"Captain, that sounds like Crocodile outside!"
Hearing the crowd cheer, Gin hurriedly turned to Ye Chen.
Ye Chen nodded. "Looks like Crocodile is quite something. All these people are cheering for him. Not just anyone gets a welcome like that."
When Ye Chen and the others stepped out of the bathhouse, the sight stunned them. The streets were packed. People filled the trees and rooftops along the road, and every window in the surrounding buildings stood open.
There were people everywhere, a dense, surging sea of faces that stretched beyond sight.
They were all cheering Crocodile on. Before he had even made a move, the Black Dog Pirates were terrified.
The sheer number of onlookers weighed on them, leaving them almost too stifled to breathe.
Ye Chen shook his head. No wonder Melo had been so excited earlier. The people here practically worshipped Crocodile. Not even their king could have commanded a crowd like this.
Crocodile suddenly raised his head. His sharp gaze snapped toward Mason, sending a chill down Mason's spine. Mason began to tremble.
"Do you know where you are? You arrogant pirates have unsettled the people here. As long as I'm around, no one gets to run wild in this place."
Before Crocodile had finished speaking, the crowd erupted. Again and again, they shouted his name. The roar went on without end, and Mason and his men broke out in cold sweats, trembling harder than ever.
Crocodile walked slowly toward Mason. The pressure of his approach was like an invisible mountain bearing down on him, relentless and impossible to resist.
Mason turned and ran. All he could think about was getting away. He no longer dared fight Crocodile; that overwhelming presence alone had shattered his courage.
But escaping would not be so easy. A dark figure flashed