In Mariejois's arena, Crocodile was being firmly pinned to the ground by Claudius. After a few fruitless struggles, he finally gave up, panting heavily, though the look of defiance in his eyes remained. Still, he didn't curse or lash out further.
Seeing that Crocodile had stopped resisting, Claudius eased up, releasing his grip. Poor Crocodile, he thought, such a promising future ahead of you, but you were unlucky enough to cross paths with me. You haven't even raised your pirate flag, yet here you are, already captured. What a pitiful twist of fate.
Though Claudius was mentally poking fun at Crocodile's misfortune, he decided not to rub salt into the wound. Instead, he said, "Well, how about now? Even without using Shinsō or any of my weapons, just fighting you with my bare hands and Devil Fruit ability, you still couldn't win. Do you still think you had the upper hand back then?"
Crocodile swallowed his pride, sitting up slowly. "Fine," he muttered grudgingly, "I'll admit you're stronger than me. But let me make one thing clear, just because you're stronger doesn't mean I'll bow to you. If you think I'll become your obedient little slave, you're dreaming. You might as well kill me now because I swear I won't beg for my life."
Claudius found Crocodile's youthful bravado amusing. The future warlord and kingpin, once a proud teenager, now reduced to this. The same Crocodile who had no problem using dirty tactics or manipulating situations to his advantage in the future was here, full of honor and defiance.
"Oh, right," Claudius thought to himself with a smile, "Who wasn't a hot-headed teenager at some point?"
Crocodile, watching Claudius from the corner of his eye, was confused. This guy who couldn't be much older than him was speaking like some wise elder. They were practically the same age, yet their circumstances couldn't be more different. One was born into unimaginable wealth and privilege as a Celestial Dragon, while the other had been betrayed by his own captain. It didn't seem fair. Same age, both wielding Logia abilities, yet the gap between them was insurmountable.
Before Crocodile could sink too deeply into his thoughts, Claudius spoke again. "I told you from the start, putting the Celestial Dragon's hoof brand on you was just to save your life. I didn't brand you as a slave to humiliate or control you."
Crocodile's expression hardened. "That brand is humiliation. It's the mark of a slave," he said through clenched teeth.
Claudius chuckled. "You might even come to wear it with pride one day."
"Ha! Are you crazy?!" Crocodile spat, the anger in his voice unmistakable.
"Listen," Claudius said, his tone more serious now. "In my eyes, it's not a slave brand. I'm not the kind of person who enjoys controlling people like that."
Crocodile was taken aback. He could see in Claudius's eyes that the guy was being sincere, as odd as that sounded. But after a pause, Crocodile still retorted, "That may be true for you, but in the eyes of the world, it's a mark of slavery. That's the reality."
Claudius gave him a knowing smile. "Then change the world. Change the rules."
Crocodile blinked, stunned. "What? Change the world?"
"Why not? Who says I can't?" Claudius shrugged casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"You? Change the world?" Crocodile scoffed. "You're not ready for that. You're not strong enough."
Claudius chuckled again, but this time there was a hint of steel in his gaze. "You're right. For now, I'm not strong enough. But I'm young, I've got time. I have the ambition, and most importantly, I have the position to do it. You'll see. One day, I will change the world."
Crocodile stayed silent, clearly weighing his words. After a moment, Claudius added, "So, how about it? Will you help me build this future? Or are you content just sitting here, angry at the world?"
Crocodile eyed him warily. "Help you? That's just another way of asking me to serve you. How's that any different from being a slave?"
Claudius sighed. "This guy really won't budge, huh?" he thought.
After a moment, Claudius asked, "Alright then, what is it that you want?"
"Freedom," Crocodile replied instantly. "Let me go."
Claudius shook his head. "That's not happening. Do you have any idea how hard I worked to keep you alive? You haven't exactly earned your freedom. Do I look like I'm here to do charity work?"
Crocodile's defiance flared up again. "Then kill me."
Claudius chuckled. "You're really a stubborn one. Fine, let's compromise."
Crocodile's ears perked up. "Compromise?" he asked, trying to mask his interest.
Claudius smiled. "Every year, I'll give you one chance to challenge me. If you win, I'll let you go free and even grant you three requests whatever they are. But if you lose, you'll work under me, no complaints, for the rest of the year. I won't treat you as a slave, and no one else will either. In fact, as long as you don't openly reveal it, no one will know you're bound to me. How does that sound?"
Crocodile mulled it over. It wasn't freedom, but it was better than being treated like a dog. He was about to respond when Claudius's expression shifted, and his voice dropped into a warning tone. "Crocodile, I like you. But don't mistake that for weakness. I am a Celestial Dragon. Test my patience, and you'll find out what it truly means to suffer."
The room felt heavier, the atmosphere suffocating. Crocodile knew better than to push any further. After a moment of tense silence, he nodded. "Fine. Your terms are fair. But you have to promise not to suppress my growth or hold me back in any way."
Claudius smirked. "You really think you can beat me in a year, after the beating I just gave you?"
Crocodile's pride flared again. "Who do you think I am? I'm Crocodile. I'll be a legend one day."
Claudius chuckled. "That much is true. You'll definitely be known around the world, that's for sure."
Crocodile straightened up, a hint of pride returning to his posture. But before he could savor the moment, Claudius added with a grin, "Of course, it'll be under my banner. Everyone will know you as my Crocodile."
Crocodile glared but said nothing. His pride wouldn't allow him to argue back, not when the power gap between them was so glaring.
Claudius continued, "Good, we have a deal. And not only will I not suppress your growth, but I'll also make sure you have everything you need to improve. Whatever you need to get stronger, just ask. As long as it's within my reach, you'll have it."
Crocodile's eyes lit up slightly at that. If this Celestial Dragon was willing to provide him with resources, then he could use this time to get stronger, and then… who knows? A year was a long time. Maybe he'd rise far beyond Claudius's expectations.
Standing up and dusting himself off, Crocodile glanced at his bare torso. "I'll need a coat," he said, his voice quieter now. "To cover this damn mark."
Claudius, amused, waved to his butler, Nia. A moment later, Nia handed over one of Claudius's signature brown-black coats, lined with mink fur. Claudius tossed it to Crocodile without hesitation. "As long as you show your value, you can have whatever you want."
Crocodile threw the coat over his shoulders, covering the humiliating mark on his back. "So, what do you want me to do?" he asked.
"For now?" Claudius said, turning away with a casual wave. "You're not ready for any real tasks. Focus on getting stronger. We'll see how useful you are then."
Crocodile watched him walk away, a flicker of frustration in his eyes, but he kept quiet. Claudius had made it clear this was the deal. He'd have to play along, at least for now.
As Claudius left Nia, approached him with concern. "Your Highness, are you sure this is wise? He's a Logia user, after all. It would be easy for him to escape. Shouldn't we at least put a seastone collar on him?"
Crocodile's jaw tightened, hearing that. But Claudius, without looking back, waved the concern away. "No need for that. I believe in his word. If I'm wrong and he runs? Then I've misjudged him, and I won't want someone like that under me anyway."
Crocodile's eyes twitched at Claudius's nonchalant response, but he kept quiet, though the thought of escape was nowhere near his mind now. Claudius's words had a strange, unsettling effect. It wasn't fear, but rather a twisted sense of trust. Crocodile, for all his arrogance, could recognize sincerity when he saw it.
"I won't run," Crocodile said firmly, almost as if he was convincing himself. "A year. That's all I need to surpass you."
Claudius smiled, not turning around. "Good. I like your confidence.