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With the addition of Crocodile to Arashi's squad, their combat strength undoubtedly skyrocketed.
Over the next two weeks, Crocodile demonstrated the formidable power of a Logia user, nearly sweeping through every pirate crew they targeted.
He could summon sandstorms at will, create sand whirlwinds effortlessly, and drain the moisture from any target with just a touch of his right hand.
The Sand-Sand Fruit possessed an unquestionably terrifying offensive capability, with its power to plunder and devastate.
However, the former Sand Crocodile, a notorious pirate who once wreaked havoc across the seas, now displayed a different personality from his past self.
He was cautious and wise, treating his comrades with kindness and respect.
He even showed compassion towards children among the civilians they encountered during missions.
This change left T-Bone, Ivans, and the others in awe.
After losing his memory, no one could have predicted that such a fearsome pirate would be reborn as an entirely different person.
Naturally, the entire crew agreed not to reveal anything about Crocodile's past to him.
One day, after completing a rescue mission and returning to the warship, Crocodile could no longer hold back his curiosity.
Gathering his courage, he approached Arashi from behind and asked the question that had been bothering him for days.
"Commander Arashi!" Crocodile began, "Why did those pirates recognize me? They said I betrayed the ideals of a pirate. Who was I before all this?"
Hearing this, Arashi turned around. His face was serious, devoid of a smile, and he didn't immediately respond.
Instead, he stared deeply into Crocodile's eyes. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Crocodile," Arashi began, "does the past really matter that much? No matter your past or who you used to be, aren't you living in the present now?"
"So, who you are now, the kind of person you are today, that's what matters!"
Arashi paused, a hint of reflection in his eyes. "To be honest, I'm just like you. I have no memory of my life before I turned 17."
"But look at me," Arashi continued, "I'm living just fine, aren't I?"
This revelation took me aback crocodile. He looked at Arashi, the superior he cherished, trusted, and revered. "You… you've forgotten your past as well."
"Live in the present, Crocodile!" Arashi said with a smile. The confusion in Crocodile's eyes faded, and he nodded solemnly. "Yes, Commander!"
"Now go and train. Your physical fitness and combat skills still need sharpening," Arashi instructed.
"Remember, while Logia powers are strong, in a battle between experts, your own abilities are the ultimate decider." Arashi patted him on the shoulder.
Without hesitation, Crocodile turned and joined Rosinante and the others, continuing their training for the day.
Time continued to pass, and before long, another two months had gone by.
The seas had experienced much turmoil that year, with Roger becoming the Pirate King, inciting a frenzy among pirates everywhere.
While Arashi's squad was busy quelling these pirates, they often heard about Kuzan and Sakazuki.
Like Arashi, they were active across the seas, maturing from fresh graduates into seasoned Marine rear admirals.
Borsalino seemed to have been assigned as the deputy commander of a fortress by Marine Headquarters, beginning his routine of clocking in and out of work.
The strength of Arashi's squad members also improved rapidly through training and constant battle.
Notably, after months of practice, Arashi finally unlocked and fully controlled the Armament Haki that had been dormant within him.
Though it was just a tiny amount, it was enough to display on his status panel.
"Armament Haki, lv0+."
This simple line of information brought a smile to Arashi's face. It meant that he could now invest in it.
Over his time at the Marine Academy and during these recent battles, he had accumulated 58 system points.
Without hesitation, he immediately spent them all on enhancing his Armament Haki.
In an instant, Arashi's Armament Haki levelled up to fifty-eight.
Suddenly, an inexplicable awareness of his body and the surrounding aura washed over him.
With just a thought, the aura enveloped the gloves he wore and swiftly extended, wrapping around his entire arm.
"Armament Haki," Arashi said with a smile.
While it might not be as effective as Seastone in suppressing Devil Fruit users, Armament Haki could enhance his attack and defence and enable him to grab Logia-type Devil Fruit users.
At level fifty-eight, his Armament Haki could now coat his body from the top of his head to his chest and arms.
Arashi also realized he could now utilize a more advanced form of Armament Haki known as "Ryuo," though its use was still somewhat inconsistent.
"This will give me more effective methods to deal with Devil Fruit users," Arashi said, smiling.
Meanwhile, Crocodile, who had been chatting with Rosinante and smiling, suddenly felt his head fog up.
Fragmented images flashed through his mind—scenes of him running barefoot as a child, setting sail on a ship excitedly, and even eating a strange fruit.
Everything was disjointed and unclear, but Crocodile immediately understood that these were fragments of his lost memories.
"My memories are coming back?" he thought, "But they're so fragmented!"
Noticing something was off, Rosinante asked curiously, "What's wrong, Old Sand?"
"It's nothing," Crocodile replied with a shake of his head, smiling.
"Come to think of it, we've participated in many battles as trainees. We should be close to becoming official Marines, right?"
Mina chimed in, "That would be great. Even though we were originally pirates, life as Marines has been pretty comfortable."
"The way our superior treats civilians and handles those despicable nobles is something we can all respect and feel at ease with."
Ivans had once privately commented that their commander was, in fact, just like them.
"That would be awesome," Crocodile said with a grin. "I really like the Justice cape that Commander Arashi wears."
Ivans laughed, "Some people wear a Justice cape, but it's false. The Justice behind Arashi's cape is the real deal."
Crocodile responded with a smile, "If I ever get a cape like that, it would be for true justice too."
"Me too!" Rosinante shouted excitedly.
Everyone burst into laughter, the atmosphere lively and warm. It was clear that everyone on this warship had immense respect for Arashi.
This respect stemmed from his differing attitudes when dealing with civilians compared to the detestable nobles during their missions.
The next day, a message came from headquarters.
"There is an important mission that requires your attention!" Fleet Admiral Kong's voice was serious.
"An important mission?" Arashi asked, puzzled.
"It was originally assigned to Sakazuki, but he had something come up."
"After discussing it with Sengoku, we determined that your strength, along with the capabilities of your crew, made you the most suitable for this task," Kong said in a deep voice.
Arashi could tell that this mission was indeed significant from his tone and words.
"You'll need to meet up with Sakazuki to take over the valuable item he's carrying," Kong continued.
"Then, transport it to Egghead Island and personally deliver it to Dr. Vegapunk."
After carefully listening to the mission details, Arashi fell silent. Moments later, his eyes sparkled with determination.
"Fleet Admiral Kong," Arashi said, "I am more than willing to accept this mission."
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