"I should pretend you aren't here? Mr. 5, were you talking to me?" Crocodile's voice turned cold and dangerous, his gaze piercing through the arrogant agent standing before him.
His expression darkened as he spoke in a low, icy tone. "The tasks I assigned you—none were completed. The princess escaped both Cactus Island and Little Garden. You, Miss Valentine, Mr. 3, and Miss Goldenweek all lost contact. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Gasps rippled through the room. The chief agents of Baroque Works stiffened in shock. It became clear—Mr. 5 had not acted under Mr. 0's orders. He'd come of his own accord.
These assassins, ruthless and efficient, instinctively felt the suffocating killing intent radiating from Crocodile's questioning. It wasn't a warning—it was a death sentence.
"…"
The room went dead silent. All eyes shifted nervously between Crocodile and Mr. 5.
"Explain?" Crocodile's voice dropped another degree colder, every syllable a blade.
Mr. 5 tapped his fingers on the table with a smirk, then locked eyes with Crocodile. "Is there a possibility," he said slowly, mockingly, "that Mr. 0's orders were wrong? Why not just let Mr. 5 assassinate an Admiral while we're at it?"
The atmosphere dropped like a stone. The assassins held their breath.
He's lost it.
Mr. 5 was insane.
He had just directly questioned Crocodile's authority. Was he tired of living?
"What's Boss's reaction?"
As the others cautiously glanced at Crocodile, they were shocked—he was no longer seated in his chair.
Gone.
In a blur of movement, Crocodile had vanished.
Everyone instinctively turned toward Mr. 5.
"G-Guh…!"
The cocky agent was already suspended mid-air, clutched by the throat in Crocodile's iron grip. He writhed helplessly, gasping for breath.
"Guhahaha… Guhahahahaha…"
Crocodile let out a slow, sinister laugh. "Mr. 5… I didn't realize you were so bold. I underestimated you."
He grinned savagely.
"Now—die."
Before their eyes, Mr. 5's body began to crumble, his flesh turning into grains of sand that scattered across the floor.
"H-He turned Mr. 5… into sand…!"
The agents were speechless. The power was terrifying—Crocodile's mastery over the Sand-Sand Fruit was absolute.
But then… something felt off.
A sharp-eyed commander spotted it first—Crocodile's face. His expression twisted in confusion.
"Hahahaha! Crocodile, that face! Priceless!"
The mocking voice came not from Crocodile, but from his own chair.
"What? Are you shocked someone used the Sand-Sand Fruit in front of you?"
Everyone turned in unison toward the source of the voice.
"Who?!"
A man sat casually on Crocodile's throne, legs crossed, chin resting on one hand. Dressed in spotless white, he smiled lazily.
"Relax, Baroque Works. I'm not a good guy, so there's no need to be polite."
Crocodile's eyes narrowed.
"It's you…"
He stared hard at the newcomer, voice low with disbelief.
"Straw Hat Pirates' Vice-Captain, The Plunderer… Shirogai Yamikuro. Bounty—one hundred million Berries. What are you doing here?!"
The agents reeled in shock.
One hundred million Berries?! That was the mark of a major threat.
Shirogai gave them a gentle smile.
"I'm here," he said softly, "to send you all to hell."
"Kill him!" Crocodile barked.
In the blink of an eye, every agent except Mr. 4 vanished from their positions.
In a flash, they struck.
Shirogai, still seated, was assaulted from every angle by the elite killers of Baroque Works.
Pfft!
Mr. 1, using his Dice-Dice Fruit, transformed his arm into a gleaming blade and drove it into Shirogai's skull.
"Hand Blade Slash!"
He twisted the blade, as if trying to scramble his target's brains.
Bang!
Mr. 2, Bon Clay, spun into a vicious kick, striking Shirogai's neck.
"Human-Demon Fist: Graceful Swan Dance!"
Though hesitant, Bon Clay did not hold back—his assassin's instincts kicked in.
Stab!
From the front, Miss Doublefinger's fingers morphed into spikes, stabbing into Shirogai's abdomen.
"Thorn Finger!"
Her gaze was cold, and a glimmer of greed sparkled in her eyes at the thought of his bounty.
Bang!
Behind the chair, Crocodile's golden hook pierced through the wood, embedding itself into Shirogai's spine.
"Hmph. Arrogant brat."
Slap!
Below the chair, Miss Merry Christmas, the mole-woman, surfaced and shredded Shirogai's ankles with her claws.
"Earth Dragon Dagger!"
Crack!
Robin, watching from the shadows, used her Flower-Flower Fruit to sprout six arms across the throne, twisting Shirogai's arms with ease.
"Seis Fleur: Twist!"
Boom!
Finally, the massive Mr. 4 lumbered forward, swinging his baseball bat with deadly force.
"Huh?! Oh! Invincible Strike!"
The blow shattered Shirogai's body completely.
Dust and fragments scattered across the ground.
But then…
The dust began to rise.
It floated—grain by grain—back toward the throne. With surreal grace, the sand reformed, reshaping into Shirogai Yamikuro once more.
He stood and stretched, brushing off his spotless coat.
"Wow, such a warm welcome," he said, smiling. "Where I'm from, we usually start with a handshake."
The assassins stumbled back in disbelief.
Crocodile's face darkened. "How… How are you still standing?! Even I couldn't harm you!"
Shirogai smirked.
"You're catching on," he said, clapping lightly. "But there's no prize for guessing correctly."
"You used the Sand-Sand Fruit," Crocodile growled, eyes glued to Shirogai's shifting form. "There were rumors… that 'The Plunderer' devoured a God-level Devil Fruit—one that lets him replicate any fruit he's seen in action. I didn't believe it…"
He took a step back.
"…until now."
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200 Power stones, let's goo!!