In an instant, Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger snapped out of their shock. Their boss was in trouble—they couldn't just stand there! Both moved simultaneously with lethal intent.
"Stinger Hedgehog!" "Atomic Spurt!"
Mr. 1, user of the Paramecia-type Supa Supa no Mi (Dice-Dice Fruit), transformed his forearms into rotating blades. He crossed them over his chest, launching a barrage of powerful air slashes toward Rowan and the pinned Crocodile. Beside him, Miss Doublefinger, user of the Toge Toge no Mi (Spike-Spike Fruit), extended hardened spikes from her arms, swinging them like morning stars.
Their attacks were fierce and reckless, showing little concern for whether they might hit Crocodile in the process of reaching Rowan.
"Mr. Rowan, watch out!" Princess Vivi cried out, her face pale with worry. Having infiltrated Baroque Works, she and Igaram knew the terrifying strength of these two. Miss Doublefinger was a high-level assassin with a 35-million Berry bounty, while Mr. 1's bounty was a staggering 75 million—nearly as high as Crocodile's own frozen bounty. Together, their threat level was immense.
To the young Vivi, even though Rowan had suppressed Crocodile, he now seemed dangerously exposed. But as her heart raced, a green blur flickered across her vision, accompanied by three flashes of cold steel.
CLANG!
A massive shockwave of metal hitting metal echoed through the underground palace. Miss Doublefinger gasped as the green-haired youth who had been standing by Vivi suddenly appeared in front of her. Not only had he blocked her "Stinger Hedgehog," but he had also deflected Mr. 1's lethal slashes with ease.
Roronoa Zoro!
The two agents shared a look of shock, but quickly adjusted their plan. They decided to team up and kill this swordsman first. Zoro, sensing their bloodlust, let out a feral grin. The small-time thugs at Whiskey Peak hadn't been enough to satisfy him... this was exactly what he wanted.
A thick, suffocating aura of slaughter began to seep from Zoro's body. As Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger stared, the air around Zoro seemed to distort. In their eyes, he suddenly grew into a terrifying figure with three heads and six arms!
A chilling, demonic voice rasped from Zoro's throat:
"Demon Spirit... Nine-Sword Style... ASURA!"
The two agents felt like cats whose fur had been rubbed the wrong way; every instinct screamed at them to retreat. But it was too late. The phantom of the six-armed demon lunged forward.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Sword light filled the room. When Zoro came to a halt, he was already in a sheathing stance.
Click.
As his three blades settled into their scabbards, blood erupted from the chests of both Baroque Works officers. They collapsed simultaneously, eyes wide with disbelief.
One move. Two top-tier executives neutralized. This was the result of Zoro's growth under Rowan's tutelage.
Rowan didn't even glance at the side battle. His eyes remained fixed on Crocodile. He had considered the man's fate; unlike some others, Crocodile had a certain "value," but Rowan had no intention of letting him live.
Crocodile was a conspirator whose cunning rivaled Doflamingo's. He simply kept a lower profile, making him seem less dangerous to the public—but that was an illusion. If he weren't so obsessed with the Ancient Weapon Pluton, he likely would have caused even more global chaos than Doflamingo.
In a world where the relationship between the Navy and the World Government was at a breaking point, unpredictable, high-level criminals were at the top of Rowan's "cleanup list." Eliminating them lightened the Navy's future burden and provided Rowan with massive Prestige Points.
"Little sandman... do you really think that if the Five Elders find out you were hunting Pluton, they would still protect you?" Rowan exhaled a puff of smoke, the white rings drifting over Crocodile's head. He ignored the man's shock at having his deepest secret exposed.
"More importantly," Rowan continued, "do you know who I am? To hell with the Five Elders. If I want to kill you, they can't stop me."
Crocodile looked up, staring at the towering figure of the "Godfather." From this angle, Rowan's aura felt world-encompassing—even more imposing than the legends in the newspapers suggested.
Crocodile let out a sudden, dry laugh. "Hahaha! The Five Elders never imagined a monster like you would rise from within the Navy. You want my life? Fine. To die at the hands of the Marine Godfather... I suppose that's an honor, even for me!"
Realizing his fate was sealed, Crocodile stopped struggling. He abandoned his desperate survival tactics and regained the poise of a true Shichibukai. Despite being a villain, he was still a powerhouse who stood atop the Grand Line, and in his final moments, he chose to face death with the pride of a titan.
"Good," Rowan remarked. "I don't care for the trash of the sea, but I can appreciate your spine. Your previous performance made me nauseous, but now? Now you finally look like a Warlord."
It was a small mark of respect from one powerhouse to another. Even before his system awakened, Rowan had been a Vice Admiral standing above most of the world. He recognized a warrior's resolve when he saw it.