#142 - Chapter 142: Crocodile's Heartbeat

Jin An hadn't returned to the South Sea for a long time.

Da Xiong and the others were in charge of managing things there, and things were going relatively well.

But that was only limited to the navy.

His goal wasn't just to rely on the navy to occupy those two-thirds of the area.

To completely control the South Sea, he still needed someone to control the underworld.

Originally, the person he was considering was Crocodile, which was why he chose to board this pirate ship.

Otherwise, he could have easily found an excuse to decline the task that Old Man Kong had arranged for him.

Currently, his strength wasn't enough to confront the World Government, so he could only slowly accumulate power and wait for an opportunity to revolt.

Early the next morning, under Jin An's arrangement, Bundy World boarded his ship and headed to an area he had never set foot in before.

Since pirates could never be completely eliminated, growing back like chives after being cut.

Then he would create a 'Sea Emperor' in the South Sea that would make pirates tremble with fear.

As the morning breeze gently swept past, Jin An stood at the stern of the pirate ship.

He held a Den Den Mushi that shimmered with a faint light in his hand.

Jin An's face looked somewhat lazy in the morning sun.

His gaze followed the slowly receding sails,

until they became a dot on the horizon and then disappeared.

On the other end of the Den Den Mushi was Da Xiong, who had already returned to the Sorbet Kingdom.

"Hey, Da Xiong, it's me."

Jin An's words were brief and direct,

"The Bundy World Pirates are heading to the South Sea at my direction."

"Pay attention to their every move."

Jin An continued, his eyes fixed on the disappearing horizon, as if he could see further into the future through this barrier.

"If he does anything that violates our taboos, you can come directly to me."

On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Da Xiong was silent for a moment, then replied in a firm and serious voice, "Understood, Jin An, we will pay close attention."

This brief response was full of deep trust and understanding between them.

"But with our current strength, we don't need a pirate to stabilize the pirate side, right?"

"If it's just the South Sea, we can indeed completely control it sooner or later just by relying on the navy."

"But what we lack the most is time."

Jin An stared at the sea, he had never forgotten the ugly faces of the Celestial Dragons when he first arrived in this world.

Da Xiong was silent for a moment, 'We will fully support your decision!'

He was a slave of the Celestial Dragons, and the mark on his back was a constant reminder.

He was actually always in danger.

Jin An had brought them rare stability, and he cherished the time he spent with his friends.

He didn't want this peace to be broken.

So he had been improving his strength to protect everything around him.

He was confident that he could firmly control a pirate who had been defeated by Jin An.

Jin An slowly put down the Den Den Mushi and took a deep breath of the cool sea breeze.

At this moment, he stood at the crossroads of history, facing both unknown challenges and the responsibility of leading everyone forward.

The direction of the Bundy World Pirates, the turmoil in the South Sea, all of this was under his control.

'Splash...'

Crocodile threw the stone in his hand into the sea and glanced at Jin An.

"Using Haki to shield our senses."

"What exactly are you doing?"

Jin An yawned and put his hands behind his head.

"Nothing, just telling my family I'm safe and sound."

On the quiet deck, most of the pirates were still enjoying their dreams.

Crocodile's footsteps echoed softly, his shadow stretched long in the morning light.

Just like his elongated face at this moment.

He followed closely behind Jin An, his heart churning like the rolling sea.

"You just let the Bundy World Pirates go."

Crocodile's eyes held a hint of imperceptible wariness.

He caught up with Jin An in a few steps, and the two walked side by side in this quiet corridor.

"That's a great achievement, how could you be willing to give it up?"

He continued to ask, his tone carrying a bit of curiosity, but his eyes were probing Jin An's unconventional behavior.

Jin An turned his head, his eyes as steady as the deep sea.

He seemed to have expected Crocodile's questioning.

Facing such a cunning and deep-minded partner, Jin An knew that the other party had never trusted him.

"Or are you trying to use him to help you accomplish some unspeakable thing?"

Crocodile's tone was low, but his words carried a sharp probe. In an instant, his eyes met Jin An's.

In this tense atmosphere, Crocodile's gaze suddenly sharpened. He had long discovered a detail.

Among the departing Bundy World Pirates, one person who was particularly important to Bundy World was missing.

And the only one who knew the whereabouts of that person was the silent Jin An in front of him.

The two stopped suddenly, and the sound of breathing in the corridor seemed to be amplified at this moment.

The atmosphere was extremely tense, and Jin An finally spoke slowly, his voice exceptionally clear in this quiet space.

"Crocodile, your imagination is always so rich."

Jin An's mouth curled into a faint smile,

"But I always have my reasons for doing things."

At the end of the corridor, dim yellow lights cast long shadows on Jin An and Crocodile's faces.

Jin An faced Crocodile with a smile on his face that was ambiguous and difficult to fathom.

Jin An's eyes moved over Crocodile, "Moreover, the more you know about some things,"

"The harder it is for you to get away from them."

Crocodile's eyebrows raised slightly, he could feel the deep meaning in Jin An's words. This was not a simple admonition, but more like a piece of advice.

For him, rules and prohibitions were often like thrown challenges, awakening the rebellious spirit in his bones.

The more he was tabooed and restricted, the more fiercely the fire of rebellion burned in his mind, driving him to touch those unknown boundaries, even if it meant stepping into forbidden areas.

"At least my crew members have been guarding those pirates for a long time."

"I think it's necessary for me to ask them about the reason."

He followed closely, he just wanted to ask the other party to explain.

The corners of Jin An's mouth turned up slightly, as if he was welcoming a predetermined game.

The playful look hidden in the depths of his pupils gathered in his eyes.

"Since that's the case."

"I'll give you a chance."

"As long as you can defeat me, I will not only tell you about these things"

"I'll also be your subordinate."

Every word Jin An spoke carried weight and deep meaning. He lowered his tone, as if to make this agreement even more mysterious and alluring under the gloomy sky.

The cunning in Crocodile's eyes flashed for a moment.

He originally just wanted to force Jin An to reveal secrets, but he unexpectedly gained an even more tempting bet.

The corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile, ready to go, like a beast in the dark, already longing for this moment to arrive.

"I..."

Crocodile remembered that Jin An could fly, and he had no chance of winning here.

"I don't want to bet with you, fighting at sea is unfavorable to me."

Although Crocodile was very confident in his own strength, he was not stupid enough to not understand the situation.

Jin An looked at Crocodile and asked:

"Then what if I let you choose the location of the battle?"