One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

The situation was far simpler than Rosen had anticipated. Watching the three main Straw Hat Pirates lying on the ground, struggling to move, he realized that there were no great miracles here—just overwhelming strength, combined with enough caution. From the moment the battle began, the outcome had already been decided. 

"Damn it..." Luffy struggled to rise from the ground, his body covered in cuts, though none appeared fatal. Zoro and Sanji hadn't even managed to get up yet, and it was a small miracle they were still conscious. But how could Crocodile be this strong? Was this what being a Warlord of the Sea was like? No resistance at all? 

Zoro, unwilling to accept defeat, propped himself up on his sword and slowly began to rise. Rosen merely watched indifferently. At this point, even if Luffy and the two others fought together, there was no chance they could defeat him. He was too cautious and alert to let anything slip. 

But defeating them or killing them wasn't Rosen's goal. He simply needed them to stop bothering him. With the situation in Alabasta, although he hadn't arranged for any undercover spies to stir the pot, things were clearly going south, and there was a high chance of it escalating into a full-scale war. 

"I know you're not afraid of dying, but if you die, who's going to save Alabasta? Isn't your purpose here to help Vivi? Do you think defeating me will help her?" Rosen asked, his voice calm. He didn't want to keep fighting—it served no purpose. Besides, he didn't particularly hate them, after all, they had brought him many moments of emotion. But if they insisted on fighting, Rosen would always prioritize his own life. 

"You're the one who controls everything. If we defeat you, Vivi's country will be saved," Luffy insisted stubbornly, unwilling to be swayed once he'd made up his mind. 

"But I've already abandoned all my operations in Alabasta," Rosen replied. "A civil war is about to break out, and you can still stop it if you act now. But if you keep this up, I can't predict what will happen." He said this, hoping Luffy's bull-headedness would push him toward saving the innocent people of Alabasta. After all, Rosen couldn't just stand by and let a tragedy unfold. And if it did, he would likely be blamed as Crocodile, the Warlord of the Sea. 

"What? A war's about to break out?" Zoro and Sanji slowly rose to their feet. As expected, people in this world could take a beating, but they could only stand for so long. 

"Yes, I didn't come out here for a vacation. I have no interest in Alabasta. Believe me or not, I'm leaving. You want to stop me? Think carefully, stopping me might cause a tragedy in Alabasta." Rosen said, observing the three of them, before leisurely taking out a cigar and lighting it. Now, it was up to them to decide. 

He glanced at Sanji and tossed him a cigar. It was a gesture of politeness among fellow smokers. Sanji instinctively caught it, and in that moment, he realized Crocodile wasn't exactly what he had imagined. He wasn't a typical villain, but he was certainly powerful. 

"What's going on? What just happened?" Usopp stared blankly at the scene, overwhelmed with fear. It was terrifying—three of the strongest on the ship had been beaten by Crocodile. How was this possible? He just wanted to go back to the East Blue... 

"Get over here." Vivi gritted her teeth. Luffy had put himself at risk for her; she couldn't just sit and watch. 

"Think about it... if we go there, won't we be wiped out too? This is too terrifying." Usopp's legs were trembling. The man who would later be known as the "God of Despair" in the face of danger was still a newbie at this point. 

"It looks like they've stopped fighting. They're talking now," Chopper reported to Nami as he observed Luffy and the others. 

"Report to Colonel Smoker! We've spotted a conflict between the Straw Hat Pirates and the Warlord of the Sea outside the harbor," a Marine soldier reported into a Den Den Mushi from a lighthouse on the harbor. 

At a nearby Marine base, Smoker stood with a grim expression. Although he hadn't intercepted the conversation between Sanji and Crocodile like in the original story, he had captured some key members of Baroque Works, like Mr. 1. The information he gathered led him to a startling conclusion: Crocodile was likely working on a plan to "usurp a nation." Though he lacked concrete evidence, Smoker was almost certain of it. 

So, whether it was the Straw Hats or Crocodile, Smoker wasn't going to let either of them escape. He would make sure to bring them all to justice, especially Crocodile, the pirate operating under the government's name. Even if it meant facing punishment from the Marines, Smoker couldn't just let Crocodile continue his schemes unchecked. 

"Gather the troops! Prepare to set sail. We're going after Crocodile and the Straw Hat Pirates," Smoker ordered, puffing out a ring of smoke as he turned to Tashigi. 

"Capture the Warlord?! That's not our—" 

"Shut up! Get the preparations done now!" Smoker barked. Tashigi flinched, but quickly got to work. 

"Luffy, follow your instincts. Am I lying to you? The situation in Alabasta is dire. If you want to fight, I'm always ready, but now, what's more important? Me, or Vivi's country?" Rosen asked, his tone calm but firm. He didn't want to fight Luffy—he needed Luffy to help him distance himself from the impending crisis in Alabasta. 

Luffy, when serious, had an innate ability to discern truth. He could sense that Rosen wasn't lying. 

"Why? You're a bad guy, aren't you? You're the one trying to destroy Vivi's country. Why are you telling me this?" Luffy asked, his confusion clear, but his mind couldn't grasp the full picture. 

"Does the past matter now? What matters is what's happening in front of us," Rosen said dismissively. 

Zoro and Sanji sneered. They couldn't believe it, especially since Vivi could never lie to them. But the man in front of them was clearly different from what they had expected. 

"Who are you really? You're not the same person Vivi talked about." Luffy hesitated, still unsure. If Crocodile were truly an evil monster, he would be unrelenting, but Luffy sensed that this man wasn't as ruthless. 

"It doesn't matter who I am." 

"Crocodile, you're a demon! Don't let him fool you!" The Straw Hat ship approached, and although they were frightened, they couldn't abandon their comrades. 

"Vivi," Luffy called out, and the voice he heard was indeed Vivi's. 

"This is troublesome. Crocodile's identity has left me with quite a mess. Aren't others supposed to be trying to build good relationships with Vivi and Luffy? How did I end up being their enemy? I hope nothing else complicates this further," Rosen muttered, his head starting to hurt. 

The main player had arrived. 

"If you attack again, it won't be just a lesson. And instead of trying to cause trouble with me, aren't you going to do something about Alabasta? Robin, tell them what's going on back home," Rosen turned to Robin, realizing his words might not be enough to sway Luffy and the others, despite them wavering. 

"The rebel army has started gathering forces. The advance units will probably set out soon. If a war breaks out, we might see thousands of deaths. If things get really bad, more than ten thousand people could die," Robin reported, her calm demeanor contrasting with the gravity of the situation. 

The faces of Nami, Vivi, and even Luffy turned pale as the weight of the information hit them. Thousands dead? 

"We're going. Saving Vivi's country is the priority," Nami said, thinking about the devastation in her own village. Even a small death toll had been unbearable. If thousands were to die, Vivi might break down. 

Without further hesitation, she jumped off the ship, dragging Luffy and Zoro with her. Sanji waved but followed obediently. 

"The fight isn't over. I'll fight you again!" Luffy shouted, but his resolve was shaken. Zoro's mood had darkened. Having been defeated by Mihawk before, and now facing such an overwhelming opponent, he realized just how weak he still was. 

"Crocodile..." Vivi gritted her teeth, glaring at Rosen with a gaze full of hatred that made Rosen feel slightly uncomfortable. 

"I won't apologize for the past, but I won't intervene in your country's affairs anymore. I don't owe you anything. If I truly wanted to take over Alabasta, do you think you'd still be alive to leave here?" Rosen said coldly. 

Vivi, taken aback by his words, was left speechless. The contrast between Crocodile's previous actions and his current demeanor left her completely confused. She could only glare at him, harboring her hatred. 

"We're leaving." Rosen said nonchalantly, as everything seemed to be unfolding according to his plan. 

Though meeting Luffy was an unexpected turn of events, the timeline had already been disrupted, and small differences in timing were nothing new. 

"Boss, there are Marine ships approaching from both sides. They're coming in fast," one of the crew members reported from the lookout. 

"Luffy just set sail. They're probably after him." Rosen wasn't concerned. Any Marine ships here were likely after Luffy, and as a Warlord, there was no way they'd be targeting him. 

"Boss, the Marines are coming straight for us, not pursuing the Straw Hats." 

The crew member's tone shifted from relaxed to worried as he observed the ships. 

"Crocodile, the usurper, you can't escape," Smoker's voice rang out as he stood at the bow of his ship, white smoke billowing from his body. The moment their ships came within range, a battle seemed inevitable. 

After all, the threat posed by a Warlord was far greater than anything the Straw Hats could cause. 

"It looks like Baroque Works has been completely exposed. Being Crocodile isn't easy," Rosen muttered, blowing out a puff of smoke. His headache was only getting worse. A simple sea journey had turned into such a mess. 

(End of Chapter)