Rainbase.
Crocodile returned to his office, his expression dark.
Ever since Luffy had been rescued, Crocodile had pursued him personally. Every time he seemed within arm's reach of capturing the boy, some unforeseen accident would occur, allowing him to slip away once again.
Two days of this had pushed his patience to the breaking point. Most frustratingly, during one of his more powerful attacks, he had accidentally dehydrated the very Den Den Mushi he was carrying, killing the snail instantly. Having completely lost the boy's trail, he had been forced to return in a foul mood.
However, that wasn't a critical issue. The entirety of Alabasta was currently under the surveillance of Baroque Works; finding Luffy should not have been difficult.
Yet, upon returning, he discovered that Robin was gone.
Left with no choice, he contacted Mr. 1, Daz Bonez. Within Baroque Works, most agents were unaware of the Boss's true identity, but Daz Bonez was one of the few who knew.
Unfortunately, the call only made things worse.
"You're telling me Sean Campbell has appeared in Alabasta, and he publicly declared in the capital of Alubarna that I am the mastermind behind everything?"
"Yes, Boss. He even claimed that the Marines are about to launch an arrest operation against you."
His entire plan had been exposed?
No, this was impossible! Aside from himself, Robin was the only one who knew his true objective.
'Could it be Robin?'
"Do you know where that woman is?"
"I'm not sure, but I saw a masked woman suddenly appear by Sean's side. Her build is very similar, but I couldn't confirm it!"
"Damn it, I knew that woman couldn't be trusted!"
With those words, Crocodile was convinced: Robin had betrayed him. Although Daz Bonez mentioned that Sean only spoke of his intent to steal the kingdom, Robin knew the deeper motivations. If those secrets were leaked to the Marines or the World Government, he would be finished.
There was only one course of action left.
"Notify everyone. Find a way to mobilize the rebels immediately. Every single member of Baroque Works is to get involved. Help them crush the Royal Army and seize Cobra!"
"We must capture Cobra and the traitorous Robin as quickly as possible before the Marine powerhouses arrive, then pry the truth from their mouths."
"Once that thing falls into our hands, we will never have to worry about the Marines or the World Government again."
After all, Marine Headquarters was far away; they wouldn't be able to arrive in a short time. As for Sean Campbell—he was merely a Rear Admiral. Crocodile had no reason to fear him.
After weighing his options, Crocodile decided to accelerate his plan.
"Boss, Mr. 7 and Miss Father's Day have already handled the rebel side. Kohza has been assassinated, and the entire rebel force is now under our control. The weapons we prepared have also been distributed."
"At this rate, the rebels should be reaching Alubarna soon."
"The situation was urgent and I couldn't reach you, so I took the initiative..."
Crocodile paused, but his expression softened.
As expected, Robin was unreliable, but Daz Bonez was dependable.
"You've done well. Assemble all senior agents and coordinate with the rebels. But I want Cobra alive, understood?"
"Understood!"
Hanging up the phone, a slight smirk played on Crocodile's lips. Originally, he had planned to wait another two or three years before making his move. He didn't want to attract too much attention; he wanted to achieve his goals quietly while Alabasta was consumed by civil war.
But given the current circumstances, he had to force the issue. It didn't matter. As long as he obtained Pluton, he would no longer fear the Marines or the World Government.
And so... it was time for him to move.
Even if something went wrong with the rebels, his presence alone would be enough to salvage the situation. A few tens of thousands of Royal Army soldiers were nothing more than insects before a Logia user.
Grabbing his coat, Crocodile quickly left the casino.
In the shadows of a nearby alley, a hidden figure pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Rear Admiral, Crocodile has left Rainbase. His destination is likely the capital, Alubarna."
"Understood. Continue monitoring him and report any developments immediately!"
"Got it!"
Putting away the Den Den Mushi, Lucci stepped out of the alley and followed in Crocodile's wake.
'''
Meanwhile, inside an abandoned building in Yuba.
Chopper was drenched in sweat as he treated Luffy's wounds.
Along the way, they had clashed with Crocodile three times. Each time, without exception, they had been defeated. Yet, for some reason, they always managed to escape at the very last moment. It felt as if someone were secretly helping them.
Regardless, Luffy's injuries were becoming severe, and Sabo was in no better shape.
Because this was nearly two years before the original timeline, neither Luffy nor Sabo possessed the strength to rival Crocodile. They were simply outclassed.
"Luffy, we aren't strong enough to handle that guy yet. Moreover, the Revolutionary Army just sent word that Sean has arrived in Alabasta and is taking action against Crocodile."
"Because of that, we don't need to involve ourselves in this anymore," Sabo said seriously, letting out a soft sigh.
They were no match for Crocodile; continuing to struggle would be pointless. Since Sean was already moving against him, there was no need for them to intervene.
"Sabo, did you say Sean?"
"Yeah. According to the message from the Revolutionary Army, Sean has already exposed Crocodile in Alubarna and publicly stated that he will arrest him shortly."
"What about Ace? Did Ace come too?"
"I'm not sure. It seems only Sean and a woman of unconfirmed identity were seen in Alubarna," Sabo replied, shaking his head.
Sabo desperately wanted to see Ace, but the reports from the field had mentioned nothing of his presence.
"Ace, huh... I really miss him!"
"I just never expected that the guy who spent all his time competing with Luffy to become the Pirate King would end up joining the Marines."
"Sigh... it seems we are destined to stand on opposite sides in the future..."
Sabo's sigh didn't just refer to the conflict between pirates and Marines. It also spoke to the friction between the Revolutionary Army and the Marines.
Fate was a cruel thing.
As Sabo lamented, four figures appeared outside the abandoned house. Three of them took up a triangular formation, boxing in the building and sealing off every possible escape route.
Another person approached the house and knocked on the door.
'Knock, knock, knock...'
'''
The royal capital of Alubarna, in the suburbs outside the city.
"Leader Kohza... is it... is it really you?"
"How is this possible? I saw you with my own eyes, gravely wounded and on the brink of death. The doctors said you couldn't be saved!"
"Exactly! And even if it were a miracle, why are you standing with the King? He was the mastermind behind your assassination!"
Three of the remaining rebel officers stood fifty meters away from the royal guard, staring at Kohza in utter disbelief. They were completely bewildered.
"No, King Cobra didn't send people to assassinate me. It was Baroque Works!"
"Leader Kohza, please don't let the King deceive you!!"
"I heard it with my own ears," Kohza replied firmly. "I didn't lose consciousness immediately after being shot, so I overheard some of their conversation. It was definitely the people from Baroque Works!"
"What... but why...?"
"Because their plan in Alubarna failed, so they had no choice but to incite the rebels to attack immediately. It was a desperate final gamble!"
"We... we were all tricked?"
The three officers' eyes widened. Kohza had explained everything so clearly that even the densest among them could piece the truth together. Many other rebels let their weapons clatter to the ground.
"Surrender," Kohza urged. "King Cobra has said he will not hold any of us accountable. After all, we were all deceived by Crocodile."
At those words, even more people dropped their arms. This army of ten thousand rebels had set out with the sole intention of marching into Alubarna for revenge. But suddenly, the reason for that revenge had vanished.
Kohza was alive!
Not only was he alive, but he had personally confirmed that the assassination attempt was the work of Baroque Works and part of Crocodile's conspiracy. What was there left to avenge?
Combined with Kohza's assurance that King Cobra would show mercy to those who surrendered, the choice became obvious to everyone.
Very quickly, the entire rebel force laid down their weapons.
The massive crisis threatening the royal capital was completely neutralized in an instant. King Cobra, Igaram, and the others nearby all let out a long sigh of relief.
"King Cobra, you can handle the rest on your own, I presume? I should go and have a little chat with Crocodile."
"Of course. Rear Admiral Sean, we are deeply grateful for everything. I will ensure the remaining matters are handled properly!"
"Right. I'll be heading out then. Once I've dealt with Crocodile, I'll come to the palace to formally sign our previous agreement."
With a nod, Sean turned and departed. Robin quickly hurried to catch up with him.
"Sean, Crocodile is a Logia user. Are you truly confident you can handle him?"
"Confident?" Sean replied casually. "Actually, even if I didn't go, the people I have monitoring him right now have enough strength to defeat him. I'm just personally interested in fighting a Logia user and want to test a few abilities. Otherwise, I wouldn't even bother."
Robin paused, stunned.
Crocodile was a Warlord and a Logia user. Why did he sound like such a weakling coming from Sean?