Chapter 103: The Grand Inventory and the Council of Five Elders’ Resolution (Please Subscribe, Recommend, and Vote)

Crocodile was no longer surprised by Buffon’s impeccable suturing technique; what he could not fathom was Buffon’s attitude toward healing and saving lives. From start to finish, there was not a trace of change on Buffon’s face, and his hand movements maintained a consistent, steady frequency—a professional habit clearly honed through years of uninterrupted practice. Judging by this, Buffon must have devoted a great deal of effort to the craft, yet possessing such terrifying strength simultaneously made one marvel at his time-management skills.

"Your turn. Do you want me to do it, or...?" Buffon asked Crocodile calmly.

"What do you intend to do with us after this?" Crocodile asked with a hint of interest.

Buffon had no intention of hiding anything and replied directly, "Hand you over to the Marines."

Just as he had told Mr. 2, there was no better place for Crocodile than Impel Down—unless, of course, it was on Buffon’s own ship. However, their ideologies and goals were not aligned, and Crocodile was not the type to bow to another, so...

"A fitting destination indeed! Besides, the incident in Alabasta needs a scapegoat, and I am the most suitable candidate, am I not?" Crocodile mocked himself.

Buffon did not respond, merely gesturing for him to lie down.

Crocodile shook his head and smiled, saying, "Could you give me a cigar and listen to my story?"

Buffon did not refuse. He turned and left the cabin to find Buggy for a cigar. Even though Shiryu’s shadow had fully adapted to this zombie body, many of his original habits remained, such as smoking cigars and tormenting others. During his trip to the deck, a few of the pursuing warships had intentionally fired a stray volley, hoping to test Buffon’s reaction. Buffon had responded with a flurry of kicks and punches, sending the shells flying back and blowing off the mainmast of one of the warships. From that point on, only the warship under the personal command of the two Rear Admirals remained in pursuit.

Returning to the cabin, Buffon snapped his fingers to light the cigar, handed it to Crocodile, and waited for him to speak.

Crocodile took a deep drag and said slowly, "When I was young, I crossed blades with people from Roger’s crew..."

He spoke for over half an hour. Although Buffon knew these things, he did not interrupt. Hearing the story from the person involved was vastly different from obtaining information through original records. In particular, many details piqued Buffon’s interest, such as his battle with Bullet and his grudge against Whitebeard.

Yet, what struck Buffon most deeply by the end was the sense of helplessness revealed in his words. Crocodile had sought Pluton and attempted to control Alabasta precisely to break free from the shackles of the Warlord title. As the largest island nation in the Grand Line, almost entirely covered by desert, it was the perfect choice for Crocodile. Of course, once he controlled Pluton, he would no longer be a member nation required to pay the Heavenly Tribute; he would become a nation with its own armed forces, like Big Mom’s Totto Land. No need for the protection of the Marines, no fear of pirate raids, and most importantly, no need to bow to the privileged class.

Of course, this required sufficient military might to sustain the nation and withstand the dual pressure of the privileged class and pirates, especially in a world like the Pirate King’s where basic productivity meant little.

Wasn't Buffon’s current situation much the same? He would likely soon face the pursuit of one Admiral after another sent by the Celestial Dragons. If he were a lone wolf, it wouldn't matter; with his current combat power, survival would not be difficult. But behind him were Moria’s crew, Vivi—who had just boarded—and Saul, who had lost faith in the Marines. None of them could survive without his protection. Moreover, Buffon himself loathed the rule of the Celestial Dragons and their slave-holding mentality toward other races.

Thinking of this, an immature idea began to sprout in Buffon’s heart. "Living a new life, isn't the point to live comfortably? If, after reaching such high levels of power, I still have to worry about others' whims and act with extreme caution, what would be the point?"

After Crocodile finished speaking, before Buffon could say a word, he lay back and said, "Don't knock me out, and don't give me any numbing drugs. I want to remember the pain."

Buffon nodded and began to stitch. Crocodile did not have many wounds, the most significant being the massive scar spanning his face. Had it been any other doctor, Crocodile might have refused, but he had heard enough about Buffon’s handiwork to make his ears ache. From wealthy merchants to commoners, pirates to Marines, Buffon treated them all without discrimination. Especially after seeing the recovery of the scar on Mr. 1’s face, Crocodile no longer held any doubts. He hoped that with this repair, he could finally let go of the humiliation and unpleasant memories the scar had brought him. As for going to Impel Down, he had his own calculations. Perhaps it would be a new beginning for his pirate career.

Buffon did not take long to completely restore Crocodile’s face. With the synthesis of the Sand-Sand Fruit and the Flare-Flare Fruit, Buffon’s gains from this Alabasta trip were complete. In terms of Devil Fruits, Buffon had replicated the abilities of the Weight-Weight, Bomb-Bomb, Sand-Sand, Dice-Dice, Flower-Flower, Wax-Wax, and Gravity fruits—seven in total. If blood collection were included, that added the four Zoan fruits: Mole, Sea Urchin, Falcon, and Jackal. Researching these alone would keep Buffon busy for a while. Adding the gains from treating thousands of people, his harvest was immense. Of course, the greatest contributions came from the two Admiral-level figures, Issho and Yukikoma. The two most unexpected gains were the techniques of Ryuo and Yukikoma’s sword, Senbonzakura.

As Buffon pondered this, Crocodile’s voice came through: "Do you really not want Pluton?"

Buffon shook his head and said seriously, "Let that legendary thing remain in legend. Once found, no matter who gets it, if I take it, I would be at war with the World Government. Who’s to say I wouldn't just become the next privileged class?"

"Then how will you continue to fight against those Celestial Dragons?" Crocodile asked calmly.

"A neutral nation!"

Hearing this, Crocodile chuckled twice and offered no further comment.

...

At this moment, the color curse on Yukikoma had worn off. Her memory of being captured by Buffon the previous day was a complete blank. What angered her most was that Senbonzakura, the sword that had accompanied her since she began her path as a swordswoman, was gone.

"Buffon, you shameless bastard!"

Her roar woke Issho, who was dozing nearby.

"You’ve finally returned to normal. It seems the title of 'Buffon the Magic Doctor' is well-deserved. Not just his medical skills, but the way he inexplicably assimilated you is like magic," Issho said with a smile.

Hearing this, Yukikoma carefully recalled her memories before being captured. She clearly remembered having some injuries, but now she felt perfectly fine. Moreover, she keenly noticed that the scar on her back—the one left years ago that filled her with terrifying memories—had also...

"Buffon, you, you shameless bastard! Even if I have to scour the entire ocean, I will catch you!"

Hearing this near-roar, Issho said very seriously, "Even if you shout louder, he won't be able to hear you."

"Where did he go?" Yukikoma asked, having regained her composure.

"He should be on his pirate ship by now!"

Upon hearing this, Yukikoma turned and walked toward the west without a word. Issho calculated for a moment and then asked loudly, "Are you going to pursue Buffon?"

"Yes! If I don't catch him, I will never return to Mary Geoise!"

...

At this moment, in the conference room in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, the man who stood above all but one, holding the pinnacle of world power, was calmly discussing the matter reported by Yukikoma.

"The Sand Crocodile is truly disappointing this time, playing so many tricks behind our backs!" said the old man with the Mediterranean hairstyle and the map-shaped birthmark.

"This problem is easy to solve. Just pin all the crimes on him! Make the Marines catch him at any cost!" said the bald man with glasses, holding his sword with a serious expression.

The bearded man with blonde hair on the side stroked his chin and said seriously, "Those are secondary problems. The incident in Alabasta is over, and we have many ways to cover up the truth. The critical issue now is that Saint Camoa is dead. How should we handle this?"

"If that guy named Buffon is smart enough not to announce the news of the death, then we capture him in secret and increase the bounty. If he insists on announcing Saint Camoa’s death, then once we find his whereabouts, we issue a Buster Call!" said the old man with the big white beard.

The old man with the goatee, who had been silent, stood up and said to the bald man, "If it comes to it, why don't you go yourself?"

Hearing this, the other three old men said in unison, "That won't be necessary!"

"Then let's leave it to Imu-sama to decide."