One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

Rosen didn't feel any shame in admitting defeat. After all, the outcome had been fairly predictable. However, had the fight continued, it wouldn't have been so easy for Ace to win, especially with Rosen having the advantage of the terrain. This skirmish was nothing more than a sparring match; neither Rosen nor Ace had truly fought at full strength. 

"Not going to continue?" Ace asked, slightly confused. He had been fully engaged in the battle and didn't expect it to end so suddenly. 

"I can't beat you," Rosen said bluntly.

"I don't think so. Your attacks were perfect just now. But don't you know Haki yet?" Ace commented. 

Rosen blushed slightly. He couldn't quite respond to that. 'I'm just as desperate as you are…' he thought. 'After Crocodile lost to your old man, he became disheartened and started relying on external means to boost his strength.' He never imagined that after all these years, even Ace was stronger than him.

Of course, Ace wasn't being malicious—he was simply wondering why Crocodile hadn't used Haki in their recent battle. Was it because he couldn't? That seemed strange, given Crocodile's age and experience. Haki was something that would be expected of someone of his caliber. Unfortunately, Rosen didn't possess it… but this was only a temporary setback for him.

As for age, Crocodile's body was certainly no longer young. Yet, despite his age, he still felt a surge of vitality that sometimes made him feel even stronger than when he was younger. But what struck him as strange was that, as a middle-aged pirate, Crocodile was still single. In fact, many powerful pirates in their prime were also alone. "Is it true that the stronger you are, the less likely you are to have a partner?" Rosen's thoughts began to wander.

Noticing Rosen's silence, Ace chuckled, dismissing any concerns. He could sense others' emotions and, given his Conqueror's Haki, he recognized that Rosen meant no harm.

"After a fight like that, I'm starving. Are there any towns nearby?" Ace asked.

"There's one not far from here. Let's go together. It's about time for dinner anyway," Rosen said, pointing in the direction.

"Are you paying?" Ace teased.

"No problem." Rosen had no objections. Though he wasn't particularly fond of Ace, he didn't dislike him either. There was no reason to change anything. The current events were unpredictable, and the future remained an open question. That uncertainty only made things more interesting.

Later, the two walked into a small tavern. As usual, bounty hunters roamed around many bars, so most of them were plastered with wanted posters. But now, with these two figures—one a retired Shichibukai and the other a notorious pirate with a bounty of 550 million Berries—most of the bounty hunters fled. These were not ordinary individuals; Ace's reputation as a member of Whitebeard's crew had made waves across the seas.

After enjoying a hearty meal, Ace bade farewell to Rosen. Naturally, Rosen wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal that his brother, Luffy, was coming to fight him. It had been a chance encounter, and that was all there was to it.

"Still need to put in more effort to strengthen myself," Rosen muttered to himself. "Huh? This is the result of fighting with Ace…" He checked his reinforcement system in his mind. To his delight, his fruit proficiency had increased by 2 points, though his martial arts remained unchanged.

It turns out that as long as one continuously uses their abilities in battle or practice, their proficiency can increase. This was excellent news. Seeing tangible progress like this gave Rosen even more motivation to keep going.

[Physical Enhancement Attributes:

Name: Sand. Crocodile (Rosen) 

Ability: Sand-Sand Fruit User (Unawakened, Intermediate) 

Proficiency: 602/1000 

Martial Arts: Intermediate (Proficiency: 300/1000) 

Haki: None (Proficiency: 0/100) 

Swordsmanship: Beginner (Proficiency: 100/300) 

Reinforcement Count: 1 

Effect: Defense X2, Experience Pack X1 

Next Reinforcement Requirement: Defeat a strong opponent with a bounty over 100 million Berries. 

Reward: Speed X2]

Though other attributes hadn't increased, this was still sufficient. As long as he practiced more, Rosen was confident that his martial arts would improve gradually.

As for defeating a strong opponent with a bounty of 100 million, achieving that would grant yet another speed boost. Too bad he currently lacked the strength to defeat Ace; otherwise, he might have been able to complete this task.

Swordsmanship required talent; whether or not to pursue it was a question for another time. For now, physical techniques and abilities were Crocodile's main areas of research.

Rosen couldn't help but imagine: if there were a chance to enhance a stat like [Devil Fruit Capacity ×1], it would be a dream come true.

"Keep working hard, host. Devil Fruit Capacity ×1, ×2 isn't just a dream," a faint, ethereal voice suddenly echoed in Rosen's mind.

"Holy crap, that's actually possible?" Rosen was stunned, then immediately thrilled. This enhancement system was truly powerful. However, no matter how much he pressed, the system refused to reveal the conditions for achieving that effect.

Still, the mere possibility was enough to set Rosen's imagination alight. If he could eat another Devil Fruit, which one should he choose? The options were overwhelming.

"Heh heh…" Rosen chuckled to himself, his mood visibly lifted.

"Oh my, it seems our boss is in quite a good mood today," Nico Robin suddenly appeared at his side. With her Devil Fruit ability, finding someone in a city was child's play.

"All the preparations for departure are complete, right?" Rosen asked, not denying her observation. After all, he really was in a good mood.

"Yes, everything is ready. However, we only have one ship. Are you sure you don't want to bring the remaining members of Baroque Works? Not even the senior agents?" Robin handed him a small notebook listing the crew's

Robin's meticulousness truly showed. Luffy, don't blame me for stealing your Robin. Without someone knowledgeable, I, Rosen, wouldn't survive long at sea.

By the logic of reality, it couldn't be considered stealing. After all, before joining Luffy, Robin had always been Rosen's secretary. No, he couldn't feel guilty about disrupting the plot. Reality had already diverged from the original storyline; it was time to let go.

As for any trouble that might arise, without Robin being with Luffy, reaching Water 7, or facing blackmail, would she still be taken to Enies Lobby?

Most likely not. Even if she would, Rosen had already mentally prepared himself when deciding to take Robin along.

"No, we won't bring them. From now on, we'll focus on a small but elite crew. Weaklings are useless against enemies with Conqueror's Haki, no matter how many we have," Rosen firmly rejected the idea of including weaker members. A small, efficient crew was sufficient, and gathering too many people would only waste time.

But upon flipping through the notebook Robin had handed over, Rosen was surprised. Even with a simple glance, there were still around 18 people listed—not counting the likes of Mr. 1 and Mr. 5.

"Why are there so many? Didn't I say we'd keep the crew minimal?"

"This is already minimal, Boss. Out of the hundreds of decent people in Baroque Works, only these 18 are here for basic tasks. They're essential crew members, including the cook, general laborers, shipwright, and doctor. Apart from these roles, the remaining sailors are just enough to operate the ship in shifts," Robin explained, slightly puzzled by his surprise.

Fine, Rosen admitted that his initial thoughts were too naive. Influenced by preconceived notions, he had assumed every pirate crew was like the Straw Hats. But realistically speaking, a ship sailing the seas required proper planning—crew shifts, food supplies, medical needs, and ship maintenance couldn't be overlooked.

These were fundamental roles that couldn't be ignored. Without them, the voyage would likely face countless issues.

Thinking about the Straw Hats, although every member was exceptionally skilled, they often lacked proper planning, such as food shortages and solo night shifts (often by Zoro). It wasn't the most comprehensive approach.

"Don't worry, Boss. None of these sailors are Devil Fruit users. That way, if we encounter a storm at sea, we won't end up with everyone drowning because the entire crew consists of ability users," Robin said, resting her

(End of Chapter)