One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

"All captains, come out for a moment." Rosen hovered above the gathering of pirate ships, surveying them before speaking.

The pirates, wary of being wiped out in one fell swoop, had banded together—even if only superficially. But if they encountered the Marines, their collective survival odds would rise. It seemed they weren't fools, which saved Rosen some trouble.

"Crocodile!" Many captains tensed. They had been lured here by rumors of Crocodile's involvement, and now he appeared in person. Clearly, this wasn't as simple or benevolent as they'd hoped.

"Let's ignore him and leave," one captain muttered, glancing at Rosen before turning his ship to escape the danger zone. Whether it was Crocodile or the Marines, both spelled trouble.

But as soon as he gave the order, Rosen spotted the pirate ship attempting to flee. Unacceptable.

"Black Prison Bullets." Rosen raised his hand and fired eleven sand bullets, striking the fleeing ship like cannonfire. The vessel was instantly riddled with holes and sank.

Silence fell. Other ships that had been considering the same move froze in place. The attack had terrified them—they hadn't even seen the projectiles. One motion from Crocodile, and a ship was destroyed. It was more terrifying than a living artillery battery.

"We have numbers on our side—" one pirate captain began defiantly, unwilling to submit. But when Rosen's domineering gaze locked onto him, his legs gave way in fear.

"If you don't cooperate, I'll send you all to your deaths. If you do, we all survive," Rosen stated plainly.

"What do you want us to do? We won't throw ourselves at the Marines—that's suicide," another captain demanded, stepping forward. Without clarity, conflict was inevitable.

"Nothing too difficult…" Rosen smiled. Most pirates feared death, after all. None of them posed a threat to him. Their question alone proved they still wanted to live—which meant his goal was within reach.

Once the pirates were subdued, Rosen had them hide their ships among the reefs—an area large enough to conceal them all.

Aboard the Dawn…

"Keep an eye on these captains. The island is too dangerous right now—I'll go alone. Welcome back, Daz." Rosen nodded to Daz Bones, who had regained consciousness and stood beside Law.

"Boss." Daz was still dazed, barely processing the situation but responding instinctively.

Every captain on Rosen's ship was now a hostage. Those who refused had been killed—Rosen only needed their vessels. Cooperation made things easier; resistance meant death.

"The Shichibukai truly are devils," one captain muttered. They had agreed to lend their ships in exchange for their lives—if Crocodile kept his word. But if he didn't, they were doomed. Still, when faced with possible survival versus certain death, they had chosen the former.

With his orders given, Rosen departed on a small boat. The island was vast, and the odds of encountering Admiral Kizaru were slim. Traveling alone also reduced the risk of detection.

Meanwhile, the island itself had descended into chaos. Most of its people had gathered in the Ninth Garden as the relentless bombardment turned the outer regions into a sea of flames. The undead monsters, though temporarily resistant, writhed in the inferno—doomed to burn eventually. The surviving islanders were trapped like cornered beasts, their space shrinking by the minute.

Some had tried breaking through the bombardment, but the shells were too dense, too powerful, and too widespread. Some even released choking smoke, filling the underground tunnels and forcing those hiding below to emerge—or risk being buried alive as the island shook under the assault.

"The sacred land is being bombarded. We can't hold. The Queen is missing." At the Ninth Garden, the island's strongest warriors had gathered. Those who hadn't made it in time were either dead or dying from the bombardment.

The Ninth Garden was the last safe zone. The shelling had started from the edges and was now closing in—its final target.

"Damn the Marines! What kind of attack is this? Ordinary bombardment isn't like this… Are we destined for extinction?" The temporary leader, Lord Hodman, stood grim-faced. Morad was severely injured, and Alice commanded the remaining forces.

"The sacred land is gone." Alice clenched her fists in frustration. The faint hope they'd clung to had been snuffed out again. The Marines had crushed their dreams time and time again—hatred now ran bone-deep.

"What do we do?" Alice asked Hodman.

"There's nothing we can do. Only a handful of warriors could cross the bombardment and flames—and we don't even know where the attacks are coming from. Most of us can't escape the shelling. Perhaps this is our fate." Hodman's voice was calm, but his eyes reflected despair as he surveyed the Ninth Garden—now packed with the island's survivors.

"There must be something we can try," Alice insisted.

"There might still be two usable ships—if they haven't been destroyed. Alice, take some of the strongest fighters and break through. Preserve a spark of our people." After a long pause, Hodman concluded that a full evacuation was impossible. But a few might escape.

"No. Even if we make it out, where would we go? Does the outside world have a place for us? We'll hold the Ninth Garden. If we survive this bombardment, the Marines will land—and I'll drag as many of them to hell with me as I can." Alice smirked coldly. The bombardment might not kill her—but it was no guarantee. She wasn't a Logia user or immune to explosions. Sustained shelling or flames would still claim her.

Even the strongest couldn't endure the full might of a Buster Call—its terrifying reputation as a national-level weapon was well-earned. If it weren't so devastating, Bartholomew Kuma wouldn't have schemed to trigger it again.

Hodman said nothing. Everyone had their own choices.

"If we're going to die anyway, I might as well finish my dried fish." Among the crowd, Natalie quietly pulled out her snack and took a big bite. It was tough, but still delicious.

"Uncle must have gone back. That's good—at least he won't die with us. I just wish I could've seen the outside world… Maybe even eaten a Devil Fruit."

The islanders waited silently for death's approach. The few who survived the bombardment trickled into the Ninth Garden.

Those who didn't make it had already fallen.

(End of Chapter)

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