"Secret Criminal Organization Baroque Works President, Warlord of the Sea Pirate, Sir Crocodile."
"In the name of the Navy Headquarters, directly under the World Government, I hereby revoke your license to attack enemy ships, and strip you of all titles and authority granted by the government!"
Crocodile was defeated. The entire truth was exposed. Under the witness of countless people, the Navy stripped Crocodile of his title as a Warlord of the Sea, pronounced his sentence, and placed him under arrest.
This war, which would be recorded in history, yet was far from worthy of praise, had finally drawn to a close.
In order to conceal the scandal and the facts surrounding the Warlord's attempt to seize a nation, the World Government attributed the destruction caused by this "Pirate's Attempt to Steal a Nation" incident solely to Sir Crocodile. The credit for his subjugation, however, was given to Captain Smoker's Hunter Unit from Marine Headquarters.
Smoker himself and his subordinate, Tashigi, were each rewarded with a promotion.
The world was greatly astonished by this matter.
Captain Hina of Marine Headquarters, an influential officer who oversaw the sea area near Sandy Island, worked alongside Smoker's White Hunter Unit to take Crocodile into custody.
However, the World Government and the Navy, as a precaution, specially dispatched a Vice Admiral from Headquarters to take charge, specifically to escort Crocodile to the Great Underwater Prison, Impel Down.
Aboard Vice Admiral Momonga's Battleship.
"What is that?"
"A person? Flying? It must be a Devil Fruit user!"
"Wait, that man!"
"A W-Warlord of the Sea, Golden Ring Aeridar!"
The Marines on the battleship cried out in astonishment, watching the young man rapidly flying toward them from the sky.
"Settle down! You are Marines who represent Justice!" Vice Admiral Momonga pressed a hand against the hilt of the katana at his waist, sternly staring at the man in the sky as he loudly rebuked the Marines on deck.
Thud.
Aeridar slowly descended, landing on the battleship's bow deck. He chuckled playfully, "Heh heh heh heh~ So strict, Vice Admiral Momonga!"
"Golden Ring. What are you doing here?" Vice Admiral Momonga asked.
"Could you do me a favor, Vice Admiral Momonga? I'd like to see the crocodile," Aeridar said with a grin.
"You should know, he is a military prisoner," Momonga stated gravely.
"Even if a Yonko were to show up, they wouldn't be able to take the man from me." Aeridar spread his hands, a hint of arrogance leaking into his tone.
"Fine, I will personally stand guard above," Vice Admiral Momonga understood Aeridar's implication and nodded in agreement.
"Vice Admiral, sir!"
The surrounding officers and soldiers exclaimed in surprise.
"Vice Admiral Momonga, shouldn't you reconsider…" a young field officer hurriedly began.
"I will take responsibility for any incident!" Vice Admiral Momonga waved his hand to interrupt, then said to Aeridar, "Please, this way, Aeridar-san."
Vice Admiral Momonga gestured and led the way.
....
Second Deck of the Battleship's Cabin.
Thud... thud... thud...
"Crocodile, I came to see you. Aren't you touched? Heh heh heh heh!"
Aeridar strode in, his clear footsteps and laughter echoing in the empty second deck.
Clank! Clatter! Clank! Clatter!
"I wondered why everyone else left. Did you come here to laugh at me, you bastard?" Metal chains rattled, and a deep voice sounded.
Crocodile, clad in a black and white prisoner's uniform and covered in bandages, lay inside a Seastone cage, restrained by five or six chains and shackles all over his body.
"You were up in the sky then, weren't you!" Crocodile glared grimly at Aeridar outside the cage.
"Hmph~ You truly disappoint me! To be defeated by a mere brat just because your Logia Sand-Sand Fruit's elementalization was negated. How badly do you think this reflects on us?" Aeridar countered with a mocking rhetorical question.
"The Straw Hat Kid, huh… The man you remembered," Crocodile muttered.
"Hmph. I thought you would have improved after all these years. I never expected the great Desert Crocodile to be defeated like this, by an obscure brat." Aeridar paced back and forth, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"Stop your insolence! I am not your subordinate, you bastard!" Crocodile was furious, the chains and shackles on his body rattling loudly.
"Are you mad?!"
Aeridar feigned surprise, but his eyes sharpened in an instant. He spoke with a harsh intensity: "Then come teach me a lesson, you damn crocodile! You're a disgrace! You lost! You lost to a greenhorn brat! You ruined my investment of so many years! You exposed a serious flaw in our alliance!"
"Kuhahahaha~ You're the one who's angry!"
Abruptly, Crocodile burst into laughter.
"Hmph."
Aeridar gave a cold snort and turned to leave.
After a long silence, he finally said, "Just stay put in Impel Down. I'll keep your spot open for you. The New Era will arrive soon. You still have your uses!"
"Huh?!" Crocodile was stunned, somewhat confused by Aeridar's words.
Thud... thud... thud...
As Crocodile remained momentarily lost in thought, the footsteps sounded again. Soon, the sound faded into the distance. Aeridar had already left.
"The New Era? That sounds interesting."
Crocodile's low murmur echoed in the empty cabin.
....
New World, Dressrosa.
"The Pirate's Attempt to Steal a Nation incident? White Hunter Smoker? The arrest of Sir Crocodile?"
Doflamingo frowned deeply, looking at the headline of the newspaper in his hand, and a new bounty poster on the small round table beside him. "Oi, oi, oi! What is this? Is this some kind of joke? And what's with this Straw Hat Kid? His bounty is just too ridiculous!"
"I-I-I mean, could it be that this Straw Hat Kid defeated Crocodile? Behehehehe~" Trebol scooted closer, his snot dripping.
"This… might be interesting," Doflamingo picked up the bounty poster, which clearly displayed Luffy's image and an exorbitant bounty of 100 million Berries.
....
Fish-Man Island.
"A Pirate attempting to steal a nation… Crocodile… defeated by the Navy? That can't be right," Jinbe frowned.
After a moment of thought, Jinbe said frankly, "Shouldn't we ask Aeridar about this?"
....
Amazon Lily, Kuja Island.
"Snake Princess, look at this…"
Elder Nyon flew into a palace chamber, holding a newspaper.
"How many times must I tell you! Address me as 'Your Ladyship'!" Hancock grabbed Elder Nyon, saying fiercely.
"Let me down! Let go of me, Nyo~"
Elder Nyon's two short legs pedaled in the air. She quickly fluttered the newspaper in her hand, relenting, "Your Ladyship, the Snake Princess, Crocodile has been stripped of his Warlord title! Nyo~"
"Hmm?!"
Hancock paused, then put Elder Nyon down and snatched the newspaper from her hand, reading it.
"Even though he is a foul man, he was still an ally. I wonder what Aeridar is thinking?" Hancock's delicate eyebrows knitted together. This was the first time she mentioned Aeridar without a mysterious blush on her face.
"The World Government will not stand by and watch the Three Great Powers lose balance. They will definitely choose a successor for Crocodile." Elder Nyon was aware of the Seven Warlords Alliance. "I just wonder what kind of personality this successor will have?"