The Last Time, You Were Nearly Beaten to Death

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!

"Kill!"

"Get back here, damn you! Open fire, open fire!"

"Ah~"

As he strolled lazily down the street, Chaos had already witnessed several robberies and shootouts.

Areas 1 through 29 were every bit as chaotic as their reputation suggested.

Pirates, thugs, hoodlums, and thieves were everywhere.

There were also several slave-trading gangs that preyed specifically on anyone caught alone.

Just moments ago, Chaos had seen three fierce-looking men trying to stuff someone into a sack in broad daylight. Unfortunately for them, their target was a tough one, and all three were killed in the blink of an eye.

The most grotesque scenes were commonplace here.

And that was during the day. The night was bound to be even worse.

"Huh!"

Chaos had just exhaled a smoke ring, looking thoroughly relaxed, when he suddenly glanced in one direction.

Through Observation Haki, he sensed a familiar presence.

That guy still hadn't left Sabaody Archipelago.

He turned his bubble car around and darted straight into an alley. The presence was a little far away, in Grove 8.

"Hey, kid! This is a robbery!"

"Hand over your money!"

As soon as he entered the alley, five thugs armed with knives and guns surrounded him, eyeing him like wolves circling a lamb.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

Chaos didn't even bother looking at them. He continued on as though no one were there, while all five thugs collapsed to the ground, their cruel grins still on their faces.

A bloody hole had appeared in each one's forehead, oozing a pale red fluid. Their bodies still twitched from time to time.

After taking his time for more than ten minutes, Chaos traveled from Grove 5 to Grove 8. Along the way, he'd run into seven different groups trying to rob him.

Under the glaring sun, Chaos arrived at a wide-open lot. Not far away, more than thirty pirates were surrounding a man.

"Damn Logia!"

"The captain knows Armament Haki! Cover him with gunfire!"

"Desert Treasure Blade!"

"Ah~"

"My hand! Help me!"

The lot was in chaos. The man being mobbed by more than thirty pirates was none other than Crocodile.

Chaos had thought the guy had already left, but it turned out he was still on Sabaody Archipelago.

"Phew~"

Chaos puffed on his cigar. Crocodile was still young, but Logias really were the strongest Devil Fruits in the early stages. It didn't look like thirty-odd pirates were ganging up on Crocodile. It looked more like Crocodile was the one beating up all thirty of them.

Fortunately, the pirate crew's captain knew Armament Haki. Otherwise, Crocodile would have wiped out the entire crew long ago.

Chaos had no intention of joining the fight. He leaned against his bubble car, propped his feet on the steering wheel, and watched the brawl lazily.

He should've brought some peanuts and melon seeds. A scene like this was only complete if he could snack while watching!

Nearly half an hour later, after yawning several times, Chaos finally saw Crocodile finish off every pirate.

His methods had been rather brutal. Every pirate had been reduced to a desiccated corpse, and even the dirt and stones on the ground had turned into desert. It would probably take four or five years for any plants to grow there again.

Crocodile was certainly good at wrecking the environment.

After dealing with the pirates, Crocodile stood panting and didn't leave right away. Instead, he looked over at Chaos.

Chaos had been standing out in the open watching the fight from close by from the very beginning.

He hadn't even tried to hide.

"It's you!"

A mass of sand gathered three meters from Chaos. Crocodile had watched him for several minutes before recognizing him.

"I did save your life, you know. Couldn't you show a little more respect?"

Chaos rested his cheek on one hand and turned his head toward Crocodile, looking utterly relaxed.

Crocodile couldn't make out his gaze behind the sunglasses.

"Hmph. I could've escaped even if you hadn't stepped in."

Crocodile snorted, sounding a little haughty. Clearly, he wasn't grateful.

"Can you be honest for once? Last time, you were nearly beaten to death."

Crocodile was still just a green kid. He really was kind of cute.

"I'll remember this debt. One day, I'll repay you."

Crocodile's face darkened. He clenched both fists, looking as if he wanted to punch the guy.

No particular reason. Chaos just really annoyed him.

"No need to repay me. Just follow me from now on. You should be glad you're still young. With some proper guidance, you could become a big shot instead of ending up disabled and pathetically giving the protagonist experience points."

Chaos waved him off, looking dismissive.

Crocodile was only eighteen or nineteen at most. He hadn't yet fought the Devil's Heir, Douglas Bullet, or challenged Whitebeard. He still had both hands, and his life hadn't been set in stone.

Chaos was confident that with his guidance, Crocodile would shine even brighter than he had in the original story.

He was a Logia, after all. There was no reason he should be weaker than Sakazuki, Borsalino, or Kuzan.

Even after his potential had gone to waste in the original story, he'd still been able to trade a few blows with all sorts of big shots. With Chaos training him, wouldn't he soar straight up and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun?

He was going to become the most flamboyant man in the world. How could he do that without his own underlings and forces?

"What kind of joke is that?"

Crocodile glared coldly, looking ready to attack.

This guy actually wanted to recruit him as a subordinate. It was downright insulting.

He was the strongest Logia user, destined to make a name for himself across the seas and become a ruler in his own right. How could Crocodile possibly become someone else's underling?

Crocodile was getting anxious—and angry.

Young people had hot tempers. Most of them were arrogant and thought the world of themselves. They hadn't yet experienced setbacks, so they were immature.

Was the pirate world all about fighting and killing?

Wrong!

It was about human connections and having powerful backing!

"If I were you, I'd either run right now or lower my head."

"This world is cruel. Don't you agree?"

Chaos took off his sunglasses and smiled warmly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Crescent Dune!"

Crocodile's expression changed dramatically. He reacted quickly and attacked without a moment's hesitation.

Clearly, Chaos wasn't going to let him off. If that was the case, he'd better strike first.

His right arm turned to sand and formed a massive crescent-shaped blade. Anyone it touched would have the moisture sucked out of them in an instant, leaving behind a desiccated corpse. The dead pirates in the distance were proof enough.

Crocodile was ruthless. Even though Chaos had saved him, he still launched a lethal attack without hesitation.

Absolutely merciless!

No wonder he'd survived this cutthroat age and eventually become a Shichibukai.

Whoosh!

Chaos vanished from the bubble car. The next second, Crocodile's hair stood on end.

Before he could turn into sand, his entire face suddenly twisted into a contorted grimace. He doubled over and spat out blood, agony filling his ruthless eyes.

The ground exploded into a crater. A deafening burst of air split the silence as Crocodile was sent flying, smashing through one red tree after another. After a series of explosions, he landed among the dirt and rubble.

Chaos's golden hair stood on end, and his earrings fluttered. He stood there with both hands in his pockets, looking composed.

As his long, black right leg came back down, Chaos vanished from where he stood.

As for the bubble car behind him, Crocodile's Crescent Dune had already destroyed it.

"Cough, cough, cough~"

Amid the ruins, Crocodile's face turned red and veins bulged as he spat out blood again, soaking his entire collar.

He struggled to his feet, looking utterly battered. It felt as though his guts had been twisted into knots.

That kick had clearly hurt.

Before he could catch his breath, another crisis struck.

Crocodile immediately turned into fine sand and fled the crater. The next instant, a violent explosion tore across the ground in a fan shape, leaving behind a wasteland that lingered for a long time.

Chaos reappeared. Seeing the escaping sandstorm, he kicked out, sending a black crescent-shaped Tempest Kick imbued with Armament Haki hurtling forward without hesitation.

Starting point: deeply devoted (initially indifferent), 100 Qidian coins.