HST: Chapter 43/44

Chapter 43: Over
Everyone in the palace saw the massive commotion and rushed over.

Cobra, Vivi, Nami, Tashigi, Robin, along with the rebels and the royal army, all arrived.

"What happened here?"

"The desert turned into a basin, and even the sand was compressed into crystal!?"

Everyone stared in shock at the glowing crystal basin before them.

The battle between Crocodile and Caelan had been terrifying.

The environment within a radius of one kilometer had been completely transformed by their clash.

The generals of both the rebel and the royal armies were astounded.

They were just ordinary people with slightly more strength, and couldn't begin to comprehend how much power it would take to cause such catastrophic changes to the land.

Compared to this kind of battlefield, their swords and muskets were nothing more than toys.

This level of destruction could wipe out a hundred thousand troops with ease!

Everyone continued forward. Before knowing the final result, they were all anxious.

If Caelan had lost, they would all face extermination.

But when they saw Crocodile lying on the ground and Caelan standing with nothing more than slightly dirtied clothes, cheers erupted.

"The demon Crocodile is finally finished!"

Everyone looked at the gravely injured Crocodile and shouted excitedly.

This Crocodile, who had terrorized Alabasta for years and whose strength was once considered unmatched, had been defeated!

The invincible desert emperor was taken down by Caelan!

And Caelan wasn't even injured, just had some dust on his clothes.

Was Crocodile all hype?

It was understandable for them to doubt it, but the crystal basin beneath their feet silenced those thoughts.

This battlefield, like something out of the apocalypse, made it clear that the power on display was on a natural disaster level.

So, it wasn't that Crocodile was weak. It was that Caelan was too strong.

Strong enough to completely overwhelm him.

The soldiers of both the rebel and royal armies stared at Caelan with a mix of awe and admiration.

In their eyes, Caelan's heroic figure was as majestic as a god.

"God of War, Caelan!"

"Savior, Caelan!"

Countless soldiers shouted Caelan's name, their eyes filled with fervor.

The voices grew louder and louder, echoing into the sky.

Amid the crowd, Robin stood in stunned silence, murmuring to herself.

"Unbelievable. Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was defeated by him."

Having been forced to cooperate with Crocodile for years, she knew better than anyone how terrifying he was.

As the user of the Sand-Sand Fruit, Crocodile had refined his abilities to perfection.

Sandstorm, Desert Prison, Desert Spada, Erosion Cycle...

Every move Robin knew was fearsome in its own right.

Even a pirate with a bounty of tens of millions was nothing more than a chicken in front of Crocodile.

Yet Caelan had crushed him without suffering any real injury. It was terrifying.

"The title 'God of War' suits him perfectly," Robin whispered as she looked at Caelan.

If she followed him, could she survive?

Robin felt a glimmer of hope, but quickly extinguished it.

How could someone like her, shrouded in darkness, ask for protection from Caelan?

...

"Crocodile... defeated?"

Cobra stared at the gravely wounded Crocodile in disbelief.

Could the pirate who had plagued Alabasta for three years, a nightmare he could never dispel, really have been defeated today?

Cobra wiped his eyes, looked at Crocodile again and again, and finally confirmed it.

"It's over. It's finally over. Alabasta is saved!!!"

Cobra looked up at the sky, tears streaming down his face, his voice choked with emotion.

Three years of drought and chaos. Everything Cobra had endured, all the injustices and sorrow, came to an end at this very moment.

The dark cloud that loomed over the nation had finally lifted.

"Haha, 300 million Berries. Worth it. Completely worth it!"

"But it's not enough. I need to do more!"

Cobra was so overjoyed he could barely think straight, frantically considering how to repay Caelan.

He had cleared Cobra's name, saved both him and his daughter, and rescued the entire nation. Caelan had done too much.

Cobra felt that 300 million Berries wasn't enough to express his gratitude.

He wanted all of Alabasta to sing Caelan's praises.

He wanted to empty the national treasury and reward Caelan.

He wanted to host a grand celebration in Caelan's honor...

...

On the other side, Caelan, who was surrounded by three women, didn't feel great.

"Caelan, I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Caelan, thank you for saving my country."

Nami, Tashigi, and Vivi surrounded Caelan, chattering excitedly.

Over the past few days, they had constantly worried about Caelan's battle with Crocodile.

Though they had seen Caelan's strength before, they were still uncertain.

Crocodile was a notorious pirate with worldwide recognition and acknowledged power.

Caelan had just entered the Grand Line. His reputation was nowhere near Crocodile's.

But now, with Crocodile lying defeated before them, they fully accepted the reality.

Their Captain Caelan was that powerful, that overwhelming.

He had just entered the Grand Line, and already crushed Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

"Alright, alright, let's stop talking for now."

"Crocodile is still lying here. I'll take him back first."

Caelan said helplessly.

Three women, one dramatic situation. Old wisdom holds true.

Right now, he felt this was more troublesome than fighting Crocodile.

After hearing Caelan's words, the three women calmed down.

Caelan let out a sigh of relief, picked up the severely wounded Crocodile, and began to leave.

The soldiers thought Caelan was declaring victory and began to cheer again.

"God of War!"

"God of War!"

All the soldiers shouted with fanatic devotion, escorting Caelan as he walked at the front.

This was a hero who had saved the nation. He deserved the highest honor.

Caelan, walking at the front, was not embarrassed. He felt a sense of pride welling up in his heart.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 44: Borsalino

Amid the cheers of the crowd, Caelan prepared to take Crocodile away.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked off into the distance.

A golden flash shot down from the sky at high speed, landing right in front of him.

A tall man, nearly three meters in height, appeared wearing a Marine cloak of justice and a golden suit.

Crocodile, who had been limp in Caelan's grasp, opened his eyes.

"Admiral Kizaru of the Navy."

"You really value me… but it seems you're a bit late."

Crocodile looked at Kizaru and gave a bitter smile.

He had expected this after his plans were exposed.

But what he hadn't expected was to be taken down by Caelan before the admiral even arrived.

Crocodile couldn't help but glance at Caelan. This guy was almost on par with an admiral in strength.

As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, it wasn't a loss to be caught between these two monsters.

He mocked his own bitterness and consoled himself.

Caelan observed Kizaru with interest. This was his first time seeing one of the top combatants in the world.

Unfortunately, all he saw was a laid-back demeanor and that annoyingly smug face.

Cobra and the surrounding officers also recognized Kizaru, but they had little respect for this belated "justice."

If they'd waited on him for rescue, they'd be under tombstones by now.

Kizaru glanced at the defeated Crocodile in Caelan's grasp and the cheering soldiers behind him, then fell silent.

He had rushed over, but still arrived late.

Fortunately, Caelan had defeated Crocodile and stopped the rebellion.

"Oh~, scary scary."

"Newcomers these days are really terrifying."

Kizaru stepped onto the crystal basin beneath his feet and commented with amusement.

This level of destruction far exceeded the damage caused by his Yasakani no Magatama.

This Caelan kid was truly surprising.

"You're here for Crocodile, Admiral," Caelan said casually.

Now that Crocodile had lost his status as a Warlord, he was fair game for a bounty.

Thanks to a period of cooperation, Caelan and the Marines had built a foundation of basic trust. He had no interest in keeping the bounty for himself.

"Haha, don't worry, young man. The bounty will be delivered from the nearby base."

Kizaru replied with a grin.

After that, Kizaru took Crocodile and left happily.

Not bad at all. He thought it would be a hassle, but it turned out to be a simple pick-up job.

…

Marine Headquarters – Fleet Admiral's Office

"You mean you didn't even make a move, and Caelan already took care of Crocodile?"

Sengoku looked at Kizaru in disbelief.

Crocodile was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and one of the trickiest Logia-type Devil Fruit users, especially in a desert terrain that favored his Devil Fruit.

Very few in the entire headquarters could guarantee victory against him.

Caelan had only just entered the Grand Line, so defeating a few of Crocodile's subordinates was already pushing it. This was outrageous.

"Yeah, and not only did he defeat Crocodile, he didn't even get injured."

"He's really as terrifying as a monster."

Kizaru sighed, his tone exaggerated as usual, but the shock on his face was real.

"If I remember correctly, he's only been in the Grand Line for about half a month, right?"

"And he's already reached this level? That progress is insane."

Sengoku rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Seeing Kizaru's expression, Sengoku could only accept that Caelan really did defeat Crocodile.

But it was just too unbelievable. Even tabloid newspapers wouldn't dare to publish something so exaggerated.

It had only been half a month since he left the East Blue, and the opponents he defeated jumped from small fry to a Warlord. That kind of leap was absurd.

Crocodile's strength was easily above that of a Marine vice admiral. Only admirals could be confident in defeating him.

Yet Caelan defeated Crocodile without suffering a single wound.

Did that mean Caelan's strength was already near-admiral level?

It had only been 7 or 8 months since his debut in the East Blue, and now he had defeated a Warlord.

"Good thing he's a bounty hunter. If he were a pirate, we'd be in real trouble."

Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had been silent until now, finally spoke with a sigh of relief.

In her opinion, Caelan's current strength placed him at the top end of the Warlords, and his potential might even match that of the Four Emperors.

If Caelan became a pirate, he would certainly become the youngest Yonko, and the Marines would face yet another unsolvable problem.

Thankfully, Caelan accepted the Marine-issued bounty hunter license. For now, he was an ally.

"Now, we need to seriously consider how to deal with him moving forward."

Sengoku placed his hands on the desk, his tone solemn.

The Navy had paid attention to Caelan before, but that was back when he was in the East Blue.

Now that he had defeated Crocodile, he needed much more attention.

His current rank as a headquarters captain was far below what he deserved. It was even a little insulting.

"Raise his hunter's license level to Rear Admiral and give him Rear Admiral treatment."

Sengoku thought it over briefly and made his decision.

The Navy had no better way to draw Caelan in, so this was the best they could do to show their appreciation.

"Alright, we'll proceed with that."

Sengoku stroked his beard and sighed.

He really couldn't think of a better option, so this would have to do for now.

In his heart, Sengoku knew this still didn't match Caelan's value, but it was already the highest recognition they could offer at the moment.

Sigh…

Sengoku let out a long sigh.

Why wouldn't Caelan join the Marines?

If he were willing to enlist, Sengoku wouldn't mind personally persuading the Five Elders to name him an admiral candidate.

In Sengoku's eyes, Caelan was destined to become a Four Emperors-level powerhouse.

If only Caelan would join the Marines, he could lead them into a brand-new era.

(To be continued.)