Captain, isn't this a bit too much for Wang Zai?" Tiffany asked, glancing at Wang Zai, who was carrying a mountain of supplies, then back at Fang Yi, who had both hands completely free. She couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the beast.
For some reason, Fang Yi had dragged Wang Zai out of his room even though the creature had been fast asleep. His explanation was simple: he worried that Wang Zai slept too much and that it might be bad for his health.
But to Tiffany, the real reason was obvious—Shanks, the usual pack mule of the crew, wasn't around today, so Fang Yi had pulled Wang Zai along to serve as his tool instead.
And besides, Wang Zai could no longer be called a "dog." "Wolf" might be more accurate—or more precisely, giant wolf.
Though it always seemed to be sleeping, its body never stopped growing. Now, even when walking on all fours, its head was nearly level with Tiffany's. No wonder ordinary townsfolk dared not go near it when it walked down the street.
"It's fine, this weight is nothing for Wang Zai!" Fang Yi waved it off with a smile. "It's just… he always seems so sleepy. That worries me a little."
"Wooo…" Wang Zai gave a low, rumbling call, almost as if to reassure him.
"Wang Zai is just too smart!" Tiffany exclaimed in admiration.
"Of course—he's an important member of our crew!" Fang Yi said warmly.
"Mhm!" Tiffany nodded in agreement.
Although Wang Zai spent most of his time sleeping since she had joined, in those rare moments when he was awake, their interactions were genuinely pleasant. And besides, girls rarely had any resistance to something fluffy and adorable.
But just as they finished stocking up on supplies and prepared to return to the ship, they noticed crowds of people all rushing in the same direction.
"Hey, brother! What's going on over there? Why's everyone running that way?" Fang Yi asked curiously, grabbing a man in traditional Alabasta clothing.
"Ah~ I heard some pirates started fighting over there! Everyone's rushing to see the fun!" the man replied with a laugh.
"Eh? Pirates fighting? Isn't that dangerous? Why would people want to watch? What if they get hurt?" Tiffany asked in confusion.
Even though she was a pirate now, in her mind, most pirates were brutal and terrifying. Normally, ordinary folk would flee at the mere sight of them. This was the first time she'd ever seen civilians run toward a pirate fight.
"Heh… little miss, you must not be from around here. This is Alabasta! Ordinary pirates wouldn't dare make trouble here!" the man said proudly.
Tiffany blinked, still looking puzzled, and turned toward Fang Yi.
"Alabasta is a desert kingdom—one of the stronger nations of the first half of the Grand Line. That's why most pirates don't dare act recklessly here; the kingdom has enough strength to suppress them," Fang Yi explained as they walked.
"Oh, I thought it was because the Marine officer stationed here was especially strong!" Tiffany pouted, sounding annoyed.
To her, it was supposed to be the Navy's job to keep the seas safe from pirates. Otherwise, what was the point of their existence?
"Heh… True, the Navy is the main force against pirates. But not all Marines are righteous—just like not all pirates are evil," Fang Yi replied with a smile. Then, narrowing his eyes slightly, he added, "Still… why do I have the feeling that the pirates fighting over there are Barrett and the others?"
Tiffany froze. Shanks and Barrett had gone to recruit someone—so why would they be fighting instead?
But then she remembered Barrett's personality. Fang Yi's hunch was probably right.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go see!" Tiffany's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Why are you so excited?" Fang Yi asked, following her with a baffled look.
"Ehehe… Didn't Barrett say their target this time was someone who could go toe-to-toe with him? I want to see just how strong that person is! Feels like all the enemies we've met so far can't even let Barrett fight seriously." Tiffany grinned.
Fang Yi couldn't help but chuckle.
True enough—since Tiffany had joined the crew, they hadn't encountered a single truly worthy opponent.
Soon, following the stream of people, they reached the outskirts of the city. The crowd was large, but nobody dared get too close to the battlefield—it was still too dangerous.
"Captain, look! It is Shanks and Barrett!" Tiffany shouted, spotting Shanks' unmistakable red hair from a distance.
But Fang Yi had already noticed the fighters: it was Shanks clashing with none other than Crocodile. The swirling storm of sand made the fight hard to see clearly, but the yellow haze was Crocodile's unmistakable signature.
"Don't tell me… those idiots want to recruit Crocodile onto the crew?" Fang Yi muttered under his breath.
It wasn't entirely impossible. After all, Shanks was no ordinary person—he was a textbook (fake) protagonist template. If anyone could convince Crocodile, maybe it was him.
"What did you say, Captain?" Tiffany hadn't caught his quiet words.
"Nothing. Let's just go see for ourselves," Fang Yi said, shaking his head.
"Why are they fighting?" Fang Yi asked Barrett once he reached him, staying outside the combat zone with Tiffany.
"That brat got excited and wanted to test the guy," Barrett chuckled, arms crossed.
Fang Yi looked more closely at the fight. At the moment, Crocodile had the upper hand, controlling the battlefield with his sand abilities and pushing Shanks into pure defense. But Fang Yi could tell—Shanks wasn't serious yet. If he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, things would flip instantly.
"Gu-hahaha… Red-haired brat! Is this all you've got? Better let your comrades take over!" Crocodile mocked as his attacks kept forcing Shanks back.
Fang Yi smirked. Classic villain behavior—digging his own grave.
Sure enough, Shanks exhaled calmly and smiled. "Looks like if I don't get serious, you'll keep underestimating me."
"Serious? Hah, little brat, you pirates love to talk big. Take this—Desert Spada!" Crocodile swung his hand, unleashing a massive sand blade straight at Shanks.
"Heh… Break!"
Shanks' smile vanished. A tremendous aura erupted from him, and Crocodile's sand attack dissolved instantly, scattering to nothing.
"W-what… impossible!" Crocodile's eyes widened. He hadn't seen Shanks move at all, yet somehow his sand lost all cohesion—as if it had simply stopped listening to him.
He couldn't accept that the boy standing before him was responsible.
But on the sidelines, both Fang Yi and Barrett immediately recognized the truth.
"That guy Shanks… what kind of monster is he? How does he have such terrifying Conqueror's Haki?" Fang Yi muttered helplessly.
Normally, both he and Barrett could suppress Shanks in a straightforward fight. But once Shanks unleashed Conqueror's Haki, the outcome became far less certain.
Fang Yi's skills were powerful, but Shanks' Haki could nullify or resist most of them, drastically reducing his effectiveness. And for Barrett, his raw strength and speed dropped noticeably under the oppressive aura.
As for Crocodile? He was in even worse shape. Haki was the natural counter to Devil Fruit abilities. With Shanks' Haki covering him, Crocodile found his sand powerless—he couldn't even fully turn into sand when struck.
"Damn it… What the hell is this?" Crocodile snarled. He had once roamed the New World, but few at that time had mastered Conqueror's Haki so well. Among the opponents he'd faced, Whitebeard had it—but Whitebeard never even needed it to crush him.
Yet now this red-haired boy was shutting him down completely.
But then, to Fang Yi's surprise, Shanks didn't press the attack. Instead, he stopped.
"Captain, you're here!" Shanks called cheerfully, waving to Fang Yi as if nothing had happened. Then he simply walked away from Crocodile.
"You brat! What's the meaning of this?" Crocodile snarled, his eyes glinting dangerously.
"Sorry, but our captain's here now. And besides… there's no point in me continuing this fight," Shanks said with a carefree smile.
Only then did Crocodile notice Fang Yi, Tiffany, and the massive Wang Zai standing nearby.
"So, you're their captain?" Crocodile asked, turning his gaze to Fang Yi.
He had already fought Barrett and Shanks, both of whom were formidable. If their captain was even stronger, then this man was someone to be wary of.
"So… how far did the talks go?" Fang Yi asked Barrett in a low voice, nodding politely to Crocodile first.
"Talks? There were no talks," Barrett replied bluntly.
"Then why the hell were you fighting?" Fang Yi asked, baffled.
"Ask him." Barrett pointed at Shanks, who was still grinning.
"Hehe… Well, I just wanted to see what kind of guy could fight Barrett evenly," Shanks said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
Fang Yi's face darkened. So in the end, they hadn't been recruiting at all—they just got itchy fists and picked a fight for fun?!