"You're that new Marine Admiral… Yinying Luo Ye!!!"
Crocodile's eyes widened in shock at Luo Ye's words. Though he had remained in Alabasta over recent years, he was far from ignorant of the power players in the New World.
A few years back, a terrifying young prodigy had emerged in the Marines — cold, efficient, and merciless toward pirates. Rumor had it, once this man marked a target, their fate was sealed. None had ever escaped.
Crocodile had recently heard that this very same man — Luo Ye — had been officially promoted to Admiral by the World Government. That overwhelming aura, that pressure… there was no mistake.
Luo Ye raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk forming. It was a confirmation.
Cold sweat trickled down Crocodile's forehead. He drew a deep breath before snarling, "I am one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea — a Shichibukai appointed by the World Government! Marine Admirals have no authority to act against us without cause!"
Luo Ye's gaze sharpened. "You know who I am, yet you think I'll walk away?"
Crocodile froze, fear flashing in his eyes. Yes… this man was infamous for disregarding status or title. If he deemed a pirate dangerous, he eliminated them — simple as that.
"If you kill me, the World Government will hold you accountable!" Crocodile barked, desperation edging into his voice. He slowly edged backward, hoping to bluff his way out and escape using his Suna Suna no Mi powers. His life took priority over the Ancient Weapon.
But Luo Ye merely shifted, blade drawn and steady.
He had no intention of letting Crocodile go. As far as he was concerned, anyone who flew the pirate flag — especially one who plunged Alabasta into chaos and turned its fertile lands into wastelands — deserved no leniency. Crocodile had manipulated the country from the shadows through his Baroque Works, nearly inciting a civil war. Impel Down was too generous.
Seeing the Admiral ready his weapon, Crocodile panicked and exploded into a whirlwind of sand, fleeing.
"No lessons learned," Luo Ye muttered.
In a blink, he vanished, dashing forward and reappearing behind Crocodile. With a clean motion, his blade glided across the Warlord's throat — precise and final.
Crocodile, mid-flight, froze. A thin line of crimson spread from his neck. His body collapsed to the desert floor.
Bang.
Crocodile — the man who once challenged Whitebeard, one of the former Warlords of the Sea — lay lifeless under the Alabasta sun.
[Congratulations to the Host for the successful hunt. Drop reward detected. Pick up?]
"Pick up."
[Reward acquired. Activate now?]
"Activate."
Luo Ye closed his eyes as a wave of warmth surged through his body. It faded gradually, settling into his limbs like an invisible charge.
"Open body status panel."
[Host: Luo Ye]
[Abilities Acquired: Basic Swordsmanship Lv18, Sword Technique: Flash Lv9, Sword Technique: Snowfall Lv8, Physical Strength Lv10 (+1), Conqueror's Haki Lv5, Armament Haki Lv7, Observation Haki Lv6 (+0.3)]
[Special Ability: Flutter-Flutter Fruit (Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Angel)]
[Activatable Abilities: None]
As expected.
Luo Ye examined his stats and shook his head faintly. Years ago, defeating someone like Crocodile would have yielded a massive boost. Now, however, the gain was marginal at best.
"I need to return to the New World. That's where the real threats remain."
He turned and walked toward Vivi, who had been standing paralyzed by the suddenness of Crocodile's execution.
"Crocodile is dead. As for the unrest in your country — that's up to you now."
Snapped back to reality, Vivi stared at Luo Ye, her expression a mixture of awe and gratitude.
"Thank you, Admiral. Now that Crocodile is gone, we can finally bring peace back to Alabasta."
Luo Ye nodded silently. The conflict in Alabasta had largely stemmed from drought — a condition Crocodile secretly engineered using his Devil Fruit. With him gone, the skies might finally heal.
As Luo Ye turned to leave, Vivi stepped forward quickly.
"Admiral, won't you stay in Alabasta for a few days? We haven't even had a chance to properly thank you!"
Luo Ye waved dismissively, not looking back. "No need. I'm returning to Marineford."
"Marineford…"
Vivi whispered, watching his back as he walked away.
At that very moment — the dry winds of the desert shifted. Above the cracked earth of Alabasta, dark clouds gathered. Rain, for the first time in years, began to fall.
Vivi looked up as droplets hit her cheeks, mixing with tears.
She ran forward, cupping her hands and yelling into the distance:
"Admiral Luo Ye! Thank you! One day — we'll meet again!"
…
Back aboard the warship, the naval officers had completed resupply. When they saw their Admiral return, they silently resumed positions, offering no questions. They knew their place — what happened in Alabasta was above their clearance.
In his cabin, Luo Ye considered something, then picked up the Den Den Mushi and dialed.
"Marshal Sengoku, this is Luo Ye."
"Luo Ye? You actually called me first for once? What happened? Did you destroy another Marine base this time?"
Luo Ye smirked at the sarcastic bark from the other end. Sengoku was clearly suspicious.
"No base. Just letting you know… I've killed a pirate."
"Fine. Get back to Marineford. Just don't cause more problems."
Hearing the news, Sengoku sighed. Luo Ye had killed countless pirates already — what was one more?
But then…
"I killed Crocodile. One of the Shichibukai."
"What?!!!"
Sengoku nearly choked on his words.