Watching Crocodile get launched hundreds of ters into the air, only to crash down like a sack of rags onto the desert dunes outside the city—rolling dozens of tis before finally stopping—was a terrifying sight.
Peter looked down at his gorilla-sized palm and clenched his fist with satisfaction.
"What Haki can do... so can Ki, the innate life energy within all living beings."
And now that he had confird it himself, there was no longer any reason to fear these so-called "natural ability users."
Peter laughed heartily, clearly in a good mood.
On a distant sand dune, Robin stared at the giant ape in awe.
"So this is the power of the Saiyans? If every mber of that race possessed such might... what kind of force was needed to wipe them out?"
At that mont, Robin found herself truly intrigued by the Saiyan race. She wanted to uncover their secrets—wanted to know why not a single ntion of them existed in any of the world's history books.
...
After the adrenaline wore off, Peter finally rembered the more important matter at hand and turned toward the direction where Crocodile had fallen.
Due to his massive size, every step Peter took was like a minor earthquake shaking the ground.
Hearing the rumble, Crocodile—barely clinging to life—forced himself to open his eyes.
His vision was blurry. All he could make out was a massive black silhouette... and a pair of crimson, glowing eyes.
With staggered breaths and a voice barely louder than a whisper, he asked:
"You... who are you?"
Peter smirked arrogantly and replied:
"Oh? You want to know my na now? Since you're about to die, I'll be rciful and tell you."
Then, with a grand tone, he declared:
"Rember this na well, little crocodile. The one who defeated you is the noble Prince of the Saiyans—Peter—from the mightiest warrior race in the universe!"
"And when you get to hell... say hi to its king for . Assuming one even exists."
Crocodile muttered faintly:
"A warrior race... Saiyans... monkeys? I've never heard of such a na..."
"I... lost to soone unknown? I... can't accept that..."
Though his body was utterly shattered, Crocodile began to mutter more and more, as if using the last bit of life energy he had.
Peter looked at him, slightly impressed by the durability of people in the "pirate world," then said:
"But that's enough. Go to hell, Crocodile."
Peter opened his mouth and fired a small, one-ter-wide gas blast.
But the explosion it caused was monstrous—intense heat, massive destruction.
In an instant, Crocodile vanished... along with the yellow sand beneath him, ten ters deep.
"Dear God... I was genuinely worried I might lose control and sink the entire island. Luckily, I held back."
The sudden surge in power after Peter transford into the Great Ape had almost caused the total destruction of the Island.
From that mont on, he decided he'd only use this transformation again if absolutely necessary.
But he also knew... that if given more ti to grow, he wouldn't need to transform at all.
...
And thus, among the seven Shichibukai, Mihawk, Buggy, and Mirai had ford the Cross Guild, and Crocodile—the so-called "Father of the Emperor"—was dead.
He beca fertilizer, returning to the soil of Alabasta, which had suffered under his shadow for three whole years.
Though the fight wasn't difficult—more of a solo performance than a battle—Peter still felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
He had taken down a "strong enemy." And that was enough for pride.
Peter let out a long breath and turned toward where Robin had been watching.
...
Robin was in shock! Her eyes stared blankly at the giant ape approaching her.
Even when he stood right before her, she didn't snap out of it—only realizing his presence when he sat down and extended a massive hand toward her.
"W-wait... wait!"
The image of Peter slapping Crocodile to death was still fresh in her mind. When she saw his large hand reaching out, her body instinctively recoiled, afraid he might crush her without aning to.
But Peter seed to notice and made no threatening moves. He kept his calm smile.
Robin hesitated, then cautiously jumped onto his palm and allowed him to lift her to his shoulder.
She sat there, fingers running through his thick brown fur, and said with surprise:
"I didn't expect it to be this soft... If you were a bit smaller, you'd definitely be an adorable pet."
Peter looked mildly annoyed.
"A... pet? After seeing my power? You're quite bold."
Robin laughed and didn't answer. She simply sat on his shoulder.
Peter—the giant ape—sat cross-legged on the ground beneath the moonlight, with Robin beside him.
Silence fell between them for several minutes, until Robin finally broke it with curiosity:
"You... still can't return to your normal form? Is it impossible until then?"
Peter gazed at the full moon above and replied plainly:
"For now, yes. I have to wait until the full moon disappears... then I can return."
Then suddenly, he froze.
"...Oh crap. My clothes."
"Robin, did you bring the clothes we bought? I picked up a few sets for myself too!"
Robin laughed.
"Do I look like I brought anything?"
Peter: "..."
"Never mind. Just have your people bring them by dawn."
He didn't care much. Worst case, he'd run around naked. It's not like he was shy.
But Robin hadn't forgotten one thing—her notebook. She pulled it out with her pen.
Seeing that Peter was in a good mood, she seized the opportunity.
"This transformation... is it a racial trait? Or sothing unique to you? What's the requirent?"
Peter replied simply:
"A racial trait. As long as there's a tail and a full moon... we can transform."
Robin continued:
"What's the power difference? Just a boost? Or full enhancent?"
Peter answered:
"Full enhancent. The Great Ape form multiplies my power tenfold."
Finally, she asked:
"You said you were a Saiyan prince. Were you serious?"
He smiled confidently:
"I carry the purest royal Saiyan bloodline."
Peter kept talking, telling her what he wanted her to know about his people.
But he remained silent about their extinction, their holand, and their political system.
That only made Robin's curiosity burn even more.
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