Pirates: Seeing My Proficiency, I Became a Legend

Chapter 31: Chapter 31



"Mr. Dongze! Where are we going next?"

"To the bug!"

Robin blinked in confusion. She was used to hearing strange things from Dongze, but this was new.

Seeing her puzzled expression, Dongze scratched his head awkwardly. "Ah—no! We're going to meet the Desert King, Crocodile!"

Ever since he found the exploit with Neptune, Dongze had ventured deeper and deeper into the realm of breaking the system, and there was no turning back now.

Alabasta. A land ruled by a crumbling monarchy, plagued by a war incited by deception. But more importantly, it was home to Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the wielder of the Sand-Sand Fruit.

Dongze had his eyes set on Crocodile not just because of his status, but because of his Erosion Cycle technique—a devastating move that could turn anything into dust. If his calculations were correct, using Crocodile to "grind" his Eroding Sword Intent might push its proficiency beyond limits. If things went well, even someone like Aokiji wouldn't be able to freeze him out of existence.

(Besides, if you think about it, wasn't Whitebeard, the man who shattered Marineford, the same guy who once got wrecked by Blackbeard? The One Piece world's power scaling was as wacky as his own broken system.)

But there was a problem. Sword Intent wasn't something he could simply grind like Haki. It was deeply tied to his soul—an abstract and unpredictable power. The last time he triggered it, the mere swipe of his blade left a permanent gash in Alabasta's desert. Normally, sandstorms erase everything, yet his cut remained untouched. That alone proved how terrifying Sword Intent was.

If he had to level it up by swinging his sword over and over again, he'd be reduced to a mindless training dummy. A true warrior should win in three moves or less. Otherwise, what was the point?

His only hope was that as his proficiency increased, the energy consumption would decrease, making Sword Intent more sustainable. Otherwise, even if he unlocked its true potential, he might not have the endurance to wield it in battle.

And now, standing before him was the perfect opponent: Crocodile, the man whose sand could grind mountains to dust.

Based on what he had learned, there were two ways to grind skills:

1. Attack stronger opponents (leveling up through combat).

2. Get beaten (like his training duels with Koshiro).

His Armament Haki was strong enough that Crocodile shouldn't be able to bypass his defenses easily. If he let himself get hit a few times, his Eroding Sword Intent proficiency would skyrocket.

That was the plan—until a message popped up on his system panel:

"Malicious exploit detected. Emergency fix in progress."

Dongze's face darkened. "What the hell?!"

He tried to argue. "Wait, this is normal! Isn't it fine to let myself get beaten?"

Silence. Goldfinger ignored him completely.

His eye twitched. "This system is not a man. It's scared of me getting stronger? What if I just want to be beaten up? You hear that, world? I want to get wrecked!"

No response.

For a moment, he felt a strange kinship with Kaido, the "Strongest Creature" who wanted to die but couldn't.

"Ugh. Looks like I'll have to level up the hard way."

If Alabasta didn't offer strong enough opponents, the New World was the only place left.

Robin, hearing his muttering, assumed he had changed plans. "Mr. Dongze, are we still going to see Crocodile?"

He exhaled. "Of course. If I can't abuse the system, I'll just rob him blind."

And so, Dongze and Robin's journey to Rainbase began. A trip that would haunt Crocodile for the rest of his life.

In Dongze's words: "Sorry, I can't exploit the system anymore, so I'll just squeeze every last berry out of you instead."

Three Days Later – Rainbase, the City of Dreams

Rainbase was a jewel in the desert—a bustling casino city where fortune and ruin walked hand in hand. In the heart of it stood Rain Dinners, Crocodile's grand casino and secret hideout.

Wrapped in desert robes, Dongze and Robin arrived at the entrance.

"Stop! This is private property! No outsiders allowed!"

Two guards stepped forward, blocking their path.

Dongze didn't even blink. His Conqueror's Haki flared.

A sudden wave of invisible pressure struck the guards. Their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed instantly.

Dongze gave an approving nod. "Truly the best tool for clearing out small fry."

After unlocking Sword Intent, his control over Haki had reached new heights.

Navigating through the casino's maze-like halls, they finally reached Crocodile's office.

Robin glanced around. "He's not here."

Dongze wasn't worried. "This is his den. He'll come back eventually."

He had a good idea of what Crocodile was up to.

At this stage in the timeline, the warlord was still solidifying his image as Alabasta's "hero." If Dongze was right, Crocodile was probably outside massacring pirates to boost his reputation.

Robin sighed and took a seat at the long conference table. Dongze joined her, waiting.

Not long after, a stream of sand drifted into the room, swirling like smoke.

In an instant, it condensed into a man.

Sir Crocodile.

Golden hook gleaming, his cold gaze swept the room.

"Well, well. What a rare visitor. Who did I think it was? None other than Dongze, the infamous pirate hunter of the East Blue."

His smirk widened.

"What brings you to my casino?"

Before Dongze could answer, a crescent-shaped sand blade shot toward them.

No words. No warning. Just a kill shot.

Robin barely tapped her foot, dodging with ease. Dongze, unfazed, saw through the attack using Observation Haki.

Crocodile's smirk faded.

Despite his official 81 million bounty, he was strong enough to compete with 200–300 million bounty pirates.

And in the desert, his power multiplied.

Yet these two dodged his attack like it was nothing.

His eyes gleamed with intrigue.

And then—he laughed.

That deep, gravelly "Kuhahaha" echoed through the room.

"You two…"

His golden hook tapped against his palm.

"Join me. I might just let you live."


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