"You—"
Daz Bones slowly lowered his head, staring in disbelief at the gruesome wound on his chest.
He couldn't figure out how the opponent's attack had managed to cut through his steel-hard skin.
But his fading consciousness no longer allowed him to think much. With a thud, his whole body collapsed into a pool of blood.
"Whew."
Seeing Daz Bones fall unconscious and lose his combat ability, Tashigi finally let out a long sigh of relief.
This was the first opponent she'd faced who actually had a name she could call out.
Defeating Bones gave her quite a sense of accomplishment.
"Time to find Brother Reno." Tashigi happily trotted off.
Halfway there, as if remembering something, she turned back.
She'd forgotten to finish him off.
When dealing with enemies, you absolutely couldn't afford to be soft-hearted!
Meanwhile, in the palace garden.
With a crash, the pavilion collapsed, and Miss Doublefinger was buried directly under the rubble.
"Miss Doublefinger, you're no match for me now, so why keep struggling to the death?!!"
"Someone like Crocodile isn't worth us giving our lives for."
Miss Valentine strolled over leisurely and pulled Miss Doublefinger out from the wreckage.
"Cough, cough, cough... you bastard, couldn't you have gone a little easier?!!" Miss Doublefinger spat viciously at Valentine.
The spikes on her body were nearly all broken off.
"When did you get so strong?!!"
Defeated and devoid of any will to fight, Miss Doublefinger simply retracted her spikes.
Seeing this, Miss Valentine raised her head smugly. "Of course it's because of the Captain. Come on, I'll take you to meet him."
"The Captain's already planning to invite you to join the Reno Pirates. Think it over."
Unlike the other two battlefields, Nami was currently standing with her hands on her hips, stomping her feet in frustration.
"Hey, you two—no, the three of you—can't you get up and fight me a little longer?!!"
No one answered.
Mr. 4 Bura, his partner Miss Merry Christmas, and that dachshund were all lying on the ground, unconscious.
Black smoke kept rising from the two people and the dog—they'd been completely numbed by electricity.
With the Weather-Weather Fruit and the three types of Haki, Nami fighting them was nothing short of a dimensional strike.
"So boring." Nami pursed her lips, turned around with a lack of interest, and walked away.
Inside the palace.
Reno led Robin into the deepest secret room in the palace.
Curious about how Reno knew this place, Robin also felt a surge of anticipation.
As a survivor who had inherited the will of countless scholars from Ohara and her mother, Robin had carried an unchanging dream since childhood: to decipher the true history and uncover the truth of the "Void Century."
Holding Reno's hand, Robin could clearly feel her own excitement at this moment.
"Go take a look." Reno gave Robin a glance, then let go of her hand.
Reno knew that Robin was destined to be disappointed.
Because the content recorded on this Poneglyph wasn't what Robin wanted.
What was written there was indeed the location of the ancient weapon Pluto—just not in Alabasta, but in Wano Country.
Robin walked gracefully toward the Poneglyph and touched the text inscribed on it countless years ago.
At this moment, she felt a resonance with those who came before her. These words seemed to be waiting for her arrival, waiting for her to decipher them.
Reno stood to the side, quietly waiting.
After Robin finished reading the Poneglyph's contents, a flash of disappointment and gloom passed through her eyes.
Reno hadn't lied to her—what was recorded was indeed the location of the ancient weapon Pluto, the thing Crocodile had schemed for years to obtain.
But to her, it held no value.
"Don't worry, I know where there are more Poneglyphs. I'll take you to find them later." Just as disappointment set in, a warm hand landed on her shoulder. Robin looked up at Reno beside her.
"Captain, how do you always know the perfect timing to cheer a girl up?!!"
"That line just now really moved me, you know?!!"
At this moment, Robin, acting coy, was like a perfectly ripe peach.
Reno pulled Robin closer, met her gaze, and said slowly, "Robin, I told you before—no one on this great sea is ever alone."
"Your dream—I'm part of it too!"
Those words again!!
Robin's mind went blank, frozen in an instant.
After a long moment, she smiled and looked at Reno. "Captain, don't make me this moved anymore. I'll really cry."
With that, she took the initiative to grasp Reno's hand and turned to walk out of the secret room.
When they reached the entrance, the darkness had just receded, and the first rays of morning sunlight fell on Reno and Robin, warming them both.
Feeling the warmth on her skin, Robin was momentarily dazed. She instinctively leaned against Reno's shoulder, etching this scene deep into her memory.
"Reno, my opponent was way too weak!!"
"Brother Reno, I beat Mr. 1!!"
"Captain, Miss Doublefinger has agreed to join the Reno Pirates!!"
Nami, Tashigi, and Valentine ran toward Reno from different directions, victorious smiles on their faces.
Of course, there was also Doublefinger, dragged along by Valentine, looking dejected.
"Robin, see that? You'll be just like them someday." Reno nodded to all the women while speaking softly to Robin beside him.
Robin watched the three girls running in the gentle sunlight, and a bright smile—one she hadn't worn in over twenty years—spread across her face.
Chapter 58: Conqueror's Haki Upgrades, Instant Knockout of Hundreds of Thousands! (Please Subscribe)
Inside the side hall.
Cobra, Vivi, and Reno were in conversation.
Nami was preparing to use the Weather-Weather Fruit's power to disperse the Dancing Powder, and the other girls had followed her.
"Reno, thank you for your help in Alabasta. Without you, we'd have no way to deal with Crocodile." Cobra spoke with genuine gratitude.
"I said I'd help Vivi." Reno waved his hand dismissively.
Besides, he really couldn't stand that arrogant guy Crocodile.
Hearing Reno say it was for her sake, Vivi immediately covered her face, her cheeks as red as a ripe apple.
Cobra looked at Vivi with a strange expression, his heart sinking.
He knew their relationship was a bit unusual, but surely... surely it hadn't gone that far yet?!
Definitely not!!
Cobra tried to reassure himself.
"Don't celebrate too early. Alabasta's crisis isn't over yet." Reno proactively changed the subject to rescue Vivi.
"You mean the Rebel Army?" Cobra's face darkened immediately.
That was true.
Even though the mastermind Crocodile was dead, the unrest in the country was still escalating, teetering on the edge of control.
So far, the entire Alabasta had gathered hundreds of thousands of rebel soldiers.
Such an enormous number weighed heavily on Cobra, making it hard to breathe.
The situation still showed no improvement for them.
"I've already sent Robin to Kataraya to negotiate with the Rebel Army. We should hear back soon." Reno sipped his black tea, speaking slowly and calmly.
"The Rebel Army's main camp?!" Cobra was startled.
Brubruru
Brubruru
Just then, the Den Den Mushi rang at the perfect moment.
"How is it?" Reno answered immediately.
Robin's low voice came through from the other end: "Reno, things aren't looking good. This war probably can't be stopped anymore."
Vivi stood up excitedly, looking at the Den Den Mushi as she asked urgently, "Robin-older-sister, what happened?!"
If the Royal Army and the Rebel Army really went to war, Alabasta would be devastated.
Vivi really didn't want to see that.
Robin's voice carried a note of helplessness:
"Koza was assassinated by a killer from Baroque Works."
Koza?!
At the sound of that name, Cobra's pupils contracted.
Koza was the leader of the Rebel Army. With him dead, the hundreds of thousands of rebels would surely think Cobra was responsible.
"Koza?!" Vivi's voice trembled.
"Vivi, do you know him?" Robin, perceptive as ever, caught the abnormality in Vivi's tone.
When Koza was mentioned, her emotions were clearly stirred.
"Yeah, I've known him since we were kids." Vivi's voice dropped, heavy with sorrow.
As a childhood friend, she didn't want to face Koza on the battlefield, much less see him come to harm.
She never expected that the next time she heard his name, it would be news of his death.
"...I'm sorry."
After a moment of silence, Robin continued, "Crocodile sent someone to assassinate Koza, just to stoke conflict between the Rebel Army and the king, to ignite the war he's been plotting all along and throw Alabasta into chaos."
Crocodile's real goal was the Ancient Weapon Pluton.
As for what became of Alabasta, he couldn't care less.
"Robin, what's the situation with the Rebel Army now?!" Reno asked.
"They've completely lost control."
"Everyone is convinced the king ordered Koza's death. The Rebel Army is already gathering their forces, ready to march into the Royal Capital and avenge their leader."
That one casual sentence sent a chill down Cobra's spine.
His worst fear had come true.
Robin added, "Captain, their rage can no longer be contained. If they storm the Royal Capital..."
Robin's words trailed off, but Cobra couldn't help but shudder.
Being torn apart by horses would be a mercy.
With Koza's death, the last shred of reason in the Rebel Army had vanished.
They now had only one thought: execute King Cobra.
"Robin, forget about things over there. Come back first." After giving his instructions, Reno ended the call with Robin.
"Brother Reno, you must have a way, right?!" Vivi's eyes reddened as she grabbed Reno's hand tightly.
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