One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

"Purgatory Tornado." Rosen watched as a cannonball streaked through the air. He sensed that this single shot would be the final straw for these warriors, so he acted decisively.

Initially, Rosen had considered exploiting this moment of weakness to forge an alliance with the Lantis people. But now, he hesitated—would doing so push these pitiable yet admirable warriors into the abyss of destruction?

"Desert Protection!" Rosen manipulated the air with his hands, as if performing a magic trick, controlling the Purgatory Tornado.

Ten tornadoes of sand and dust formed a connected ring, shielding the entire area within a radius of over 500 meters. Flames and cannonballs struck the swirling tornadoes but were all deflected.

"Brave warriors, your mission is complete. Leave the rest to me." Though these soldiers might not be the strongest, they had earned Rosen's respect.

"Save them..." Through the gap left by the fallen soldiers, Hathaway caught sight of Rosen and, for the first time in her life, begged someone for help.

"I will. But you must survive as well." Rosen didn't rush to move Queen Hathaway. It was clear she was the spiritual pillar of the Lantis people—someone like her couldn't die.

Whether to aid the Lantis or to fulfill his opportunistic ambitions, Hathaway had to be saved. She might prove invaluable in the future.

Rosen sat cross-legged in the protected zone, where cannonfire could no longer reach. The power of his awakened Devil Fruit ability far surpassed ordinary comprehension.

With just a slight reinforcement of his ability, the Purgatory Tornado's desert shield could maintain its rotation for three days and nights without dissipating.

Using his Observation Haki, Rosen surveyed the condition of the soldiers. Though many had collapsed, faint signs of life remained—people in this world possessed astonishing resilience.

Still, the number of deaths was far from insignificant.

"Lie down." Rosen sighed as he watched some soldiers stubbornly clinging to consciousness. The sand beneath them formed golden hands, gently lowering them one by one.

In their current state, even a strong breeze could knock them over, leaving them entirely at Rosen's mercy.

As the sandy hands guided them down, Rosen considered his options. Though he wasn't a doctor, his "Vitality X6" was a miraculous healing agent.

Back when it was only "Vitality X2," it had indirectly saved the life of Rear Admiral Harry, who was on the brink of death, and sustained Daz Bones.

Now, with Vitality X6, Rosen didn't know its full potential—he had never fully relaxed to unleash its power. But his confidence in this bodily attribute stemmed from past successes.

Within the safe zone, Rosen allowed himself to relax. His body began radiating particles of vitality, suffusing the entire area and settling on every soldier.

These particles activated each warrior's innate healing potential. Many whose breathing had been weak and faltering now steadied, their injuries ceasing to worsen.

Hathaway, too, was bathed in the healing light. Her physical prowess far exceeded the others, as did her cellular regeneration.

When Vitality X6 enveloped her at close range, her shallow, fading breaths stabilized.

Minutes later, she felt control return to her fingers—an indescribably strange sensation. Who was this man? Could he be… a god?

Hathaway, who had never believed in gods and even despised those who preached divine authority, suddenly found herself entertaining such a thought.

"The Buster Call has been activated. It's the Marines' national-level indiscriminate military force. How many people are left on this island? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I intend to evacuate the Lantis people from this island."

Rosen had originally planned to say, "If you agree to an alliance, I'll do everything in my power to help as many Lantis escape as possible. But if the day comes when we oppose the World Government, I'd expect your full support."

Yet the soul-stirring scene he had witnessed earlier simplified both his intentions and his words.

Though Queen Hathaway still couldn't move, she could now speak coherently. Ordinarily, she would have doubted this stranger's words.

But her skepticism vanished before it could form, replaced by an honest answer:

"Before the war, there were about 48,000 people. After, roughly 44,000 remained, including the wounded. Now, after the naval bombardment… we don't know. But if we reach the Ninth Garden, we can confirm."

Some soldiers had died on other battlefields or at the hands of undead, not just in the Abyss War.

"The Ninth Garden is located at the center of Lantis Island. Judging by the current bombing range, the Marines are attacking from the outside in. If your main forces are at the Ninth Garden, they likely haven't been hit by the Buster Call yet. That means at least 40,000 survivors. Which makes this… a serious problem." Rosen frowned.

Evacuating over 40,000 Lantis people would be a monumental task. Though Rosen had seized pirate ships—around twenty-six of them—even if they crammed people aboard recklessly without considering escape speed, they could transport maybe 10,000 at most.

That wouldn't even cover half.

"How soon can you recover your combat strength—close to peak condition?" Rosen suddenly asked. He had a risky plan in mind.

If it failed, Hathaway would die.

"Give me a vial of your blood. I'll recover faster." Hathaway's unexpected request left Rosen baffled.

Seeing his confusion, she patiently explained, "I was also one of the Celestial Dragons' test subjects. My bloodline was modified. Absorbing and assimilating the blood of powerful Devil Fruit users can unlock this body's latent potential."

"A vampire?!" Rosen was startled.

"No. They called it 'scientific bloodline factor modification.' Not all blood works—most is poison to me. But the particles you emitted earlier… my body didn't reject them. So your blood should be compatible."

Though Hathaway spoke calmly, Rosen could sense the darkness lurking beneath her words. The Queen of Lantis… had once been a Celestial Dragon experiment?

"Fine."

"Tell me your plan." Hathaway had no other options. If she did, she wouldn't have begged Rosen to save her soldiers earlier. She was cornered, desperate.

Even if this was another deception, could anything be worse than the total annihilation of the Lantis people?

"Our biggest problem isn't surviving the Buster Call or finding an escape route. We already have the means for both. The real issue is transport. With only twenty-six small-to-medium pirate ships, evacuating everyone is impossible."

"But there's still hope. Our only chance lies in Marine warships or troop carriers. A single warship, stripped of ammunition and supplies, could hold 7,000 to 8,000 people. If we can commandeer three warships or three to five troop carriers, we can solve this."

Rosen laid out the situation in detail—because what came next might require Hathaway to risk her life.

(End of Chapter)

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