Grand Line – Alabasta Kingdom
In a small town near Nanohana Port, a tall man was surrounded by a crowd of grateful townspeople.
"Lord Crocodile!"
An elderly man with white hair and a hunched back gripped the tall figure's hands tightly, eyes brimming with gratitude.
"If it weren't for you taking down the Bread Pirates, my whole family—over twenty of us—would've been nothing but corpses by now!"
"Exactly!"
A bald-headed old man chimed in, "We were completely hopeless, and then you appeared… I don't even know how to begin thanking you!"
"No need for all this," the tall figure replied with a helpless shrug. He had slicked-back hair and a deep, jagged scar running across his nose. This was none other than Crocodile, who had become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea just last year.
Facing their enthusiastic gratitude, Crocodile raised his hands.
"Alabasta is a World Government member nation, and as a Warlord allied with the Government, taking care of nearby pirates is part of my job. Really, there's no need for thanks."
"How can you say that!"
The elderly man's voice rose with emotion.
"You've only been in Nanohana Port for what, three or four months? In that short time, you've taken out over a dozen pirate crews and saved thousands of lives! Which of the other Warlords has done anything even close to what you have?"
"Exactly!"
The bald old man nodded furiously. "Don't be so modest! If anyone dares say you're not Alabasta's hero, I'll be the first to smash their head in!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Crocodile scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. "Well, if you all insist… then I'll humbly accept it."
"But—"
He glanced at the pouches of money in their hands and quickly waved them off.
"I really don't need this. You should take it back."
"No, please, Lord Crocodile! It's a token of our appreciation—please accept it!" an old woman pleaded, pressing the bag toward him.
"I mean it. I don't need it."
As the crowd continued to insist, Crocodile sighed and scanned the area. Then he stepped forward to the very back of the group—toward a small, skinny girl no older than seven or eight.
"L-Lord Crocodile!"
The girl held up a rice ball she'd made herself. When she saw her savior approach, she lifted it high with shining eyes, full of hope.
Crocodile gently patted her head, then carefully took the rice ball and tucked it inside his coat.
"If I really must accept something, then I'll take this. Compared to money, this is something far more precious."
Everyone stood in stunned silence.
"Well then, I'll be off. See you around, folks~"
As his words faded, sand stirred, and Crocodile waved a hand goodbye before disappearing down the alley, his figure vanishing from sight.
The people at the end of the street fell quiet, watching him leave.
"Lord Crocodile really is just like the rumors say—righteous, noble, and never asking for anything in return," the elderly man finally said, his voice full of admiration.
"Yeah," others agreed. "It's our great fortune to have such a hero in Alabasta!"
But what they didn't know was…
Just a few blocks away, in a shadowy back alley, Crocodile's warm expression had completely vanished, replaced with cold indifference.
"…Pathetic."
He glanced down at the rice ball, crushed it to bits in his hand, and tossed it into a filthy gutter.
Then he looked up at the sky—where several News Coo birds were flying past.
With a casual gesture, one of the birds flew down.
Crocodile bought a newspaper and unfolded it lazily—only for his eyes to lock immediately on the front-page headline.
His brows furrowed tightly.
"Dugalio the Drought… defeated by that kid Nao in the West Blue?!"
He hadn't paid attention to the newspaper for just a few days, and such astonishing news had already broken?
"This guy…"
Crocodile squinted at the front-page photo and muttered to himself:
"Not even twenty… and he's already taking down big-name pirates from the New World. Marine Headquarters really picked up a gem this time…"
A twinge of bitterness crept into his chest—an unfamiliar sense of defeat.
Just a year ago, he himself had stepped into the New World with high hopes. First, he'd fought Douglas Bullet to a draw. Then the World Government had recruited him into the Warlords, and for a time, he was the talk of the seas.
But soon after, he'd been handily defeated by Whitebeard. And not long after that, he ran into a Beasts Pirates ship—where Dugalio gave him a brutal beating and nearly took his life…
That battle crushed Crocodile's ambitions in the New World and sent him retreating to Paradise.
And now, less than a year later, the same Dugalio who had utterly humiliated him had been defeated and captured by that Marine rookie in the photo.
Compared to him… what did Crocodile even amount to?
"…Tch."
Looking at Nao's handsome face on the newspaper, Crocodile's hands involuntarily tightened around the paper.
Since Roger's death, the world had changed too fast. New powerhouses were emerging constantly. It was like sailing against the current—stop for even a moment, and you'd be left behind.
He couldn't go on like this.
A dangerous gleam lit up in Crocodile's eyes. He recalled the ancient desert kingdom and the long-buried secrets he'd stumbled upon by chance.
Originally, he'd only planned to poke around out of curiosity…
But now?
He couldn't let this opportunity slip by—no matter how slim the odds. It was time to draw up a solid, long-term plan and act.
...
Grand Line – A Snowy Winter Island
Howling wind swept over the frozen terrain. Two figures, both exhausted from their fierce clash, sat opposite each other in the snow, panting heavily, eyes locked.
There was a strange sense of camaraderie between them.
"Hey, you've got some serious sword skills."
The red-haired boy in a straw hat tossed a can of beer and grinned. "Mihawk, right? You're way stronger than I expected. You've got what it takes to sail with me! How about it? I need a rower on my ship. Interested?"
"No thanks."
The hawk-eyed young swordsman took the beer, drank a sip, and replied calmly, "I work alone. I'm not in the habit of serving others. Also…"
His brow twitched. "What even is a rower? I've heard of a helmsman, but…"
"Ahahaha! My ship's still small, doesn't even have a rudder!"
Shanks scratched his head and laughed.
"But if you joined, I bet it wouldn't be any slower than those big ships. I mean, we saw it—when we ran into you earlier, even just swinging your sword, you made that whole boat fly!"
…He saw that?
Mihawk's hand froze around the beer can, and he turned his gaze toward Shanks, his eyes narrowing as the urge to kill briefly resurfaced.
But just then, a chubby man in a green-and-white striped vest came running over, waving a newspaper excitedly.
"Hey! Boss! The latest paper just came out—I got a copy!"
"Well done, Lucky Roo!" Shanks' eyes lit up as he jumped to his feet and snatched the paper from his hands.
"…It's just a newspaper," Mihawk muttered, confused. "Why are you so excited?"
"You wouldn't understand," Yasopp said with a smirk, winking at Mihawk.
"Shanks just defeated one of the Seven Warlords—Gecko Moria—yesterday!"
"So today's headline's gotta be a photo of Shanks in all his glory!"
Lucky Roo beamed. "I rushed over the second I bought it—didn't even look myself—just so Shanks could be the first to enjoy the moment!"
"You're all just assuming—"
"Shush! Don't jinx it!"
Yasopp shut Mihawk down quickly as the three of them eagerly craned their necks over the paper.
Then, the next moment—
When they saw the massive front-page photo of a black-haired youth…
They all froze.
"…What?"
Shanks' beaming smile turned to stunned disbelief.
"Huh? Him again? Wait—why did I say again?"
"Headline got snatched, boss," Lucky Roo muttered as he munched on a drumstick. "But it makes sense. The kid beat one of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates…"
"Yeah, 500 million bounty versus Moria's 300 million? No contest," Yasopp said, patting Shanks on the shoulder sympathetically.
"And let's be real, he's a lot better-looking than you. If I were running the paper, I'd make him the front page too."
…Are you guys trying to comfort me or stab me?
Shanks gritted his teeth, itching to beat the two of them senseless. But before he could, Mihawk leaned over for a glance, frowning.
"He's not that handsome…"
Finally! Some justice! Shanks turned to Mihawk with watery eyes. Suddenly, he found Mihawk oddly pleasing to look at…
I must find a way to get him on my ship—force him to demonstrate that legendary rowing technique!
"…It's just that humans and monkeys aren't the same species. Not really a fair comparison."
"…Huh?"
...
South Blue – Sorbet Kingdom
"Daddy, carry me!"
Little Jewelry Bonney—just past her fourth birthday—ran clumsily across the hall and leapt into the lap of her father, snuggling into his soft belly.
Normally, her doting father would drop everything to play with her.
But not this time.
Bonney looked up, confused, and saw her father was holding a thick newspaper, his expression solemn as he read.
Curious, Bonney stood on tiptoe to peek. She couldn't read yet—so she focused on the picture.
On the front page was a breathtakingly handsome black-haired youth, bathed in moonlight, gazing solemnly at the ruins of a shattered harbor.
"…He's so handsome…"
Bonney was instantly captivated by the image, completely unaware that her father's expression had grown heavier as he finished reading.
"So that's the new Rear Admiral from the West Blue… A terrifying monster in disguise."
The king of the Sorbet Kingdom—Bartholomew Kuma—tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his throne and muttered under his breath:
"You chose a reckless time to act, Dragon…"
...
A person's fame casts a shadow.
Dugalio the Drought, a veteran pirate and one of the three Calamities under Kaido, held a position second only to the captain himself.
His name alone sent countless people fleeing in terror.
But now—Nao's name was being spoken around the world, trampling over even the Beasts Pirates' reputation. With Dugalio beneath his feet, Nao had seized the world's attention and become the center of its discourse.
Though he hadn't even stepped into the New World yet, the ripples he caused were massive.
People had already begun comparing him to elite figures like Sakazuki of G1, and Borsalino of G2—naming Nao as one of the most outstanding young leaders within Marine Headquarters.
And yet, at the heart of the storm—was stillness.
After two days of intimacy with Gion, Nao departed the West Blue in silence, crossed the Calm Belt, and passed the Red Line—setting course for the New World and the Pagaya Kingdom.
...
On the Marine warship.
Sitting cross-legged in the training room, Nao quietly stared at the glowing, faint-blue system panel before him.
In the quest log, there was a prompt box:
[Side Quest "Saving the Girl," Phase One Completed]
[Quest Phase Reward: 200,000 Points, Random Attribute Point * 1]
"All these points… That must've been thanks to Robin."
Nao remained thoughtful. Back when he'd taken down Vito Corleone and rescued Robin twice, he hadn't done it for the reward—it had just felt like the right thing to do.
The surprise payout was a nice bonus.
A scumbag might escape karma… but good deeds still get rewarded.
He shifted his attention to his stats. It had been a while since he checked the system panel, and now…
Even the 200,000 points seemed trivial compared to what he'd amassed.
[Name: Natsuya Nao]
[Age: 20]
[Strength: 29 (200,000 points/level)]
[Agility: 28 (+2) (200,000 points/level)]
[Stamina: 28 (200,000 points/level)]
[Intelligence: 10 (200,000 points/level)]
[Charm: 17 (500,000 points/level)]
[Current Points: 823,000]
[Standard Skills]: Dual Blade Swordsmanship (Advanced), Rokushiki (Intermediate), Firearms Proficiency (Advanced), Close-Quarters Combat (Advanced), Self-Discipline (Master), Armament Haki (Intermediate), Observation Haki (Intermediate), Painting (Advanced), Fishing (Master)
[Innate Skills]: Radiant Smile, Thick Skin (Intermediate), Iron Head (Intermediate), Limb Regeneration, Amphibious Breathing.
[Equipped]: Boots of Lightness, Thornmail Armor
That's right—823,000 points.
That was his current balance. A personal record. A whole new peak.
Until now, he'd always spent points as fast as he earned them—he'd never even crossed 500,000 before.