"I'll smash that bastard's face into his plate and make him lick every single grain of rice clean!" Samilo growled, his fists clenched, fire in his eyes.
"Hahahahaha!" Crocodile roared with genuine, hearty laughter, clearly impressed by the boy's defiant spirit.
"In the future, if you get the chance, come find me at the Nether Soul Pirates. We'll give you a chance at that power you want!"
"Of course, for now… you'd better focus on running for your lives."
Even as he spoke, a rush of pounding footsteps echoed just outside the flimsy walls of the small house. Delia and Samilo's confident expressions instantly melted into alarm.
Crocodile kicked the door open and stepped out.
His sharp gaze swept over the crowd; no Marines, only the black-clad security guards of the auction house. A predatory grin spread across his face.
"No Marines? Then this will be easy pickings."
He strode forward, his black cloak billowing behind him. The crocodile on his shoulder dissolved, scattering into a torrent of sharp grains of sand that surged toward the approaching mob.
Like a storm of razor blades, the sand slashed through the air. The black-clad guards screamed one after another. Their initial intent to fight vanished, replaced by raw, paralyzing terror.
"A monster! He's a monster!"
Their clumsy gunfire was useless; every bullet met a shifting, impenetrable wall of sand. They couldn't get close, and the swirling vortex of grit tore through them like a pack of wild beasts devouring prey.
From start to finish, Crocodile walked calmly forward. By the time he passed through, the ground behind him was already littered with corpses.
He hadn't even bothered to lift his hook.
At this point, Crocodile's power was more than sufficient to absolutely crush weaklings with sheer, effortless force.
Behind him, Delia and Samilo stood stunned, watching his retreating figure.
"He's so strong…" Samilo whispered, his eyes shining with awe. In that moment, a new ambition was born in his heart, an image to chase, a powerful goal to reach.
Crocodile's figure soon disappeared, but Samilo etched his words deep into his memory.
"Nether Soul Pirates… I'll definitely find them!" He clenched his jaw, his determination hardening.
Moments later, Delia grabbed his arm, pulling him along as they fled the area and left the slaughter behind.
At exactly two in the afternoon, Crocodile arrived at Shakky's Bar.
"Crocodile," Rojen said in mild surprise, looking up from his table where he was drinking with Rayleigh.
"Captain, I brought you something good."
Crocodile tossed a simple wooden box onto the table, then dropped his large frame lazily onto a nearby sofa, a crooked grin on his face.
"What is it?" Rojen asked, puzzled. Rayleigh leaned in curiously, too.
"Open it and see."
Rojen undid the latch. Inside lay a black fruit, shaped like a misshapen melon and covered in deep, swirling spiral patterns that seemed to shimmer faintly.
"A Devil Fruit?" Rayleigh sighed softly.
"Where did you get this?" Rojen inhaled deeply, staring at the strange fruit.
"No need to ask. I know what you're planning tomorrow, eat it," Crocodile said calmly. "At least it'll give you some extra strength."
The normally cold and aloof Crocodile had stolen this Devil Fruit specifically for Rojen. He knew exactly what it meant to face an Admiral-level opponent, and while he didn't know the ability of this particular fruit, any new power could only help.
"Crocodile… I didn't know you had such a gentle side," Rojen's smile widened, genuine affection in his eyes. This fierce, ruthless man, who had once been forced to join their crew, had truly become a part of the family.
"But for now, I can't eat it. Not until we know what kind of power it grants. I can't just go in blindly," Rojen cautioned, shaking his head.
A Devil Fruit's power, especially a Paramecia type, could be completely useless if chosen poorly. A Logia (Elemental) type would be a different story, at least guaranteeing some basic utility.
Crocodile merely shrugged. "Suit yourself."
Rayleigh, meanwhile, stood up and walked to the bar counter. He retrieved a thin, worn book and brought it back.
"The Devil Fruit Encyclopedia?" Rojen's eyes widened in surprise at the words on the cover.
"You still have one of those?"
"I happened to grab it while drinking once. But it's only a partial copy," Rayleigh chuckled.
The book was thin, clearly incomplete, but it was their best shot. Maybe, just maybe, this particular Devil Fruit would be listed inside.
The trio began flipping through the pages, scanning carefully. But after a full ten minutes of comparing entries one by one, their search ended in disappointment.
"Nothing," Rojen sighed, defeated.
"Just eat it. I ate mine directly back then. Let's see what kind of luck you've got," Crocodile urged with a smirk.
Rojen couldn't deny he was tempted. Devil Fruits were the ultimate treasure of the One Piece world. While the cost was the inability to swim, the power they granted was immediate and permanent. Compared to the temporary, one-hour abilities from his system, this would be a power truly his own.
But if it turned out to be useless, the trade-off would be a devastating waste.
"To hell with it. If it's weak, I'll just use the system to train it up myself!"
After a brief hesitation, Rojen made his choice.
"You're really going to do it?" Rayleigh asked, a genuine grin of curiosity spreading across his face.
He had never eaten one, but he knew their potential.
"Yeah."
With that, Rojen picked up the black, spiraled fruit and bit down hard.
"Kacha!"
A chunk of the black fruit came away, and Rojen's face instantly turned a sickly shade of green.
"How does it taste, Captain?" Crocodile asked, his grin widening in anticipation.
"Tastes like… like burnt dirt mixed with raw eggs. Crispy, too!" Rojen gritted his teeth, glaring back at Crocodile, who was clearly waiting for him to break.
"Hahahahaha!" Crocodile burst into unrestrained, booming laughter.
The taste of Devil Fruits was notoriously disgusting, and seeing his captain's twisted, suffering expression was too funny to hold in.
Five breaths later, the Devil Fruit on the table was gone, and Rojen forced down the last piece of flesh.
"So, what's your ability?" Rayleigh asked, leaning forward, genuinely curious.
Crocodile was watching closely as well, eager to see if there were any visible changes.
Rojen's expression turned strange. He smacked his lips a few times, then managed a helpless, bitter smile.
"How should I put it…"
"From now on, I might have to become… a fortune-teller."
Both Crocodile and Rayleigh leaned in closer, even more intrigued. What kind of ability would provoke a response like that?
"Let me show you."
Rojen offered a faint smile.
The fruit's ability was simple, almost crude, yet disturbingly powerful, one that could easily rank among the top-tier Devil Fruits!
Under the two men's intense gaze, Rojen slowly extended a finger and pointed it directly at Crocodile.
"Heed my words, the sofa beneath you shall shatter to pieces."
Crocodile froze.
What the hell did that mean? A curse?
But in the very next moment, his expression shifted to pure shock.
"Kacha!"
He instantly leapt to his feet and whirled around, Only to see the very spot he had just been sitting on split apart, as if dozens of unseen blades had suddenly sliced the sofa to ribbons!
"Zezézé… what an incredible ability!" Rayleigh exclaimed, astonished.
"Is it… a curse?" Rayleigh voiced the exact question running through Crocodile's mind.
(End Of This Chapter)
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