One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile-Chapter 274 - CHAPTER 274 - Not Dead Yet, Change Careers

"What are you all standing around for? Get us out of here first, then contact the Warlord. Damn it, they said we'd face a master, but they only sent this trash. If I didn't have my personal barrier device, I would've been shot dead just now."
At Paradise's harbor, a ship slipped away.
Standing aboard, covered in blood and gravely wounded, was Aberdeen. He had survived only because, at the last critical instant, he sensed the sudden strike from above.
Since the attack had come from a long distance, it wasn't unreasonable that he picked up on it just in time. In that moment, he activated his personal defense device—a portable metal mechanism normally carried in a small iron box.
Its principle was simple: whenever it detected a powerful impact within a meter outside the body, it would instantly expand like an inflating shield, protecting a small area around the user.
But Aberdeen never expected his expensive personal barrier to fail. It was pierced instantly, and shards tore into his body.
In terms of combat strength, he wasn't weak—ordinary groups of a hundred pirates were no match for him. Unfortunately, this time he hadn't encountered a mere "master," but a monster.
He should have been thinking about finding another chance to strike at Xia, but instead he urged the ship to flee as quickly as possible and make contact with the Warlord.
"Lord Aberdeen, we still have five hundred elite guards. With our numbers, we can definitely—" One subordinate, who hadn't witnessed the battle firsthand, couldn't understand why their fearless lord seemed to retreat. He worried others would question him, so he proposed using sheer numbers to crush the enemy.
"Shut up and follow orders. Deen hasn't ed back in this long—he's surely dead. We're not warriors; leave that to warriors. This year we already paid a tribute of one billion Berries for protection. That money wasn't for nothing. Xia—the presidency is mine by right," Aberdeen said with a sickly tone.
"Yes, sir." The subordinate quickly bowed, sensing his mood.
"No corpse?" Rosen and Moris stepped out of the building, staring at a crater with blood-stained footprints leading away—more than one pair.
That last strike hadn't killed Aberdeen and his men? Impossible. Rosen was certain the power he unleashed was at least ten times greater than Aberdeen's estimated strength. Like firing a cannon at a mosquito.
And yet, Aberdeen had lived. Rosen wasn't a god—he could misjudge. Either Aberdeen had a rare ability or some special equipment.
But if he escaped, so be it. Once Xia took the presidency and secured control, recruiting military strength wouldn't be hard. She wouldn't even need Rosen's personal help to deal with Aberdeen.
Xia wasn't just a figurehead. With her boldness and sense of timing, once power truly lay in her hands, she wouldn't let it slip away again.
If Aberdeen dared return, it would only mean courting death.
More likely, he'd first come after Rosen. Word would soon spread that Rosen was Xia's backer, and Aberdeen, caught in the same game, would hear it.
He had to realize that as long as Rosen lived, even if he killed Xia, Rosen would hunt him down. Only if Rosen died would Aberdeen have a clear path to her.
"Tell your young lady Aberdeen isn't dead. She should strengthen her security," Rosen ordered Alex.
"Not dead?!" Alex flinched, then quickly composed himself.
So long as the union president believed Aberdeen was dead, that was enough. Tonight Xia would become the legitimate president of the Felomond Union. If Aberdeen attacked her afterward, the entire union would treat it as treason and strike back.
Such matters could be tacitly understood, but openly, Felomond would never tolerate it.
When Aberdeen had still been AKS vice president, his actions could barely be explained away as internal rivalry—and he even had the upper hand.
But now, with Xia rising, Aberdeen's title would be stripped. Once word spread, Xia would surely place a bounty on him through the underworld. Aberdeen was now a stray dog.
That was politics: power, gambits, and absolute ruin for the loser.
"He's likely still alive. As long as intelligence work is sharp, she won't be in serious danger. If he's found, let me know. Also—have Xia meet me tomorrow. Her goal is achieved. Now, it's time for her to pay the price."
"I'll tell her."
"Take us to the auction."
"Yes, sir."
The Paradise Auction was famous for treasures from all over the world. Alex, familiar with the area, led them into the bustling commercial district surrounding it.
Though late at night, Paradise thrived after dark. The streets were crammed with life, a concentrated mix of humanity.
"Plenty of wanted pirates here," Rosen muttered, scanning the crowd.
To his surprise, he spotted several bounty heads he recognized. He had thought he and Moris would stand out, but in this throng, they blended in easily.
At one food stall, the vendor even recognized Rosen and tried to offer him roasted meat. Clearly, pirates weren't shunned here.
Most, in fact, brought great profit. Paradise welcomed pirates and pirate hunters alike—so long as they were paying customers.
It was unexpected. Many ordinary people in this world had big hearts when it came to pirates. After all, what village or town hadn't sent someone to sea?
Even a criminal with a nine-hundred-million bounty like Rosen wasn't openly rejected. At most, he drew the occasional wary glance.
"Lord Moris, care for a few lovely girls? This shipment is top quality," a merchant whispered.
Rosen frowned. He suddenly recalled that Moris's Yordel Union specialized in human trafficking. That was something Rosen disliked, though he couldn't change it for now.
But knowing Moris dealt in slaves left him uneasy.
He remembered Miggs, drunk one night, confessing that his daughter had been taken by traffickers.
The trade thrived in the underworld, feeding the booming slave market.
"You run such a contemptible trade?" Rosen asked with a frown. Even in the pirate world, slavery wasn't legal on paper—it hid behind euphemisms like "labor stability services."
"It strengthens my forces. Better I buy them than someone else. I don't mistreat them. Once I've made enough, I set them free. I didn't create this chain; I just go with the flow. What, you disapprove?" Moris was surprised. He had thought Rosen crueler than himself, yet here Rosen balked at slavery.
"In the kingdom I'll build, there will be no place for such things. Change your line of work," Rosen said calmly. He couldn't change it now, but one day, he would.
Moris froze, staring at Rosen. Was this man serious? Did he really think he could change the world—and did he truly have the confidence to do it?
(End of Chapter)