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"In Warehouse No. 3!" Delia burst out, her voice tight with excitement.
The auction house was a maze of numbered storage areas. The Devil Fruit was locked away in No. 8, but her little brother, Samilo, was confined right there in No. 3!
"Lead the way." Crocodile gave a curt nod.
They sped through the back corridors, moving with urgent purpose. When they reached Warehouse No. 3, Delia's face instantly paled: three bodyguards in black were busy clamping shackles onto a young man.
"Stop them, quickly!" She shrieked, panic flashing in her eyes.
Before the last syllable left her mouth, Crocodile acted. Just as before, he commanded the sands, and the three bodyguards were instantly choked and overwhelmed, dropping without a fight.
"Is that all of them?" Crocodile exhaled a plume of smoke from his cigar, watching Delia rush to help the young man stand. His tone was as flat and calm as always.
"Thank you so much! Please, come with me. The other exits are crawling with guards, and there are even World Government agents posted outside," Delia said, supporting her semi-conscious brother as she hurried away, her voice ringing with gratitude.
Crocodile's eyes narrowed slightly as he followed. He knew any auction this big would have serious backing and tight security, but the mention of the World Government still piqued his interest.
They proceeded cautiously and without incident. Soon, they were near an exit. Samilo was quickly hidden inside a large wooden crate, which they pushed along on a wheeled cart. Delia passed several low-level employees who paid her no mind; clearly, she had thought this rescue through, preparing every step.
However, just as they were about to cross the threshold of the auction hall, a shout rang out.
"Stop right there!"
Crocodile's gaze sharpened, a faint, cold edge of killing intent appearing in his eyes.
They were at the back door, an entrance normally used by the lower staff for moving goods. Naturally, security here was meant to be lax, but today it was tight.
A group of men in black quickly surrounded them, their eyes vigilant and cold.
"What's in the box?" the leader barked.
"Josen, this is an important batch of goods requested by the boss himself. It's heavy, so I asked my… my elder brother to help me move it," Delia said, keeping her voice steady despite the sudden blockade.
"Delia, I know you manage Warehouses No. 1 through 10, but anything leaving the premises still needs to be inspected," Josen's voice was icy and unforgiving.
"These are the boss's personal goods. Are you sure you want to check them?" Delia pulled a folded paper from her breast pocket and opened it before him. Josen's expression flickered as he glanced at the unmistakable stamp and signature on the lower-right corner.
"On any other day, I would let you go," Josen said after a tense pause. "But five minutes ago, someone broke in, killed several of our guards, and stole a piece of our merchandise!" He fixed her with a hard stare. "To avoid suspicion, I'll be checking this myself."
His tone was firm, brooking no argument.
"You're doubting me?" Delia raised her voice, feigning indignation.
Josen didn't respond. He simply waved a hand, and the men behind him stepped forward.
Delia's face went white. She had planned everything, investigating her brother's location, getting a legitimate transport order, even risking her life to bring in a powerful pirate. She hadn't accounted for Josen's sheer stubbornness.
"You can't open it!" Delia hissed through clenched teeth, blocking the cart. "These are the boss's goods! No one inspects them without his permission!"
Josen's face darkened further. "Delia, I'm warning you, get out of the way, or don't blame us for what happens next." He then scoffed. "You don't even realize it, do you? Acting this nervous only makes you look guiltier! Now I'm certain, there's something inside that box!"
Delia's expression froze. Her heart plummeted. The mission had gone disastrously wrong.
Just then, a cloud of smoke spread, and Crocodile stepped out from behind the cart.
"We're right at the door. No need for all this childish back-and-forth," he drawled.
The massive crocodile skull on his shoulder seemed to swell, then dissolved into a swirling mass of sand that surged outward.
"Who are you?!" Josen's face twisted in terror as he saw the monstrous power unleashed.
He didn't get to finish the question. The sand consumed him and several guards instantly. A strange, unnatural force followed, and in a sickening moment, their bodies shriveled, turning into desiccated corpses that collapsed to the floor.
"Move! What a waste of time," Crocodile snapped. He grabbed the cart handle and shoved, sending the crate rolling out of the auction house and into the street.
Delia stared, transfixed by the mummified husks on the ground, a cold dread shooting down her spine.
She had met Crocodile by chance, drawn by the enormous number on his wanted poster, then approached him in a moment of reckless courage. But she had never conceived of a power so strange, so terrifying. A whole squad of guards had been turned to dust in the space of a few breaths.
As the two of them vanished quickly into the crowds, an uproar began inside the auction house. Someone, aided by an inside accomplice, had just stolen both a Devil Fruit and a slave! Such audacity, to strike at the auction was a direct slap in the face to the Celestial Dragons themselves!
A short time later, in a small, cramped room, "Thank you. Oh, thank you so much," Delia whispered, intensely emotional. The terror and pressure that had been building finally broke now that they were safe.
"What's the story with the kid?" Crocodile nodded toward the young man, who was now lying on a makeshift bed. Like Delia, the boy had bright, sunny blonde hair.
"He cursed the Celestial Dragons," Delia said, her expression complicated.
Now it was Crocodile's turn to be stunned. The kid was clearly just an ordinary human, without an ounce of fighting strength. And yet, he dared to curse one of the World Nobles?
Crocodile couldn't help but glance again at the unconscious youth.
Just then, Samilo's eyelids fluttered, and he opened his eyes.
"Delia… thank you for saving my life!" Struggling to sit up, Samilo's eyes were full of raw gratitude.
Having offended a Celestial Dragon and then escaping, he knew he owed his life first to his sister's desperate planning and second to the terrifyingly powerful man standing beside them.
"You've got guts, kid," Crocodile said, nodding slightly.
He rarely offered praise, but a young man who had the nerve to insult a Celestial Dragon was undeniably brave.
"I was just filled with hatred. I don't have any strength; if I did, I'd have knocked that fat parasite away!" Samilo clenched his fists.
That "guy" needed no naming; Crocodile instantly knew he meant the World Noble. Amazed, the warlord thought that the boy must have an iron will to even dare to strike a Celestial Dragon.
"What if I gave you that strength?" Crocodile's eyes grew playful as a subtle smile curled his lips.
A bold young man like this, given the right push, could go far.
(End of Chapter)