The first half of the Grand Line.
Alabasta.
Ssshh...
A cigar slowly ignited, its ember glowing faintly within the dim office of a tall building.
The man with a shadowed expression looked down at the desert beyond the window. The endless yellow sandstorms seemed to whisper some unspoken omen.
"You must've heard the rumors, haven't you? About that man making quite a scene on the Grand Line lately. I heard many of the top agents from Baroque Works fell at his hands."
A sudden voice cut through the silence. One of the mighty figures who ruled this sea—one of the feared Shichibukai—turned around.
Crocodile.
She glanced toward the black-haired beauty sitting upright on the sofa, quietly reading a book. Her gaze held no trace of desire—only cold calculation and malice.
But judging by her tone, even a pirate with a thirty-million-Belly bounty was nothing in her eyes.
"Hmm~ I heard he's quite the strange man."
Robin's tone was curious as she watched Crocodile, draped in her heavy coat, cigar in hand, staring wordlessly out the window with an aura of dominance. She seemed to be probing her, trying to gauge her reaction.
Unfortunately for her, the woman who had forced her into this partnership showed no expression at all.
"Perhaps…"
Crocodile took a slow drag from her cigar, the glow flickering briefly in the air.
"But that's all there is to it."
Beside her, a large yellow crocodile slowly crawled across the floor, the banana-shaped mark on its head swaying slightly.
At first, Orin had used the term "Sand Crocodile" as his symbol—so later, Crocodile had decided to actually raise one herself.
"Maybe in some small place like the East Blue, or even the first half of the Grand Line, he might seem impressive enough."
Robin's tone carried a strange hint of irony.
"Looks like Boss doesn't think Straw Hat Luffy is worth worrying about. After all, that guy's got our target—the princess Vivi."
As she spoke, she propped her chin in her hand, her voice calm and analytical as if dissecting the situation for her boss.
"He's got quite the bounty for a rookie. If he uses Princess Vivi's name, he might cause us some minor trouble."
Crocodile listened to her reasoning, but her expression barely shifted.
"That Straw Hat brat Luffy isn't much of a concern. Even with Princess Vivi, it's nothing major. In the end, this world is still ruled by strength…"
Clamping the cigar between her teeth, she looked down at the newspaper in her hand and suddenly changed the topic.
"Compared to that, the New World seems to be stirring with trouble. I wonder if the others will go deal with it."
Her tone carried a condescending certainty. To her, the so-called "Straw Hat Luffy" was just another arrogant rookie among countless others who rose and fell across the seas of the Grand Line.
If not for Luffy defeating Buggy—a clown Crocodile paid some attention to because of Orin—and getting tangled up with Princess Vivi of Alabasta, she wouldn't have cared about some pirate with a measly bounty in the tens of millions.
"'The others?'"
Robin's eyes flickered with interest at those loaded words. She knew Crocodile well—her arrogance, her pride, her disdain for nearly everyone.
And for her to say "the others," those who stood at least vaguely on her level, could only mean…
"Yes, the other Shichibukai."
Crocodile's attention was actually fixed on the newspaper, on the latest events rocking the seas. If the other Shichibukai were all tied up, maybe it was time for her to take a look as well.
But being stationed in the first half of the Grand Line, she clearly lacked the mobility that others possessed.
"That Orin guy… really knows how to cause us trouble."
Turning back to her desk, Crocodile extinguished her cigar and sat down in her chair.
When it came to Orin, her guard around Robin seemed to drop noticeably. Especially since the subject connected to both Orin and Mihawk.
After all, Nico Robin knew both Orin and Mihawk personally—and seemed to be on decent terms with them. Mihawk had even visited Alabasta years ago and mentioned the incident at Ohara.
So, as long as it didn't involve true secrets, Crocodile didn't mind talking about it.
Besides, recent intelligence had revealed that the World Government was already investigating that "secret experiment."
At this point, it wasn't much of a secret anymore.
Perhaps it was the mention of Orin that put Crocodile in a good mood. She began speaking more freely to Robin, whom she considered "half an insider."
"In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter how the seas shift," she said.
"That Straw Hat Luffy, the Marines, Alabasta—all of it merely plays supporting roles..."
A cruel smirk spread across her shadowed face. She crossed one leg over the other, eyes filled with scorn for the world itself.
"In this vast stage of the sea, once that man returns, there will only be one true protagonist left. Whether the Alabasta operation succeeds or fails, it won't matter to me. Whether Marine or pirate—no one can judge me!!!"
In Crocodile's mind, no matter how events unfolded, she had someone powerful backing her.
The so-called justice of the Marines or the burning passion of pirates fighting to restore a kingdom—all childish fantasies.
That was the confidence Orin's return had given her.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Unaware that Crocodile had grown arrogant just from leaning on his name, Orin clicked his tongue.
"Tch… damn bloodhounds, these CP0 agents from the World Government."
Indeed.
The World Government had started taking interest in Orin's secret experiment, but Orin's own intelligence network wasn't slacking either.
They had already discovered that CP0 was investigating them.
Facing such a high-level and organized espionage force like CP0, relying only on underground operatives and Kuma's strength was far from enough.
So Orin decided to ask for help from the Shichibukai—those who could move freely.
But Moria was too weak—he'd only get beaten up. Crocodile, Doflamingo, and Hancock all had territories and limited mobility.
Jinbe could take hits and fight head-on, but against a CP0 unit, it was better to send someone capable of suppressing the entire battlefield.
"...I understand."
In the end, the best choice was Mihawk—unburdened, independent, and unmatched in strength.
He could easily go and keep the situation under control.
"It's been a while since I visited the New World anyway."
Mihawk didn't particularly mind. He had planned to sail with Orin for a while, but that would have to wait.
"It's fine~"
Orin smiled, patting his shoulder.
"We'll meet again soon enough."