One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

"How about the other members?" Valentine mustered the courage to ask.

"Are you concerned about the other members?" Rosen asked, puzzled. While these people were colleagues, there was no emotional connection between them. Apart from their partners, if given an order, any of the colleagues could be killed without hesitation.

"No, not at all," Valentine quickly dismissed her question. Seeing the confusion in Rosen's eyes made her too fearful to ask anything further.

Rosen, however, felt indifferent. Even Crocodile, in the Baroque Works, had no attachment to the organization—it was just a tool. As long as it served its purpose, it was fine. Rosen didn't care. When the time came for the organization to disband, he would issue the order. Most of the people in it were killers or hunters, not exactly good-hearted individuals. Whether they lived or died was irrelevant to him. In fact, disbanding early might even save a few lives.

"You two, what will it be? Will you continue following me, or leave on your own?" Rosen asked. For the first time, he experienced the convenience of his title as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Otherwise, if he were someone starting from scratch and met these two, they might have ended up fighting, considering neither of them was exactly virtuous. But now, they were just two minor figures he could discard at any moment.

"We're willing to continue following the boss," Mr. 5, dressed like a rock singer, and the beautiful assassin Mr. 1 spoke in unison.

"Alright, go prepare. By the way, Mr. 5, when you fight, try not to pick your nose—it's disgusting," Rosen suddenly remarked.

Mr. 5 froze. Why did the boss know about that? Could it be that they were always under surveillance? How terrifying.

Rosen seemed even more mysterious in Mr. 5's eyes.

"Yes, boss," Mr. 5 answered respectfully, though he wondered if there was anything else to do in battle other than pick his nose. Could he pull out his hair? Spit? That was a tough decision.

"What do you think of my decision?" Rosen asked, turning to Daz Bones(Mr. 1). While Daz Bones had shown deep loyalty to Crocodile in the original story, Rosen needed to understand him better. The situation had changed now, and he couldn't blindly trust old intel.

Daz Bones, his face emotionless, thought for a moment before speaking softly, "I'm happy."

"Happy?" Rosen was taken aback. He hadn't expected to hear that word from the cold, ruthless, and distant Daz Bones.

"Yes. I believe that one day you would not be content staying in one country. I always believed you had far bigger plans, but I didn't expect this day to come so soon, and that you'd abandon the Baroque Works we've spent years building," Daz Bones said.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Rosen replied after thinking for a while. Perhaps Daz Bones had been drawn to Crocodile's ambition from the start, which was why he had been charmed by him. If that was the case, his loyalty would be reliable. While not absolute, it seemed unlikely he would betray him.

Rosen understood that he wasn't the kind of person who could win loyalty with overwhelming charisma like Luffy. So, in reality, everything had to be considered carefully. If he was careless, he would end up suffering.

Nothing particularly remarkable happened that day. After spending the day in his office, Rosen decided to take a walk. As he stepped out, he suddenly remembered that he owned a casino. The money that came from it was quick, and he hoped Robin would take some funds with her when she left. She was capable, after all.

"It's Crocodile!" a passerby exclaimed, recognizing Crocodile. Before the plot was exposed, Crocodile was considered a hero in this country, fighting against criminals as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

"Warlord, can I get your autograph?" A young, beautiful rich girl approached Rosen, holding out a small notebook and a pen.

"It seems Crocodile knows how to maintain his public image, and most people in this world are so single-minded," Rosen said, taking the pen. Habitually, he signed his name "Rosen" but upon seeing the rich girl's confused expression, he quickly scratched it out and signed "S. Crocodile" instead.

The girl, overjoyed, looked at the signature as if it were treasure, making Rosen sigh. This country had been ruined by Crocodile, but under his and Nico Robin's manipulation, he had been elevated to the status of a hero. It was laughable, but one couldn't deny that Crocodile was indeed a strategic, capable villain. But from this day forward, that would all be in the past.

"This mess is for Luffy and his crew to clean up," Rosen thought, feeling a headache coming on. To be honest, he wanted to stop the war, and it wouldn't be hard. All he had to do was step forward and admit the truth, but that outcome was unacceptable to him. It would be like committing suicide. The best course of action was for Luffy's group to handle it—whether they took the blame or became heroes didn't matter. At least that way, the war could be stopped. Otherwise, the responsibility would still fall on him, even though it was Crocodile's mess.

"Are you Crocodile?" As Rosen walked out of the casino and strolled along the street, a towering figure suddenly appeared before him. This man was over four meters tall, and Rosen had to look up at him. His body was incredibly muscular, and he carried a gigantic sword on his back.

Rosen estimated that this sword, with a single swing, could easily split a horse in half. Surrounding him were several people, who had clearly been watching Rosen for a while. However, because of the Rain Guard, they hadn't chosen to make their move yet, opting to wait instead. After all, people often believed that sheer numbers could make a difference.

Even without asking, it was clear from their expressions what they intended to do—challenge him. Defeating Crocodile would make them famous worldwide. 

Most people would be intimidated by the title of the Warlords of the Sea, but many bounty hunters or pirates came with an overconfidence that made them think they could defeat such a figure.

"I'm not Crocodile," Rosen shook his head and teased. He wasn't the type to respond to someone obviously looking for trouble. Taking a long drag from his cigar, he flicked the remainder onto the ground, ready for a fight.

"Captain, it's him! Don't let him fool you! Our ship has his bounty posters!" one of the henchmen shouted "smartly."

"Shut up, I'm not blind! Hahaha, looks like my 'Blood Red Great Sword' reputation is too strong. Even the Warlords don't dare to face me. Indeed, the Pirate King will be me! I'll give you a chance—join my crew," Otoras laughed wildly, raising his giant sword, which had red-black streaks, clearly stained with recent blood. It was evident that the owner of the weapon didn't know how to maintain it.

"This world really doesn't allow the truth to be spoken," Rosen thought, unfazed. He didn't rush to attack. Though this person seemed simple-minded, those with simple minds were often the most brutal. In the world of pirates, intelligence didn't always correlate with danger, and ruthless individuals like Otoras were particularly unpredictable. 

Rosen had never viewed this world through rose-colored glasses.

"Seems you're not willing… then you'll die! Once I kill you, I'll be the new Warlord!" Otoras's face darkened, then he burst into laughter, swinging his giant sword down at Rosen.

"Well, if you've got experience but haven't actually fought much, I guess I can practice on you," Rosen said, making no move to dodge. Instead, he raised his left hand, and with a "clang," the great sword crashed against his golden hook. Sparks flew.

"Ha!" Otoras roared, trying to overpower Rosen with brute strength, but Rosen felt almost no pressure. He didn't even move his stance. Clearly, Otoras was just another minor nuisance.

At this point, Crocodile's bounty would be over 160 million berries at the very least. Originally, the author had said that his minimum bounty was at least double that. A bounty of two to three hundred million berries wasn't out of the question. However, bounty doesn't always reflect strength, since it's a combination of factors like power and danger.

In the earlier days, how many pirates even had a bounty over 100 million?

Of course, Crocodile was not an easy opponent to come across. 

(End of Chapter)