Reborn as crocodile before Luffy arrival, Run away with Robin

Rosen is obsessed with One Piece. He once imagined that in this magnificent era of sea pirates, every second is filled with adventure. His favorite Devil Fruit is the Shiny Fruit of the Yellow Monkey, whose abilities are especially popular on the Sabaody Archipelago.

There are many characters he likes very much. For example, the female character Nico Robin, with her intellectual beauty, easily captures people's hearts, and her cunning nature adds a touch of playfulness.

Among the male characters, he admires Hawkeye, Aokiji, Bartholomew Kuma, and especially Crocodile, Luffy's first defeated Warlord of the Sea. Rosen has a special liking for Crocodile, seeing him as a casualty driven by the plot.

Crocodile is incredibly strong. When he was an enemy of Luffy, he defeated Luffy multiple times. His eventual loss to Luffy likely stemmed from being shaken by Luffy's unwavering belief.

In his youth, Crocodile was much like Luffy—spirited and ambitious. He had many well-known fierce battles with the crew of the Pirate King and Bullet, often ending inconclusively. It's clear that young Crocodile was high-spirited and full of potential.

Bullet, after all, could compete with Rayleigh in his youth. While these youthful clashes don't fully define Crocodile's later strength, they do indicate that he was highly qualified.

However, after failing to challenge Whitebeard, Crocodile became disheartened. He began seeking external power instead of focusing on self-improvement, leading to the incident of attempting to capture Pluton in Alabasta.

The most reasonable explanation for his loss to Luffy is that he saw in Luffy the part of himself that had stopped progressing, which shook his beliefs. Essentially, Luffy reactivated Crocodile's youthful aspirations.

This is evident later when Crocodile returns to the New World to fight. Of course, this is Rosen's interpretation.

Rosen never imagined that he would wake up one day as Crocodile. Looking at the golden hook on his left hand, he remembered that both the hook and the blade hidden within it are highly poisonous. It's too dangerous. If he accidentally cut himself and forgot to bring the antidote, it could be fatal.

Touching the long cross-cut scars on his face, neatly grooming his hair back, and wearing a black fur coat, Rosen looked at his image as a big boss in the mirror. It took a long time for him to begin accepting reality.

"Why Crocodile instead of Hawkeye or even Aokiji? I could even accept being Akainu," Rosen sighed at his reflection. "Crocodile was in such a sad state when he met Luffy. Although, who knows if it will be different with me."

According to the plot, I'm probably going to be beaten by Luffy and then sent to Impel Down. This is definitely not good. Going to jail as soon as I arrive is not ideal.

I don't know what year it is now, or if Luffy has already gone to sea, but it should be rainy here. From his position, he could clearly see the huge banana crocodile in the indoor aquarium.

Brrrr! Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi on the table rang. Rosen hesitated for a long time before picking up the receiver. "Hello."

"BOSS." A soft female voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi. Rosen had inherited Crocodile's body and abilities but not his memories. Although he had read the Alabasta arc several times, that was years ago, and some details were forgotten.

"Nico Robin?" Rosen asked tentatively. If he remembered correctly, Nico Robin was essentially managing his Baroque Works organization.

"Yes," Nico Robin replied.

"What's the matter?" Rosen asked subconsciously.

"Alabasta's layout is almost in place. The agents' meeting—" Robin was about to continue but was interrupted by Rosen.

"Well, let's put aside other things first. Come here; there are some things I need your help with." Rosen was silent for a moment before speaking.

Nico Robin, two years later, will be one of the most beautiful women in the entire Pirate World. For now, apart from her figure, she is not as stunning. However, her unique intellectual demeanor still has many admirers, and in two years, this treasure of an elder sister will truly bloom.

Rosen decided to have Robin come over for three reasons: to see her in person, to understand the current situation, and to secure her as an encyclopedia-like helper for when he goes to sea. Without inheriting Crocodile's memory, he might struggle to navigate properly.

Currently, Robin is his subordinate, but she is one who might stab him at any time, which is unsettling. In the original timeline, Luffy defeated Crocodile because Robin revealed crucial information. Without her intervention, Crocodile might have continued to defeat Luffy, especially since Luffy lacked Haki at the time.

As for Pluton, Crocodile's original dream of establishing a utopian country, Rosen didn't want to inherit or pursue it. Robin was unlikely to reveal its location, even under duress. The plot made it clear that she would rather die than divulge that secret.

More importantly, Rosen knew that in the later stages, with so many powerful characters and abundant Haki users, a Pluton weapon that didn't belong to his power might not be as impactful. True power comes from within. Although the Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit) is not considered top-tier combat power, there are Haki techniques to explore and train.

As a Warlord of the Sea, Rosen didn't think he could remain uninvolved when the storm arose. The War of the Best loomed ahead, and if the Warlords were not abolished, he might not be able to avoid it.

"Things are very complicated," Rosen mused, sitting in a chair. "But now that I'm in this world, with this identity and strength, I won't remain silent. Better to make a big impact and witness the wonders of this world. Does Laugh Tale really have treasure, or is it a spiritual treasure of will?"

Knock! Knock! There were two rhythmic taps at the door. Rosen calmed himself. "Come in."

The door opened, and a tall woman with a dark complexion but beautiful features walked in. She had slender, straight black hair and was dressed like an office worker, with a patterned hat, lace skirt, and thin top. Rosen was a little shocked at her height. "Robin is so tall?" he thought.

She was about 1.89 meters tall, and only then did he realize that he was at least 2.45 meters. It seems that the argument that people in the One Piece world who are around 1.67 meters are considered short is not unreasonable.

Although both of them are very tall, they don't appear awkward or disproportionate. Such heights are not uncommon here, but they are vastly different from those in the real world.

"Boss, is there anything important?" Although Crocodile's eyes seemed different from before, as if he were being cautious, Robin didn't mind and instead smiled slightly.

Although her voice was gentle, Rosen could sense a feeling of distance. After all, Crocodile is a formidable boss in Alabasta.

He is also very violent, eliminating those who fail to complete tasks. The former Mr. 3, Candle Man, was thrown into the crocodile pond and fed to the crocodiles after failing a mission.

Only with such methods and his own immense strength could the Baroque Works Agency become a significant force with many outstanding talents.

"Tell me briefly about the recent noteworthy events," Rosen said, reluctantly taking his eyes off Robin. The real person was indeed different and more vivid. Even closer, he could still smell a faint aroma.

He thought about his words for a long time before speaking. After all, he needed to understand the current situation, and he was more curious about Robin herself.

"Other plans are going well, but the previous mission by Mr. 5 to eliminate the princess failed. There were three people of unknown origins involved. Here are the collected portraits. This happened a few days ago," Robin said as she took out three hand-drawn drawings and placed them on the table.

Rosen glanced at them and was shocked. Zoro, Luffy, Nami—so, Luffy has not only gone to sea but has also knocked down the door of the house?

After the Whiskey Peak incident, it should be Little Garden, then his new partner, Chopper, and then it will be his turn to be the villain.

What a headache. The conflict has broken out, and although he has strength, he has no combat experience. He might lose even more thoroughly than the original Crocodile.

"Boss, what should we do?" Robin asked in a low voice, noticing that his expression had changed slightly and thinking something had been exposed.

"Take it easy," Rosen said gruffly, and the boss's aura suddenly disappeared.