"What? Ye Chen went to Whiskey Peak?"
Crocodile was usually unflappable, but the hand holding the Den Den Mushi trembled slightly.
Standing before him, Daz Bones and Bon Clay exchanged a glance. Neither could remain calm after hearing Ye Chen's name.
Daz Bones had not even been a match for Rob Lucci, let alone Ye Chen. It rankled.
Daz Bones was a son of the sea. Cold-blooded and ruthless as he was, he was not a man who accepted defeat easily.
"Is the information reliable?"
A while later, Crocodile hung up, his expression grave. He said nothing, and neither Bon Clay nor Daz Bones dared ask. The room grew so tense that the two of them barely dared breathe.
After another moment, Crocodile picked up a cigar from the desk. His face was grim. Once he had lit it and taken a deep drag, he seemed to feel a little better. "Ye Chen isn't the only one who's appeared at Whiskey Peak. More surprisingly, the assassins sent by the Celestial Dragons have shown up there too."
Both Bon Clay and Daz Bones sucked in a sharp breath at the mention of the Celestial Dragons. Crocodile might not have been among the strongest of the Shichibukai, but his experience and cunning were exceptional. He knew plenty about the Celestial Dragons.
"The Golden Cicada Assassins?"
Crocodile puffed on his cigar, his mind racing. Instinct told him to stay out of it.
With the Celestial Dragons' assassins there, he could not send anyone to Whiskey Peak. Angering the Celestial Dragons would have serious consequences.
But reason told Crocodile he ought to go himself.
If Ye Chen escaped the Celestial Dragons' pursuit, Crocodile would surely be his next target!
After two years of silence, the Grim Reaper Pirates had reappeared and broken through a