So I'm confused about something. There was a cover story about Ms Goldenweek and other Baroque works agents breaking Crocodile out of prison but he just. Told them no? And stayed there with Mr 1 and Mr 2? I don't get why he wanted to go to Impel Down just to break out when he had the chance
I can't tell you 100% why Crocodile chose to stay in prison and go to Impel Down, but my best guess really is that he was just...
Taking the L with grace
More specifically. Crocodile had lost everything. I think deep inside he might've been literally too depressed to want to go free again.
Like he does literally say that. He gave up.
He had been building his reputation as "the Hero of Alabasta" for at least 10 years at this point. He had built not just a criminal organization that he had been running for four years, but also he had been running legal business stuff (like his casino) for probably longer than that.
A decade's worth of work and effort to take over a country, and most importantly, get away with it. The reason he had orchestrated that whole rebellion was so that the rebels and the royal family could "take each other out", leaving the country wide open for a World Government Official such as himself to take up. The reason Baroque Works was doing this all in secret was so that the WG never found out, otherwise they wouldn't have let him have Alabasta.
But indeed, his plans were foiled by a kid in flipflops in less than 24 hours, just at the final moment before Crocodile would win. He lost everything. And the World Government found out about what he had been planning.
So even if he escaped from that prison with his former agents, what was he going to do?
He wouldn't be able to take over Alabasta anymore because he did not have manpower (as he had lost all his goons), and having lost his financial empire he wouldn't be able to build a new army any time soon. And even if he did, now that they knew what he had done the people of Alabasta would not accept him as their new king, even if he personally assasinated Cobra and the entire family.
Not to mention, the WG finding out about his plans meant that they had every fucking reason to try and stop Crocodile if he did as much as set foot on that island again. By which I mean, they could launch a Buster Call on his ass. Send all the fucking Admirals after him.
And so, even if Crocodile still believed Pluton was somewhere in Alabasta and that he just had to comb through the entire desert to find it... Between the Alabastan people and the WG in the way, finding Pluton would not be easy. Especially when Robin wouldn't even be there to just point him directly to it. It could take years, if not decades, while fighting off the WG by himself.
And that's while assuming Pluton was somewhere in Alabasta. Like WE the readers now know Pluton is in Wano, but since Robin didn't tell him that. All Robin said was that the Poneglyph "didn't mention the weapon", and Cobra's reaction to the name merely proved the weapon's existence in Crocodile's mind. But surely, because Crocodile is a smart young man, he'd understand there was a risk that Pluton could exist, but just not be in Alabasta, right? Like that would be a possibility too, right?
I think this is why Crocodile has given up on Alabasta. He had one opportunity at seizing the country, and he failed. And without Robin, he could spend the rest of his life combing through a haystack for a needle when there's no needle, and he'd have no idea. I think is why he explicitly says in Impel Down he no longer has "interest in that country". He won't be able to pull off another stunt like this, ever.
And that leads us back to "why not escape earlier and avoid going to Impel Down to begin with".
Thanks to his status as a Shichibukai, Crocodile hasn't been on the run from the WG for like two decades. And the past 10 or so years he has seemingly lived a life of luxury in his funny little casino. But now, having lost everything, he'd be back on the run. And because he's a world famous former "hero of the people", there would be nowhere he'd be able to go where people would not recognize him and send the marines after him.
So he'd be on the run, for the rest of his life or until he'd get capture again. And mind you, the guy does not trust anyone, so he'd be on the run alone. Without any purpose or goal.
And you might be thinking, "Daz and the rest of BW was still there!", yeah, arguably true. But at this point Crocodile had no reason to trust any of them.
Like personally, I think the reason Crocodile ended up taking a liking to Daz was BECAUSE he chose to follow him to Impel Down when he really did not have to. Like Daz showed an unusual level of loyalty to Crocodile, and I think Crocodile recognized that. That's why Daz is still with Croc, post-timeskip.
But Miss Goldenweek and co? Crocodile had no reason to believe they wouldn't betray him if given a chance and a reason. And if the WG would come chasing his ass, they'd have plenty of reason to try and betray Croc (handing Crocodile over to spare their own lives).
Not to mention, when they come release their former boss from jail, what did Miss Goldenweek say?
"Let's do Baroque Works again"
As I've already explained in detail, I think we might know why Crocodile wasn't interested in being Baroque Works' "boss" again.
So. Yeah. If in Crocodile's mind he'd be on the run from the Government for the first time in two decades all alone, in a situation where rebuilding what he had before would be bloody hard if not downright impossible, and he wouldn't be able to obtain what he had spent the last decade working for regardless...
Taking the L and just going to prison might've been the easier option
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Ride 732: Buddies X 4!!
Pag 1
1: Eight people's gaze, they all have their eyes fixed on the Inter High!!
Pag 2
1: Pfui
2: Oii, Miki!
4: What are you looking aaat.... Mikiii
Wa-!
5: Kya- Aya-chan, you- you scared me!
Ohhhm you're hiding it!? What were you looking at while sighing....? Maybe a message from someone...?
Pag 3
1: It's everyone's number of laps in the training camp....
2: This year my brother is sending me the electric scoreboard data, so I can see them live. Now they've started the afternoon practice of the second day
Woah, it's true, there's so many numbers. But in that case don't hide and don't sigh
3: The subject and your reaction don't match, Miki
You're really a bicycle otaku, girl!!
4: Ah right, they're all at the training camp now
Yeah, in Shizuoka
5: No wonder I though that that lively red-head isn't here
7: The bike club isn't here
Pag 4
1: The corridors feel kinda lonely somehow
4: … yeah
5: But right now, they're running desperately
7: They're conscious of the remaining time
8: of this overwhelming journey
Their last...
Pag 5
1: The third years are looking towards their last Inter High
Pag 8
2: It's curious
3: We ran so many laps and the course is 5km long, and yet these eight people unexpectedly happen to be here at the same time
4: We're still in the middle of the second day, so we don't know what's going to happen, but... if we only talk about the number of laps
5: Then right now there are eight people in the lead!!
6: Or maybe
10: It's not really unexpected?
Pag 9
1: It's not!!
At least for us!!
3: Kaburagi and Danchiku jumped ahead!!
4: Kaburagi!!
5: Uh.... I heard about it but, consciuosly looking closely at it again.... re-really
Pag 10
1: Danchiku really has become huge!!
3: I got this bike that's the perfect size for me from Touji-san
5: What's... this... Danchiku's pressure....
6: It's so much higher than before!!
Pag 11
1: Right now you felt like “Danchiku's pressure has gotten stronger”, right? Sugimoto-san
3: It did get stronger
Honestly
4: Until now we've run more than 400km and his strength has certainly grown...
And it's conveyed 100% with that bike!! He's sure and confident!!
Do you know what that means, Sugimoto-san!?
5: The two of us simply chased Imaizumi-san and the others and ran so to not open the distance again
So, honestly, it was unexpected
Teh!!
6: Kaburagi-san and the others purpousely matched tehir paces with them!?
Pag 12
1: Kaburagi, Danchiku....!! As expected your target is...!!
2: 400km is a big enough distance that we could make up a special move!!
4: Go!! This is... Danchiku Special Move!!
Pag 13
1: Bamboo Hop Shot!!
Pag 14
1: He covered so much distance in an instant!!
2: That huge frame
4: He's accelerating by bending like a bamboo!!
7: That's right, this is the special technique that we made up during this training camp!!
Bamboo is flexible and elastic, and also....
Pag 15
1: Strong!!
2: Kuaaaaa
Pag 16
2: Sugimoto reacted alone to Danchiku's acceleration and caught up to them!!
4: As expected, that saves us time, Sugimoto-san
Yeah... the two of us have to go to the Inter High
5: Moreover, we can't play an active part if we don't get stronger in this training camp, and in order for him to fully recover from his slump and go to the Inter High
Pag 17
1: He has to defeat a human pillar like you, Sugimoto-san!!
3: Their target is Sugimoto!!
4: Huh, Sugimoto-kun!?
Sugimoto!!
5: Huh!?
Uh....
6: I want Danchiku to race you and gain back his confidence, and recover completely!!
Pag 18
1: You're speaking as if you're assuming I'll lose
2: Assuming? Well-
3: You're being too rude, Issa
Am I? But results are everything in this world
4: Sugimoto-san and...
Danchiku-san....
5: I mean, the fact that you've caught up now means you're “accepting”
6: Just a little more
Until the complete recovery!!
7: Aren't you cute?
Pag 19
1: My kouhai are recklessly in high spirit and want to practice with a more experienced senpai!!
Alright then!!
I'll let you
2: Come at me, second year Danchiku Ryuhou!!
Wa!! Thanks
Sugimoto-san!!
Pag 20
2: He accepted it and ran ahead!!
3: Sugimoto is leading!!
4: He's assertive!!
As expected!!
5: It's gonna be challenging, Danchiku!!
6: Ahh, one thing I forgot to say, is that Danchiku's special technique we came up with during this training camp... there's one more thing to it
Pag 21
1: It's called Bamboo Shout!!
2: I think you'll get to look closely at it later
4: By the way, Sugimoto-san
What about your special technique?
5: Ah...!! My self-awareness isn't that low that I didn't prepare for it!!
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