In the royal palace of Alabasta, Vivi wanted to blow up the palace as a way to send a signal and reveal the truth to the people. However, just as the fuse of the explosives was about to burn out, Crocodile appeared in the palace.
He now already regarded Alabasta as his own territory, so of course, he would not sit back and watch Vivi destroy it.
King Cobra had already fallen into Crocodile’s hands. Although the kingdom had many guards, Crocodile did not take them seriously. Seeing that his grand plan was about to succeed, his ambition swelled.
“If the kingdom is destroyed, it is only natural for the royal family to perish along with it. You and your daughter should have already prepared to die here.”
Cigar smoke and yellow sand swirled around Crocodile. With a faint smile, he approached Cobra.
“I never intended to let you go, but you should understand one thing—there are many ways to die. If you don’t want to suffer extreme pain and watch your daughter experience the same, you’d better answer my question honestly.”
“Cobra, where is Pluton?”
The threat of death did not change Cobra’s expression, but the name “Pluton” caused his expression to change drastically.
“How do you know that name?”
“So, it seems you do know of its existence. Pluton—the most infamous ancient weapon, said to be capable of wiping an island off the map with a single shot, a weapon bearing the name of a god. According to my investigations, it should be hidden somewhere within this kingdom.”
“That has been my goal from the very beginning. Once I obtain it, I can build the strongest military nation here, recruit people, expand my forces, and one day, I will have the strength to surpass the World Government!”
As an ambitious man, Crocodile’s aspirations were immense. Compared to the so-called Pirate King, his goal was closer to becoming the King of the World.
“The World Government will never sit back and let a pirate like you accomplish such a thing.”
“That’s exactly why I need Pluton. Without absolute power, how could I possibly challenge the World Government directly?”
He already saw everyone present as dead men, which was why he openly revealed his ambition. He had been scheming for this for a long time, and if no one knew about it, it would take away much of the fun.
However, he did not see the reaction he expected from Cobra.
“I don’t know. I don’t know where that thing is. It may not even be in this country.”
“I see. Your answer isn’t surprising. Or rather, I already knew that Pluton might just be a legend.”
“However, according to my plan, in 20 minutes, the rebel army will arrive at the plaza and start a battle. And in 30 minutes, my men will fire a specially-made cannonball at the royal palace. The five-kilometer blast radius will flatten everything here.”
“Mr. Cobra, let me change the question. Since you don’t know where Pluton is, then tell me—where is the Poneglyph?”
From the very beginning, Crocodile never expected to get Pluton’s location from Cobra’s mouth. His goal was to find someone with some understanding of the Poneglyph so he could decipher it himself.
The earlier threats and the intimidation with explosives—all of it was ultimately aimed at obtaining the Poneglyph. However, just as Cobra was about to respond, Robin, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny, Miss All Sunday? Are my words amusing to you?”
“No, not at all. At least, not to me. But my friend said you’re just full of useless nonsense. Even she thinks you’re useless, and that’s indeed quite funny.”
Crocodile’s expression darkened. He couldn’t understand why, at this moment, Nico Robin was adopting such a confrontational stance, as if she was ready to sever ties with him.
It wasn’t just Crocodile who didn’t understand—Vivi was also confused. She thought Robin was waiting for the right moment, but she hadn’t expected her to say something like this at this moment.
“What’s wrong? Seeing that I’m about to kill this little princess, you, as her former teacher, can’t bear it anymore? Did you really think I didn’t know about your secret communications? Originally, I planned to use you a little longer because of your skills. But it seems you don’t intend to cherish this opportunity.”
As he spoke, Crocodile pulled out a stack of papers from his coat. They were some of Robin’s notes, but in Crocodile’s eyes, they were essentially a dictionary for translating the Poneglyph.
He wanted to show that he had already seen through everything and had been in control the whole time.
However, Nico Robin’s reaction was once again beyond Crocodile’s expectations. She did not panic or look shocked; instead, she started discussing business with Cobra.
“Your Majesty Cobra, I’m actually quite interested in the Poneglyph myself. So, I have a business proposition for you. According to our usual rules, the cost of intervening in a battle is based on the strength of the enemy.”
“Crocodile’s original bounty was 81 million Berries, with an additional 300 million markup for his Shichibukai status. The base price for a conflict between nations starts at 500 million Berries, with slight adjustments depending on the scale.”
“Given the size of Alabasta’s rebel army, 1 billion Berries would be enough to handle everything cleanly—whether you want them annihilated or captured alive can be arranged according to your preference.”
“So, as long as you’re willing to pay 1,381,000,000 Berries, plus information on the Poneglyph, this entire situation can be resolved perfectly. What do you think?”
“This is a friendship price, given out of respect for Princess Vivi.”
Silence fell over the scene. Whether it was Cobra, Vivi, Crocodile, or the kingdom’s guards, all were rendered speechless by Robin’s proposal.
“Sister Robin, stop joking around. If you really have a plan, hurry up and put it into action! I’ll agree to this price on behalf of my father!”
Vivi was the first to react. Ever since she had started learning from Robin, Robin had always given off the impression of being capable of anything. At this moment, she was more inclined to believe that Robin truly had something planned.
“Kuhahahaha… Nico Robin, I originally thought you were a smart woman, but now it seems you’re just a fool. Do you really think there’s anyone in Alabasta who can deal with me? Or are you expecting that Straw Hat kid and his beetle to defeat me?”
“Of course not. Logia users are indeed powerful in the Grand Line. But, Mr. 0, have you ever considered the possibility that some people… might not be from Alabasta?”
Zzzzz…
A strange sound echoed in everyone’s ears. In the broad daylight of Alabasta, an eerie phenomenon was occurring—a thin layer of ice was spreading toward the royal palace from a distance. Within just a few breaths, the palace in the desert was completely frozen.
And a shadowy figure was slowly approaching from afar.
The chill brought by the layer of ice made people shiver even in the scorching heat of summer. However, this fear only lasted for a brief moment.
“Robin, I’m here! Does this entrance meet your requirements? Pretty cool, right?”
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