Crocodile appeared of his own accord.
Naturally, he had received the news that Nico Robin had been "taken hostage." There was no way he could remain unmoved.
Although she could not exactly be called a partner, Nico Robin's value was immense. There were very few people capable of reading Poneglyphs.
If he wanted to obtain the legendary Ancient Weapon Pluton, then he had to rely on Nico Robin's power.
"Do you people not know that there are some people you simply shouldn't touch?" Crocodile said coldly.
A small sandstorm spun in his palm.
"Crocodile, you only want Pluton, don't you? I can tell you where it is. Do you dare go there?"
Koji crossed his arms and asked with a half-smile.
Nico Robin froze slightly.
Of course she knew Crocodile's goal. That was also the reason Crocodile had been willing to take her in.
However, deep down, she did not want Crocodile to obtain Pluton. If that kind of weapon fell into the hands of an ambitious man like Crocodile, it would certainly cause unimaginable turmoil throughout the world.
"Where is it?"
Faced with such an unexpected move, Crocodile's expression shifted between light and dark.
After all, aside from Nico Robin, almost no one knew about this matter.
"Does Dark King Rayleigh count?" Koji asked.
The corner of Crocodile's mouth twitched.
That was not the Pluton he wanted. Of course it did not count.
"Pluton is buried in Wano Country."
After making his joke, Koji did not keep him in suspense. He had no interest in Ancient Weapons, so he did not mind telling whoever happened to ask.
"Wano Country?"
Crocodile frowned.
Of course he was not unfamiliar with that Wano Country. There were only four Emperors in total, and that was the place occupied by Kaido. Anyone who had read the newspaper or even heard rumors could know about that place.
He could tell that Koji was not teasing him.
Troublesome.
Even if it had been buried in an extremely remote place, that would still have been better than being buried in the territory of one of the Four Emperors.
He understood his own strength very clearly. The chances of obtaining an Ancient Weapon from one of the Four Emperors were practically zero.
Judging from Kaido's actions over the years, he probably had not discovered the Ancient Weapon. Otherwise, with Kaido's personality, he would have triggered world-level chaos long ago.
"Can you get it?" Koji asked with interest.
The corner of Crocodile's mouth twitched.
Of course he could not get it. Kaido was the Strongest Creature. No one wanted to face a powerful enemy with that kind of tenacious vitality.
Nico Robin breathed a sigh of relief.
Since it was in the territory of one of the Four Emperors, Crocodile's desire for Pluton would not be realized.
However, in that case, did that mean she no longer had any value?
Should she find an opportunity to run?
"How do I know whether what you said is true or false? What if you're fooling me?" Crocodile said.
Although he believed it, he still had to be stubborn.
"In Wano Country, there's an old man from the Kozuki family. He knows that Pluton is sleeping there," Koji said.
"…"
There was even a local witness as proof.
Nine times out of ten, it was true.
Crocodile felt exhausted.
If he wanted to obtain Pluton, then Kaido was a hurdle he definitely had to cross. Who would not covet a powerful weapon said to be capable of destroying an island with a single attack?
He was not a reckless man.
Charging head-on against the Beasts Pirates would be courting death.
Unless Kaido left.
Inwardly, he was cursing.
Why did it have to be in the territory of one of the Four Emperors?
As for Koji, who knew such a secret, Crocodile had no intention of attacking him.
Someone who could stand before him like this and know this kind of thing—could he possibly be an ant?
"You're not interested in Pluton?" Crocodile condensed a chair out of yellow sand, sat down, and crossed his legs.
"It's said to be able to destroy an island with one shot, but even if you get your hands on it, what if it has no energy? How will you activate it?"
Crocodile fell silent.
That did seem true.
No one knew whether Pluton could still be activated.
What if Pluton really had no energy left?
How irritating.
It would have been better not to know. At least then, he would still have something to look forward to.
In this situation, he truly did not know what to do.
All his previous schemes had to be overturned at this moment.
But he would not give up his obsession with the Ancient Weapon so easily.
No matter how strong Whitebeard was, could his current physical condition really withstand Pluton?
Koji knew Crocodile would not give up so easily.
"Crocodile, you can leave now," Koji said.
"What do you mean? You want me to give up Alabasta?" Crocodile frowned.
His plan to usurp the country was already close to completion. Even if he now knew Pluton's location, he was still reluctant to abandon a place he had spent so much time operating in.
"That's right. Just treat it as me meddling in someone else's business," Koji said.
"If you want to witness my strength, I don't mind either."
The longsword in Koji's hand pointed at Crocodile.
Divine Sword: Dawn had not been unsheathed in a very long time.
Elementalization?
"How overbearing. Fine, I understand. So what if I give this place to you?" Crocodile's expression darkened.
Even after being threatened by Koji, he did not act rashly. The strong instincts he still possessed allowed him to sense the threat of death.
The man before him had the power to kill him.
The last time he had felt this way was when he challenged that old man Whitebeard.
"Nico Robin, we're leaving," Crocodile said.
"Boss, since you already know Pluton's location, that means you no longer need me. I've decided to join them."
Nico Robin smiled faintly and did not follow Crocodile.
She already knew she had little value left to Crocodile.
And people with no value were always the easiest to settle accounts with.
Although she would not die for the time being, casting someone aside once their usefulness was exhausted was something seen all too often on the sea.
It just so happened that Crocodile was wary of Koji and the others. She could borrow their deterrent force to hide herself.
Having survived until now, reading the room was also one of her skills.
"So this is your choice. Suit yourself. Since you provided information on Pluton, I'll give you a friendly warning. This woman can't be trusted. If you keep her by your side, you'll be the next ones she betrays."
After Crocodile finished speaking, he turned into a gust of wind and sand and left.
He was going to find some old friends and make plans.
Now that he knew Pluton's location, he had to try.
What if he succeeded?
"Whew…"
Nico Robin let out a long breath.
When she had locked eyes with Crocodile just now, she had truly used up all her strength.
Fortunately, Crocodile had not lost his reason and directly started a battle.
"A smart person. She knows how to borrow our deterrent force," Ningguang said with interest.
She did not feel angered at being used.
That was simply human nature.
On the contrary, she admired someone like this a little. If possible, bringing her back to Liyue would definitely make her a fine talent.
Knowledge was precious in any world.
And Nico Robin certainly had plenty of capacity for it.
"I'm very sorry. I had no choice," Nico Robin said.
She wanted to live.
She did not want to die so soon.
There were still many things she wanted to know.
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]