The Late Kizaru, Marine Headquarters Shaken

Amid the crowd's cheers, Luo Wen prepared to take Crocodile away.

Suddenly, Luo Wen stopped and looked into the distance.

A golden flash streaked down from the horizon at incredible speed, landing before Luo Wen.

A three-meter-tall man wearing a cloak of justice over a golden-yellow suit appeared.

Crocodile, whom Luo Wen had been carrying in one hand, could no longer keep up the act and opened his eyes.

"Admiral Kizaru of the Marines, Borsalino!"

"You certainly take me seriously. Too bad you seem to be late."

Seeing Kizaru arrive, Crocodile said with a bitter smile.

After his plan had been exposed, he had expected this.

He just had not expected Luo Wen to take care of him before the admiral arrived.

Crocodile could not help glancing at Luo Wen. This guy was not far from admiral-level strength.

For a Seven Warlord of the Sea like him to draw out these two monsters was at least worth something.

Crocodile found what comfort he could in his misery.

Luo Wen curiously sized up Kizaru. This was his first time seeing one of this world's top combatants.

Unfortunately, aside from that lecherous face and laid-back demeanor, Luo Wen could not see anything special.

Cobra and the senior officers also recognized Kizaru, but they had no fondness for this belated justice.

If they had waited for Kizaru to save them, their tombstones would already have been erected.

Kizaru looked at Crocodile in Luo Wen's grasp, then at the cheering crowd behind him, and fell silent.

He had rushed all the way here, yet he was still too late.

Fortunately, Luo Wen had defeated Crocodile and stopped the conspiracy.

"Oh~, how scary!"

"Newcomers these days really are frightening."

Kizaru tapped the crystal basin beneath his feet and spoke in surprise.

This destructive power surpassed even his Yasakani no Magatama by quite a bit.

This Luo Wen really was surprising.

"Admiral Kizaru, you came here for Crocodile, didn't you?"

Luo Wen twitched at the corner of his mouth. That tone of voice really begged for a beating.

Every other sentence was "how scary," and every other kick was aimed at a Supernova.

This guy isn't going to kick me, is he?

"That's right. I just didn't expect you to handle him on your own."

Kizaru had no idea what disrespectful thoughts Luo Wen was having. He was still marveling at Luo Wen's strength.

This was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, an existence backed by the World Government to balance the Four Emperors. Each one possessed strength beyond that of an elite vice admiral from Headquarters.

Luo Wen had taken Crocodile down cleanly without suffering any real injuries himself.

In the Marines, fewer than five people possessed such ability.

This was no longer merely a promising newcomer. He was a true powerhouse of the seas.

"Frightening young man, could you hand him over to me?"

Kizaru adjusted his yellow glasses and spoke lazily.

"Of course. As long as the bounty is paid."

Luo Wen nodded and casually handed Crocodile over to Kizaru.

Now that Crocodile had lost his status as a Seven Warlord of the Sea, he could naturally be exchanged for a bounty.

After working together for so long, Luo Wen and the Marines had established a basic level of trust. They would not swallow his bounty payment.

"Haha, don't worry, young man. The nearby base will deliver the bounty to you."

Kizaru smiled. He had developed a bit of goodwill toward Luo Wen.

Someone who loved getting paid as much as he did was quite interesting.

With that, Kizaru took Crocodile and flew away in high spirits.

Not bad at all. He had thought it would take some effort, but it had turned out to be nothing more than a trip.

Marine Headquarters, the Fleet Admiral's office.

"You're saying that you didn't make a move, and Luo Wen had already dealt with Crocodile?"

Sengoku stared at Kizaru in disbelief and asked in shock.

Crocodile was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and one of the most troublesome Logia users.

There were not many in all of Headquarters who could defeat and capture him.

Sengoku had already found it outrageous that Luo Wen, who had just entered the Grand Line, could defeat Crocodile's several top officers.

But defeating Crocodile? This was not fake news, was it?

"That's right. Not only did he take care of Crocodile, he wasn't injured at all."

"Little brother Luo Wen really is frightening like a monster!"

Kizaru spoke with feeling, his face looking even more lecherous.

His tone was as exaggerated as ever, but Kizaru had truly been shocked.

"If I remember correctly, he only entered the Grand Line half a month ago, right?"

"He's already grown to this extent? That rate of progress is far too fast."

Sengoku rubbed his temples, feeling a little dizzy.

Since even Kizaru said so, Sengoku believed that Luo Wen had defeated Crocodile.

But this was too absurd. Not even the sensational gossip in the papers dared exaggerate this much.

He had only left the East Blue half a month ago, yet the pirates he fought had leaped from small fry straight to a Seven Warlord of the Sea. The jump was simply too great.

Crocodile's strength was absolutely above that of an elite vice admiral from Headquarters. Only a few people with admiral-level strength could defeat him reliably.

Luo Wen had defeated Crocodile without suffering any serious injuries himself.

Didn't that mean Luo Wen's current strength, even if it fell short of an admiral's, was not far off?!

From debuting in the East Blue to defeating Crocodile, only seven or eight months had passed, yet he had grown this powerful!

Hiss!

Thinking of that, Sengoku could not help sucking in a cold breath.

"Fortunately, he's a bounty hunter. If he were a pirate, we'd have a real headache on our hands."

Chief Staff Officer Tsuru was likewise shocked by Kizaru's words and said thankfully.

In her view, the strength Luo Wen had currently displayed already placed him in the upper ranks of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, while his potential had reached the level of the Four Emperors.

If Luo Wen were a pirate, he would undoubtedly become the youngest emperor of the seas, and the Marines would gain another terrifying opponent they could not deal with.

Fortunately, Luo Wen had accepted the Marines' Hunter License and was currently an ally.

"Now, we should consider what attitude we ought to take toward him."

Sengoku braced both hands against his desk and spoke with a serious expression.

The Marines had valued Luo Wen before, but that had been based on the Luo Wen from the East Blue.

Now that Luo Wen could defeat Crocodile, they needed to value him even more.

A Hunter License ranked alongside a Headquarters colonel no longer matched Luo Wen's current standing. It was even somewhat beneath him.

"Raise that Hunter License's rank to rear admiral and grant him a rear admiral's privileges."

After only a brief consideration, Tsuru spoke.

The Marines currently had nothing with which to win Luo Wen over, so they could only use this method to show how highly they regarded him.

"Fine, we'll do that for now."

Sengoku stroked his long beard and spoke helplessly.

He could not think of a better idea, so this was all they could do.

In Sengoku's heart, even this treatment was not enough for Luo Wen, but it was already the highest authority they possessed.

"Sigh~"

Sengoku let out a helpless sigh.

Why was Luo Wen unwilling to join the Marines?

If Luo Wen were willing to join the Marines, Sengoku would even kneel to make the Five Elders directly grant him eligibility as an admiral candidate.

In Sengoku's eyes, Luo Wen was destined to become a Four Emperors-level powerhouse.

If Luo Wen joined the Marines, he would be enough to usher in a new era.