After a short while:
When Natsu had securely chained up Bellamy's crew, all of whom had bounties on their heads...
Nami called out loudly, "Let's go! No time to explain, quickly head to the Marine base to exchange these guys for bounty rewards!"
"Nami, didn't you say you're just a weak ordinary person who isn't a Dragon Slayer and can't endure high-intensity activities like ours?" Eden teased, observing Nami, who seemed eager and ready.
"That's totally different," Nami replied enthusiastically. "There's money involved this time! Nothing excites me more than Beli\~" Her eyes sparkled, literally turning into Beli symbols.
"I'm feeling refreshed after taking down these guys," Natsu added energetically, flexing his wrists.
"Aye! As long as you prepare salted fish, I'm good too," Happy interjected, reaching his tiny paw out towards Eden.
Quietly, unnoticed by others, Natsu and Happy simultaneously turned their heads, whispering, "We absolutely can't lose to Mirajane and end up as a low-level wizard team!"
"Aye\~" Happy wholeheartedly agreed.
"If everyone's set, let's move out," Eden said, leading Nami, Natsu, Happy, and the restrained Bellamy crew to the Mock Town docks.
"Didn't Eden lend his ship to Big Sister Mirajane? How are they going to leave now\...?" Curious pirates murmured at the docks, casting puzzled looks towards Eden.
"Little Black, come!" As everyone wondered, Eden dipped his hand into the nearby sea, silently calling out.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, a massive shadow swiftly moved beneath Mock Town docks.
"What... what's that?!" Sharp-eyed pirates watched in horror as the enormous shadow approached rapidly, their pupils shrinking at the overwhelming size.
"Roar!"
With an enormous splash and earth-shaking roar, a colossal, pitch-black Sea King emerged.
"Oh no! It's a super-large Sea King!" the pirates panicked. "Why is it here instead of the Calm Belt?!"
Experienced pirates gripped their weapons nervously, knowing such gigantic creatures could destroy entire islands. Yet, just as their fear peaked...
Eden casually stroked the creature's head, conjured a hundred-meter-long island whale (Laboon's species) from the ocean as bait, and tossed it to the Sea King.
"Crunch, crunch," the Sea King happily devoured the whale, looking satisfied.
Island Whale: "Please, someone speak for me!"
Pirates gaped, stunned beyond belief. Had Eden truly tamed an uncontrollable Sea King, the true rulers of the ocean?
"Move out!" Eden commanded, climbing atop Little Black with Nami, Natsu, Happy, and their bounty prisoners.
"Boom!"
A massive wave erupted as Little Black surged forward toward Alabasta at incredible speed.
"Run! A tsunami!" Pirates screamed as massive waves obliterated Mock Town docks.
Soon after Eden's departure, a burly man with short black curls and minimal facial hair arrived on a raft. "Zehahaha! Is this Mock Town? It looks like a hurricane and tsunami hit here! Zehahaha..."
"Is our target really here?" Burgess asked the man known as 'Blackbeard', who nodded.
"Even if he's gone, fate will guide us. Your head is mine, Sea Emperor Eden, with your 120 million Beli bounty! If I defeat you, my name will shake the world! Zehahaha..." Blackbeard grinned, holding Eden's wanted poster.
At the same time, the Straw Hats bid farewell to giants Dorry and Brogy. Sanji, having spoken with Nami via Den Den Mushi, assured Vivi they'd reach Alabasta within two days, easing her worries.
Vivi expressed lingering concern for her kingdom.
"If it's Alabasta, you don't need to worry. We've already arrived," Nami interrupted.
The Straw Hats froze. "What?"
"Didn't Eden clarify before we separated? Our target is Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords," Nami explained.
"Hey! Eden! Crocodile is my target!" Luffy yelled, snatching the Den Den Mushi.
"Who cares! I've already claimed Crocodile. The Seven Warlords are plenty—go after Moria if you're itching for trouble. Anyway, you're too slow!" Eden hung up decisively.
"Nooo! Crocodile was mine!" Luffy wailed, rolling around despairingly.
"Seems we missed our chance with Crocodile," Zoro sighed.
Confused, Vivi finally learned the navigator they'd consulted all this time was Nami, and thus Eden was helping them.
"Crocodile's already done for, isn't he?" Vivi realized, astonished.
"Exactly," Zoro confirmed.
"But that's a good thing!" Vivi exclaimed.
"But I'm not the one who took him down!" Luffy grumbled, frustratedly continuing his tantrum.
~# Every 30 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter