Crocodile's Attention

Chapter 45: Crocodile's Attention

There was no resistance, no fierce struggle.

Under the deterrence of Reaper's Sound and immense power.

Even Bon Clay, who had a more lively personality, dared not make any provocative moves at this moment.

After all, life is precious, and on this vast sea, no one would actively seek death.

When Roy walked out of the secluded alley.

Bon Clay was in a state of disarray and shock, having become a mere errand boy.

What started as a chase for amusement.

Had now, due to the vast difference in strength between the two sides, turned him into the other's slave in the blink of an eye.

Bon Clay had initially intended to play along and then find an opportunity to escape.

But when Roy displayed his overwhelming strength and offered to sponsor him to the Okama Kingdom to pursue his dreams as a condition.

Bon Clay immediately became compliant and started obeying orders.

After all, everyone has their weaknesses, and at the same time, everyone has their dreams.

For Bon Clay, a man proud of being an Okama.

Roy not only showed no discrimination but also offered support to the subordinates he deemed promising.

In summary, Bon Clay's submission and Roy's affirmation of his dream were only part of the story.

The main reason was still the deterrence of Roy's overwhelming strength and the official background he revealed.

After all, working for the World Government was better than being a subordinate to a pirate!

Although Bon Clay was shocked upon learning the specifics of Baroque Works, he now had no other choice.

In a secluded street alley.

In front of an intact carriage.

The driver lay unconscious on the ground, while Spandam's face was filled with anxiety.

Sensing someone approaching from behind, Spandam nervously turned his head.

When he saw Roy's figure, the heart that had been lodged in his throat slowly settled back down.

"Roy, you finally came back. I told you, the money from the Shichibukai isn't easy to get.

What do we do now?

Crocodile's subordinates are already chasing after us."

The moment he saw Roy, Spandam couldn't help but start complaining.

However, Roy wouldn't indulge him and directly interrupted his grumbling.

"Alright, alright, Spandam, we haven't been caught yet, have we?

We'll leave immediately. Trust me, that was just a minor episode."

Looking at Spandam clutching the box tightly.

Roy rolled his eyes, offering no further explanation.

"Yes, yes, you're right. We should leave this place immediately.

Once we get back to the base, even Crocodile won't be able to bother us."

"Huh? Who is this?"

Agreeing with Roy's words, just as Spandam was about to grab Roy's sleeve and run, Bon Clay, standing to the side with an awkward expression, caught Spandam's attention.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you, Spandam. This is Bon Clay, a subordinate I just recruited. He should have a lot of potential."

He stepped aside, revealing Bon Clay behind him to Spandam.

In response, Spandam's panicked expression changed. After shaking hands with an arrogant demeanor and exchanging a few words.

It was clear that Spandam was unwilling to have much interaction with a minor character like Bon Clay.

Roy had long grown accustomed to this.

After all, in Spandam's eyes, anyone who couldn't help his career advancement was useless.

The two parties didn't say much more.

As Roy and Spandam began to withdraw along the pre-planned route.

And just as Roy and the others were making their escape.

Because of Bon Clay's unauthorized actions, Crocodile's side had also received relevant news.

In Crocodile's eyes, although the members of Baroque Works were useful, his arrogance meant he never trusted any of his subordinates.

Especially the top five subordinates in Baroque Works, Crocodile largely kept them under surveillance.

After all, there are too many schemes and betrayals in the Pirate World.

Therefore, even though Crocodile was very confident in his own strength, he was still wary of his subordinates.

There was no other way; this was the experience accumulated by their predecessors through blood and tears.

Sometimes, within an organization, a single oversight is all it takes for the entire structure to begin collapsing.

Crocodile's dream was to become the Pirate King.

And Alabasta was a crucial part of Crocodile's plan. Especially now that the plan was nearing success, Crocodile absolutely would not allow any mistakes to occur during this period.

The entire Rain Country was actually under Crocodile's control.

As Roy and Spandam fled the Rain Country towards the port city of Nanohana.

Looking at the footage recorded by the Den Den Mushi he was monitoring.

"Stop, rewind it."

The image before him began to reverse.

A masked man appeared in Crocodile's sight.

"Spandam, someone from the World Government's direct intelligence agency. Why is he here in the Rain Country?

Has the World Government discovered the matter of the Dance Powder?

Impossible. If they had discovered it, it wouldn't just be CP9 coming."

Spandam's arrival, as the highest-ranking officer of CP9, put Crocodile on guard.

While Spandam's identity might seem mysterious to ordinary people, to Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai, it was nothing.

There was no other way. As Shichibukai who stood on the same side as the World Government, they naturally possessed a certain authority.

Therefore, Crocodile had often used his convenient status to inquire about the World Government's inner workings.

He bit down hard on a high-grade cigar.

Frowning, he watched the man in the video who left the casino before and after Spandam.

Unlike Bon Clay, Crocodile knew about the existence of Observation Haki.

Two hundred and fifty million Belly was not a significant amount for Crocodile.

After all, he was currently the rising star of all of Alabasta.

Furthermore, his Baroque Works was a powerful tool for making money.

Therefore, money was merely a trifle to Crocodile.

What he truly cared about was why CP9 had come to the Rain Country.

It was known that there were many people who could use Haki in this world, but very few who could use Observation Haki.

Crocodile didn't believe the reason was simply to gamble and have fun.

After all, there were many more prosperous gambling cities than the Rain Country in this world.

For instance, there was the Gran Tesoro, the entertainment city famous throughout the Pirate World.

In Crocodile's opinion, its allure was far greater than that of the Rain Country.

Arrogant people often had exceptionally sensitive nerves.

Things that would be ordinary to others often became complicated in their eyes.

This was precisely the critical period for Crocodile to overthrow the Alabasta royal family.

Therefore, he would not allow any "sand" to be mixed into the pot of porridge that was Alabasta, which was almost ready.

Although the World Government and the Shichibukai were naturally on the same side, if the World Government hindered Crocodile's progress, he wouldn't hesitate to defect.

He looked at the documents and reports in his hand, then at the surveillance video in front of him.

"Sigh, people in the World Government are truly troublesome!"

He sighed and took out a somewhat lewd-looking Den Den Mushi from his pocket.

"Mr.3, go and call Nico Robin back. Tell her that our plan needs to be accelerated."

Click!

He hung up the Den Den Mushi.

He looked out the window at the still lively scenery.

"Although I can't keep the CP9 people here, I at least need to figure out what these guys are here for."

The desert wind blew the curtains, causing them to flutter.

Crocodile, who had just been in the room, had already vanished without a trace.