Vice Admiral O'Neill was assigned to Frans Island to oversee its defense. However, he was somewhat distracted. As soon as he returned to the island, he received reports from his subordinates. One of them mentioned the appearance of Crocodile on Frans Island. According to protocol, he should have immediately reported this to Marine Headquarters, but for some inexplicable reason, he didn't.

Instead, he wandered alone on the island, clearing out the sea monsters that were becoming increasingly numerous. The more he fought, the more he felt a sense of emptiness. Although he was saving civilians, his heart remained unmoved, as if he were a walking corpse.

His thoughts inevitably drifted back to Crocodile. Why had Crocodile allied with the Lantis people, even going so far as to turn against the Marines and the World Government? Why had he abandoned his position as a Shichibukai and risked his life to kill Base Commander Reiser?

O'Neill suddenly wanted to know the answer, especially since the Buster Call was about to be launched. Before coming to Frans Island, the Buster Call had already been initiated. Soon, the nation's military power would eradicate anything deemed a threat, including Crocodile.

What O'Neill didn't know was that the conflict between Rosen and Reiser had been largely coincidental. Killing Reiser l was merely a task to increase Rosen's chances of survival.

O'Neill didn't like the Lantis people. His comrades had died at the hands of monsters and Lantis fighters, and he himself had been severely injured by Alice in a previous battle. Yet, he didn't feel much hatred, as he understood the chain of events. In fact, he harbored more resentment toward the World Government than the Lantis people, though he kept it buried deep inside.

Perhaps the Lantis people didn't deserve to die.

This thought emerged, and O'Neill felt as if he might be going mad. But once this idea took root in his confused mind, he couldn't erase it. Perhaps it was because he realized that the current World Government no longer seemed to stand for justice. The Buster Call was more about Eric's revenge and an attempt to erase a stain than anything else.

As he walked, he reached a sparsely populated area. After slaying a wandering sea monster, he looked up and saw familiar figures darting through the trees. They were very familiar, and instinctively, he followed them.

"Hmm?" Rosen, who was heading back to the ship, had improved his Observation Haki and Armament Haki after his recent power-up. Although he hadn't checked his stats yet, he could clearly feel the changes in his body.

"What's wrong, Boss?"

"Nothing. Hurry up and take the medicine back first," Rosen said, handing the medicine to his companions and slowing his pace.

"Crocodile?" Vice Admiral O'Neill recognized the figure from behind cover. He was stunned for a moment, never expecting to run into Crocodile by chance.

"Disappeared?" O'Neill watched as Crocodile vanished suddenly and felt a sense of foreboding. However, he was injured, his mind was scattered, and his focus was off. Before he could react, it was already too late.

Boom!

O'Neill barely managed to coat his body in Armament Haki before a heavy punch struck him from behind, slamming him into the ground. A large foot pressed down on his head, and a sand sword rested against his neck.

"Vice Admiral, give me a reason not to kill you," Rosen said coldly, though he was surprised. O'Neill's strength was considerable—they had fought before—so why was his reaction so slow?

Logically, Rosen wasn't entirely sure how strong he was now, but he figured he could handle O'Neill without much trouble. However, taking him down in one move was unexpected. After all, O'Neill was the one tracking him, yet his alertness was shockingly low. Rosen didn't realize that O'Neill was in a state of complete disarray.

O'Neill struggled for a while but remained pinned. He gave up, feeling a sense of awe. Crocodile seemed to have grown even stronger.

"Not going to talk?" Rosen's sand sword pressed deeper into O'Neill's neck, drawing blood.

At that moment, the system notified Rosen that the 400 million speed x4 random task was complete and immediately issued a new reset task: 400 million defense x4.

Although the speed x4 was based on his initial stats in Alabasta, the boost wasn't particularly significant for Rosen's current state. Still, any increase in strength was welcome, and Rosen wasn't about to complain about getting stronger.

Moreover, O'Neill's actions seemed like a gift to Rosen. Most of Rosen's tasks involved killing, rarely leaving opponents incapacitated.

"The Buster Call has been initiated. The gathering won't take long, and it will soon arrive to launch a devastating attack on Lantis," O'Neill suddenly spoke.

Rosen was taken aback. He had prepared for O'Neill to remain silent, but instead, the Vice Admiral had spoken, delivering such shocking news.

Was O'Neill afraid of death? From the look in his eyes, he wasn't. If he wasn't afraid, why was he revealing this information?

The Buster Call, a national-level military operation, was adjusted based on the enemy's strength. It was arguably the most powerful mobile military force at sea.

A standard Buster Call consisted of five Vice Admirals, ten warships, tens of thousands of elite Marines, and several Rear Admirals, all part of a indiscriminate bombing campaign aimed at total annihilation.

Ohara once, Enies Lobby once, Barrett twice… Sometimes, the Buster Call involved more than just five Vice Admirals. If the enemy was strong, even multiple Admiral-level figures could be deployed.

This was the terror of the Buster Call. No matter who the enemy was, they would be utterly crushed by overwhelming force. That was why the Buster Call was treated like a forbidden word, feared not only by enemies but even by the Marines themselves.

Once the Buster Call began, even Marine forces caught in the area would be bombed if they couldn't retreat in time.

"Why are you telling me this? You know I have some connection to Lantis. If I pass this information to the Lantis people, you'd be committing treason," Rosen frowned, unsure of what O'Neill was thinking.

"It doesn't matter. If they can escape, let them. If not, what else can they do but face death?" O'Neill didn't feel ashamed. Instead, he seemed relieved.

Perhaps this way, he wouldn't have to carry more guilt, even if it was just a form of self-comfort.

Rosen watched O'Neill for a long moment before releasing him and dispersing the sand sword. From O'Neill's demeanor, Rosen saw a man lost and on the verge of collapse.

In that moment, an idea formed in Rosen's mind.

"If the World Government can't give you the justice you seek, would you be interested in working with me?" Rosen asked tentatively. Having an insider within the Marines would be incredibly useful.

O'Neill slowly stood up, staring at the Shichibukai for a long time. The man's eyes were filled with determination and hope.

"You're just a pirate. At the end of the day, I'm still a Marine," O'Neill said expressionlessly.

"Then, Mr. Marine, what did you see in the tragedy of Lantis?" Rosen looked at O'Neill, unsure of what the Vice Admiral had witnessed. But Rosen knew what he had seen.

And it was precisely because he knew that he had developed ambitions and ideas that hadn't existed before.

(End of Chapter)

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