One Piece: New Order

Fleet Admiral Kong sat in the center seat and spoke.

"The chosen candidate for the Seven Warlords of the Sea system is the man known as the Desert King: Crocodile.

"About this candidate. First, he is a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, wielder of the Sand-Sand Fruit. Second, he holds a deep grudge against one of the New World's major powers.

"Not long ago, he clashed with Knox. His entire crew was wiped out, and he barely escaped alone. The government has already picked up his trail and is preparing to make contact. We'll support him and see how it plays out. If anyone has questions, feel free to speak."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the room.

Vice Admiral Tsuru folded her hands on the table.

"What about the scope of the Seven Warlord's power? How far does it go exactly?"

Kong leaned back with his arms crossed.

"This was discussed at Mariejois. They'll have legal rights to plunder—with one exception. If they attack a Marine ship, the Warlord title will be stripped immediately, and they'll be thrown into Impel Down.

"Also, they're not allowed to launch large-scale raids on World Government member states. Nor are they allowed to use any means to control such nations. Aside from that, their other rights remain unchanged.

"This is a trial. If needed, we'll offer various conveniences to help them grow quickly, and observe the results. Then decide how to fill the remaining positions."

Tsuru stayed silent. Like most others, she had her reservations about the system. But orders were orders. This came from the top. No room for debate.

Kong looked around the room, then said, "Sengoku, what about you?"

The admiral nodded. "No objections."

Then he turned to Sakazuki. "Your thoughts?"

The vice admiral nodded too. "No objections. And where is he? Let me deliver the message."

Kong looked at him with suspicion in his eyes. "You're not planning to kill him, are you?"

Sakazuki chuckled. "No. But I will teach him a proper lesson. Make sure he understands what it means to behave like a good dog."

The fleet admiral gave a knowing smile.

"Alright. Anyone else? Any thoughts?"

Since the other top officers did not object, the rest followed their lead and shook their heads.

Kong gave a slight nod. "Then it's settled. Meeting adjourned."

* * *

The Grand Line, On Sakazuki's Warship.

Bullet was in the middle of an intense training session with his squad. He fought against fifteen men at once, all using Haki in real combat drills.

Meanwhile, Enel sat at the railing with a golden fishing rod. He claimed he was fishing, but it was more like shocking fish.

He used Observation Haki to sense movement in the water, then slowly guided the rod toward it.

"100,000 Volt. Vari."

A flash of bright white light burst from the rod.

Splash!

The sea exploded upward, water blasting dozens of meters into the air. A fine mist rained down over the ship, cooling everyone off.

Sakazuki stood on the second deck as he raised a hand and called over a passing News Coo. Pulling out the latest newspaper, he muttered, "A new year already, huh?"

The date on the cover read: January 3rd, Year 1498 of the Sea Circle Calendar.

He flipped through it. Nothing stood out.

He casually handed it to Carlo.

"Have all the soldiers assigned to the Four Blues branches. Let them settle for two years and build strength. The time's almost here."

Carlo smiled. "Understood."

Then, the vice admiral asked, "Where's Crocodile now?"

"Based on the latest intel, he's withdrawn from the New World. He's currently on the Sabaody Archipelago. Government CP agents are keeping watch."

Their warship wasn't far from Sabaody now, and the towering red mangrove trees were clearly visible on the horizon.

Standing on the deck, Sakazuki narrowed his eyes.

He could already see the fighting breaking out on the island. "Looks like our Warlord of the Sea is pretty energetic. Increase speed."

* * *

Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 27. Lawless Zone.

Crocodile was walking past two strangers when he suddenly struck.

"Crescent Cutlass."

His arm transformed into a huge crescent-shaped sand blade that slashed through both of the disguised CP agents in an instant.

The blade didn't cut. Instead, it sucked the moisture from their bodies in a flash. Their skin dried and shriveled like mummies as they collapsed to the ground, barely clinging to life.

The crowd around them panicked and scattered. Some, braver or more curious, hid far away to watch.

Crocodile looked around coldly after dealing with the two. "Come out. Your presence is already exposed."

Several seconds passed. No one showed themselves.

Crocodile snorted as he gathered power again.

"Desert Grande Espada!"

Whoosh!

Four sharp gusts tore through the air.

From the trees, behind buildings, within the crowd—four blades formed from sand suddenly launched in all directions.

The people hiding in those spots vanished instantly. A second later, four figures appeared at a distance, forming a loose encirclement around Crocodile.

He glanced at two of them and saw their signature black suits.

"Heh, government lapdogs."

But these CP agents, brainwashed since childhood, said nothing. They only stared, watching him silently. It made Crocodile feel like a clown, talking to himself.

After everything he'd been through recently, and now being ignored like this, he couldn't suppress his fury any longer.

A sand-formed cyclone began swirling in his hand.

"Sandstorm Burden!!!"

A raging sand tornado formed in an instant. It surged forward with the wind, tearing everything in its path apart like a desert storm on a rampage.

With a grim expression, Crocodile kept forming sand cyclones, hurling them in every direction. In just moments, all of Grove 27 looked like it had turned into a desert.

The pirate, now a living embodiment of sand and storm, roared:

"Desert Slasher!"

Both arms transformed into four big sand blades that slashed toward the CP agents closing in.

Clang!

Clang!

The sounds of clashing blades rang out again and again.

Crocodile attacked like a wild beast out of control. He slashed at everything in sight without holding back. Even the giant mangrove trees around them began to shrink slightly, some of their moisture already drained away.

At some point, four silhouettes appeared at the edge of the battlefield. From afar, a large number of Marine soldiers were quickly approaching.

Sakazuki looked at the sand-covered area and spoke. "We can't let this go on. Bullet."

Bullet grunted as he stared into the howling storm ahead, then grinned savagely.

Vmmm—

He entered Demon Mode—blue skin, blood-red eyes, a twisted smile. He looked terrifying.

Enel stood nearby, eyes sparkling like stars.

"So cool!"

Bullet swept the battlefield with his Observation Haki and stomped the ground. Cracks split across the earth as he rushed forward with explosive force, charging straight into the sandstorm.

The blast of air behind him cleared away the swirling sand in his path as he shot toward the center.

Boom!

A deafening crash.

Crocodile was smashed by Bullet's sudden punch, right to his face. The sandstorm halted in midair and exploded outward. At the same time, the pirate, like a meteor, slammed into the ground.

Reforming his body quickly, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Bullet with a solemn expression.

"Haki. And that form... what the hell is that? What kind of monster are you?"

High in the air, Bullet tapped the air beneath his feet without responding. White shockwaves erupted as he launched again toward Crocodile, who raised his hands, activating his ability.

"Desert Grande Espada!"

A massive sword made entirely of sand, dozens of meters long and wide, burst out to intercept the Marine.

Bullet's grin didn't fade. He pulled his arm back and thrust his right shoulder forward, charging like a human battering ram.

Crack! Crack!

The giant sand sword shattered as he plowed through it. Still moving at full force, he slammed right into Crocodile.

Crunch!

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