Chapter 1009: Head to the New World!
Chapter 1009: Head to the New World!
The island's full name was Dawenwende — a barren island near the Longwan Archipelago. Even before setting foot here, Kuro had assumed Crocodile chose this location for its desolate terrain. After making landfall, that conviction only strengthened.
"Why does this guy still insist on relying on terrain for combat? His methods are still lacking", Kuro mused, shaking his head.
"Eh? Aren't you using the terrain too?" Lida asked curiously.
Kuro puffed out his chest. "Terrain and terrain are different. When I use it, it's active strategy. When he uses it, it's just a passive crutch. But..."
After landing, Kuro glanced at the sky and frowned. "The air here feels off."
Whoosh!
With a flick of his fingers, swirling sand and fog parted above them like curtains being drawn, blowing outward to dissipate and eventually vanish into thin air.
Ahead, people bustled across rooftops repairing homes, carrying beams and bricks. Many buildings bore Marineford-scale damage — gaping holes blown through walls, while the ground bore deep pits as if something had erupted from beneath.
"This battle must've been intense", Kuro observed, walking toward the transition zone between greenery and desertification. At the center stood a massive palace, its structure riddled with smooth, precise cuts, its towering doors reduced to a single corner. Tattered residual energy still clung to its walls like fading battle scars.
From the palace roof, Crocodile lounged smoking a cigar, his expression gloomy. Below, Mr.1 stood guard at the entrance while ten hippo-like laborers hauled construction materials for repairs.
"Well, well, Crocodile", Kuro called upward. "Who left you looking so disheveled?"
Crocodile's gaze flicked downward with a cold snort.
"In the Farming Region? You actually got this roughed up?" Kuro grinned. "Don't play dumb, Kuro! You knew that Sam William would come after me when you gave him support!"
Kuro blinked. "Wait — you're saying William actually tracked you down? Hmph, and you didn't win?"
Crocodile's scowl deepened. If he'd won, he wouldn't be here fuming. Their day-long clash ended in stalemate — neither gaining the upper hand.
"I didn't lose either!" Crocodile gritted his teeth. "That coward cut the fight short. If we continued, I would've been the victor! William — a mere 30 Million bounty — actually possesses Conqueror's Haki!"
"Thirty Million types often surprise people", Kuro mused. "Though his bounty isn't 30 Million anymore. After wrecking Shabondy, we raised it to 100 Million. But since your fight wasn't witnessed..."
"What are you implying, Kuro?" Crocodile glared. "I admit I didn't win, but I'll settle this myself!"
"Focus on your Seven Warlords duties first!" Kuro countered. "William isn't like Luffy — you understand his strength level. Chasing him would only boost his reputation, and that's something I despise."
He wanted William to suffer, not gain notoriety. Why did every opponent William faced only serve to elevate him? Meanwhile, Kuro's own Grand Line journey had been nothing but battles against unworthy foes...
"You want to intervene?" Crocodile asked. "Even if he has potential, why would you get involved?"
Kuro lit a cigar. "For old times' sake, I always give 'fellow countrymen' special treatment."
---
Several days later, pirate ships sailed the Grand Line.
"Hey-huhu-hahahaha!"
On deck, William cackled maniacally, his grin wide with triumph and a sense of breaking through mental barriers. Behind him, Elmira, Montblanc, and Sverre watched nervously as their captain stood arms akimbo, laughing like this for nearly a week straight since battling Crocodile.
The first few laughs were understandable — a normal reaction to surviving a fierce fight. But ten outbursts on day one, seven more the next, and this pattern continued for seven days straight? Had Crocodile's sand permanently scrambled his brain?
"Uhh, William?" Elmira finally asked. "You're... okay, right?"
"Better than okay!" William turned, his grin unsettlingly wide. "Elmira, don't you see what this means? I fought a Seven Warlords of the Sea to a draw! Kuro isn't special — he's just the shadow of my past self!"
His eyes burned with fervor. "If that was merely an experiment, I'd defeat Crocodile next time! This proves I possess Seven Warlords-caliber strength! The Seven Warlords — Grand Line's elite pirates!"
Once considered one of the world's three greatest powers alongside Fleet Admirals and Four Emperors, the Warlords' prestige recently revived with Crocodile's return. Even newcomer Joe Rudolph held fearsome reputation for capturing countless notorious pirates.
"If I can match Crocodile, there's nothing to fear from the Warlords! And if I can challenge Warlords, why fear Kuro?" William raised his gaze to the sky, voice booming with conviction. "We're heading to the New World! Nothing can stop us!"
The New World's vastness awaited. Better to build his reputation there first, secure a territory, then determine his next moves based on the region's power dynamics.
(End of Chapter)
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