One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

Anlin was rushing toward the Lawless Zone at full speed, eager to find out who dared to provoke him. Did they think he was too easy to bully? Or was it that he hadn't fought for so long that people started underestimating him? Did they think anyone could lay a hand on his subordinates?

"Faster," Anlin muttered, urging the saber-toothed tiger beneath him. He had captured the fierce wild beast himself in the forest, and it was an incredibly fast runner. He had put in considerable effort to catch it. As he squeezed its flesh, the saber-toothed tiger's face twisted in pain, its eyes showing a fearful expression, before it quickened its pace.

Brrr... A private call Snail rang in Anlin's hand. This was used for contacting certain people, and there was a slightly smaller white call Snail beside it to prevent eavesdropping.

"What's so urgent at this hour? I'm busy," Anlin said, forcing himself to suppress his rising anger.

"Has something happened with your subordinates? The boss wanted me to tell you that the opponent might be one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He just called the Marine base, and Major General Harry has also mobilized. Be careful," the voice on the other end said indifferently before hanging up.

"Seven Warlords of the Sea, Major General Harry!?" Anlin slapped the tiger's head, signaling it to stop. His expression cooled immediately. If it was just one of them, it wouldn't be so bad, but if both were involved, things could get complicated.

"Could this be a trap set specifically for me? Damn Warlords of the Sea, damn marines, always messing with my plans." Anlin hesitated. If he went alone, he might fall into an encirclement. 

"Let's hold off for now. I'll wait until the 'Bounty King' and I reach an agreement and bring the entire wine city under my control. Then, I'll deal with the Warlords and Colonel Harry." Anlin decided not to head out for the moment and to avoid the danger.

"Boss, the Marines are here," Bonis reported, his voice low, looking at the neatly lined-up naval soldiers walking toward them.

"Mm, but Anlin's taking too long. Logically, the wine city isn't that big, and based on the previous call, he should have been rushing to deal with me by now." Rosen furrowed his brow, pondering. Although the call was brief, there was no mistaking it—Captain Anlin was definitely furious. 

Rosen had received the name from Horry, and he couldn't help but think how easy it had been to find out. He had been prepared for a wait, but unexpectedly, Anlin was slower than an entire naval force. Over half an hour had passed already. This didn't add up. The Navy needed to assemble, but Anlin could have acted quickly alone.

Had someone from the naval base tipped him off when Rosen contacted them? It wasn't entirely impossible. After all, he didn't know any of the navy personnel, nor were they part of the original storyline. If the Navy was secretly allied with pirates, that would explain why Anlin hadn't shown up when expected.

"Lord Shichibukai, I am Major General Harry of the Marine Headquarters. Is this the child you rescued?" Major General Harry's expression twisted in disgust as he looked at the disabled children, missing limbs. He had occasionally received reports of missing children but had always brushed them aside as insignificant compared to the more pressing pirate raids. 

Now, however, seeing dozens of children in such a state made him realize his negligence. He had family, and while they lived in the safety of the Navy's military family town, he couldn't imagine the horror of his own child being tortured into such a condition, becoming someone else's tool for profit. If that happened, he would do anything to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"Major, bring the troops and search every corner of the Lawless Zone. Any criminals who resist can be executed immediately. Also, the intelligence officer should keep searching to see if there are more children like these in the streets," Harry ordered his subordinate, a young officer standing by his side.

"Your captain still hasn't arrived?" Rosen's foot was on Horro's head, his face grim, sensing that some conspiracy was approaching. 

"I'm from the Fortress Pirate Group, you can't kill me. If you do... No, no! Please spare me! I'll never do it again, I promise! I'll be a good person from now on, please..." Horro suddenly realized his threats were powerless, but with a fierce will to survive, he was desperate to try every possible way to beg for mercy. 

Why hadn't his captain come to save him? Had all the work he did for him, bringing in money every month, been in vain? His captain, how could he abandon him? What a despicable bastard!

"Handled." Rosen turned to Bones and then walked toward Major General Harry. 

The screams behind him didn't faze Rosen. The more darkness he encountered in this era, the colder his heart became. Some people, after all, were never meant to live as humans in this world.

Major General Harry furrowed his brows as he watched Horro, who had been stabbed in the heart by Bones, fall dead. He felt disgusted. Though Horro was a criminal, he still believed it was the Marines' duty to bring him to justice. The way Rosen had handled things, however, made it seem as if the marine didn't matter at all. 

Thus, despite being a nominal ally, Harry didn't have much trust in Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. If it weren't for the dismantling of the criminal organization, Harry would've avoided dealing with him altogether.

"But I don't know what he's really after now, either," Harry muttered. 

"Take the children and care for them. Also, have someone check the missing persons files and compare. Prepare to notify their families," Harry ordered, his tone practical and reasonable. 

However, the children didn't look happy to see the Marines; in fact, they were afraid. Any child who had been in contact with the Marines before had disappeared, dealt with by Horro. This deep-seated fear from years of oppression was not easily wiped away.

"I… I don't want to go with them," the first little girl who had sold wine to Rosen stepped back slowly, dragging her injured foot.

Harry was stunned. This shouldn't be happening. After all, they were the Marines, symbols of justice and light. Why did the little girl react like this? His heart sank, realizing the bitterness of the situation.

"Wait," Rosen spoke up, sensing something was amiss. 

"What's the matter?" Harry turned to look at the world-famous Shichibukai, perplexed. 

Rosen was the one who had solved the situation with these children. In truth, the Marines' role here was only to help clean up afterward.

"I can't let you take these children just yet," Rosen said after careful consideration. Until everything was cleared up, he couldn't hand the children over to a Marines that might very well be involved with pirates.

Upon hearing this, Harry's face darkened, his hand moving to his sword. "What do you mean by that? You may be a Shichibukai, but this is our territory. I advise you not to harbor any improper thoughts."

Facing the Shichibukai, Harry didn't back down. Behind him was the entire Navy Headquarters. And these children? He would never let them fall into the hands of a Shichibukai, no matter the original intention to save them.

"Do you think the children won't be exploited again? What are you truly after, Crocodile?" Harry voiced his suspicions directly.

"Even if you're a Shichibukai, you can't insult the Navy like this!" Harry exclaimed, his hand drawing his sword.

The other soldiers followed suit, drawing their blades and raising their guns.

The tension between the two sides was palpable, and neither trusted the other. With this, it seemed as though a fight was inevitable. 

(End of Chapter)