“Release Monde’s men, lock up the rest of the pirates, and Crocodile specifically designated to keep that old man.”
“Mm, I know!”
Marineford, Marineford.
In the Marshal’s office, Sengoku hung up the Den Den Mushi call.
He held a newly received fax in his hand, which contained the profile of a rookie pirate.
Hell Pirates, Captain Skyler.
Originating from South Blue, he was originally just a low-ranking cadre in an inconspicuous small pirate crew.
However, after being captured by a branch commissioned officer of the rank of officer, he escaped while being escorted to the underwater prison and even slaughtered the entire warship.
Marine warships being destroyed happened from time to time, but the nature of what Skyler did was different, and the situation was very severe.
The Tils Pirates had just entered the Grand Line with no veteran powerhouses…
While in South Blue, although the Tils Pirates enjoyed quite a reputation, in the eyes of the Marines, such a group did not necessarily have the ability and qualifications to enter the Grand Line.
Even if they managed to reach the Grand Line by fluke, they would only end up being nibbled away bit by bit by other more powerful forces.
Yet out of such a pirate crew, such a thorny figure suddenly popped up.
It was hard to imagine that Demon skyler could stay on Tils’s ship for a whole year.
It was rare for a newcomer to have such a battle record.
“He single-handedly killed Executioner Monde’s entire crew.” Sengoku narrowed his eyes slightly, crumpled Skyler’s profile paper into a ball, and threw it out.
Inside the room, the bell lamb lying on the side slowly stood up and ate the paper ball that had fallen to the ground.
Thirty-five million!
Barring any accidents…
the government’s bounty on Skyler would once again increase significantly.
The speed of this bounty increase was simply too fast!
Which also illustrated Skyler’s threat!
Sengoku himself originated from South Blue, so he cared somewhat about this Skyler.
Although currently the Hell Pirates only had Skyler alone, the battle-hardened Sengoku knew very well that once such a person grew up, it would be catastrophic.
Whether it was a warship or Long Whale Island, as long as it was a target targeted by him, death was certain.
The only survivor was still a living captive left behind on purpose.
The person who was just on the phone with him was precisely Hina.
For this junior, all the elders in the headquarters believed she had a boundless future, unlike Smoker, the thorn in the side who only knew how to go against the government and the Marines.
“First Ace, then Cavendish, and now another Skyler has popped up…
The upward trend of pirates has become more and more obvious lately.
The Shichibukai, the Four Emperors, Marines and pirates—the situation on this sea had clearly only stabilized not long ago.” Sengoku let out a long sigh and rubbed his throbbing temples.
…
The next day, Grand Line, capital of the Alabasta Kingdom, Alubarna.
In an extremely covert and luxurious underground secret room.
The Shichibukai, Sand Crocodile Crocodile sat on a spacious leather boss chair, right behind him was a giant deep-sea tank, inside which massive shadows flashed past, all of them Marine creatures with astonishing physiques.
He held a cigar in his mouth, expressionless, his cold eyes looking down at the trembling old man kneeling in front of the desk.
This person was fished out by him from the Marines’ hands.
He also learned the entire process of Long Whale Island’s destruction from his mouth.
Monde was his subordinate line; Baroque Works, the rebel forces within the Alabasta Kingdom, all of these needed manpower…
Monde was precisely cultivating elite followers for him.
And now, his own subordinate had been killed by someone…
ignoring his existence.
“What do you think?”
Crocodile spoke up.
“This Skyler clearly knows very well what the result of killing Monde will be, but he still dares to do so, which shows that even when facing you, Boss, he has a certain amount of confidence…
However, he hurriedly left Long Whale Island, seemingly not wanting to fight with us anytime soon, which indicates that, at least for now…
his chances of winning are very small.”
The female secretary standing behind him smiled slightly.
Her voice carried a hint of low-pitched magnetism.
Dressed as a cowgirl, her dark long hair spilled from between her hat, draping down her shoulders, and her tight clothes also perfectly set off her graceful figure.
One of the main character group’s members, Robin.
Now she should be called the Child of the Devil.
“Hmph!
Every year on the vast sea, there are always these blind, self-righteous newcomers!”
“The price of arrogance is one’s life…
Regarding the matter of Long Whale Island, sooner or later he will have to pay the bill.”
Sand Crocodile didn’t look at the old man again, said two cold words, and stood up to walk out the door.
Robin understood tacitly, looked at the terrified old man, and showed a smile: “Congratulations, my boss doesn’t seem to have any intention of dealing with you.”
“Let’s go out.”
“Thank you, thank you…”
Then, the two of them walked away one after the other along the corridor.
However, as they stepped into a section with dim lighting, a spine-chilling scream subsequently rang out.
Robin slowly retreated, intentionally keeping her distance.
She didn’t look at the scene before the old man’s death.
Crocodile called people over just to inquire about that Skyler.
In the city of Alubarna, Sand Crocodile’s identity was extremely sensitive.
The moment the old man stepped into the secret room, it was destined that he would be silenced.
Robin had now slowly adapted…
Years of fugitive life made her deeply aware of how cruel this sea was.
“Hell Pirates, Skyler.”
She took out a photo, her wise eyes flickering slightly, not knowing what she was thinking about.
…
On the other end, over a month later, Skyler finally returned to the estuary where the four seas’ waters met at Reverse Mountain.
This was the starting point of all routes on the Grand Line.
Skyler hijacked a pirate ship—yes, hijacked!
Except for the ship’s navigator, helmsman, and a few laborers, everyone else had died under the blade and their corpses were thrown into the sea.
Skyler wandered around the sea near Reverse Mountain for a few days and found Twin Capes.
He…
saw the lighthouse, and also heard the call of the whale Laboon, as well as the vibration of Laboon crashing against the Red Line underwater.
There was a plot character here who brushed against legends.
The former Roger Pirates ship doctor, Crocus.
As for now, he was just an undistinguished lighthouse keeper, spending his days reading newspapers, paying attention to current affairs on the sea, and living his small life leisurely.
When the pirate ship docked beside the land of Twin Capes, the white house with curling smoke from cooking on the hidden island and the old man in a floral shirt sitting on a reclining chair in front of the house appeared quiet and peaceful.
Pirates were commonplace here.
“If you want to rob an old man like me, I advise you to give up the idea, because I don’t have anything valuable here at all…
If you get lost while sailing, it’s useless to look for me for help…
If you want to sail backward through Reverse Mountain to return to the Four Seas, that’s even more impossible…
If you want to return to the Four Seas, your only choice is to cross the Calm Belt, and if you’re lucky—I mean if heaven favors you—you might make it back alive.”
The area of this land was very small, so when Skyler stepped down from the ship, Crocus saw it clearly.
He feigned reading the newspaper and said without raising his head.
“On you, it’s really hard for me to see the shadow of the past Roger Pirates…
Do you feel that your life is already fulfilled?”
Skyler walked over like he was taking a walk and smiled rarely.
As soon as these words came out, the previously perfunctory bald old man immediately put down the newspaper in his hand.
The eyes under his lenses were somewhat solemn.
“What?
Suddenly don’t want to read the paper anymore?”
Seeing his action, Skyler smiled and said.
“…”
Crocus.