For the past few days the Groseade has been very busy. In addition to chasing the Kid Pirates, the crew was also making various plans and dealing with tedious chores.
Their quiet days are numbered now, because Basire's Shichibukai position will not last long. The Grand Line's territory should be put away, and those materials and wealth should be taken away.
Naval Headquarters has also been urging Basire to go to Marineford. It seems that they want to do a full body examination, draw some blood, and register the Devil Fruit ability.
However, Basire won't go. Do they really think that he doesn't know about Vegapunk's Seraphim plan?
He has also refused Marineford's summons many times on the grounds of hunting pirates.
Somewhere along the Grand Line, a battle fortress was floating in the air. The Groseade has successfully ascended to the sky.
The genius mechanic Ratchet is still undergoing a comprehensive transformation, while the navigators Nami and Lafitte were controlling the navigation of the island ship together.
At this time, in the battle field of this island ship Zoro was in his serious three-sword style mode. All three swords had been unsheathed, and he was fighting back and forth with a sand man on the field.
The golden hook and the swords continued to clash, sparks flew everywhere, and the sand blades and sword energy collided, bursting out waves of air.
Crocodile has already been turned back into a man by Doc Q.
After he only partially recovered from his injuries, he immediately participated eagerly in the Big Daddy Pirates' monthly ranking battle competition to show off his strength.
He wants to seize the No.2 position on the Big Daddy Pirates' ship and suppress the others.
Of course, the green algae head Roronoa Zoro would not give up this position so easily, and that's why this fierce battle was taking place.
"Weehahaha! Zoro's Armament Haki has gotten stronger again! Damn it! Originally, this Sand Fruit ability should have belonged to me!"
Burgess said it without scruple, not caring whether Crocodile heard it or not.
"This guy is still a little conceited. He's still thinking about fighting before his injury has completely healed."
Basire stood on the viewing platform, watching the battle between the two, and frowned slightly. This guy was really too arrogant.
Crocodile was still seriously injured and his weak attacks no longer posed much of a threat to Zoro.
After Lily Carnation was transplanted to the island, Basire began to personally pay attention to Crocodile's situation to prevent him from running away shamelessly.
Nami's Thunder Fruit ability is also getting better and better. The heart net observation haki has already been developed, and she has also begun to help monitor Crocodile and train this ability at the same time.
However, although Crocodile was arrogant, he still kept his word and had no intention of leaving.
Especially knowing that the Big Daddy Pirates had begun to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates, he didn't want to leave even more.
What's more, there is the Pluton design drawing he wants to get.
One more thing, now that the Groseade is in the air. Although the Logia Sand Fruit ability can fly a certain distance, it cannot fly between islands.
Therefore, Crocodile has no chance to escape Basire's grasp at all.
The only way out for him is to be honest in the Big Daddy Pirates and position himself correctly.
After a fierce collision between Zoro and Crocodile, the two could only end the battle in a draw.
Later, the shameless guys like Burgess and Eldoraggo rushed up and had a fight with Crocodile as well.
In the end, the Big Daddy Pirates temporarily acquiesced to Crocodile's position as the No.3, while Zoro barely retained his No.2 position.
However, it's difficult to say whether next month's ranking battles will have the same results.
Because Thunder Fruit Nami, Float Fruit Van Augur, and Sand Crocodile who has recovered from his injuries, all of them may go after the No.2 position.
So Zoro needs to work harder if he wants to retain his current position in the crew. After all, others are blessed with powerful Devil Fruit abilities, while he can only continue to enhance his swordsmanship and Haki.
Basire was very satisfied with these crew members. He only needs to help them set a direction, give them some guidance, and let them work hard. There is no need to take care of these guys like a nanny.
Although Crocodile is not a gregarious guy, he still begins to contact smart people such as Kuro and Lafitte and learn about the various plans of the Big Daddy Pirates.
In the following days, Crocodile was extremely shocked by the crazy training atmosphere of the Big Daddy Pirates.
When did pirates become more disciplined than marines?
The various training plans were way more exaggerated than the Marine's training camps.
Even Crocodile couldn't bear the intensity of the training. He still prefers to smoke cigars and drink red wine while he makes plans.
However, he was often forced to be a sparring partner by Basire, who claimed to be helping him to train his haki, but in reality he was just having fun beating him.
…
A few days later.
In the captain's office, Basire had just finished practicing martial arts with Robin.
Robin snuggled against his body and began to report the recent important information.
"Spandam has gone to the Capital of Water Seven and seems to be preparing to forcibly arrest Mayor Iceburg. The CP9 agents are still lurking there."
"The Straw Hat Pirates you have been following have passed Drum Island and kidnapped the cute little reindeer we all love. Now they have already landed in Arabasta."
"It seems that the Kid Pirates are also going to Water Seven to renovate their ship. So maybe we can deal with all our enemies there in one go."
She had heard that Basire wanted to deal with Spandine and Spandam, the father and son, and she became much more serious about her work.
Back then, it was CP9 Commander Spandine who launched the Buster Call with the golden den den mushi, making the Marines destroy her home island Ohara.
Now his son Spandam has become the head of CP9. Not only is he looking for Pluton's design, but he is also hunting for her, the orphan of Ohara who can decipher ancient texts.
"That weird monk Urouge is indeed from Sky Island, but this guy has now left the fourth route and gone to some other route."
"Basil Hawkins is on Route 7, very far away from us."
"Marine Admiral Aokiji was most recently seen in Ukkari Hot-Spring Island."
"Admiral Akainu is stationed in the New World, while Admiral Kizaru and Vice Admiral Garp are both at Naval Headquarters."
"There is no news about Miss Buckin, Edward Weevil, and the wandering blind swordsman Issho you asked me to inquire about."
···
Robin continued to report various information pieces while Basire played with one of her breasts in his hand almost absentmindedly.
"Straw Hat Luffy has arrived at Alabasta? It's almost time then. So let's deal with these two things first, Eustass Kid and Fire Fist Ace."
Basire calculated the time, and it should be almost the same. Now that Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates have been out of contact for so many days, the leader of the Four Emperors has begun to become restless in the New World.
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