Eli Winters stood outside the café with his companions, silently observing the rundown sign that read Spider Café before finally stepping inside.
The moment they entered, Eli scanned the interior with a calm sweep of his eyes. The shop was small and the tables were lined a little too closely together. There were only a few customers scattered around, eating or sipping coffee. But what stood out was not the emptiness. It was the fact that, despite so few customers, three full staff members were bustling behind the cramped counter.
When they noticed newcomers entering, the staff members simply glanced over with cold indifference before returning to their tasks.
Eli let out a faint, knowing smile. Even though he did not remember all their faces clearly, he knew exactly who they were. Members of Baroque Works, hidden in plain sight. He was simply early compared to the story he remembered, which was probably why the emotion-manipulating artist girl was not present yet.
Just then, a soft rustle came from behind the hanging curtain near the counter. A young woman stepped out.
She looked about twenty, radiant with youthful energy. She wore a colorful headscarf, light green glasses, and a fitted black outfit that made her look sharp and confident from head to toe.
With a bright smile, she approached Eli and his group. Her voice was crisp and pleasant.
"Welcome. What would you like to drink? We have rich coffee, refreshing fruit juices, and snacks you can only find in the desert regions."
Eli blinked, surprised.
Wasn't this supposed to be Miss Doublefinger? And where was her signature afro?
Before he could say anything, he felt a sharp jab in his waist.
Filina elbowed him, her eyes narrowed with clear annoyance.
Eli snapped back to reality, looking at Filina with an embarrassed smile. She deliberately turned her head away, refusing to acknowledge him. Then she faced the woman politely.
"Hello, could we each have a cup of coffee and some of your specialty snacks?"
The woman, who truly was Miss Doublefinger in a different hairstyle phase, let out a soft laugh.
"Of course, beautiful lady. But you know, you shouldn't keep your men on too tight a leash. They might run away."
She even winked playfully.
Filina flushed instantly. Her face heated all the way to her ears.
She stole a glance at Eli, only to catch him watching her with a teasing smile, which only made her heart beat faster. She spun around quickly, pretending to chat with Chiyo in an attempt to hide her flustered expression.
But everyone else had already noticed her rosy cheeks. They exchanged looks filled with silent laughter.
Meanwhile, Miss Doublefinger slipped behind the curtain and entered a dim side room. Her steps slowed as she approached a small ornate box. She opened it carefully, revealing a tiny Den Den Mushi inside.
She lifted the snail phone and dialed a number she had long memorized.
The line connected, and the snail's features twisted into the face of a middle-aged man with a deep scar across his face, a cigar clenched between his teeth, and a heavy, oppressive aura.
Crocodile.
The mastermind behind Baroque Works.
Hidden boss of the kingdom.
If Eli were here, he would have recognized him instantly.
Crocodile's voice was low and sharp.
"Speak, Miss Doublefinger. Why are you contacting me?"
She immediately straightened her posture, her voice trembling slightly.
"Boss, the man you told us to watch for has appeared. Eli Winters."
"What?"
Crocodile's calm demeanor shattered. His voice cracked with urgency.
"Where is he? Say it now!"
This Crocodile was still younger, more impulsive, and less composed than the mastermind he would become.
"He is inside the Spider Café right now, Boss. Should we take action?"
"No. You are not his match."
The refusal was instant.
"Do not engage. Do not provoke him. Stall if you must. I am coming right now."
"Understood, Boss."
Not far from the café, inside a plain-looking house, a young woman stood by the window listening to another Den Den Mushi.
She had long, silky black hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders, and she wore a tight, black leather dress that highlighted every curve of her graceful figure.
Nico Robin.
When she heard the name Eli Winters, her expression trembled ever so slightly, and her eyes brightened with complex emotion.
A whisper slipped past her lips, so quiet only she could hear it.
"So you have finally arrived, Lord Eli."
Meanwhile, deep within the desert, Crocodile surged across the dunes in a massive wave of sand, racing toward the Spider Café with desperate urgency.
He arrived before Eli and the others even finished their snacks.
Eli sensed the presence the moment Crocodile stepped inside. He slowly lifted his head toward the door.
The café's worn wooden door creaked open, and a man walked in. Styled-back hair gleaming with oil, heavy fur coat draped over his shoulders, and a golden hook glinting on his left hand. Everything about him radiated arrogance and menace.
The café staff instantly tensed with reverence, but none dared greet him. They kept their distance, fearful of misstepping.
Crocodile swept his cold gaze across the room like a hunting predator until his eyes found Eli's table.
A relieved smile slowly appeared.
He strode straight toward Eli and stopped in front of him.
"You are the one who defeated Whitebeard?"
His tone carried curiosity, disbelief and a challenge.
Before Eli could answer, Big Pan cut in with righteous indignation.
"Who do you think you are? Asking my big bro a question without even introducing yourself? And let me tell you, he didn't only beat Whitebeard. He beat Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido together."
Crocodile stiffened.
It had been years since anyone dared speak to him like that.
He swallowed the irritation, forcing himself to remain calm. He needed this man.
"My apologies, Sir Eli," Crocodile said awkwardly. "My name is Crocodile. Leader of Baroque Works. Your answer is extremely important to me."
Eli suddenly burst out laughing.
"Of course I know who you are. And yes, I defeated Whitebeard. But since I answered your question, I deserve one back. Why are you wearing such a thick fur coat in this heat? Trying to look cool?"
Big Pan and the others burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Crocodile's expression darkened.
"Eli Winters, fight me."
"Relax, I was joking," Eli said.
"No. You must fight me. If I can defeat you, that means I can surpass Whitebeard."
Big Pan scoffed.
"You think you're worthy of fighting my big bro? Don't flatter yourself."
Crocodile nearly coughed up blood from anger.
Big Pan stepped forward.
"I'll fight you instead. Don't worry, I'll hold back. I won't break you."
"You are mocking me," Crocodile hissed.
"Fine. Come. I'll show you my power."
He stormed outside.
Big Pan sighed and walked after him without even picking up his staff.
The moment the fight began, Crocodile's body turned to swirling sand as he launched a massive sand fist that tore through the air.
Big Pan smiled lazily, lifted a hand, and punched lightly.
The sand fist exploded with a thunderous crack, scattering like dust in the wind.
Crocodile tried to rush in under the cover of the flying sand, hook gleaming as he aimed for Big Pan's chest.
Big Pan barely bothered to move.
He simply caught the golden hook in his hand.
"You're not even fun to play with."
Before Crocodile could react, Big Pan tossed him aside like a sack and coated his arms in jet-black Armament Haki.
Then the beating began.
A relentless storm of punches and kicks hammered Crocodile into the ground. In moments, he was bruised, bloodied, and unable to move.
Miss Doublefinger and the Baroque agents rushed over, but they had been frozen earlier by the oppressive aura radiating from Eli's group and dared not move until it vanished.
Crocodile lay sprawled on the sand, staring blankly at the sky.
He had lost.
And this defeat was even more humiliating than the one Whitebeard gave him.
Am I truly this far beneath the monsters of this world?
Can I ever surpass them?
For the first time, Crocodile felt doubt swallow his entire soul.