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Alabasta—
"Look! Another pirate crew just got driven off by Crocodile!"
"Yeah! Crocodile's totally the hero of Alabasta!"
"If it's possible, maybe we should make Crocodile our king. That Cobra guy…"
"Hey! Shut it! Cobra is our rightful king!"
"But he still hasn't solved the drought!!!"
"You're way behind on the news."
"Just two days ago, Captain Igaram of the royal guard returned to Alabasta and announced they found a way to end the drought."
"Since then, it's been raining in towns all across the kingdom, starting from the capital. It'll reach us soon too."
"Really? Long live King Cobra!!!"
At the port, Crocodile had just buried a group of pirates in a sandstorm.
Normally at this point, he'd play the friendly hero and chat with the people, but today he wasn't in the mood.
All because of that damn rain.
Crocodile headed back to his base in Rainbase.
As he walked into the room, a massive golden crocodile lay coiled inside. But the moment it saw Crocodile, it shrank back as much as possible.
Crocodile's expression was just that terrifying.
The way that huge creature—big enough to fill half the room—was trying to curl up its tiny feet? Hilarious.
"Pff."A soft laugh suddenly echoed through the room.
Crocodile looked up, his face still dark:
"You seem amused, Miss All Sunday."
Robin, sitting in a chair, didn't look scared at all. In fact, she looked quite entertained.
Resting her chin on one hand, she said:
"I just saw something funny."
She smiled faintly.
"But you, Mr. 0, don't seem very happy. Is your plan falling apart?"
"Hmph." Crocodile scoffed, refusing to admit it.
"It's just a minor setback. A little rain won't save this country.
As long as Dance Powder isn't dealt with, the rebellion will continue."
He took a drag on his cigar, and through the gleam of his golden hook, he stared at Robin:
"But what about you, Miss All Sunday? Are you really unaware of what's going on?"
His gaze was sharp as a blade, cutting straight toward her.
"You don't trust me, Mr. 0?"
Robin didn't answer. She just looked at Crocodile with an unreadable expression.
Crocodile stayed silent, tapping his fingers on the desk rhythmically.
Even the golden crocodile shrank back even more.
It could sense the rising tension in the air.
Just when it was about to bolt, Crocodile finally spoke:
"Of course I don't trust you, Miss All Sunday."
His voice was still low and cold, but the suffocating tension in the room slightly eased.
"Someone who survives by betraying others doesn't deserve anyone's trust."
For some reason, Robin suddenly thought of someone—
Someone who could say, without hesitation, "Then I'll leave it to you, Miss Robin."
Crocodile continued:
"You need to understand, Nico Robin—we're just business partners. There's no trust here."
"So don't let me catch you betraying me."
A sudden gust of sand burst into the room, condensing into a blade pressed against Robin's neck.
"If I find out you're double-crossing me, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Despite the killing intent in his voice, Robin wasn't the least bit surprised.
In fact, ever since she'd met the Straw Hats, her thoughts had already begun to change.
As for the recent rain miracle Igaram brought back—Robin had actually done a lot behind the scenes to make it happen.
The royal army was even now working on opening secret talks with the rebels.
They were hoping to use this rainfall as a turning point—to expose Crocodile's plot.
They weren't expecting the rebel army, which had already lost faith in the royal family, to trust them right away. But even planting the seed of doubt against Crocodile would be enough.
"Miss All Sunday,"
Crocodile spoke again, his voice back to normal:
"Have Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine returned yet?"
"Doesn't look like it, boss."
Robin's tone returned to her usual calm, as if their earlier conversation had never happened.
"Mr. 5 probably feels guilty for messing up the mission and is trying to make up for it. He might've already headed to Little Garden to meet up with Mr. 3."
"Hmph!"
Crocodile let out a furious snort.
"Useless fools, relying entirely on their Devil Fruit powers. Can't even catch a low-ranking officer."
His voice turned cold again:
"In that case, there's no reason for him to remain a senior agent."
"Once Princess Vivi is dead, tell Mr. 2 to kill them all—Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, and Mr. 3."
Just like that, Crocodile casually decided the fates of four people.
"My, my, how ruthless of you, boss. Just like that, you're gonna have them all killed?"
Robin teased, her words hinting at something deeper.
"People without value… their only fate is death."
Crocodile spoke in a low voice, seemingly responding to the hidden meaning in Robin's words.
"Got it. I'll make the arrangements."
Robin stood up and walked away. With her back to Crocodile, a small smile crept onto her lips.
"So then... what will you do, Straw Hat and crew?"
"Of course we're going ashore!!!"
Onboard the Going Merry, Luffy's adventurous spirit was already burning as he looked at the island ahead.
"Sanji, get me a Pirate Lunchbox!!!"
"Hey, Luffy," Nami called out softly, sneaking a glance at Vivi, "We're supposed to wait until the Log Pose finishes recording the magnetic field, then set off. Don't—"
"Can I come too?"
Vivi's voice cut in as she smiled at Luffy and Nami.
"Huh? Vivi, you wanna come?" Nami asked, a bit puzzled.
"The Log Pose still needs some time to finish locking on, right?" Vivi said. "I feel like if I just sit around on the ship waiting, I'll start overthinking things. So… is it okay if I go ashore and clear my head?"
"No problem at all, Miss Vivi!!!"
Sanji's eyes turned into hearts as he shouted, "I'll make sure to prepare the best Pirate Lunchbox for you!"
"Thanks, Sanji," Vivi said with a smile, which made Sanji totally swoon.
"But Vivi, with your strength, heading to an island like this could be dangerous…"
Nami was still worried. Even though they hadn't gone ashore yet, from what she'd seen so far, the island was clearly full of dangers.
"I'll be fine—I can run fast." Vivi pointed suddenly at Psyduck beside her.
Psyduck: ???
"Besides, Nami, you're coming with me too, right?"
"....."