One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

"Save a person for me, and I'll spare you," Rosen began bargaining.

"Hmph." Law remained unmoved; as a pirate, he was already aware of death.

"A billion berry medical fee. You're a doctor, right? Well, paying you to save someone seems reasonable. Of course, I won't kill you." Rosen continued, increasing his stakes.

"A billion berry?!?" Pitas, Natalie, and Alice were taken aback. He's still a rich man?!

This goes beyond just being wealthy. With that money, someone could be hired to take food to the island without question.

"We're pirates. It's up to me who to save or not. If you want to kill me, just go ahead," Law said calmly.

"Do we have a vendetta?" Rosen was confused. No matter how much personality one has, sacrificing one's life for refusing to save someone seems irrational.

"A year ago, in the town you destroyed, you didn't see me, but I saw you. Those who wish for my help can just dream on," Law replied coldly, which was also the reason he didn't intend to engage in conversation.

'Yet another burden left by Crocodile?!?' Rosen paused. In the original story, there seemingly was no interaction between Law and Crocodile, so this was unexpected.

"Is he such a bad person out there?" Alice looked at Rosen in surprise.

"Uncle is not a bad person," Natalie asserted confidently.

"No, tiny brat, he IS a bad person," Pitas thought in silence but didn't dare voice it.

"If that's the case, let's change the terms. How about we join forces to take down Doflamingo?" Although stunned, Rosen still aimed to achieve his purpose.

At the mention of that name, Law's face changed dramatically; he was no longer calm. This indeed was Rosen's trump card because this would be complicated and something Rosen himself was reluctant to put forth.

Yet, he understood Law's character. Even as a child, he had dared to approach Doflamingo with explosives and talk of destroying everything, although he had been influenced somewhat by Corazon and the Warlords afterward.

But at his core, he was a fearless person.

"What do you know about it?" Law had never felt so exposed; he disliked that feeling. However, Rosen's words struck deep within him.

"I know you have a grudge against Doflamingo. Is that enough? You understand that with your strength, even with two more years, you won't be able to take Doflamingo down, especially with many strong subordinates by his side," Rosen spoke, letting the sand sword drop from his hand.

From Law's expression, it was evident that this matter had significant potential.

"How can I know you're telling the truth?" Law rose, staring intently at Rosen. This topic piqued his interest as avenging Doflamingo was the desire he had harbored all his life.

In his plan, once he became stronger and had the capability, he intended to incite conflict between the Yonko Kaido and Doflamingo to annihilate Doflamingo following Kaido's lead.

Law was well aware that he was nowhere near Doflamingo's level. Going head-to-head would yield a low probability of successful revenge.

Rosen understood this too. Even two years forward in the story, Law aimed to destroy the artificial Devil Fruit factory and provoke Kaido to eliminate Doflamingo rather than face him directly.

A later choice to confront Doflamingo head-on was influenced partly by Luffy and partially by the emotional impact Corazon had on him. The desire for vengeance overtook rationality, leading him to adopt a risky approach.

For this reason, Doflamingo had even exploited these emotions in attempts to break his psychological defenses, although he didn't succeed.

"You have no way of knowing. As you can see, words alone mean nothing. It's down to whether you want it," Rosen expressed confidently, believing that Law would agree. He sought to achieve his life's goal, and Rosen's fighting strength was precisely what he needed at the moment.

"Of course, on the condition that you can save my subordinate. If you can't, the deal is off. Also, when it's done, I need you to be the doctor on my ship. Not for too long, just two years will suffice," Rosen added, which came across as a bit greedy.

However, Roson's hands were tied; there were no outstanding doctors on his ship. Law's medical skills were personally considered superior to Chopper's due to the innate advantages of surgical Devil Fruit abilities.

As for why he didn't ask for a longer time limit, it was mainly because he feared Law wouldn't accept. Two years was manageable; anything beyond that—like five or ten years, or a lifetime—would likely be impossible for Law.

And two years later, Rosen also expected a significant enhancement of his vitality.

At that time, the demand for a doctor would not be as pressing.

"You're quite the dreamer," Law didn't refuse immediately but began to seriously consider what Rosen said. His impression of the Shichibukai was not good, but the terms proposed captivated him. How to refuse was unclear to him, and his revenge thirst was surging.

Would this become a bridge-burning act? Yes, there was this possibility. He straightforwardly pointed out that any certainty seemed impossible.

Ordinarily, Law would not agree, but remembering how Doflamingo still managed to live freely in this world as a king deepened his anger and ignited his resolve: "I accept."

"I want to see where the patient is first," Law said. Although he had agreed, he still wasn't sure he could save Crocodile's subordinate. Whether the deal could be reached remained another matter.

"Not here. I told you, I'm just here looking for you. My subordinates are on Frans Island," Rosen revealed a smile.

Although this trip wasn't particularly smooth, it also wasn't overly troublesome. Now that things were wrapping up, there was no need to remain on Lantis Island longer.

However, some time was still needed to help the Lantis people obtain enough food to complete his trading conditions.

During this time, Robin's preparation could be canceled; after all, sending food to the island involved considerable risks, and would likely fail at a great cost.

If food issues could be resolved in the demon land, everything would be much easier.

"Don't you understand the dangers of Lantis Island?!" Law was astonished. Was he actually risking himself to rescue a subordinate, relying on strong powers or placing real importance on the damn subordinate? Or maybe both?

"No need for you to worry about that."

"However, I can't go back with you just yet. I need to wait a little while to extract more plant medicinal liquid. The variety of plants here grows unusually quickly, and the medicinal effects are particularly strong—enough to create several highly effective medicines," Law pondered before speaking. 

Originally, he came to the island to research diseases, but after hearing of the magical properties of the demon land, he decided to take a look—finding that some plants had far stronger medicinal effects than ordinary medicines, multiple times their power.

For a doctor, this was not something to be thrown away, especially since he had suffered from lead poisoning as a child. He was eager to learn more about medical practices to become a truly capable doctor who could solve various complex medical issues.

"There's no rush; I have a few matters to deal with as well. Let's go hunt some animals," Rosen had no issues staying a little longer, regarding Law's concerns as mere trivial matters.

"Uncle, are you leaving?" Natalie felt a little reluctant, as it was rare to find someone willing to listen to her chatter.

"Not yet... Huh? What's that? The ground is trembling?" Just as Rosen was about to answer Natalie, he felt an unsteady sway. Looking down, he noticed the ground rising and falling like waves.

"Oh no! Quick, it's an instant storm!" Alice looked up at the sky where swirling clouds were forming.

(End of Chapter)