Sea Circle Calendar 1522.
The first half of the Grand Line.
Alabasta.
A chaotic downpour of rain instantly ended the fighting in the square. Everyone looked up to the sky, tasting the first rain the kingdom had seen in three years. The rebels, made of common people, cried with joy, tasting the long-lost blessing. For years, countless civilians had died from a lack of water, and the war had been born from that same desperation.
Thump!
A figure fell from the sky and landed heavily in the middle of the crowd. It was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and Alabasta's supposed "national hero," the Sand Crocodile. He had just been defeated by a young pirate. In the distance, a large group of Marines rushed towards where he fell.
Just before they arrived, a young man of seventeen or eighteen, with a tall figure, and a handsome face, appeared at Crocodile's side.
"Alabasta is truly an ignorant country. From the king to the common people, you played them like fools!"
Adrian looked down at Crocodile, a slightly mocking smile on his lips. "However, one of the dignified Seven Warlords of the Sea, a Logia 'Sand-Sand Fruit' user, being defeated by a brat who doesn't even know Armament Haki... that must've been very uncomfortable!"
As a transmigrator, Adrian knew the plot. But seeing with his own eyes that Crocodile was defeated by a Luffy who couldn't use Armament Haki, he still couldn't help but think: The protagonist's halo is incredible!
He knew that Crocodile had once evenly matched with the 'Devil's Heir,' Bullet, and had dared to challenge the ruthless 'World's Strongest Man,' Whitebeard. Even if he had become obsessed with ancient weapons and his fighting power had waned, he shouldn't have been reduced to being beaten by a fledgling Luffy!
Aside from Luffy's forced power-up, Adrian couldn't think of any other reasonable explanation.
However, this result was the most beneficial for him.
Thanks to his [Dead Looting System!], he could now easily get the 'Sand-Sand Fruit' without any effort.
The system's function was simple but powerful: plunder abilities from anyone who had recently died within a day.
There were two methods of looting, or as Adrian called them: one was cheap, the other was not.
[Common Looting: Randomly obtain an ability from the newly deceased!]
This could be a physical skill, a kendo skill, a special ability, a skill from one of the Haki's, or, with luck, a Devil Fruit ability. Which one you got depended entirely on your luck!
In contrast, [VIP Looting] was much simpler and more incredible.
[VIP Looting: Completely plunder all the abilities of the newly deceased!]
Yes, all abilities! The only catch was that [VIP Looting] required a fee of 1 billion Berries to activate.
No matter the dead one, only the wealth can make it happen!
"Little brat, I know who you are!"
Although Crocodile was covered in blood and looked very embarrassed, his exclusive tsundere attitude didn't waver. He glanced at Adrian contemptuously.
"You are the 'Coffin Fruit' user who suddenly became famous on the Grand Line in the last six months, the 'Corpse Collector' Adrian!"
The so-called "Coffin Fruit" was just a rumor Adrian had deliberately spread to cover up the existence of his system.
"Tsk tsk, as expected of Crocodile, the news is very correct. I thought I had acted low-key enough, but I still couldn't escape your intelligence network!" Adrian agreed with Crocodile's methods and ambitions. But this ambitious man had foolishly pinned all his hope on finding the ancient weapon, 'Pluton.' He had forgotten a crucial law of survival: a person's own strength must be strong enough to support their ambitions and dreams.
"Hmph, a brat who can only travel around battlefields to collect bounties dares to speak to me in such a tone. He really doesn't know how to live or die!" Crocodile snorted coldly. In his eyes, Adrian was just a small "head snatcher," a bug he could crush at any time.
"Although I've already guessed the result, I'll still ask before I officially do it... Crocodile, are you interested in joining my crew and following me to create a new era?" Adrian ignored the other party's ridicule and asked seriously.
"Ha?" Crocodile glanced at Adrian disdainfully. How could he, a dignified Warlord, become someone else's subordinate?
"Listen to me, kid. Anyone who knows anything about this world would not easily say such stupid things! A nobody like you deserves to be my captain..."
Before he could finish, a sudden realization struck Crocodile. He stared at Adrian and asked, "Wait a minute, brat... are you actually planning to kill me?!"
"I know your dream is to become Pirate King, but unfortunately, you missed the best opportunity!" Adrian shook his head regretfully. A pirate like Crocodile, with both strategy and suitable strength, was extremely rare in the pirate world. But what Adrian valued more was loyalty.
"But that's okay. The Sand-Sand Fruit is wasted in your hands. I can make it explode with even stronger power!"
"What do you mean by that?" A look of doubt and vigilance flashed in Crocodile's eyes.
"It literally means it! I like your Devil Fruit very much. For this reason, I've wandered around battlefields for the past six months, regardless of danger, and saved up 1 billion Berries just for you!" Adrian's eyes flashed with excitement. He glanced at the rapidly approaching Marines and continued.
"It's just that I didn't expect to have an unexpected harvest this time. I accidentally plundered a very nice explosive ability from one of your subordinates!"
"If I use it with your Sand-Sand Fruit, the power could be increased by more than a hundred times in an instant!"
"What! You actually... obtained Mr. 5's Explosive Fruit ability?! That's impossible... absolutely impossible!!" The arrogance and disdain on Crocodile's face had long since disappeared, replaced by disbelief.
Snap!
Adrian snapped his fingers. The ground trembled slightly, and in Crocodile's astonished eyes, eight pitch-black coffins slowly rose from the ground. The body of the Explosive Fruit user, Mr. 5, was inside.
"Except for Nico Robin and Mr. 2, who escaped by chance, everyone else is here!" Adrian said. "How about it... now you can die in peace!"
As he finished speaking, Adrian, with his right arm wrapped in Armament Haki, directly twisted Crocodile's neck, who stared at him with astonished and unwilling eyes.
"VIP plundering, start!!"