Alabasta Kingdom, Rainy Oasis.
Thunder rumbled through the sky, dark clouds blanketed the heavens, and torrential rain poured down.
Inside the luxurious casino known as Rain Dinners, in a spacious and lavish room.
A man in a black fur coat stood before the glass window. A gold hook replaced his left hand, a cigar hung from his mouth, and a horizontal scar crossed his face. He stared fixedly at the curtain of rain outside as countless thoughts raced through his mind.
His name was Sir Crocodile, known as Sand Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai. He was a household name in the Alabasta Kingdom, a revered hero with an exceptionally high reputation among the people.
That was right! Although Crocodile was a pirate, that did not prevent him from bearing the title of Alabasta Kingdom's hero!
However, the title of hero was merely a tool Crocodile used to fulfill his ambitions!
Long ago, before Roger had become the Pirate King, the young Crocodile had set sail as a pirate, carrying ambition and dreams in his heart.
Relying on the powers of his Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit, he had torn through the Grand Line and charged straight into the New World, challenging powerful foes everywhere.
Back when he had been young and full of spirit, he had even fought Douglas Bullet, then nineteen years old and known as the Demon Heir, in order to prove his strength.
Though neither had ultimately emerged victorious, the battle had still made Crocodile famous...
Back then, pirate bounties were mainly assessed based on how many incidents one had committed that harmed the World Government. It was unlike after Roger's death, when the Great Pirate Era began and the Marines became unable to curb the pirates' devastation, forcing them to start factoring strength and influence into bounty assessments.