By spreading rumors, he had harvested the trust of Alabasta's people;
By interfering with regional rainfall, he had gradually destroyed the Nefertari Royal Family's prestige among its subjects;
And with the help of the historian who had willingly joined him, the Devil Child, he had reached for the ancient weapons strictly forbidden by the World Government!
If not for the Straw Hat Boy's merciless fists, Crocodile might actually have found Pluton and fought his way back into the New World!
But...
"You're too weak yourself. No wonder you can't get anything done!"
Adrian silently snarked, then called Lumi over and had Lumi store the Nether Abyss inside the Impenetrable Fortress.
He disembarked and went ashore.
After making his way through Nanohana Port for a while, he quickly learned the location of the lair belonging to the man who had begun making a name for himself as a "Hero."
Entering Ghostification, Adrian soared into the sky and flew toward Rainbase's location as he remembered it.
With the Ghost Body's tremendous speed, he left Nanohana Port behind in the blink of an eye and reached a vast desert.
Adrian's gaze lingered briefly on the boundless desert below.
"An endless desert like this must give the Sand-Sand Fruit an unimaginable boost.
"Even with such an absurdly overpowered buff, Crocodile still got his ass kicked by Luffy before he even learned Gear Second...
"Honestly, Crocodile holding his own against everyone during the Paramount War really makes no sense!"
Just then.
A swirling mass of sand carrying the presence of a living being approached from ahead.
It was Crocodile, riding the wind and sand as he headed from Rain Dinners toward Nanohana Port.
"Well! What a coincidence!"
Adrian stopped in midair, folded his arms, and calmly regarded the figure opposite him.
"Crocodile of the Shichibukai.