Disappointment

"You really are pathetic!"

Oak ignored Crocodile's questioning and looked at him with disappointment in his eyes.

Robin saw something in his eyes... disappointment that he had failed to live up to expectations?

She rubbed her eyes uncertainly, thinking it was just an illusion.

"How did you even survive Newgate back then?

Was Newgate paralyzed? That shouldn't have been possible!"

Oak looked at Crocodile strangely. He had no idea what gave someone as weak as Crocodile the courage to challenge Newgate.

More importantly, he had actually survived instead of being slapped to death by Newgate. It was truly unbelievable. Other than Newgate having been paralyzed at the time, Oak could think of no other possibility.

Those words were not particularly hurtful to Crocodile, but they were immensely insulting, practically grinding his pride into the dirt.

"Don't look down on me, you bastard!"

He could not help shouting back.

"I wasn't this weak back then. I could use Haki too, it's just..."

Crocodile stopped halfway through, closing his eyes in pain.

When he had been young, he had just begun making a name for himself in the New World when he foolishly challenged Whitebeard, hoping to seize the title of the world's strongest.

That battle had completely shattered his spirit. Though he escaped, after witnessing Whitebeard's monstrous strength, he believed that he could never defeat Whitebeard in his lifetime. He left the New World in despair, abandoned his own strength, and sought help from external means instead. He wanted to use the legendary Ancient Weapon, Pluton, to gain the power to challenge Whitebeard once more.

But the practice of Haki rested on one principle—unwavering belief was strength!

He had lost his fighting spirit and no longer believed in his own power. Naturally, his Haki began to deteriorate, until he ultimately lost