Standing there without moving, he radiated a presence so overwhelming it was terrifying.
Feeling this suffocating pressure—this sense that even life and death were no longer under his own control—Smoker instantly broke out in a cold sweat. His earlier arrogance vanished without a trace.
Tina’s cigarette slipped from her lips and fell to the ground, but she was still the first to react.
She snapped into a perfect Marine salute—not out of loyalty, but because she knew that if she didn’t, everyone here might die.
Including the rebellious Smoker, the Marines surrounding the area, and the civilians watching with weapons in hand.
Perhaps because of that reminder-like shout from Tina, the civilians all fell to their knees one after another, trembling with fear.
Tashigi also imdiately saluted.
Only Smoker, face twisted and ugly, still refused to turn his head. Even though Tina was giving him frantic side-eye signals, he finally turned around—
To look at that towering figure, hands in his pockets, expression completely indifferent.
This was one of the behind-the-scenes culprits who allowed Crocodile to plot against an entire nation—Alabasta.
"Orin..."
Smoker grit his teeth. He had just opened his mouth, but the words died instantly in his throat as he was forced to swallow them.
A terrifying pressure swept across his entire body, striking him like lightning. His eyes filled with blood as his knee slamd to the ground.
He couldn’t even activate his passive elentalization. The imnse pressure pinned him down, forcing his head low as blood dripped from his mouth.
"Well... to be honest, I actually admire tough guys like you."
A pair of black leather shoes stepped beside Smoker’s lowered head. With just a single step—
In an instant...
A terrifying black-and-red thunderstorm surged out from Orin’s foot, spreading wildly in all directions, solidifying into physical force that shattered the earth and mountains around them.
With his current peak-level Conqueror’s Haki, even an Admiral wouldn’t be able to withstand it head-on.
Even though he held back—
All Marines and civilians had already rolled their eyes back and collapsed onto the ground. Only Orin’s precise control kept Smoker, Tina, and a few others from losing consciousness entirely.
But even then, they were barely better than being unconscious.
Just his presence alone made them feel like they were about to be crushed to death. Their spirits cracked.
"So I won’t kill you. I’ll just teach you one thing—don’t choose to be stubborn when you’re still weak. That’s stupidity."
Strolling casually, Orin walked over to the fallen Crocodile. He crouched down, examining that once-fearso boss’s now pitiful face—eyes rolled back, mouth hanging open.
With his micro-perception Observation Haki and years of experience on the seas, he imdiately understood what had happened.
"The Sick-Sick Fruit... changing the gender and sealing up the user’s Haki at the sa ti?"
"And it even has mild infectious properties..."
When Orin touched her, he sensed a mysterious power subtly affecting his own body—but it wouldn’t take effect unless he kept in contact for a long ti.
"Well... this cold, aloof Crocodile wouldn’t allow people to touch her for long anyway."
A slight pulse of Haki burst from his hand. The strange gender-change illness infecting him vanished instantly.
"But... paying such a heavy price just to change your gender—why bother?"
Orin shook his head, his eyes calm.
His overwhelming Conqueror’s Haki surged outward like thunder, condensing as lightning wrapped around Orin’s hand.
Crack crack crack crack——!!!
After a harmless wash of Conqueror’s Haki, the original big-boss Crocodile once again turned into the familiar "little Crocodile," still young.
Seeing that little Crocodile still wasn’t waking up, Orin simply stood up, glanced down at her, and curled his lips into a smile.
"Well... sending you to Impel Down for so further training might be good. We’ll be eting again soon anyway."
As his words fell, Orin’s figure dissipated like a gentle breeze.
The overwhelming pressure in the area disappeared instantly. Smoker finally stood up, teeth clenched in pain.
Tashigi and Tina also struggled to their feet—their faces pale, still shaken.
Smoker alone, after a mont of silence, pulled out a Den Den Mushi and contacted Marine Headquarters.
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. This is Smoker..."
...
"Nani??? Orin appeared in Alabasta!?!?"
Nami and Usopp imdiately snapped to attention, jaws hanging open.
Chopper flailed in panic.
Sanji’s cigarette dropped to the ground. Only Zoro’s expression remained mostly unchanged.
"I also saw him. He stood right on top of a tall building."
Since even Zoro said it, everyone had no choice but to accept the truth.
"But... if he really ca, why didn’t he show himself?"
Sanji muttered, confused. After all these years, it wasn’t like he didn’t miss him.
Nami, holding a long-standing grudge toward Orin, offered the worst possible explanation:
"Don’t tell ... he ca to help Crocodile?"
"No. That’s almost impossible."
Zoro imdiately rejected the idea. Crossing his arms and clutching his three swords, he said coldly:
"If Orin-sensei truly wanted to help Crocodile, then to be blunt... We should be thinking about how to escape Alabasta. No—thinking about where to bury our bodies."
"But with the current situation, he probably intends to stay uninvolved. After all, that Crocodile was once his subordinate and comrade."
Usopp and Chopper, the two cowards, hugged each other tightly, praying that Orin wasn’t here to cause trouble—or had already left Alabasta.
Only Vivi stared at the still-unconscious Luffy, her face heavy.
"Vivi? What’s wrong? Your face looks terrible."
"Mm..."
Hearing Nami’s concern, Vivi hesitated but finally decided to relay Orin’s parting words.
"To be honest... I t Orin-sama once when I was a child, so technically we know each other. He told to pass this ssage to the Straw Hat Pirates..."
Everyone froze, staring directly at Vivi.
"He said... he heard Luffy’s words, and he’ll be waiting for you all on your journey ahead."
At that mont, everyone except Chopper turned pale green.
Only the little reindeer, clueless as ever, looked around in confusion.
"Nani nani? Did Luffy say sothing earlier?"
Usopp grabbed Chopper by the head and shook him, nearly crying.
"Luffy... he said he was going to punch that legendary Orin-sama!!!"
"EH!!!???"
Chopper finally realized, face twisting in pure terror.
Even Sanji and Zoro looked grim.
They hadn’t taken Luffy’s words seriously at the ti—because they assud Orin was too far away to hear.
But he really heard.
And based on what they knew about Orin...
They were dood!!!
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