Chapter 24: The Making of a Crew

"What? Luffy got caught? By Akainu?"

Crocodile couldn't believe it. He was already surprised by Luffy's arrest, but by Akainu of all people!

"Good riddance," he scoffed. "Serves him right."

Crocodile relished the thought. Ling Bai was the only reason he got out of Impel Down. Without him, Luffy's fate would be sealed.

Could Luffy escape somehow? Probably not. Maybe Garp would pull some strings? No way.

"You're wrong, Crocodile," Ling Bai said, shaking his head. "You underestimate Luffy."

"There's a hidden floor in Impel Down," Ling Bai continued, surprising everyone. "Floor 5.5, between the fifth and sixth floors. Even Magellan doesn't know about it. Shiryu, you neither?"

"Floor 5.5? What are you talking about?" Shiryu's eyes widened.

Crocodile and Shiryu were surprised, especially Shiryu. Warden for years, even higher-ranked than Magellan at one point - This was news to him.

"Revolutionary Army bigshot Ivankov's there," Ling Bai explained. "They'll probably contact Dragon. Why they're hiding out, who knows? But with Luffy getting arrested, Impel Down's a sure bet. Dragon can't ignore his own son, right?"

"They'll likely use the fight between the Marines and Whitebeard as a chance to break Luffy out, or maybe Ivankov's crew will handle it themselves."

Ling Bai basically predicted the whole thing going down like in the story.

Impel Down now has Ivankov's crew and Jinbe... Luffy might still make it to the Summit War after all. As for the Seastone cuffs? Revolutionary Army has a scissor user in Impel Down who can cut right through that stuff!

"Well, that changes things," Crocodile admitted, feeling a bit lost for words.

Ten minutes later, Ling Bai found Trafalgar Law.

"Hey, Law, what do you think?"

Law felt trapped. If he disagreed, would Ling Bai attack him?

"A few of my crewmates can join too. They're like nurses, really important."

Law knew he couldn't refuse. The worst that could happen is he learns from Blackbeard and steals Devil Fruits. Maybe he could steal one himself?

It might not work, but it's worth a try.

Op-Op Fruit!

"Hi, sir, I want to join," a strange-looking monk said, approaching them. Ling Bai's eyes lit up. This monk had a special ability: the more he was hit, the stronger he became. It was like all the attacks fueled his growth. He wasn't very strong now, just one kick from Kizaru, but his potential was good.

"You might as well add me."

Hawkins saw Ling Bai's power and what he just did. Joining Ling Bai's crew definitely made sense. It's better to team up with someone strong than fight alone. Plus, it's natural to admire strength, there's no shame in following a powerful leader.

That's what Hawkins thought.

In the distance, Drake had a similar idea. Sengoku's latest orders were to try to get in with Ling Bai's crew.

Drake was a Marine Rear Admiral working undercover. Originally, he was supposed to infiltrate the Beast Pirates, but Sengoku changed his target to Ling Bai's crew.

Just then, Ling Bai looked at Drake and shook his head. The look made Drake shiver, feeling like Ling Bai knew his true identity.

But for the mission and justice, Drake still approached Ling Bai.

"We don't accept Marines here, Mr. Rear Admiral."

When Ling Bai spoke, Law and the others were confused at first. Then they saw Drake's expression change, and everyone understood.

"I'm a pirate, but since you're not interested, I'll leave you to it then,"

Drake tried to stay calm, but he was freaking out. He was Marine, only Sengoku and a few high-ranking officials should know that! But Ling Bai calling him Rear Admiral blew his cover.

Terrified, Drake pretended to be calm and left.

"Is he really Marine?"

Hawkins was shocked.

"Unbelievable."

Law expressed his surprise. After all, one of the worst generation Supernova turned out to be a Marine Rear Admiral?

"Part of a special Marine unit," Ling Bai said. "Not sure about the details."

Ling Bai and the others then rejoined Bullet and the others.

Their pirate crew joined, making the group even bigger.

The ship's doctor: Trafalgar Law, a Devil Fruit user named "Op-Op," and Bullet couldn't help but notice the new arrivals.

The intern: a strange monk and Hawkins, belonged to a generation the captain considered "rotten to the core."

Ling Bai, the captain, envisioned an elite crew. He was strong enough to lead a whole army alone, his Conqueror's Haki capable of wiping out thousands. Why bother with a bunch of rookies? Pirates weren't exactly known for their good deeds, were they?

These youngsters chasing dreams under a pirate flag, pretending to take risks? They were just average, not exactly paragons of virtue.

Even Roger, someone Ling Bai would hesitantly call "decent" before his death, became the notorious Pirates King, ushering in the age of great pirates, a pretty darn bad accomplishment.

Ling Bai also didn't want a crew like Whitebeard's; a massive group of thugs who burned, killed, and stole. An elite crew was the way to go. Supernovas? Interns at best. Law, as the doctor, was a special case.