Pirates: Invincible from the Start

Everyone stared at the tall figure in the chair, their faces filled with surprise.

They knew this figure all too well. They had suspected it when they arrived—after all, everyone in Alabasta knew that the Rain Dinners casino belonged to this important man. Yet when their suspicions were finally confirmed, they were still utterly shocked.

After all, he was a true world-class figure!

"Crocodile."

Daz Bones stared at Crocodile. Normally so composed, even he could not help widening his eyes before this world-class pirate, tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Robin turned to look at their reactions, her arms folded across her chest. "Looks like I don't need to introduce him. You should all know his public identity."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Pola reached out and stubbed her cigarette in the ashtray on the long table. Then she sat up straight, turned to stare at Crocodile, and asked, "Why is a pirate from the Shichibukai our boss?"

"Hahahahaha! Now that's a big shot!"

Mikita opened her mouth and laughed.

Gem picked his nose and looked at Crocodile. "So we've been working for a pirate all along! Now that's interesting!"

Daz Bones spoke up as well. "So you're our boss!"

Though they had come prepared for this possibility, Baroque Works presented itself to the outside world as a bounty hunter organization.

Sure, they killed, set fires, sold intelligence...

Sure, they would do anything as long as it made money.

But most of them did not even have bounties!

Now that they had met the company's boss and discovered he was a pirate, their astonishment was perfectly understandable.

Being a pirate was one thing.

Being someone as important as a Shichibukai was another matter entirely.

Crocodile took a cigar from his coat, put it between his