Chapter 47: Ex-Partners
In the basement of Rain Dinners, Crocodile sat behind his desk with a thoughtful, hesitant expression.
He was panicking. For a moment, he considered calling that damn Sengoku—but refrained. Would Sengoku really tell him the truth, or just calm him down and then strike him by surprise?
The plan was already reaching its final stage, yet all the troubles suddenly came crashing down on him.
The most important key, Nico Robin, was nowhere to be found. The Navy was circling him like a hungry predator, and the country's queen was far from easy to deal with.
Despite all his tricks and countless attempts to frame her, the people still trusted her completely. Their loyalty never wavered. Even the Revolutionary Army here was composed partly of Baroque Works personnel, partly of opportunists, and partly of nobles with their own agendas.
Nothing was ideal from the start, and now Crocodile felt like the unluckiest man alive. Nothing was going according to plan.
At that moment, a chuckle echoed through the basement.
"Hahaha, BOSS, your expression is miserable. What's going on?"
Crocodile stiffened at the familiar yet unfamiliar voice. Slowly, he raised his head in surprise.
"Nico… Robin?"
The woman in front of him looked nothing like Robin—her face, her voice, even her blue eyes. But only on the surface. Something about her felt wrong.
Was this a disguise?
Where—and how—did she even appear?
Crocodile's face darkened with anger.
Robin walked in leisurely, sat across from him, picked up a wine bottle, and poured herself a glass. She took a sip, grimaced, then set the glass down with clear distaste.
"Mm. What a crappy wine…"
She completely ignored his thunderous expression.
"What's wrong, BOSS? Suddenly so quiet. I'm not used to it," she teased.
Crocodile slammed the desk, cracking it.
"Nico Robin! Where did you disappear to? Are you planning to betray me?!"
His tone was murderous, but Robin only looked amused.
"Chill, BOSS. How could I betray you?"
He calmed slightly. Not because he believed her, but because to Crocodile, as long as she pretended loyalty, then she was loyal. He never expected genuine loyalty from her anyway. Fear alone was enough to keep her obedient.
But her next words drove him into a fit of rage.
"It's not like we're partners or anything. How could I betray you?"
The disdain in her tone, the mockery in her eyes—it was clear she was toying with him.
Crocodile suddenly burst into laughter, his voice chilling the air. He glared at her with an icy expression.
"Nico Robin… You're smart. I don't believe you'd rebel without a backup plan. Who is it? Did you find yourself a new backer?"
Robin smiled brightly and nodded.
"As expected of BOSS, so sharp… Yes, I did. A very solid one."
Crocodile bit his cigar hard, his eyes narrowing with hostility.
"If you've found a backer, why not just hide obediently behind him? Why dare show yourself here, mocking me to my face? Unless… you're so sure I won't kill you right here because you think I fear him?"
His voice was steady, but cold as ice.
Robin only smirked.
"The reason I came back is because I need something from you: Baroque Works' intelligence networks and underworld contacts. If you could do me this favor, I'd be grateful."
With those channels, her scattered clones would become far more efficient in uncovering secrets, tracking poneglyphs, and discovering hidden ruins.
Perhaps even Raftel itself.
Crocodile trembled with rage, but Robin continued, completely unfazed.
"As for my backer—you don't need to guess. He asked me to bring you back. Don't worry, as long as you're obedient, I won't need to use a heavy hand…"
Her tone was casual, almost coaxing.
Too much humiliation!
Crocodile felt mocked, belittled—by Nico Robin, of all people!
His fury boiled over. His body exploded into sand, only the golden hook remaining visible. Every grain surged toward her as he aimed for her heart.
But even blinded by rage, he was cautious. In this state, even if someone with Haki lurked nearby, they wouldn't be able to surprise him. If Robin truly had a backer, only someone on the level of a Yonko could give her this much confidence.
His strike was meant as a probe—if things turned dire, he would retreat and muddy the waters by leaking Pluton's location.
But just then, a soft sigh echoed.
It came not from the air, but from Robin herself.
"BOSS, why are you so naughty, forcing me to use force? You really don't appreciate what we had before…"
Before he could react, a hand appeared before his eyes. White, slender, beautiful fingers reached for him—yet carried a mysterious power.
They tore through his sand form as if it were nothing, ignoring his elemental invincibility. The hand seized his head, and with a sickening thud, smashed it into the ground.
The entire basement quivered. Even the casino above and the land for miles around trembled faintly.
Disoriented, Crocodile's eyes widened as blood streamed down his face, disbelief written across his features.
"Armament Haki? Impossible! Even if you somehow learned Haki, you can't touch me in full elemental form! Observation too? Even then—my body is hidden! You didn't touch it at all—"
His voice broke into incoherent babbling. His worldview itself was collapsing.
Robin only sighed.
"As the captain always says: 'Logic is nothing more than the limit of a mortal's perception.' And you, dear BOSS, are just a mortal. A weak one. Sleep now. When you wake, my backer will have a very pleasant conversation with you. I promise, you'll love it."
Her hand struck once more. Crocodile's body went limp and collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Robin looked down at him with pity.
"What a poor child. Fortunately, the captain has taken an interest in his position. His future will be promising…"
The technique she had used, which so easily shattered his understanding, was what they called Trinity.
Robin had indeed mastered all three Haki types, her expertise surpassing even the world's strongest. But Trinity was something greater—a unity of body, mind, and spirit. It dwarfed Haki, which itself was shackled by the world's limits.
Trinity was also the fuel behind the abilities Luffy had created with his own thoughts, the very foundation of the virtual world's power system.
Casting one last look at the unconscious Crocodile, Robin turned toward his secret room.
That was where the real prize lay.