Crocodile had figured out a set of rules for dealing with Ryan Rowan:
Always dismiss your first thought or guess. Otherwise, you'll only be met with overwhelming shock.
...
Crocodile thought this way for good reason.
Whether it was the establishment of the Four Seas Alliance or the creation of regular routes to places like Drum Island, Sky Island, and the Aden Kingdom, the outcomes hadn't really surprised him.
After all, Ryan Rowan was an emperor from eight hundred years ago. If he had wanted to, he could have easily led Alabasta to independence from the World Government. With its vast territory and advantageous geography, the World Government wouldn't dare to act rashly for the sake of stability in the first half of the Grand Line, and might even consider cooperating with Alabasta!
But Ryan Rowan's ambitions seemed to go far beyond that, and the Four Seas Alliance was much more than just a commercial union.
This left Crocodile constantly wondering what Ryan Rowan's true objective was.
...
What was Ryan Rowan's true objective?
Crocodile was too lazy to think about that question right now.
Here in the Seastone chamber on Sky Island, he was clearly more concerned about something else:
Had Ryan Rowan gone mad!
...
"When I start cutting the tree,"
"When that tree's branches reach your homes,"
"Whether you want to or not, you'll have to cut it!"
That's what Rowan told Judge and Crocodile.
What did that mean?
The answer was simple:
Right now, that tree wasn't doing anything, but it was a threat to the entire world.
And what Ryan Rowan wanted to do was to attack that tree directly, regardless of anyone else!
The only result of this would be a fierce backlash against Ryan Rowan and his forces.
Setting aside the superpower of Alabasta, Ryan Rowan alone was not someone who would sit idly by, nor would he be defenseless!
This situation could only lead to one outcome. As Ryan Rowan clashed fiercely with that tree, the entire sea would be swept up in the "earth-shattering waves" of their battle!
It was no exaggeration to say that at that time, no one would be able to stay out of it.
Everyone living on this sea would inevitably be "forced" to join this war!
This was a consequence that almost anyone with a decent strategic eye could foresee. Once Ryan Rowan found that tree and officially went to war with it, no one would be able to stop them anymore... Therefore, to stop them – or rather, him, Ryan Rowan – it had to be done now!
...
Huh?
You ask why Rowan needs to be stopped?
...
Why would such a thing even need to be asked!
Imagine you are a villager living in a peaceful little village, working or resting happily every day, occasionally making a bit of money with your business sense or your fists. But then one day, someone in the village loudly announces that there is a ferocious beast on the neighboring mountain, powerful enough to destroy the whole village! What would people do? Of course, they would pick up their weapons and go kill the beast that threatened their village. Even if they foresaw many deaths, the villagers would have to stand up for their homes.
But what if it were different? What if that beast, before it ate all the animals in the mountain forest, "wouldn't affect the village," and the mountain forest was abundant with animals, and even after generations, the beast still hadn't finished them all? Then what would happen? The answer is simple, and not exactly unexpected. No one would pay any attention to the beast. In fact, many would erase it from memory.
Seeking advantage and avoiding harm – this is the instinct of life, and the key to its survival. No one would willingly take a risk for a "danger" that might only manifest after many generations! But now, there is such a person. He suddenly advocates for the villagers to face the threat of the beast and even calls for everyone to kill it at all costs!
No, he intends to do far more than that. To force those villagers who are unwilling to face the beast to take up arms, that person would even go into the mountains to provoke the beast! He wouldn't hesitate to lure the beast into the village for this purpose! What kind of person is this? This is a madman, a complete and utter madman! And who is this madman?
Ryan Rowan!
...
Therefore, almost simultaneously, in two different places in the world, two different men, after hearing Rowan's idea, let out the same exclamation. "Have you gone mad?" Both Crocodile and Vinsmoke Judge expressed the exact same sentiment.
Their tone was also identical – a calm that was almost indifferent.
...
Yes, "calm." For people at their level, they no longer shout or make a fuss about things. Even if it concerns a madman who intends to "lure a man-eating beast into the village."
But the less people show their emotions on the surface, the more they can often think through the core of things. Ryan Rowan's actions were undoubtedly dragging everyone on the sea into the water! As far as Crocodile was concerned, such behavior was unbelievable for Ryan Rowan.
...
"No, you can't do this," Crocodile muttered. "Have you considered there's a 'third possibility' to what you're doing?"
Hearing this, Rowan grinned and asked, "How so?"
"Normally, when faced with a threat that could destroy the world, people at sea would either resist or stay put to preserve their strength," Crocodile explained. "But if you insist on cutting that tree, and forcibly drag the entire sea into it, there will inevitably be those who are unhappy with your actions."
"...No, rather, the vast majority of factions will be displeased with your behavior!"
"Do you know the consequences of doing this?" Crocodile narrowed his eyes. "At that point, the entire sea will be enemies with the Four Seas Alliance!" "For the sake of their current 'peaceful and stable' lives, 'you' will be the primary element they need to eliminate first!"
"Hmm, is that so..."
Rowan nodded calmly and suddenly looked up, asking, "Then what do 'you' think?"
"Me?" Crocodile hadn't expected Rowan to ask that. He pondered for a moment and then sincerely replied: "From a personal standpoint, I want to stop you."
"But... my reason tells me that you cannot be stopped. So, I'll just figure out how to cut the tree."
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