Chapter 44: Crocodile

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Rean Island is a small, perpetually cold island, often serving as a transit point for merchants and pirates alike. 

Because of this, various conflicts frequently occur on the island. When Arashi and his crew arrived, it was already afternoon. 

The dazzling sunlight reflected off the thick snow on the ground, creating a blindingly white world. 

The biting cold wind made Rosinante shiver as he rubbed his hands together for warmth. 

Nearby, Ivans and the others were busy handing out winter clothing. None of them had expected Rean Island to be so frigid.

Their warship was casually anchored along the shore, with no other pirate ships in sight. 

Arashi guessed that Crocodile and his crew had probably docked from a different direction. 

T-Bone draped a thick coat over Arashi's shoulders, and Arashi nodded in thanks.

After donning their winter coats and boots, the group disembarked from the warship, stepping onto the island's thick snow.

"Crocodile, bounty: 81 million Berries," Ivans recited the information from headquarters, sighing as he spoke.

"According to reports from the Marines who failed previously, he's a Logia-type Devil Fruit user."

"Last year, he fought Douglas Bullet to a standstill, which brought him considerable fame." 

"The bounty set by the World Government underestimates this man's true strength."

The others wore expressions of gravity and seriousness. 

Logia-type users were almost guaranteed to be formidable foes; the abilities granted by their Devil Fruits alone secured them a significant place in the world. 

Their immunity to physical attacks and powerful control over elements were beyond imagination.

Arashi listened to the information with a faint smile. After trekking through the snow-covered forest, the group finally spotted a bustling town ahead.

"They've already taken over the town, but the villagers are still alive," Ivans reported solemnly. "It seems they haven't harmed the civilians."

He noticed a makeshift port on the eastern side of the town, where a pirate ship bearing a skull flag was docked. 

They had chosen the wrong place to anchor, but fortunately, it didn't affect the mission's outcome.

"Target sighted," Ivans said quietly as the sniper scope soon revealed a young man with slicked-back hair and a cigar in his mouth—Crocodile, the target of their mission.

"Shall we engage?" Ivans asked, taking a deep breath.

Arashi casually waved his hand, giving the command to proceed. 

Recently, these trainee Marines under his command handled most of the fighting while he took a backseat and only stepped in when Ivans and the others were overwhelmed. 

Ivans understood the signal and nodded to Rosinante, Yagyū Hyōbei, and the others. 

The six of them moved swiftly, advancing cautiously through the snow.

When they were about 1,500 meters from the town, Ivans signalled for everyone to take cover.

"At this distance, I can easily hit him," Ivans said, adjusting the position of his rifle as he aimed the scope directly at the man with the cigar.

"Will bullets even work on a Logia user?" Rosinante asked curiously.

"Who knows? This is the first time I've encountered a Logia user," Ivans replied seriously.

He quickly held his breath and locked onto the target's forehead. 

Yagyū Hyōbei, using binoculars to scout the area, observed that Crocodile's pirate crew occupied the entire town, yet the civilians remained unharmed. 

These pirates seemed to have some sense of order; they had taken over the town but hadn't harmed the villagers and were even coexisting peacefully with them. 

The townsfolk appeared relaxed, going about their daily activities.

Ivans exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing with determination. In the next instant, he pulled the trigger.

Bang! The muffled sound of a gunshot echoed, quickly absorbed by the surrounding snow. 

Ivans kept his eyes glued to the sniper scope, focusing on the man with slicked-back hair.

In the next instant, he saw Crocodile's head jerk slightly as a hole appeared in the centre of his forehead. 

The man's eyes widened in surprise, shock and intrigue. Slowly, Crocodile turned his head, his gaze locking directly onto Ivans' position.

Grains of sand began to drift out of the bullet hole and swiftly filled the wound, completely healing it. 

The cigar in Crocodile's mouth still smouldered, and a sneer spread across his face.

"Marines!" he barked. "Take them down!"

Voices echoed throughout the town as pirates surged forward, shouting as they charged toward the Marines' position.

"Bullets are useless against him," Ivans said grimly, putting away his rifle. By this time, Arashi had already come up behind him.

"To deal with a Logia-type user, you need to use bullets made from Seastone or coat them in Armament Haki," Arashi advised.

Ivans was momentarily stunned before offering a wry smile. 

Seastone was one of the rarest resources in the world, mostly controlled by the World Government and the Marines. 

As for Armament Haki, Ivans was still far from mastering it.

"If you can't manage either of those," Arashi continued, "there's another method to deal with Crocodile. 

Coat the bullets in seawater or blood, and you'll be able to take him down with your gun easily."

Ivans was startled by this revelation and felt a rush of excitement. So, there was a way to defeat even a Logia user, provided you knew how!

"Let's move, T-Bone," Arashi called out, striding toward the oncoming pirates. "We're on a tight schedule!"

T-Bone, Ivans, and the others quickly ran after him.

"That annoying bunch again," Crocodile muttered, a cold smile forming. 

His legs had already transformed into sand, propelling him rapidly to the front of the pirate group.

The guy who shot at him wouldn't get away with it. Since acquiring the Sand-Sand Fruit, Crocodile had rarely encountered a worthy opponent. 

From setting sail, he had been at the top, with only Douglas Bullet standing out as a rival. 

He also harboured ambitions to challenge Whitebeard someday to see how close he was to the world's strongest. 

If he could defeat Whitebeard, he would become the new legend. As for Roger? 

After becoming the Pirate King, that guy disbanded his crew and disappeared without a trace, leaving Crocodile no chance to find him.

<End Chapter>

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