Hunger! He was so hungry his stomach was sticking to his spine.
Amidst the loud rumbling of his gut, Ace slowly drifted awake. He glanced upward and grumbled, "Another unfamiliar ceiling. Do I have sleepwalking disorder or something?"
"Whether you sleepwalk or not, I don't know, but you certainly have a habit of talking in your sleep." From a dark corner nearby, Crocodile, sporting a pair of heavy dark circles under his eyes, glared at him. "You were shouting and hollering all night long. It was deafening."
"Really?" Ace sat up, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to be a bother, uncle."
"Who are you calling 'uncle,' you brat?! Don't tell me you don't recognize who I am?"
"Where are we, anyway? Do you know, uncle?" Ace scanned his surroundings. He found himself locked in a spacious room with solid walls on all four sides; the only ventilation came from a small barred window in the heavy iron door.
"Listen when people are talking to you!"
"Huh? You don't know either, uncle?"
Don't get angry, don't get angry... he still has utility... After repeatedly hypnotizing himself into a state of calm, Crocodile exhaled and said, "This is a prison. I don't know the exact location. And listen closely, I am Croco—"
He was cut off before he could finish. "A prison? This is a prison?! Does that mean I was caught by the Marines? Man, what am I going to do... I still wanted to meet up with Luffy."
"Fire Fist Ace, are you playing dumb on purpose?" Crocodile stood up, his face dark with irritation. "As the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, I refuse to believe you don't know who I am."
"Eh? Are you famous, uncle?" Ace leaned in, squinting at his face. Suddenly, he clapped his hands in a moment of realization. "Oh! You're that... that guy! Sorry, I forgot your name."
"My name is Sir Crocodile!"
"Right, right! That's the one. Marco told me there was once a guy who could only play with sand who challenged Pops and got completely schooled. That was you, right?"
"Dammit, are you looking for a death wish?!" Crocodile swung a fist straight at him.
Ace tried to summon his flames to counter, but to his shock, the fire wouldn't come. Crocodile's punch landed square in his gut, sending him crashing into the wall.
"Idiot. You didn't even realize you're wearing Seastone." Crocodile stood his ground, not following up. After landing that one punch, his temper had cooled significantly.
"Seastone?" Ace looked down at the cuffs on his wrists. Light dawned on him. "No wonder I feel so drained. I thought it was just because I was hungry."
"Fire Fist Ace, both you and I were brought here by that man. Let's put our grudge aside for now until we get out of here. What do you say?" Crocodile proposed.
He waited for a response, but Ace's head had slumped forward. Crocodile blinked. I didn't hit him that hard, did I?
As he took two steps forward, Ace suddenly snapped his head back up, looking like he'd just woken from a trance. "Whoops, fell asleep again. What were you saying, Sand-Croc?"
"GET OUT!"
…
After exhausting a significant amount of brain cells, Crocodile finally managed to establish a temporary alliance with Ace.
"That guy Aomori... he dared to insult Pops and locked me up. I'm definitely not letting him off!" Ace said, fuming.
"Indeed. I hold a deep grudge against him as well. However, we must admit his strength is slightly above ours for now. We need to work together and plan carefully," Crocodile added.
"Right!" After a loud shout, Ace suddenly clutched his stomach. "So hungry... don't they serve food here?"
"They do. All the rice you can eat." Crocodile looked toward the door. "It's about that time."
Right on cue, the sound of a lock turning echoed from outside. The small hatch at the bottom of the iron door slid open, and a large bucket of white rice along with two small side dishes were pushed through.
"Ohhh! Food!" Ace's eyes lit up. He lunged at the bucket, frantically devouring the contents.
"Hey! Save some for me!" Crocodile struggled to reclaim some of the rice and began eating.
A while later, once they were reasonably full, their common enemy, Aomori, finally appeared before them.
"Yo. Hello, you two," Aomori waved. "Looks like you're getting along quite well."
"Hmph." Crocodile turned away, refusing to acknowledge him.
Ace, however, was incensed. "What do you want with us? Why are you holding us here?"
"I told you before. To give Whitebeard a grand gift."
"Your target is Pops? I won't let you succeed!"
"Heh. Prisoners shouldn't talk so big." Aomori turned to Crocodile with a smile. "Sand-Croc, I heard you suffered a miserable defeat at Whitebeard's hands years ago. You must be quite frustrated. Why not help me deliver this gift to him?"
Treacherous bastard! Crocodile refused flatly. "Stop trying to drive a wedge between us. I'll challenge Whitebeard on my own terms; I don't need your help."
"Well said, Sand-Croc!" Ace looked at Aomori with a cold sneer. "A real man fights with his own strength. Underhanded schemes never deserve respect."
"Are you saying I didn't use strength to beat you?" Aomori shook his head. "Does a man who relies solely on his Fruit power have the right to talk big?"
"The me from yesterday lost, but that doesn't mean the me of tomorrow will. One day, I will surpass you!"
"Is that so? Then let's see if the you of today loses." Aomori cracked his knuckles and walked slowly toward Ace.
"Hey! What are you doing? Don't come over here! Ow! If you're so tough, take off these cuffs!"
"Fine. There, they're off."
"Great Flame Commandment... GAH!"
Ten minutes later, Ace lay on the ground looking utterly soul-crushed, the rice he'd just eaten nearly beaten out of him.
"Looks like the you of today lost." Aomori brushed off his hands and turned to Crocodile, who was busy staring at the ceiling. "Come on, your turn."
Smack! Thud! Bam!
"As expected, punching you feels much more substantial. Beating Ace always feels like something is missing."
"Dammit! I'll kill you!"
"Hehe, that's the spirit."
By the time Aomori left, satisfied, both Crocodile and Ace were lying on the floor covered in bruises, feeling completely drained.
"Man... I'm hungry again," Ace sighed, touching his growling stomach. "Does he really plan on coming here to beat us up every day?"
"Mhm. Barring any accidents, he'll show up again tonight," Crocodile said, gasping for air as he crawled toward his corner.
"That jerk... is he just doing this for fun?"
"No. He's using us to train his Armament Haki. A few days ago, when I first met him, he didn't even know how to use it. Now, he's becoming increasingly proficient."
"This guy... he's actually..." Ace fell silent.
…
Over the next few days, Aomori visited the prison frequently.
Ace began using his Fruit powers less and less, opting instead to use his own Armament Haki. Crocodile didn't change much, though he continued to silently observe both Aomori and Ace with a dark, brooding gaze.
One day, after a satisfying session, Aomori said to them, "That's enough. You two are coming out to sea with me tomorrow."
"Where to?"
"To the New World. To have some fun with Whitebeard."
"Are you serious?" Crocodile asked. "Never mind Whitebeard himself; there are over a dozen commanders there on par with Ace."
"It's fine. I have him, don't I?" Aomori grabbed Ace's head and ruffled his hair a few times. "Right, Ace? Your Pops must love you very much. He'd surely be willing to sacrifice a little for you."
"Heh. You really don't understand pirates. Pops will tear you into mincemeat," Ace spat.
"Is that so? We'll just have to wait and see."
…
"Marine Captain Smoker, at your service, Your Majesty."
In the grand hall, Smoker and Tashigi bowed slightly toward King Cobra, who sat upon his throne.
"Greetings. To what do we owe the honor of the Captain's visit to Alabasta?" King Cobra asked with a kind smile.
"We were originally pursuing a certain pirate crew. After arriving, we heard that the Warlord Crocodile attempted to seize your kingdom but was defeated. Is that correct?"
"Yes. It was shocking to find that a Warlord sanctioned by the World Government could be such an irredeemable man. Fortunately, our kingdom received help from a hero; otherwise, our people would be in dire straits, and I would have been a failure as a king."
"A hero?" Smoker raised an eyebrow. "I heard Crocodile is being held in your prison. By order of my superiors, we need to take him back to Marineford to face justice."
"Alas, what a misfortune," King Cobra sighed regretfully. "Just last night, Crocodile suddenly vanished from his cell. We are currently conducting an intensive search for his whereabouts."
"Vanished?" Tashigi frowned. "Could the remnants of Baroque Works have broken him out?"
"Mhm. That is our suspicion as well."
"In that case, we shall assist in the search."
"We would be most grateful."
After leaving the palace, Tashigi asked, "Captain Smoker, do you think Crocodile really escaped?"
"The King has no reason to lie. If we took Crocodile back, the World Government would surely compensate Alabasta."
"So Crocodile really does have remnants left?"
"Perhaps." Smoker exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Crocodile, Fire Fist Ace, the mysterious person fighting him, and the hero who saved the kingdom... I feel like a storm is brewing in Alabasta. It seems we'll be staying here for a while."
"Yes, sir!"
…
At that moment, Crocodile was standing on the deck of a massive ship, gazing out at the azure sea. He wore Seastone rings around his wrists and ankles. At the top of the mast flew a bright red flag without any insignia.
"Old Croc, why the nostalgic look? Don't tell me it's been a long time since you've been at sea," Ace said, standing beside him.
"Why are you calling me 'Old Croc' too?"
"Your name is too long. It's a hassle to say. 'Old Croc' rolls off the tongue better."
"Then Ace, we shall call you 'Monkey,'" said Aomori, who was sunbathing on a lounge chair.
"Heh, I'm certainly no pig." Before Ace could object, Robin, who was reading a book on a nearby chair, cut off Aomori's next remark.
She had heard Aomori tell a story called Sea Journey to the West. In the story, Captain Tang Sanzang took his three crew members—Monkey, Fatty Pig, and Old Croc—to find a legendary treasure, eventually overcoming eighty-one trials to succeed.
"Protest denied. From now on, I am Captain Aomori, alias 'Sanzang'—one punch to bury the earth, two punches to bury the sea, and three punches to bury the heavens!" Aomori declared.
"Arrogant!" Crocodile shot a glance at Aomori, his eyes then skimming over Ace and Robin. "Speaking of which, we have four Fruit users on this ship. What happens if the boat capsizes?"
"What's there to be afraid of? I used to go to sea alone all the time," Ace said, slapping him on the shoulder.
"I am NOT afraid!"
"Old Croc, it's only natural to be scared after being away from the sea for so long. No need to hide it. As for safety, don't worry. If a certain master swordsman can sail the Grand Line with nothing but a small boat and a tiny dagger, surely the four of us can manage?" Aomori said.
"I repeat, I AM NOT AFRAID!" Crocodile glared at the grinning Ace, feeling speechless. Is going to sea really that exciting?! He was looking all gloomy and vengeful just a moment ago.
"Old Croc, why are you glaring at me?"
"If there's a fight, count me in."
"GET OUT!"
Listening to the three world-class powerhouses bickering like children, Robin shook her head helplessly. Suddenly, she realized something. "Is it really okay that no one is actually steering the ship?"
It should be fine... right?
After thinking it over, Robin chose to ignore the issue and focused back on her book. Her heart settled into a peaceful state. The books really do have everything I wanted. The Professor didn't lie to me.
…
"Look! There's a ship over there! Boss, let's go take them!"
"Wait... the flag on that ship is..."
"Oh no! It's the Blood Flag! Run! I heard there's a guy on there named Sanzang who can shatter a ship with one punch. Over ten pirate crews have already been buried by him!"
However, they were a step too late.
A flash of purple light streaked across the water. Many pirates, along with their ship, were instantly torn asunder. Only a few lucky survivors managed to dodge the terrifying attack and fall into the water. However, they now had to face the predators of the sea.
On the massive vessel known as the "Blood Flag Ship," Aomori withdrew his fist and let out a light chuckle.
Throughout this voyage, whenever they encountered a pirate ship, Aomori ruthlessly rejected them, causing his fame to soar. Yet, not a single soul had managed to board the ship to see his true face.
"Captain is truly impressive," Robin said, clapping her hands in support.
"What's so great about that? I used to be able to destroy five ships at once with my Fire Fist," Ace said, leaning against the railing.
"..." Crocodile sat in the corner, silent.
Aomori ignored them. He gazed into the distance and whispered, "Sabaody Archipelago... we're almost there."