Chapter 36 Come on, let's work together to defeat Crocodile!
Bane grabbed Robin by the neck, and some bounty hunters nearby looked ready to act.
Before Bane could speak, Robin quickly took charge and said, "Everyone move back. Can't you see I need to talk to Mr. Bane? "
As the second-in-command of Baroque Works, Nico Robin actually has more authority than Crocodile among these lower-ranking members.
The lower-ranking members do not know they are working for Crocodile. They only know that there is a powerful and mysterious boss above them. Over the years, this boss has solved many difficult problems and shown his strength, but the lower-ranking members do not know who he is.
On the other hand, Nico Robin, as the vice president, holds a lot of influence over this group.
When she spoke, a dozen bounty hunters quietly moved back. At this point, Bane released Nico Robin and let her stand on her own. He looked at the others and said, "Okay, you all need to move out. Go outside the camp and watch for the two giants who might fight again. And don't let those dinosaurs disturb me! "
With a rush, the other bounty hunters cleared out. But even though they seemed to follow Bane's orders, a few might be hiding among them.
Bane didn't worry about these people, nor did he feel angry about being "betrayed. " He thought that after dealing with Crocodile and taking over his territory, these people would work for him.
What's the point of worrying?
By then, we will all be "one family," and any betrayal after that would be worth anger and punishment.
The large camp soon became empty. Hundreds of members were guarding each other and the outer perimeter of the camp. Only Bane, Zoro, and Nami stayed in the camp to entertain Nico Robin.
"Zoro, get a set of clean tableware and invite our guests to try the local specialties," Bane casually ordered.
Zoro quickly stood up, grabbed a new set of tableware from nearby, and placed it on the empty seat.
Nico Robin watched them, then sat down gracefully in an empty seat, and even asked Zoro, "Hey, young man, please give me another glass of wine. "
Zoro raised his eyebrows, seeming to admire her bravery. He opened his wine jug from the table and poured a glass for Nico Robin.
Nami had also sat down by this time, but she was a bit confused about what was happening, so she kept quiet and just sat to the side.
At this moment, Bane had sat down again. As if nothing had happened, he began to eat the barbecue once more. While eating, he took a spoon and scooped a large bowl of 'fish soup' with Mosasaur meat. He placed it in front of Nico Robin and said, "Try it, it tastes very good. "
Nico Robin picked up the piece of meat with chopsticks and started to eat. She also drank the wine very calmly.
After about ten minutes, Bane wiped his hands with a tissue from the table. He then lit a cigar, looked at Nico Robin, and said, "Well, tell me why you're here, Nico Robin. You're not here just to give me these 79 million Berries, are you? "
"I think you have already noticed that our people is among your subordinates," Nico Robin said. She picked up the napkin from the table and elegantly wiped the oil stains from the corner of her mouth.
"Of course, and it's a lot," Bane said casually, biting his cigar.
"Perhaps I should introduce myself first. As you said, I am indeed a criminal with a bounty of 79 million Berries from the World Government. However, I am also a member of the most mysterious organization in the Grand Line," Nico Robin said, trying to use her identity to pressure Bane and regain some bargaining power.
Before she could finish, Bane raised his hand to stop her. He exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Not in the Grand Line, but you are still qualified in the first half. I know about Baroque Works, a huge criminal organization hidden in the dark. You are the second in command of this organization, the vice president. "
Nico Robin did not expect Bane to know so much. Soon, she seemed to guess something and pretended to be distressed. She said, "It seems that some of my subordinates have chosen to betray me. It's really distressing. "
In her mind, she thought someone among those who followed Bane must have betrayed her, which led to Bane learning this information.
Bane calmly shook his head and said, "It's not because someone betrayed you, but because I already knew all this. Not only about you but also your boss, Crocodile, who is currently one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Tsk, this guy is really interesting. A pirate who enjoys playing the role of a national hero in Alabasta? "
When Bane described Crocodile so accurately, Nico Robin was surprised. Very few people in her organization knew about Crocodile, and only a few higher-ranking members had that information.
Ignoring Robin's surprised expression, Bane raised his chin slightly and asked again with a bit of arrogance, "So, there's no need for introductions. Just tell me why you are here, Nico Robin. "
Before Nico Robin arrived, she always believed that she was the one making plans and calculations, thinking she had the upper hand in all situations.
But when she met Bane in person, she quickly realized that all her plans and ideas were meaningless. Her judgment of Bane, based on limited information and her own guesses, was completely wrong.
'I don't know when I became as arrogant as Crocodile.' Robin regretted a little inside.
Is this what they mean when they say that people close to red become red, and those close to black become black?
This made Robin unsure of how to start the conversation.
She originally wanted to mention that she was there to recruit Bane on behalf of Crocodile, a great man.
But clearly, Bane knew a lot about Crocodile and had no respect for him at all, making it awkward to say that now.
Still, Nico Robin couldn't think of a better reason, so after a moment, she said, "I'm here on behalf of Crocodile. He has heard about your actions. Maybe you know he has a troubled past with the Whitebeard Pirates. So he admires you and hopes to invite you to join him."
"Okay, I understand the intention of the respected Crocodile. " Bane nodded without commenting. He then looked at Nico Robin with a meaningful expression and asked, "What about your intention? "
"Me? " Nico Robin pretended not to understand and said, "I just said I am here on behalf of Mr. Crocodile. "
"But that doesn't mean you are just here to see me on his behalf. " Bane knocked the ash off the cigar in his hand and said with some disdain, "Besides, is Crocodile really qualified to recruit me? If he comes to talk to me in person, maybe we can have a conversation. "
Nico Robin stayed silent but pretended to be a bit helpless and said, "It seems like it's hard for us to agree here. If Mr. Bane wants Crocodile to come and talk to you in person, then I will deliver your wishes to him later. "
What she meant was that she wanted to ask if she could leave. It's not wise to offend one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea just for me, right?
Seeing Nico Robin's attitude, Bane shook his head in frustration. In other words, he liked Robin and needed her to take over Crocodile's business in the future. Otherwise, if someone else got involved, she might create problems for him.
After a moment, Bane said, "Let me tell you, Nico Robin, I need your help to kill Crocodile. Are you willing to work with me? "
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