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Golden Week's verbal assault on Crocodile was so relentless that even Vivi and Miss Valentine couldn't help but give her a silent thumbs-up.
It felt like downing an ice-cold drink in the middle of a scorching summer—refreshing and satisfying beyond words.
So damn cathartic.
Even Logan had to take another look at Golden Week, a new flicker of respect in his eyes.
Maybe it was true what they said—small body, huge power.
Crocodile, however, was left completely speechless after her tirade.
Of course, with his status, he wasn't about to lose his temper over a subordinate's insults. To him, it was nothing more than the pathetic rage of a loser.
Still, her betrayal definitely rubbed him the wrong way.
"Logan, looks like you've given them some dangerous illusions," Crocodile's low voice rumbled after a tense silence.
Logan, sitting with one leg crossed over the other, stared lazily at the Den Den Mushi and said, "Crocodile, don't think I don't know what shady crap you've been pulling behind the scenes. If you leave Alabasta right now, I might still let you go."
"Otherwise, get ready to become one with the desert."
He hung up without another word.
Three pairs of bright eyes around him lit up with admiration.
Rainbase Casino – Crocodile's Office
"LOGAN!"
The Den Den Mushi's head drooped, the line dead.
Crocodile's forehead creased into a deep frown, a storm brewing in his eyes.
No one—no one—had ever dared hang up on him before.
So, beating two senior agents suddenly made Logan think he could take him on?
How ridiculous.
In Baroque Works, aside from Robin—whose situation was… special—there was only one person he truly valued: Mr. 1.
Everyone else was expendable.
"Think running wild in some backwater sea means you can strut around in the New World too?" Crocodile muttered with a sneer.
He'd been sailing the seas for decades. He'd seen all kinds of arrogant punks like Logan. How many of them actually survived?
Every one of them ended up buried by their own arrogance.
The last fool who'd tried to act tough in front of him—well, the grass over his grave was already three meters tall.
Just then, Robin walked in, graceful as ever in her business suit.
"Boss, do you have new orders?" she asked calmly.
Crocodile rubbed his temples, clearly annoyed. "I was going to have you assist Mr. 3, but looks like he botched the job."
He lowered his hand and spoke coldly, "Tell Mr. 2 to ambush Logan and Vivi on the next island. If they somehow make it to Alabasta, send Mr. 1. Let these backwater pirates see what the Grand Line is really made of."
He rattled off his commands one after another, voice icy with irritation.
He refused to believe Logan could survive once Baroque Works' top two assassins were unleashed.
His plan was in its final stage.
Soon, he'd know the exact location of Pluton. At this point, nothing—nothing—could be allowed to go wrong.
Every unpredictable variable had to be erased.
"Understood. I'll notify them immediately," Robin said evenly, though her mind was already spinning.
Crocodile was seriously on edge.
That didn't happen often.
Meanwhile, Logan and his trio of companions—Vivi, Miss Valentine, and Golden Week—emerged from the candle house.
Vivi and Valentine naturally linked arms with Logan, while Golden Week followed behind a little awkwardly.
Just moments ago, they'd been enemies fighting to the death. Now they were allies—and on top of that, she'd just gotten chewed out by Crocodile.
Her head was still spinning from it all.
"Come on, let's go check on Brogy and Dorry. Sounds like they've started fighting again," Logan said.
From somewhere in the distance came the metallic clash of steel on steel.
Sure enough, the volcano had erupted again—and with it, Brogy and Dorry's endless battle resumed.
Elsewhere, deep in the forest, Tashigi and Nami were cutting their way through wave after wave of wild beasts.
With a deafening crash, a saber-toothed tiger—easily ten meters tall—fell to the ground, shaking the earth and sending up clouds of dust.
Its massive body twitched, faint trails of smoke curling up from its fur.
"Got it!" Nami said proudly, drawing back her staff as the sparks faded.
"Not bad, Nami. You're getting stronger every time you use that fruit ability," Tashigi said, emerging from the other side, her face flushed and slick with sweat.
"Thanks, but we should get out of here before—"
Nami's words were cut off by a sudden BOOM from not too far away.
A powerful shockwave blasted through the trees like a passing storm, whipping their hair and cloaks in every direction.
"Nami, ever since that volcano erupted, that sound's been happening nonstop," Tashigi said, closing her eyes for a moment to sense the disturbance with her Observation Haki.
It was faint, but she could tell—someone was fighting, and the clash was massive.
"Let's go take a look!" Nami's curiosity was practically glowing as she sprinted toward the sound, dragging Tashigi along.
After charging through thick jungle for several minutes, they finally broke into a clearing—
—and froze.
Before them stood two giants, each over twenty meters tall, locked in brutal combat.
"Giants?!" Tashigi gasped, wide-eyed.
In a place this remote, seeing warriors of the Giant race was almost unheard of.
But… why were they fighting?
CLANG!
A giant axe met a massive shield. A sword slammed against it from the other side.
The explosion of force that followed shook the earth, flattening trees and sending shockwaves rolling through the forest.
Brogy and Dorry, shields raised, blocked each other's strikes—then roared and swung their weapons again, smashing together with bone-rattling strength.
Their duel had gone on for a century. Their attacks might look repetitive, but neither was backing down an inch.
Their endless battle continued to echo across the island.
"....."