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The battleship carved through the waves, leaving Dressrosa in its wake. Slo pushed the helm to full throttle; after a quick glance at the Eternal Pose, he steered the massive vessel toward the treacherous waters of Punk Hazard.
"Douglas Bullet is a terrifying man! He's also the strongest person I've encountered since setting out to sea." As Crocodile recalled that battle, his voice unconsciously grew low.
Despite being a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, that man had been the most troublesome opponent he had ever faced. The battle ended without a clear victor. In a way, Crocodile's rise to fame had come from that clash with Bullet.
"Looks like that fight left a deep impression on you," Kojin said with a smile. "But if we can subdue him, our team will undoubtedly grow stronger!"
Crocodile took a drag from his cigar, paused for a moment, then spoke again.
"No matter what you plan to do in the future, you'll need stronger people by your side."
After the fusion of those fragmented memories, he had gradually come to realise that the Marine Rear Admiral standing in front of him undoubtedly harbored enormous ambitions.
Over this period of time, and with them working together, he himself had gradually been subduded by the man's unique aura and overwhelming strength.
Kojin was very young, about the same age as him, yet he had already reached the level of the world's top-tier powerhouses.
'How far would he go in the future?'
It was beyond imagination; Crocodile could only speculate within the limits of his vision.
"Do you have some idea of what I want to do?" Kojin turned his head with interest.
"I can't guess precisely what it is, but I feel you won't ever be content to stay put," Crocodile said with a laugh, exhaling smoke.
"Crocodile Kun, after your memories fused, this kind of change in you... Really surprises me," Kojin sighed.
Before he lost his memory, Crocodile was undoubtedly a genuine pirate, harboring ideals and employing cold and cruel methods. However, after losing his memory, he became just, gentle, and kind.
Now, with both sets of memories fused, a brand-new Marine Crocodile has emerged.
He has his own sense of justice, and his heart is filled with ambition for the future, and when necessary, he can employ ruthless means.
This Crocodile would undoubtedly save Kojin a lot of trouble.
"But for now, you still need to play your role as a Marine properly." Kojin stared at him and said with a light smile.
Hearing this, Crocodile took another drag of his cigar and slowly nodded.
...
Five days later, they arrived at Punk Hazard.
The current Punk Hazard was very different from the original timeline. It was a desolate island covered in lush trees and teeming with wild beasts.
Faint smoke drifting up from the centre of the island made it clear that people had gathered there.
"Crocodile San, the two of us going should be enough," Kojin said.
Crocodile nodded.
"After all, our purpose this time isn't to fight."
Kojin leapt down from the bow, leaving footprints in the sand as he walked towards the island.
Crocodile followed closely behind.
One after the other, the two of them quickly entered the forest. Following the direction indicated by the smoke, they soon saw a group of pirates gathered around a campfire in the jungle. They had a gloomy aura and were silent and oppressive.
At the very center sat a man with a massive, powerful build, seated quietly like a heavy iron tower. Most terrifying of all was his ghostly eyes.
He was none other than Douglas Bullet, also known as the Devil's Heir.
Sensing someone approaching, Bullet and the others looked up at once.
When they saw the two of them, they all froze for a moment before a cold light flashed in their eyes.
"Crocodile! So the rumours on the sea were true... you really did become a Marine!" Someone spoke in an icy tone.
All the other crew members fixed their gazes on Crocodile. Only Bullet's pupils suddenly contracted when his gaze landed on Kojin, and a dangerous light flickered in his eyes.
Then, the corner of his mouth split into a grin.
"Finally... I see you again!"
"Kojin!"
The moment he shouted those words, a violent, terrifying wave of Haoshoku Haki erupted into the air. The void itself seemed to twist, and leaves throughout the surrounding forest rustled wildly.
Crocodile's expression grew grave. This aura placed immense pressure on him. However, compared to what he had once felt from Kojin standing beside him, the difference was obvious.
In terms of Haoshoku, Bullet was far inferior to this superior officer.
At that moment, Bullet's eyes were bloodshot. Rage and unwillingness surged endlessly from the depths of his heart, instantly overwhelming him and leaving him unable to see anything but Kojin.
He would never forget that battle.
It had even become a recurring nightmare.
"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time! The shame of that battle... today, I'll finally wash it away!"
His body slowly rose from the seat. Bullet's mouth curled into a ferocious grin, and his fists clenched with loud cracking sounds.
"Hoo..."
Crocodile exhaled a mouthful of smoke, his face solemn and tense.
There was no doubt: Bullet was a terrifying opponent.
In fact, he seemed even stronger than when Crocodile had last fought him.
"I'm really curious to know how you plan to subdue… This devil."
Crocodile muttered inwardly, his gaze shifting to Kojin, who remained calm and composed beside him.
Then, in the next second, Crocodile's heart jolted violently.
His clothes were whipped up by a savage shockwave as a ring-shaped, oppressive aura exploded outwards at terrifying speed.
In the blink of an eye, it covered the entire island.
The purplish-blue backdrop instantly turned jet-black and crimson. Even the ground, rocks and trees around them began to emit continuous cracking sounds as countless fractures spread across their surfaces.
An even more oppressive and terrifying Haoshoku, far surpassing Bullet's, crashed down heavily upon everyone's hearts.
Several pirates near Bullet collapsed silently, losing consciousness on the spot as they were unable to withstand the pressure of this aura.
It was at this moment that Kojin spoke with a smile.
"Bullet! I didn't come here to fight you."
He extended his right hand towards Bullet.
"I admire you. Come and serve under me as a Marine!"
These words left Crocodile stunned. He immediately raised a hand to his forehead. He simply couldn't imagine that this was the method his superior had chosen to subdue such a powerful opponent.
It was just too crude!
Sure enough, the very next second, Bullet's furious laughter rang out.
"You want me to be your subordinate? Then defeat me fair and square first!"
Hearing this, Kojin burst into loud laughter, clenching his fists and knocking them together.
"Then that'll be far too easy!"
(End of Chapter)
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