One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

On Sasu Island, Admiral Kizaru strolled leisurely toward the evacuation warship amid a barrage of artillery fire, muttering to himself, "How cruel. I'm still on the island, and they're already firing. So heartless."

The evacuation from Sasu Island was relatively successful, though pirates and other criminals weren't as fortunate. Civilians were rescued—if it didn't compromise the Marines' interests and Kizaru could manage it. Those too unlucky to be saved were left to their fate, while pirates had to pray for their own survival. In short, though Crocodile wasn't forced out, the bombardment wiped out many criminals.

From this perspective, it wasn't a complete loss. Moreover, traces of Crocodile's whereabouts had surfaced—fresh intel placed him in the Sacred Waters.

"The entire island is gone!" The Dawn set sail as the crew watched Frans Island engulfed in flames.

Valentine and the others were both awed and terrified. The Buster Call was horrifying—just a few rounds of cannon fire had turned Frans Island into a wasteland. Though Frans couldn't compare to Lantis Island in size, it wasn't small either.

On a Marine transport ship, Pittas and a few children leaned against the wall, staring blankly at the burning island. After receiving money from Rosen, he had parted ways with him—only for the island-wide announcement to sound shortly after. He and the troublemakers from his rundown home managed to board an escape ship in time, but uncertainty weighed heavily on him.

Witnessing Lantis and now the Marines' actions left him with a deep sense of powerlessness. For the first time, he desperately wished for strength—to be like that man, shaping fate and steering things toward a better future. But right now, he didn't even know what to do next. He had children to care for—no blood relation, but they were his heart.

Though Rosen had given him 20 million berries, survival at sea as a displaced person was far from easy.

"Are you Pittas?" Vice Admiral O'Niell suddenly stopped in front of him.

Pittas looked up, startled. A Vice Admiral? Had someone spotted him with Crocodile? But was sending a Vice Admiral after a small-time thug overkill?

"Someone mentioned you're lucky and sharp. I need a runner under me. Interested in joining the Marines?" O'Niell asked calmly.

This was Rosen's doing. Since Pittas had been seen with him on Frans Island, he'd be under scrutiny. With O'Niell's protection, no one would make trouble for a mere "persecuted" thug.

Pittas was stunned. Though O'Niell didn't say it outright, the implication was clear—this Vice Admiral was one of Crocodile's men. He had hidden it flawlessly during the Lantis battle.

"I—I accept! But what about my kids…?"

"No issue. They can come too. The Marines have a family division." O'Niell replied indifferently, as if casually picking someone from the crowd.

He didn't know why Crocodile wanted Pittas looked after, but there had to be a reason.

---

In a remote, unmonitored part of the Sacred Waters, the Buster Call had solidified the Marines' resolve to annihilate Lantis Island rather than just blockade it. The bombardment razed the area outward from the perimeter, ensuring total destruction.

Amid a reef-filled stretch of sea, the Dawn lay hidden—a blind spot O'Niell had pointed out. With the surveillance lifted, the Marines wouldn't search here. Only those with internal defense maps knew of such places.

The Marines would never suspect a mole among them—not even Admiral Kizaru, who merely patrolled the waters. Intel only placed Crocodile vaguely in this area, making pinpointing him difficult.

But the Dawn wasn't alone. Pirate ships from Flance Island drifted in one by one.

"Hahaha! No Marine ships, no artillery fire! We're free! We just need to escape before patrols find us!" A pirate captain cheered, overjoyed at survival.

The Buster Call wasn't just about the main fleet—other Marine bases had dispatched support vessels to scour the seas. The primary goal was Lantis' destruction, not just Crocodile.

After obliterating the two guardian islands, the Buster Call fleet advanced toward Lantis, unleashing indiscriminate bombardment.

"BOSS, pirate ships are approaching. Do we take them out?" Mr. 5 asked eagerly.

"No. We'll borrow their ships. Didn't expect so many pirates to survive—twenty or thirty ships. The pirate-to-population ratio's higher than I thought. And plenty want me dead," Rosen remarked.

Escaping the Buster Call's range wouldn't be hard. Its strength lay in targeting stationary islands—moving ships were only at risk if hit. With Oniel feeding intel, Rosen could slip away easily.

But he wanted more. He'd lured the pirates here to give the Lantis people a way out. He'd need formidable allies in the future, and the Lantis natives—with their grudge against the World Government and their strength—fit perfectly.

He planned to negotiate an alliance with Lantis' king. Their prior cooperation and shared enemy made it feasible.

"If you're unwell, rest," Rosen told Robin, noticing her troubled expression.

"I'm fine," she shook her head. How could she rest now? The past weighed too heavily.

Rosen didn't know how to comfort her—he hadn't lived through her darkness. But he hated the Buster Call for what it did to her. If it broke his intel chief, that'd be a loss. They'd need to talk later.

"Look after her. I'll talk to the pirates," he told Valentine.

"Eh?" Valentine blinked. Her superior needed her care? Did BOSS misspeak?

Watching Rosen leap into the air with Moon Step, Robin felt warmth in her chest. Maybe his words earlier had been sincere. She couldn't run anymore—even if it killed her.

When the Buster Call began, she'd considered fleeing alone, betraying everything as she had before. But memories of their journey and Rosen's unwavering resolve—free of deceit—had anchored her. She sensed lies easily, but this felt real.

For the first time, she had a place to belong.

Because what he planned next left her stunned—he would land on an island under the Buster Call's assault to save lives.

Rosen hid nothing from them, save for O'Niell's allegiance.

(End of Chapter)

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