strength to become an immediate fighting force for the Hell Pirates... Crocodile had no right to refuse. The price he paid was that Oboro was alive, and that the Hell Pirates would absolutely obey God Slayer as long as they were alive.

That's all.

"I killed him... is that okay?"

Crocodile stared at the imposing Enel, a disdainful smile playing on his lips, before turning to look at Oboro.

"You're the first mate... you should set an example and be very tolerant of these crew members... I picked them all out, and my judgment is spot on. They may be a bit weak now, but they will definitely be formidable figures who will make the World Government tremble in the future," Oboro shrugged and joked.

"What you want to do and what you are doing is almost impossible to achieve... From this point of view, as the vice-captain, I don't have as much patience as you... The Hell Pirates don't need trash who can't even reflect on themselves."

Old Sha snorted, his words undoubtedly directed at Enel.

Immediately, his cold gaze swept over Dom and the others, "These guys... you've protected them too well."

"If you don't want to deal with it, I can do it for you."

At this moment, Crocodile was showing signs of a new broom sweeping clean.

"You've gotten into character so quickly..."

Long smiled gently.

"That's really scary..."

Kaka sighed.

"We respect the captain's wishes. Since you are the first mate... then we have nothing to say." At this moment, Dom said coldly, "However, don't think you can act like an old man in front of us. This is a new era now... Moreover, as a 'newcomer' who has just joined the crew, I must remind you that there is an unspoken rule in the Hell Pirates."

"Whoever has the bigger fist has the absolute 'status' and the right to speak."

"Although you are the first mate now, if one day your abilities fail... you will have no choice but to step down from the position of first mate in disgrace."

So... don't speak too soon.

Dom's tone was also very 'sharp', full of confrontation.

That's right.

Long, standing behind Lao Sha, also chimed in mischievously.

"You guys?"

Crocodile remained unfazed, his imposing gaze sweeping over everyone.

Their provocative gazes clearly said... Don't wait until the future, now if any of you want to be the first mate, you can step forward.

It doesn't matter if we all come together.

It has to be said, the Crocodile indeed quite arrogant.