Chapter 222 - 80

Chapter 80"My father is too lenient; he always says that as long as the people are safe, that is all that matters." It wasn't until Vivi infiltrated Baroque Works that she discovered the truth."Why does Crocodile want to become the hero of this country?" Luffy asked, puzzled."Usurpation.""Usurpation?""He calls it the Utopia Plan. Gaining prestige is just the first step. Causing chaos in the country, inciting revolution and war, is the second step... The third step is to become the hero and the king of this country," Robin said.With that, all of Crocodile's actions seemed to make sense.As they were talking, they had just arrived at the Alabasta port city of Nanohana.Luffy suddenly stopped and pulled his Straw Hatdown low."Luffy?" Vivi looked at him, confused.Zoro reacted immediately, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning the noisy crowd ahead sharply: "The opponent is here.""Why? Crocodile should be in Rainbase."Vivi looked ahead.The crowd was gathered in a nearby square, the noise deafening, and they were erupting in enthusiastic cheers.In the center of the crowd, one person was enjoying the adulation of the people."Crocodile!"Vivi stared angrily at the man not far away.That was the culprit who had devastated her country, leaving it in such a riddled state.The people, however, did not think so. After pirates arrived in this city, it was this man, chewing on a cigar with an indifferent expression, who had saved them from misery.Never mind why they were in misery in the first place.The point is, he saved them.Humans are just such creatures, prone to stereotypes.At Crocodile's feet lay a few guys who looked like pirates; these were all actors he had arranged.It looked as if he had been waiting here for a long time.With a low and eerie laugh, Crocodile's sinister eyes swept over the crowd and landed first on Robin, his voice filled with cold killing intent: "Have you betrayed me? Miss All Sunday?"He didn't even bother to look directly at Luffy.The two sides were not on the same level.On one side was a great pirate who had dominated the Grand Line and had even clashed with an Emperor of the Sea.On the other side was a rookie pirate who had just come out of a small place like the East Blue and entered the Grand Line."Mr. Crocodile, as you can see, I am currently the captive of this Captain Straw Hat Luffy."Robin still wore that calm smile, and she gently pointed at Luffy.Only then did Crocodile officially turn his gaze toward Luffy, the smoke from his cigar swirling around his gloomy face: "Straw Hat, are you going to make an enemy of me for a woman?"He was referring to Vivi.This wasn't just recklessness; it was brainless.In his view, this group was not weak; if they were lucky, they could reach the Sabaody Archipelago. But the subsequent voyage would require some serious tempering.The New World is the playground of the Emperors.Ordinary pirates like Luffy had no room to survive there."Leave this guy to me.""Zoro, be careful; there are quite a few people lying in ambush nearby."Luffy couldn't be bothered with his nonsense.A flash of astonishment crossed Crocodile's eyes; he hadn't expected Luffy to be so sharp, actually detecting the ambush he had set up in advance.Was it just luck?That didn't matter anymore.He no longer pretended, and with a cold snort, he said: "Since you've been discovered, come on out!"As he spoke, dozens of figures instantly emerged from the buildings and shadows around the square.Leading them were the remaining senior officers of Baroque Works.Mr.1 Daz Bones, Mr.2 Bon Clay... Behind the officers followed a dense crowd of Billionz and Millionz.Chapter 108: I'll Give You Three Minutes"Crocodile, your conspiracy has been exposed!"Seeing this, Vivi stepped forward, trembling with rage, and pointed at Crocodile, shouting accusations:"You used Dance Powder to incite rebellion, attempting to usurp Alabasta. The World Government will strip you of your title as one of the Shichibukai!"The surrounding crowd, upon hearing Princess Vivi's words, broke into an uproar, looking at each other in confusion, not knowing what had happened."Shichibukai? This title is merely a tool to facilitate my actions."Crocodile laughed grimly and looked toward Vivi, spreading his arms as if to embrace the entire city: "But little girl of the Nefertari family, you have indeed caused me quite a bit of trouble."Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly turned into a cloud of sand, appearing instantly in front of Vivi at a speed invisible to the naked eye, his golden right hand, tipped with a poisonous hook, striking like lightning toward Vivi's throat."So, you die first!""Vivi!" Nami and the others cried out in alarm.But one figure was faster than Crocodile!"Gum-Gum Jet Pistol!"Luffy's fist arrived after, slamming heavily into Crocodile's golden hook with a dull thud.Luffy stood in front of Vivi, staring gloomily at Crocodile, his voice filled with rage: "What do you think you're doing to my crewmate?"Crocodile was knocked back half a step by the punch, a flash of surprise in his eyes; he clearly hadn't expected Luffy's speed and power to be so great.Something was wrong... but it didn't matter....The battle erupted completely at that moment.Almost the instant Luffy struck, Zoro used his beast-like intuition to lock onto the one with the sharpest aura among the officers, charging like a cheetah and blocking his path."I'll be your opponent." Zoro looked the man up and down.Before him stood a cold-faced, tall man.He had an aura similar to what he used to have.Robin said Bones used to be an assassin, and Zoroused to be a bounty hunter.On the sand-filled ground, Bones stared at Zoroand said: "You look quite familiar too."He had only recently learned that his boss was actually one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but that didn't matter to him; he was an assassin, and he killed for whoever paid him.Upon learning of his boss's Utopia Plan, before Bones could even speak, Crocodile offered more money, so he naturally supported it fully.He looked at Zoro and thought for a moment: "Are you that famous bounty hunter from the East Blue? I've heard of you.""Oh, that's truly an honor.""I am Mr.1, Daz Bones..."However, Zoro couldn't be bothered to hear him finish; he already had the wado ichimonji in his mouth and was gripping the yubashiri and sandai kitetsu in his hands, interrupting him with boiling fighting spirit: "I already know all about you! Enough talk, let's fight."Mr.1 glanced thoughtfully at Robin not far away; it seemed that woman had truly betrayed them completely.He looked back at Zoro and said coldly: "A man like you, I didn't expect you to follow such an unremarkable-looking kid.""You must never underestimate the Captain I have acknowledged; he is a monster who works even harder than I do!" Zoro laughed."The man you acknowledge versus the man I acknowledge—who will be more skilled?""Heh."As the words fell, both of them moved at the same time.The sound of clashing blades and human blades rang out instantly."I felt all sorts of physiological discomfort whenever Miss Robin mentioned you."Sanji found Mr.2 Bon Clay, "There was definitely a reason for it.""Ohoho, have I caught your fancy?"Not far from Sanji stood a muscular man... one couldn't really call him a man, because he was wearing bizarre, heavy makeup, false eyelashes, and bangs, and was dressed in a swan ballet outfit."It's an okama!" Sanji rushed over, feeling extremely uncomfortable.An instinctive repulsion.It felt like it was carved into his Bones....Sand blurred their eyes; this was a stage belonging to sand.But Crocodile, as the master, appeared very angry.Because a mere rookie pirate actually dared to resist him."Straw Hat."Crocodile said coldly."This isn't the pirate game you want to play. Do you know how important Miss All Sunday is to me? She is an indispensable key to my plan.It's because of you! You caused these changes in my plan. Why do you think I came here personally, instead of waiting leisurely in Rainbase for you to walk right into my trap?You've overdone it."Luffy put Vivi down, "What does your plan have to do with me? Vivi wants to stop this war. She doesn't want anyone else in her country to die, and I am her Captain. I'm going to help her, it's that simple."Crocodile's face was so gloomy it could drip water, "You dare say that. You're all just naive idiots who don't know what fighting really is.""Then what about her? You want to provide protection for that woman too? Do you know who she is?"Crocodile looked at Robin."Nico Robin... although I don't know why you always like to call her by her code name, Miss All Sunday."Luffy said, "You really are quite rude, aren't you."Crocodile exhaled a thick cloud of cigar smoke, the smoke twisting in the scorching air:"What a naive brat. You don't understand at all what the name Nico Robin means, or what kind of consequences it carries.In this world, the only one who knows her identity and has the ability to protect her is me!"When Nico Robin was seven years old, she was already the Devil Child with a bounty of tens of millions.The only woman in the world who knows ancient texts.Hunted by the World Government, having survived a Buster Call, she has nowhere to hide.Crocodile waved his iron hook, and the lower half of his body instantly elementalized into flowing sand, lifting him a few inches off the ground:"A brat like you who only knows how to play pirate games in the East Blue doesn't understand the true darkness and games of this sea at all.You don't understand the value of ancient texts, you don't understand the significance of the poneglyph, and you certainly don't understand the power Nico Robin can bring that is enough to overturn the world!"[Warning, punishment countdown...]Still, his mind was disturbed.Not only did he disrupt Vivi's country, but he also used Robin like an object that could be discarded at any time."Sand Crocodile, right? If the so-called Seven Warlords of the Sea are really that strong, you'd better show me."Luffy was expressionless, his hands cracking, "Otherwise, you might as well wait to be beaten by me.""I've seen many pirates like you."