"Woohoo! Souta-nii is amazing!"
Bonney squealed with excitement, rushing straight toward Souta Kiryuu. The moment their captain struck, the battle was decided in an instant. Compared to Kuma's slower approach, this was far more exhilarating.
"You two dragged this out far too long. All of you together, and you couldn't even deal with a single Crocodile," Souta said coldly, glaring at Enel and Kuma. Behind them, Gecko Moria was still stumbling along, even slower than Souta, puffing and panting to catch up.
"Boss-god, if that lizard hadn't run away, I could've crushed him myself," Enel snapped, defiant. He hadn't even unleashed his true power yet, and Crocodile had already chosen to flee—that fact still infuriated him.
"You're far too arrogant. That's why it took you so long to accomplish nothing," Souta rebuked. His gaze shifted toward Kuma. "And you—you had an opening to land a decisive blow, yet you didn't act."
The captain was stern as he addressed them both. Against an enemy of equal standing, the only proper way to fight was to go all out from the very beginning.
Just like when Gol D. Roger first faced Kozuki Oden—he hadn't hesitated. The moment they clashed, Roger unleashed Divine Departure, grievously wounding Oden in a single strike.
That was how one seized control of a battle. Against unknown foes, the only path was to open with your strongest attack, to wound them immediately and take the initiative. From there, everything else would flow easier.
If even your strongest attack couldn't break through, then you knew it was time to retreat.
"..." Kuma didn't argue. Truth be told, his heart hadn't been fully in this fight. He'd been watching to see how Enel handled things instead.
"Enough. Let's leave it here for now. Reflect on this battle carefully," Souta ordered. He grabbed Crocodile's limp body and transformed back into his massive crimson dragon form, soaring into the skies above Rainbase.
Far below, the Alabastan rebels stood frozen in shock. Their so-called kingdom's hero—Crocodile—defeated in a single strike and carried off like spoils of war. Terror and confusion spread like wildfire through their ranks.
"Take me with you, Souta-nii!" Bonney shouted, hopping onto the dragon's back without hesitation. Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit may have been swift and steady, but riding a great dragon through the skies? That was pure magnificence.
As Souta flew off into the distance, Enel dissolved into a streak of lightning, vanishing instantly. Kuma watched Bonney's joyful silhouette for a moment, listened to her delighted laughter, then gave no sign of emotion as he disappeared just as suddenly.
Gecko Moria, after running himself ragged to catch up, arrived just in time to see Kuma vanish and Souta's dragon form disappearing into the clouds. He cursed loudly, spitting every insult he knew, before trudging back the way he came.
Only after the Aralon Pirates had all departed did the rebels rush forward, scrambling to revive the unconscious civilians who had been felled by Souta's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki.
"M-Mr. Crocodile… defeated in a single blow by that god-slayer!" Rebel leader Koza's hands trembled violently. The sheer scale of the power he had witnessed left him shaken to his core. Compared to Souta Kiryuu, he felt like nothing more than an ant.
He realized, with grim clarity, that this world-class outlaw could crush their entire force of one hundred thousand rebels alone. Even a million rebels might not be enough to bring him down.
Rainbase – Rain Dinners Casino
The casino, now emptied by the Aralon Pirates, held Crocodile in chains, locked within a seastone prison cell of his own design.
There, Souta introduced the crew to their newest acquaintance—Nico Robin.
"The Devil's Child, huh? Quite the arrogant title! But your bounty's only seventy-nine million… still less than mine," Bonney said smugly, crossing her arms and looking Robin up and down with the haughty pride of youth.
Robin was taken aback. Before her stood the infamous "Daughter of the Tyrant," Jewelry Bonney, wanted for one hundred forty million berries. And yet… she couldn't have been more than ten years old.
"She had a seventy-nine million bounty at eight years old. At eight, you were still patching your wounds," Souta remarked casually. From Robin's report, the scattered Baroque Works agents would need at least two or three days to regroup.
"So you mean her bounty hasn't risen in over twenty years?" Bonney huffed, clearly irritated. She had shattered one hundred million with her first bounty poster—a feat even the so-called Supernovas couldn't match.
"Bonney-hime has the makings of a future Yonko. I envy you—so young, and already this strong," Robin said smoothly. Her tone was unreadable. Was she truly praising Bonney's potential, or slyly implying that the girl might one day bloat into a woman like Big Mom?
"Of course! I'll be just as powerful as a Yonko!" Bonney laughed proudly, taking the words at face value without a hint of suspicion.
"Captain, I've already sent word to Morgans that Crocodile was behind the Dance Powder plot," Lafitte said with a smile. "Tomorrow, the headlines will scream about how the World Government enabled a Warlord of the Sea to murder allied kings. Naturally, the Aralon Pirates' capture of Crocodile will also make the front page."
He produced a few photographs with a flourish—shots of Bonney sending Crocodile flying.
"Bonney-chan's heroic photos are already on their way to Morgans."
Bonney's eyes lit up with joy. She showered Lafitte with praise for being so thoughtful. Since Lafitte's massacre of the chief judge at Enies Lobby had caused his bounty to skyrocket, Bonney had become increasingly concerned with her own public image. Her pet, the white cloud-sheep from Isla Sheltie, had even learned to use a Den Den Mushi camera—upgraded with Vegapunk's technology, of course.
"Captain, Admiral Aokiji—Kuzan—is already on his way across the seas toward Alabasta," reported Violet, the Glare-Glare Fruit user. At the name, Robin flinched involuntarily, fear flashing in her eyes.
If it had been Crocodile, she would already be doomed. But Souta Kiryuu—lawless, unstoppable, terrifying—if anyone could protect her from Aokiji, it was him.
"Boss-god, let me fight a Marine Admiral! The God's Knights aren't enough for me anymore!" Enel shouted with feverish excitement.
"We'll be staying here for a few days. If Aokiji shows himself, we'll test him," Souta said calmly. He turned his gaze to Capone Bege. "Secure Crocodile. Have you cleared out Rain Dinners completely?"
"Not a single seastone brick left!" Bege grinned. "Crocodile's treasure haul alone puts Gecko Moria to shame. Tens of billions of berries—we struck gold with this one."
Souta's lips curled into a faint smile. "Good. Then let Aokiji come to us. Violet, keep eyes on the movements of the other Admirals and the God's Knights."
At their current strength, the Aralon Pirates could match one Marine Admiral. And Souta saw it for what it was—a perfect chance to drill his crew in true, coordinated battle.
But even one Admiral was no easy prey. This would test them.
And elsewhere, the collapse of Crocodile's reputation as a Warlord would send ripples across the seas. How would the remaining Warlords respond?
Perhaps the time had come to approach Boa Hancock herself. With her mastery of all three colors of Haki—and her beauty that conquered the world—she was destined to be a queen. Souta intended to make her an ally.
...
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