Chapter 545: Chapter 545 Crocodile: So, Want to Come Over to My Place?
Men of the sea, in the end, are tough on the outside but soft at heart.
If King Cobra and King Riku had pressed aggressively and confronted Keek head-on with a hardline stance, perhaps the latter would have continued voicing his objections.
Then the other kings, when it came time to vote, might have hesitated, worried about inviting disaster upon themselves.
But between the lines of the two kings’ words, they spoke only of their people’s hardships, of families and children who had been hurt.
That left Keek with no choice. Compassion stirred in his heart, and he resolved to stop interfering in the matter.
And King Keek’s attitude, to a certain extent, also represented that man’s stance.
The World Conference unanimously passed—
"Abolish the [Shichibukai] System!!!"
"All Shichibukai will become ordinary pirates and fall under the Navy’s jurisdiction for capture and suppression!!!"
"The global balance of power will undergo drastic changes, and the tripartite equilibrium will be broken!!!"
Almost within minutes of the resolution being passed—
"What huge news! This World Conference is absolutely packed with explosive material!!!"
[Big News] Morgans danced with excitement.
Countless newspapers were being printed at full speed in the factories of the World Economy News Paper, and the news coos were flying across the world to announce the development.
Countless people received the papers.
Some were thrilled—ambitious figures recognizing the significance behind this event, cold glints flashing in their eyes.
Others were terrified—those who cherished peace felt that the balance of the seas had been shattered and that the era was about to spiral out of control.
No matter how one looked at it, this was a momentous event destined to be recorded in history. Countless eyes were fixed on the actions of the World Government and the Navy, as well as the reactions from the Shichibukai.
"Hey, hey, hey!!! We’ve never heard of something like this before!!!"
"Beru beru beru..."
"Click."
As the Den Den Mushi connected, a pair of eyes glowing with crimson light appeared upon it.
The voice on the other end seemed slightly puzzled.
"Oh??? Isn’t this Crocodile? What made you decide to call me?"
Orin said lightly with a faint smile.
But on the other end, Crocodile’s face was full of displeasure and gloom as she gripped the receiver.
"With your intelligence network, you should have known immediately... no, you should’ve known in advance, right? About that news!!!"
Perhaps recalling Orin’s Observation Haki and his extraordinary long-range future sight, Crocodile corrected herself.
"What news???"
"Cut the pointless act! I’m talking about the abolition of the [Shichibukai] system!!!"
After a moment of silence, the other side seemed to process it, as if only just remembering this "minor matter."
"Ah, that. It’s just been abolished. And Crocodile, you haven’t been a Shichibukai for a long time now, have you?"
Orin sounded slightly puzzled.
"What I care about isn’t some damned title!!!"
Crocodile’s face darkened, clearly dissatisfied with Orin’s attitude.
"Even without that title, the world still treats me the same as the Shichibukai. The weight of that name doesn’t come from the World Government—it comes from you!!!"
A sharp glint flashed in her eyes.
"So what now? The abolition of the Shichibukai means you’re going to war with the World Government, right? But my military nation isn’t fully prepared yet..."
Recently, the world had been in an uproar. Many conspiracy theorists believed this was the World Government’s decision to cut off a limb to save the body—
To completely sever ties with Orin, who had dominated two eras since the time of the [Black Emperor], and that a world-shaking war was imminent.
Given Crocodile’s personality, she naturally agreed with that view and had immediately called Orin to ask what the plan was.
She was a true ambitious schemer.
But Orin felt somewhat baffled—if not amused at how dramatic these people were.
On these seas where individual strength reigned supreme, if one truly wanted a world war, why bother with signals and gestures? The two strongest individuals would simply fight. Whoever won would essentially claim the world.
It was that simple and brutal.
Everything else was secondary, serving mostly as support or spectacle.
For example, if Orin truly fought Imu, what help could Crocodile and the others really provide?
It would already be fortunate if they didn’t get caught up in [Black Domination] and end up becoming liabilities instead.
"No need to be so nervous. I already have someone in mind to deal with the World Government. You all should just take care of yourselves~"
"I hear the Navy’s launching operations. I’ve been pretty busy lately. If you get captured again, you’ll just end up keeping Doflamingo company~"
Hearing this, Crocodile’s face twitched with popping veins, and she bit her cigar clean in half.
This was nothing like what she had expected!
But there was nothing she could do about that guy.
And it seemed that, for a while at least, she might really have to rely on herself.
Right now, the top priority was dealing with the bothersome Navy. Those people had already classified her as a Shichibukai-level target for capture.
And after that?
Seeing that she couldn’t rely on Orin, Crocodile began thinking about her future escape routes. She couldn’t just drift aimlessly across the seas as an ordinary pirate, could she?
What would all her years of planning amount to then?
If she couldn’t rely on Orin, who else could she rely on...?
...
Meanwhile—
"Surrender at once!!! Hawk Eyes Mihawk!!!"
"Lay down your arms immediately!!!"
Countless searchlights swept across, illuminating the solitary castle as bright as day.
The man with hawk-like eyes slowly lifted his head.
"It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the trembling excitement of a warrior."
Putting on his hat and slinging the black cross-shaped blade across his back, Mihawk calmly gazed at the warships in the distance.
"Never thought I’d see the day I’d be hunted."
As he packed his belongings, Mihawk decided to relocate.
Not because he feared the Navy—but if he stayed here, endless waves of Marines would disrupt his peace.
At that moment, a call came in.
While continuing to pack, Mihawk glanced at the face displayed on the Den Den Mushi.
"What do you want, Crocodile?"
"The Navy just surrounded my island."
Crocodile had expected as much.
"Same here. The Navy’s moving fast at a time like this... I just finished a call with Orin."
"Oh???"
Mihawk paused and fixed his gaze on the Den Den Mushi.
"What did he say?"
Crocodile sighed helplessly.
"The same as always. Ever since he gave up the title of [Black Emperor] and we disbanded, he’s practically stopped caring about anything. Said he’s busy lately and told us to take care of ourselves."
"That does sound like him~"
Mihawk showed no surprise and continued packing his books and red wine.
"The current Yonko all seem troubled by his existence. Perhaps he enjoys that?"
Crocodile nodded, then finally revealed the real reason for her call.
"So, want to come over to my place?"
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