On the Grand Line, aboard a warship.
Inside a cabin, Barretty sat on the sofa, eating dessert.
At his desk, Sakazuki placed the two Devil Fruits he held into a box and sealed it.
He handed it to Carol and said,
"Take this to Mr. Vegapunk at Punk Hazard."
"Give the Mogu Mogu no Mi to a Pacifista. As for the Gulp Gulp no Mi, let him handle it himself."
"He knows what it's for."
Carol took the two boxes.
"Understood."
*Shua—*
He vanished instantly...
Sakazuki turned back and picked up the newspaper on his desk.
The second page featured Crocodile, thoroughly hailed as a 'hero' by the people of Alabasta.
The photograph in the newspaper was well-angled.
Crocodile's golden hook on his left hand pierced a pirate, held high. Scattered corpses lay on the ground, with countless grateful citizens cheering behind him.
He indeed possessed a different aura...
Of course, this hero, not officially certified by the state, was inherently illegal.
But the entire populace of Alabasta championed Crocodile.
No matter how much the Alabastan royalty disagreed, they could only ignore it and swallow their pride.
Sakazuki let out a soft snort,
"Fools..."
It was unclear whether he was referring to someone specific or all of them...
*Hualala—*
He put down the newspaper.
"Let's go, Barretty."
"Find a deserted island."
--------
Alabasta, Rainbase.
In the resplendent Raindiners Hall, Crocodile, carrying a bag of treasure, casually tossed it onto the floor.
His subordinates quickly collected and carried it away.
It was the spoils from a pirate crew Crocodile had just annihilated.
The surrounding patrons felt a sense of security, looking at Crocodile with admiration.
Crocodile waved his hand dismissively and slowly walked towards the deeper part of the Raindiners.
*Kacha—*
The door to the inner chamber of the Raindiners closed.
Behind the door.
Crocodile's face instantly turned cold.
He proceeded to the basement, which served as Crocodile's secret base.
Passing through the enclosure of his pet crocodiles, he arrived at a vast office.
Slouching in the executive chair, his face showed some fatigue.
It was unavoidable; anyone would grow weary of maintaining a facade for decades on end.
But life had to go on... his goal had yet to be achieved.
Crocodile pressed a button on his desk, and soon, Robin, now a competent agent, entered.
Looking at the weary Crocodile, she said with a slight smile,
"Off to play hero again, Boss?"
At some point, Robin had begun to develop a subtle, dark sense of humor.
Crocodile let out a cold snort, concealing his fatigue,
"How is the Baroque Works coming along?"
Robin chuckled softly,
"The basic structure is in place."
"There are still some stubborn individuals at Whiskey Peak."
"They refuse to join us but are unwilling to leave the place."
"Otherwise, in another two months, it could be officially operational."
After all, under Crocodile's covert efforts, it had become a renowned hub for bounty hunters.
As long as one was powerful and secured a foothold, the endless stream of pirates from the Four Seas passing through meant continuous income...
Crocodile's expression darkened,
"They want benefits but are unwilling to sacrifice their freedom? There's no such thing."
"Ignorant fools."
Saying this, he flicked a piece of paper towards Robin.
On Robin's arm, one section after another grew out, catching the fluttering paper.
It was filled with names of notorious assassins and Devil Fruit users from the underworld.
"What is this?"
Crocodile's deep voice sounded,
"These are selected assassins to recruit into the agency."
"The price for each is listed. If they come, they come. If not, that's fine, no conflict."
"As for those fools at Whiskey Peak, I will deal with them personally."
"You may go."
He finished speaking and closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the executive chair.
Robin responded with a soft "Understood" and withdrew.
After an unknown amount of time.
Crocodile suddenly began to laugh maniacally,
"Hahahahaha."
"So that's how it is..."
"Truly... so foolish..."
"Hahahahaha!!!"
His eyes were bloodshot, and his mouth twisted into a grotesque grin, appearing disturbingly deranged.
The words Robin had spoken, "Off to play hero again," echoed in his mind.
His weariness and frustration suddenly brought back memories of his plan years ago to use the populace against Sakazuki...
As if struck by divine inspiration, many things suddenly became clear.
Why Sakazuki wouldn't care about public opinion and would brazenly humiliate him, the 'national hero,' in front of so many people.
It was because he was strong enough to bury all his recklessness under his immense power.
So strong that he didn't need to care about the opinions of anyone in the world.
And he... for the sake of that 'Ancient Weapon,' donned a disguise, becoming the 'hero' he despised.
Playing the hero every day, looking at those foolish people, the irritation in his heart accumulated, making him almost neurotic, wishing to destroy them at all times.
To destroy these loathsome flies, to make these foolish people writhe in pain and fall, to let this country sink into darkness forever.
"Truly foolish..."
Crocodile sat up, mocking his own past foolish mindset.
Sakazuki probably looked at the populace the same way he did.
As if they could be easily crushed...
Breaking free from the maddening delusion of playing the 'hero,' his aura grew slightly stronger.
"Different altitudes..."
His expression inexplicably turned towards the distance.
His entire demeanor seemed to have become more profound...
--------
New World, Punk Hazard.
In a vast underground secret chamber.
Carol awaited Vegapunk's arrival.
The underground chamber, filled with equipment, wasn't solely occupied by Carol.
There was also a little girl standing still.
Except for her white hair and dark skin, there was nothing remarkable about her. She stood motionless, as if she were not alive.
Late at night.
Vegapunk arrived through a secret passage,
"Apologies for the wait."
Carol smiled,
"Not at all."
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki asked me to deliver this to you."
Vegapunk took it and opened the box.
"I already know."
His eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked at the Gulp Gulp no Mi,
"Good, excellent."
"A truly perfect fruit."
Although he hadn't yet figured out how to use it, the mere potential to synthesize memory metal was praiseworthy.
He put it away like a treasured artifact. Picking up the Mogu Mogu no Mi, he looked at Carol,
"The Pacifista you prepared, you've seen it, haven't you?"
Carol blinked in surprise,
"You mean... that little girl?"
Vegapunk replied,
"That's right, the little girl."
"This is the latest Pacifista developed."
"I haven't decided on a codename yet."
"After all, this is just the first generation."
"And it's not perfect."
"But it's the most suitable for consuming this fruit."