Pfft!
A fingertip pierced Crocodile's shoulder, and Conqueror's Haki invaded his body.
It struck him like lightning, leaving his entire body paralyzed.
"Ugh--!"
Crocodile screamed and flew backward, crashing heavily onto the sand.
He struggled to get up, but his body wouldn't obey him.
The Conqueror's Haki raged within him, damaging his nerves and muscles.
Roy walked up to him, looking down at the future Shichibukai.
"How about it? Shall we continue?"
Crocodile lay on the ground, gazing at the azure sky, his eyes filled with confusion and humiliation.
His pride and joy in his strength proved utterly inadequate in the face of these people.
It seems you're still not convinced.
Roy sighed and turned to look at Hawk Eyes.
" Mihawk, show him what real swordsmanship is."
Hawk Eyes drew his Black Blade Yoru, without making any stance; he simply swung it casually.
Buzz--
An invisible slash swept across the desert.
There was no earth-shattering sound, but a distant sand dune silently split in two.
The cut was smooth as a mirror and its depth was unfathomable.
Even more terrifying was that the sand didn't even stir up a speck of dust where the strike passed, as if the air itself had been cut open.
Crocodile's pupils contracted sharply.
Faced with Hawk Eyes's swordsmanship, a death-like fear gripped his heart, even more so than the pressure brought by Bullet.
As for me...
Roy extended his index finger and pointed it at Crocodile.
"Command: Imprisonment."
Crocodile suddenly found himself completely unable to move.
It wasn't the weakness caused by injury, but rather some invisible force that locked him completely in place.
He couldn't even move his eyeballs, and breathing became difficult.
He tried to escape by transforming into his elemental form, but even his Devil Fruit powers were suppressed.
This feeling of powerlessness and fear was even stronger than Bullet's Conqueror's Haki Coating earlier.
This was an ability completely beyond his comprehension.
Roy released him from control, Crocodile collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his face ashen.
"Now, do you understand the difference?"
Roy asked calmly.
Crocodile remained silent for a long time, then finally lowered his head.
"I... I'll join."
But it's only temporary.
If I'm not satisfied after three months, I will definitely leave.
"Can."
Roy reached out and helped Crocodile up.
"Welcome to the team, Crocodile."
Crocodile looked at the excessively young yet terrifyingly powerful captain, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He was indeed planning to join temporarily and then leave once he became stronger.
But what he didn't know was that Roy's Observation Haki had already seen through his thoughts.
Roy didn't care.
He was confident that once Crocodile experienced the thrill of rapid growth, he would never be able to leave the Roy Pirates.
Even if he can't keep him, he still has genetic technology as a backup plan.
Your injury needs treatment.
Roy turned to look at Vera, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion.
" Vera!"
Vera walked over, checked Crocodile's injuries, and took out a special medicine from her medicine box.
"Drink it, and avoid strenuous exercise for three days."
Crocodile took the potion and drank it all in one gulp.
A cool sensation spread throughout my body, and the pain in my wound was significantly reduced.
"What kind of medicine is this?" he asked in surprise.
"My own concoction of healing medicine."
Vera said calmly,
"Three times more effective than the Navy's standard medication."
Crocodile gave Vera a deep look, then glanced at the rest of the Roy Pirates.
This pirate crew is not only powerful in combat, but also has professionals in medicine, navigation, intelligence, and other fields.
It's practically a small army.
The group returned to the Rainbase and stayed at a local hotel. Crocodile needed time to recover from his injuries.
Before the navy discovers their whereabouts,
Roy also plans to rest in Alabasta for a few days.
While I'm at it, I'm also gathering some of the latest intelligence on the South Blue and Bartholomew Bear.
That evening, in the conference room of the Rainbase Hotel, the core members of the Roy Pirates gathered once again.
The newly joined Crocodile also sat down at the table, though his face was still somewhat pale.
But his eyes had regained their former sharpness—although this sharpness now carried a hint of barely perceptible awe.
" Crocodile, now that you've temporarily joined, could you share some basic information about our pirate crew?"
You need to know.
Roy sat in the main seat, his hands crossed on the table.
"First of all, we are the ' Roy Pirates,' and I am Captain Roy, with a bounty of 1.05 billion Beli."
Crocodile nodded; he already knew this number after the battle and upon returning to his base.
Roy introduced them one by one, "First mate, Douglas Bullet, bounty 980 million Beli."
Combat Commander-in-Chief, Dracule Mihawk, bounty 860 million Beli.
Thunder God Tesoro, bounty 680 million Beli, our 'treasurer'.
Crocodile was shocked as he listened to the astonishing bounty amounts.
These numbers would have been unbelievable in the first half of the Grand Line.
But in the New World, this represents true power and a level of threat.
"Navigator Stella, Ancient Zoan Savi, Cloud-Cloud Fruit Devil Fruit User Enel, Plant-type user Pea, Fish-Man Karate master Charon "
The ship's doctor, Vera; the shadow user, Moria; and the newly joined swordsman Kyros, and his wife Scarlet.
Roy continued his introduction,
"In addition, we have a few... special members on board; you'll meet them later."
"Besides,"
Even the Beasts Pirates from the New World, are our allies.
"You and the Beasts Pirates... are really allies?" Crocodile asked in surprise.
"That's right."
Roy frankly admitted that in order to keep a ruthless figure like Crocodile at bay on the ship, Roy needed to offer him some bait.
"We've established a research base in Wano Country, collaborating with Kaido on technology and sharing resources. However—"
Roy paused,
"Alliance is alliance, but we remain an independent force."
Crocodile understood.
This is a typical alliance of interests, where both sides get what they need, but each has their own ambitions and calculations.
"So, what's the next goal?"
Crocodile asked,
"You just said you were going to the South Blue to find Bartholomew Kuma?"
"That's right!"
Roy tapped his fingers on the table.
"Bear! This person not only possesses the special bloodline of the Buccaneer Tribe, but also has considerable potential."
If we can bring him aboard, we'll gain another valuable asset in the future.
As Roy finished speaking, Stella pulled up a nautical chart.
"The fastest way from Alabasta to the South Blue is to cross the Calm Belt."
However, the Calm Belt Sea Kings, posing a significant risk.
The other route is to travel around the first half of the Grand Line.
Entering the South Blue via the Reverse Mountain is safer, but it takes longer.
"Let's go through the Calm Belt," Roy decided decisively.