One Piece: Start as a mythical beast, practice to become stronger.

“Gyahahaha!!!”

At the harbor, bright sunlight shone down, and the sea breeze carried a salty tang.

But this tranquility was shattered by a sudden burst of wild laughter.

Crocodile stood at the harbor, his figure tall and imposing, his cold eyes seeming to pierce through people's hearts, and his laughter was full of provocation and disdain.

It echoed throughout the harbor, drawing the attention of everyone around.

He looked at the marines blocking his path with a hint of amusement in his expression.

In the sunlight, his robe fluttered in the wind, as if everything were under his control.

Crocodile contemptuously scanned the marines before him, "Are you really going to stop me?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word clearly entered everyone's ears, revealing his absolute confidence in his power.

The marines in front of him, however, remained unmoved.

Wearing their uniforms, they stood in a row with expressionless faces, firmly blocking Crocodile, demonstrating the determination and courage of the Navy.

Even in the face of such a powerful opponent, they showed no sign of retreat, but stood even closer together, forming a human wall.

Their eyes were firm, their weapons tightly gripped, ready to respond to any possible conflict.

"Unless we receive orders from headquarters,"

A marine soldier raised his head, his voice loud and resolute, like a blade pointing directly at the other's arrogance.

"We will not let you pass."

Another voice followed, decisive and unquestionable. The sea breeze blew across their serious faces, but didn't carry away even a trace of wavering.

'You'll have to step over our corpses to get through.'

These words were almost forced out from between the teeth of the youngest marine soldier, who clenched his fists, his eyes burning with the flames of courage.

This sentence seemed to break the oppressive silence, and the same firm light burned in the eyes of all the marine soldiers.

Crocodile tilted his head slightly at these unyielding opponents, a wild smile growing even more pronounced on his face.

Crocodile ignored the glaring eyes of the marines and walked forward.

A disdainful smile appeared on his face, and the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit was ready to be unleashed at any moment.

Every step seemed heavy and firm, each step challenging the bottom line of the Navy.

His gaze was firm, his expression cold, and an unquestionable aura made the surrounding marines tense up unconsciously.

Just as the confrontation was reaching a fever pitch, someone from the Navy side suddenly spoke: "Crocodile, do you really think you can run rampant at the Marine Headquarters?"

The tone was calm, but the threat contained within was obvious.

Crocodile stopped, turned his head, and looked at the speaking naval officer, a seemingly leisurely but provocative smile on his lips.

He gently spread his hands, as if to indicate that he had no malice, but then his eyes sharpened and his tone turned cold:

"You should be very clear about my purpose. I don't want to waste time here. Get out of the way, or face the consequences."

Crocodile took another step, this time with a more determined look in his eyes, as if he was ready for battle.

Crocodile's sun-baked skin was slightly rough with grit, now looking even more gloomy and terrifying.

His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, flashing with impatience.

His patience exhausted, his hoarse voice carried a hint of indifference in the sea breeze:

"Block me again, and don't blame me for being impolite."

The air around him seemed to tremble slightly because of his anger, and his hands, hidden under his long sleeves, clenched tightly, faintly transmitting the subtle sound of gravel grinding against each other.

A marine stood before him, a look of determination and seriousness on his face, his body like an impassable fortress, standing upright, trying to use his own justice to stop this seemingly storm-bound man.

But Crocodile's unruly smile had already bloomed, as if he had already made up his mind, and his palms were already prepared.

Ready to use his fruit ability to sweep away everything blocking his path.

In an instant, his palm gently moved forward, skimming past the marine's shoulder, the movement light, yet containing an unstoppable power.

Just as it was about to touch, the air seemed to freeze.

Crocodile's threatening palm wind suddenly stagnated, only because an unexpected hand firmly grasped him.

The owner of that hand had a resolute figure, and his aura was no less than Crocodile's. The two men's eyes met in the air, carrying an unspeakable spark.

A hint of surprise flashed across Crocodile's face, followed by an even stronger sense of challenge.

He tried to forcefully pull back his arm, each exertion as violent as a hurricane.

However, like waves crashing against solid reefs, besides stirring up some spray, that hand still locked him in place, unbreakable.

No matter how hard Crocodile tried, he couldn't break free from that hand's restraint.

His efforts were like being applied to a boulder, causing nothing but a series of ineffective echoes.

An oppressive atmosphere permeated the air, and everyone around held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next.

In Crocodile's eyes, besides anger and unwillingness, there was also a hint of assessment of this sudden arrival.

Crocodile's eyes were sharp as knives, staring directly at the marine in front of him.

The surrounding air became even more oppressive because of his anger.

But the marine remained unmoved, his eyes still calm, fearlessly responding to Crocodile's threat.

"Sand Crocodile, now that you've come to Marine Headquarters, behave yourself."

His voice was calm but full of majesty, his eyes contained no mockery, only a sense of responsibility and firm justice.

"Don't bring your pirate ways from elsewhere here."

He continued, his voice full of seriousness.

"If you use your fruit ability here, I don't mind sending you for a swim in the ocean."

The marine soldiers' gazes focused on Crocodile's palm.

The scattered grains of sand were still swirling in his palm, silently telling of the danger just now.

Jin An's words seemed to cast a heavy stone in everyone's heart, realizing the seriousness of the situation.

Sweat couldn't help but seep out of their foreheads.

In the tense standoff, a marine soldier said in a trembling voice, "Thank you, Vice Admiral Jin An, for saving our lives."

They had all heard of the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit. If Crocodile were to touch their bodies...

The other party might not kill anyone here, but most of them would probably lose their moisture and become mummies.

Their eyes were full of gratitude and respect for Jin An.

The marine soldiers also felt a trace of relief in their hearts.

Relieved that at the most dangerous moment, there was such a vice admiral standing on their side.

Crocodile's face, on the other hand, was intertwined with complex emotions.

Originally, he wanted to use the marines in front of him to establish his authority.

But he was stopped by the other party.