The next morning.
Under the watchful gaze of Vivi and the others, Bai Yu and his squad boarded the warship once again.
Soon after, the vessel set sail, gliding steadily toward its next destination.
They were now leaving Alabasta behind.
As for the Poneglyph hidden beneath the royal tomb of Alabasta—
Bai Yu, already privy to its contents, chose not to examine it further.
More importantly, he lacked the knowledge to decipher Poneglyphs.
He merely mentioned to Vivi in passing that Crocodile had targeted Alabasta precisely because of the ancient text.
There was nothing more to add.
How Vivi and the others would deal with it now was no longer under Bai Yu's jurisdiction.
Back aboard the warship—
Early morning sunlight bathed the sea as Bai Yu stood alone on the deck, practicing his sword swings.
"Five hundred... Six hundred... Seven hundred..."
With his ever-increasing strength, Bai Yu now wielded the weighted novice tachi with ease.
"Two thousand!"
By midday, he had already swung the blade 2,000 times.
> [Ding! The host has completed 2,000 sword swings. Reward: Qinglong Sword Intent Proficiency +5%, Haki Mastery (Observation, Armament, Conqueror's) +1%]
The system's notification echoed in his mind.
Progress in Qinglong Sword Intent and the three forms of Haki came far more slowly than basic swordsmanship or the Six Powers.
Even after 2,000 swings, the increase was modest.
"Keep going."
Despite that, Bai Yu continued relentlessly.
This was a world ruled by strength.
Only by constantly improving could one survive.
"Bai Yu!"
A navy sergeant approached, panting.
"Last night... Princess Vivi stayed behind with you at the end, didn't she?"
He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"It's not what you think," Bai Yu replied, halting his swings.
"How do you know what I'm thinking?" the sergeant teased with a grin.
"I think you're asking for a beating," Bai Yu said flatly. "Perfect—just what I need for a warm-up."
"Spare me!" the sergeant backed away in horror. "I'm not even worthy of being your warm-up dummy!"
He retreated instinctively.
"Look at you. Useless."
Bai Yu gave a disapproving glance before resuming his training.
"Oh, right—almost forgot," the sergeant said over his shoulder.
"Before we rendezvous with Vice Admiral Garp, Headquarters is sending a special team to take Crocodile into custody."
"They'll be escorting him to Impel Down."
It made sense that the capture of a former Warlord would prompt extreme caution from HQ.
Bai Yu simply nodded and kept training.
By midday, the island where Vice Admiral Garp was stationed came into view.
Just then, a massive naval warship appeared on the horizon, headed their way.
Bai Yu gave the command to furl the sails and halt.
There was no doubt—the approaching ship carried the escort from Marine Headquarters.
The warship pulled up beside them.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
A rope ladder was lowered, bridging the two decks.
Dozens of marines crossed over.
Leading the group was a man with snow-white hair and a smoldering cigar clamped in his mouth.
Thick plumes of smoke curled upward.
It was the Logia-type Devil Fruit user—Smoker the White Hunter!
Behind him followed the sword enthusiast, Tashigi.
"Colonel!"
The navy personnel aboard Bai Yu's ship snapped to attention.
Smoker's rank, far above their own, commanded immediate respect.
His name was already legend among them.
No one expected him to be the one sent by Headquarters.
"Where's Vice Admiral Garp?" Smoker asked coldly, his gaze scanning the crew.
He stopped at the highest-ranking sergeant.
"Reporting, Colonel! Vice Admiral Garp is currently on assignment on a nearby island," the sergeant said, glancing at Bai Yu.
"We were the ones tasked with handling the Alabasta crisis."
Smoker frowned.
Clearly, he hadn't been briefed on the details of this mission.
"You're saying Garp wasn't involved?"
"Then who captured Crocodile?"
Smoker looked skeptical.
A sergeant defeating one of the Seven Warlords? Inconceivable.
Naturally, he assumed Garp had played a role.
"Reporting, Colonel!" the sergeant said again. "It was all thanks to Commander Bai Yu that the operation succeeded."
He gestured toward Bai Yu, who stood calmly above them.
Smoker's gaze shifted.
The young man before him wore the standard-issue recruit uniform.
Barely in his twenties, pale-skinned—someone who didn't look weathered by battle at all.
Except for one thing: the massive sword strapped across his back.
The blade was longer than Bai Yu's entire body, almost absurdly so.
"Don't be ridiculous," Smoker snorted.
"You expect me to believe this?"
"Falsifying combat reports is a serious offense."
"Tell the truth—how many did you bring? Who really defeated Crocodile?"
He exhaled a thick stream of smoke, his tone sharp.
"I don't care about cheap tricks to climb the ranks."
"Marine Headquarters will send an audit team to verify everything."
"But—" the sergeant tried again, only to be cut off.
Bai Yu raised his hand.
Then turned calmly to Smoker.
"I defeated him," he said firmly. "And I'll say the same thing to the HQ officials when they arrive."
"A full report will be written and submitted."
"Until then, I won't waste your time, Colonel Smoker."
His voice was calm, but it carried a clear edge.
Smoker's dismissive attitude had struck a nerve.
Bai Yu's words were loaded with quiet defiance.
The scent of gunpowder lingered in the air between them.