One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

Boom! 

The sandstorm tornado raged uncontrollably, sweeping forward with destructive force, heading straight for Balm, who was charging toward it. 

Balm had cast aside all hesitation, but Rosen's words still made him instinctively glance at Luca. 

Had they joined forces? 

It wasn't impossible. 

Earlier, eyewitnesses had reported seeing Luca personally welcoming Crocodile. 

Damn Marines. 

Always meddling at the worst possible times. 

"Guards of Bordeaux Winery, surround the Warlord of the Sea and his crew! 

"Maris, join me. 

"I'll help you reclaim that woman, and together, we'll eliminate the Warlord. 

"Captain Luca, I suggest you stay out of this—unless you want to make an enemy of me." 

Balm's voice carried across the battlefield. 

Luca's expression darkened. 

At that moment, he seriously considered teaming up with the Warlord to take Balm down first. 

Unfortunately, he knew he wasn't strong enough to stand against them. 

He was self-aware enough to understand that much. 

To deal with Balm, he would have to rely on rare, powerful weapons. 

He had made preparations. 

But he hadn't planned on using them tonight—at least, not yet. 

So, until his trump card arrived, he could only wait. 

Still, if he could play the situation to his advantage, perhaps he could claim the spoils for himself. 

Maris hesitated for a moment. 

Then his gaze locked onto Robin, and old hatred flared in his heart. 

This was the perfect opportunity. 

With Balm's support, his chances of success were high. 

"Skoda, move in! 

"Bring Nico Robin back! 

"I'll have my guards cooperate with Bordeaux Winery's forces." 

"Understood." 

The dark-skinned Skoda nodded before lunging toward Robin—only to be intercepted by Daz Bones. 

The two clashed instantly. 

Meanwhile, Balm tore through the raging sandstorm, his entire body moving like a force of nature. 

In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Rosen. 

His fist, coated in a dark mist, grew even darker. 

That was Haki—Armament Haki. 

For pirates in the New World, knowing at least some Haki was standard. 

Rosen had anticipated this. 

In the latter half of the Grand Line, Haki was as common as breathing. 

Without it, you couldn't stand on the same playing field. 

Unless, of course, you were a Logia-type Devil Fruit user with extraordinary abilities. 

Even without Haki, such individuals had overwhelming natural advantages. 

Rosen was one of them. 

But every time he saw someone else using Haki, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of frustration. 

They could all use it—yet he couldn't. 

"Desert Bastion." 

With a push of his hand, a towering sand wall rose before him. 

Balm's punch slammed into it, shattering the barrier instantly. 

A shockwave erupted from his fist, surging forward. 

Rosen raised his golden hook to block it. 

Clang! 

The impact dented the surface of the hook slightly. 

Rosen's eyes narrowed. 

What kind of ability was this? 

That thin layer of black mist covering Balm's body—was it his Devil Fruit power? 

His mind raced, but his hands moved even faster. 

"Sandstorm!" 

Boom! 

Rosen swiftly retreated, creating distance as his palm pressed against the ground. 

His full power surged forth, causing the entire building to tremble. 

The floor cracked apart, large chunks of rock transforming into sand. 

"The building's collapsing! Get out!" 

Someone shouted, snapping the others out of their daze. 

Most of them weren't strong enough to survive being buried alive. 

A wave of panic erupted as people scrambled to escape. 

Many cursed under their breath. 

But when powerhouses clashed, collateral damage was inevitable. 

Especially with a Logia user involved. 

One wrong move, and you could get swept up in the storm. 

Hundreds of Bordeaux Winery's guards rushed in from the estate's rear and main roads, forming a tight perimeter around Rosen's group. 

Maris fired a signal flare, summoning dozens more men from his faction stationed within the estate, as well as over a hundred mercenaries waiting at the port. 

"Trouble! Move out, now!" 

On Maris' ship, his first mate saw the signal and immediately took action. 

The port erupted into chaos. 

It wasn't just Maris' men—other merchants had also brought their own security teams. 

Ships that had been resting in the harbor came alive as Den Den Mushi calls rang out. 

Even though these banquets had always been relatively safe, seasoned traders knew better than to let their guard down. 

Precaution was essential. 

"What's going on?" 

"Boss is in trouble at Bordeaux Winery. We need to move, now!" 

"Stop asking questions! 

"If we're late, the boss will have our heads!" 

The once-quiet port turned into a battlefield. 

Hundreds of guards, mercenaries, and bounty hunters surged toward the winery. 

Meanwhile, Captain Luca pulled out his Den Den Mushi to call for reinforcements— 

Only to be stopped by Rear Admiral Harry. 

"Luca, now is not the time to mobilize the Marines. 

"If our hidden pirate forces see us move, they might retaliate. 

"This situation could spiral out of control." 

Luca's expression turned ice-cold. 

"You say that like it's a bad thing. 

"You're always so eager to capture pirates— 

"Isn't this the perfect opportunity to round them up? 

"I refuse to sit back and wait for death." 

Luca's tone was sharp. 

He wasn't sure of Balm's stance toward him yet. 

Until he was certain, he needed to be prepared. 

His loyal men had to stay close. 

And he needed to retrieve his secret weapon. 

Luca dialed the Den Den Mushi— 

But Harry slammed his hand down, cutting the call. 

"If you do this, a Marine-versus-pirate battle will erupt. 

"And with a third faction involved, it'll leave Wine City's defenses wide open. 

"If criminals take advantage of the chaos, the damage will be devastating." 

Luca's expression twisted with frustration. 

"Harry, are you seriously blocking me right now? 

"So what if there are casualties? 

"An officer's life takes priority! 

"If we can wipe them out in one go, the credit will be yours too." 

"If you're worried about your safety, I'll personally escort you out. 

"But I will not allow you to deploy the Marines right now."

Harry's reasoning was solid. 

If the pirates saw a sudden influx of Marines, they would assume an ambush. 

Avoiding a conflict in such conditions was nearly impossible. 

Even if the Marines ordered restraint, could a scattered group of pirates be expected to follow suit? 

It only took one mistake— 

One stray bullet. 

One person panicking and firing first. 

Once that happened, retaliation was inevitable. 

No one would wait for an explanation. 

If a pirate got shot, they'd attack back. 

If someone was killed, their crew would avenge them. 

Orders wouldn't matter anymore. 

If that happened, chaos would consume the city, dragging in innocent civilians. 

"Let go." 

Luca's voice was ice-cold as he glared at Harry. 

But Harry refused to back down. 

Luca gritted his teeth in frustration. 

Meanwhile— 

Boom! 

The moment Balm was swallowed by the swirling sandstorm, the entire building collapsed. 

Most people had already fled, but— 

"Damn lunatics! 

"I'm never coming back to Wine City again!" 

One merchant, barely escaping, was still trembling. 

"If I had been even a second slower, I'd be buried alive!" 

"You think that's enough to stop me?" 

Balm emerged from the storm's center, his gaze chilling. 

Since the fight had already begun, he would eliminate the Warlord first. 

Then he would deal with everything else. 

As long as the winery's brewing facilities remained intact, the damage would be acceptable. 

The only flaw in his plan was that he hadn't prepared a strategy beforehand. 

If he had, with his forces and Maris' men, he would have been confident in killing Crocodile outright. 

But now, he had to take a risk. 

Risk was a constant for pirates. 

Balm wouldn't back down. 

Rosen frowned slightly. 

Balm was proving to be a more formidable opponent than expected. 

He glanced at Daz Bones— 

Skoda's combat skills were exceptional. 

Daz Bones was being forced onto the defensive. 

And Robin— 

She was fending off waves of enemies. 

This would not be an easy fight. 

But Rosen wasn't going to back down. 

Balm wanted him dead. 

So he would kill Balm first.

(End of Chapter)