Whoosh~
The gale raged, and an oppressive presence filled the entire archipelago.
A smoke ring drifted out of the golden glow. Within it, a man with slicked-back hair, a cigar between his teeth, and a black leather coat was faintly visible—a real hardcase. Even though his face was unclear, the contempt radiating from his very bones could still be felt.
"Strong Man Paster, you're too weak. You're not worthy of being my opponent."
Crocodile looked at the man before him, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
He thought this Fourth Fleet captain was weaker than the other two and didn't suit his status.
The strongest one should have been his opponent.
After all, he and Strong Man had fought before, though neither had gone all out. They'd only exchanged a few blows.
Back then, the Flying Pirates had been rampant, hunting them down.
But as the chase went on, it turned into a counter-hunt. Strong Man and another fleet captain had cornered him, and that was when they'd briefly crossed blows.
At the time, Crocodile had been beaten like a dog. All he could do was run and spit blood.
That was why Crocodile looked down on those fleet captains.
After all, strong people didn't stoop to ganging up on someone.
Joining others to gang up on an opponent meant you'd already fallen behind in spirit. Even if you won, you'd never reach the ranks at the very top of the pyramid.
That was Crocodile's confidence.
If he encountered an opponent who made him take things seriously, he would never resort to such a tactic. Even if he lost in a one-on-one fight, he could accept it.
He could always go back, train in seclusion for a while, and fight again another day.
If he won, he had to win fairly!