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[email protected]/Heroicverse
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In the guest room, Auguro was drinking a specialty beverage from Alabasta when a light knocking sound came from the glass door of the balcony.
Auguro turned and saw a slender, beautiful silhouette perched on the balcony railing.
"Nico Robin, I've heard much about you!" Auguro walked out onto the balcony, greeting her with a smile.
A flicker of surprise crossed Robin's eyes. Her true identity was known only to Crocodile within Baroque Works. Auguro's demeanor clearly indicated that he had known who she was all along! It seems this "Monster Rookie" of the Grand Line is even more terrifying than people realize!
In an instant, Robin's face reverted to her perfect but calculating smile.
"During the day, you clearly noticed me but chose not to expose me! Therefore, I take the liberty of coming now to propose a deal with you, Sir!"
"Tell me about it." Auguro was quite curious what Robin wanted.
Robin elegantly smoothed her hair and slowly stated, "I want to ensure my survival."
"Given your strength and cunning, I believe Crocodile is most likely not your match!"
"Therefore, I would like to exchange intelligence on Baroque Works for my life—and the opportunity to read Alabasta's Poneglyph (Historical Text)!"
Auguro's expression remained unchanged.
"You haven't attacked us, so I naturally won't kill you. But the Poneglyph is an artifact of Alabasta, and I don't have the authority to make that promise on their behalf. At most, I can pass the request along for you."
Auguro's words somewhat surprised Robin. Which powerful figure on the high seas ever cared about the opinions of others? The one with the strength has the right to speak—that was the rule of the sea! Encountering such a reasonable powerhouse for the first time, Robin grew curious.
"It's alright. I will offer an entry token substantial enough. I believe Princess Vivi will be willing to grant me an opportunity." Robin smiled faintly, looking completely composed.
Auguro grew interested. "What entry token?"
"The storage location of the Dance Powder, and the location of Mr. 2, who is hiding in the royal palace! He was the one who leaked Princess Vivi's route back to the capital!"
That cross-dressing imposter!
Indeed, having such a spy hidden within their own ranks was a huge problem!
Especially now, with fifty thousand troops mobilized into the capital, if that person were to cause chaos, the consequences would be unimaginable!
As if to confirm Auguro's worry, Robin dropped a major bombshell.
"After you defeated Mr. 1 and the others, Crocodile was forced to accelerate his three-year plan. Mr. 2 is set to disguise himself as Cobra tomorrow and publicly use the Dance Powder, completely polarizing the royal family and the citizens!"
"Afterward, he will step in, dispose of the 'evil' royalty who disregarded the lives of their people, and rightfully seize Alabasta!"
This was a scenario that was supposed to happen a year later, but Auguro's intervention forced it forward.
Furthermore, Crocodile's original plan was to incite a battle between the Royal Army and the Rebels and then step in to clean up. Now that the rebel numbers were far from ready for a head-on clash with the army, he was forced to target the royal family!
As long as he could cement the crime of the royal family using Dance Powder, he would still earn the reputation of saving Alabasta.
Auguro nodded. "That is indeed a very substantial entry token! I will convey your offer."
Robin shared Mr. 2's hiding spot and the Dance Powder location before quickly departing. She had come in secret to see Auguro and needed to return swiftly. Although she had offered a token to Auguro, she hadn't completely given up on Crocodile.
If Crocodile somehow managed to win, she would continue to follow him until she found the Poneglyph! Betting on both sides to ensure her own survival—that was the philosophy Robin had developed over years of hardship.
Auguro immediately informed Vivi of this crucial intelligence and formulated a plan.
In the dead of night, a small team of palace guards approached Cobra's private chambers.
"Captain Rant, is something the matter?" The Cobra inside the chambers looked at the Guard Captain with confusion.
"Rant" smiled strangely. "Heh-heh-heh! Your Majesty, if you'll kindly come with me!"
Cobra's expression changed drastically.
"You are not Rant! Who are you?"
"Rant" lightly touched his face, and a man's face—square-jawed, with straight bangs and bizarre makeup—appeared before Cobra.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Bon Clay, Mr. 2 of Baroque Works! By order of the President, I am here to escort His Majesty the King!" To frame Cobra, the key was controlling the real Cobra. Otherwise, a "True and False Monkey King" scenario would cause unnecessary trouble.
"Guards! Intruder!" Cobra shouted loudly, summoning help.
Mr. 2 immediately laughed.
"Your Majesty, don't waste your breath! I used this face just now to send everyone away!" Saying this, Mr. 2 changed his face back to Rant's.
Hearing this, Cobra knew he couldn't escape and calmed down instead.
"Even if you capture me, it's useless! Vivi has already deployed troops into the capital. Your Dance Powder won't be used successfully now!"
"Crocodile's plan is completely ruined!"
"Heh-heh-heh!" Mr. 2 laughed triumphantly.
"Who said we were going to use the Dance Powder? The President intends to pin the crime on you, you fool!"
Mr. 2 touched Cobra's shoulder, and his face instantly became identical to Cobra's!
"Tomorrow, I will use this face to tell everyone that it was I, Cobra, who used the Dance Powder! As King, I must, of course, ensure my own comfort!"
"As for the other citizens, their lives are irrelevant! Hahaha..."
Mr. 2 laughed uproariously, then suddenly felt something was off. Why was Cobra completely unfazed?
He turned to look, only to see Cobra sitting calmly in his chair, as if the earlier anger and fear had never been there!
"The plan isn't bad! Too bad it won't be realized!"
A mocking voice came from behind. Several figures emerged from a hidden room. Besides Vivi and Auguro, there was a man with short, deep teal hair and a long sword slung across his back—Kohza, the leader of the rebel army!
After Auguro relayed the intelligence, Vivi's first reaction was to immediately arrest Mr. 2, but Auguro vetoed the idea.
"That's not enough! If you can't expose Crocodile's conspiracy, he will remain the hero of Alabasta!"
"You need to contact the leader of the rebels and let him witness the truth of this matter!" Auguro knew that the rebel leader, Kohza, was Vivi's childhood friend and would likely agree to her request.
Vivi considered it—it was true. If they didn't tear off Crocodile's mask, he would never give up his plan to steal the kingdom!
And so, the bizarre scene of Cobra extracting the plot from the villain while others secretly listened was realized.