"Trade?" Ronglin eyed Crocodile warily. This man was profoundly scheming, with endless plots and tricks up his sleeve. Making any sort of deal with him was no different from seeking the skin of a tiger.
Still, Ronglin was curious about what Crocodile wanted. "What trade?"
Crocodile said calmly, "You already know how to reach Laugh Tale. The problem is that we still lack the crucial Road Poneglyphs. Why don't we join forces, seize those Road Poneglyphs together, and then head to Laugh Tale together?"
Ronglin's smile vanished at once. Crocodile had certainly calculated well. He himself had found it so difficult just to obtain a rubbing from the Four Emperors, yet with one casual suggestion of an alliance, he wanted to drag the entire Star Alliance into prying Poneglyphs away from the Four Emperors for him.
"No need!" Ronglin refused outright. "I do want to go to Laugh Tale, but I have more important things to do right now, so I have no interest in your proposal at all. As for the Poneglyphs, go get them yourself!"
Crocodile's eyes remained placid, utterly unmoved by Ronglin's refusal. "You'll have to go eventually anyway. Why not secure the Poneglyphs first and study them thoroughly? That way, no one can beat you to them, snatch them away, and hide them somewhere difficult to find when you finally need them."
Ronglin rolled his eyes at Crocodile. "Why would I need to look for them? It's not like I don't know where the Poneglyphs are. Besides, it would be a good thing if someone gathered them all. Then I could catch them all in one sweep and save myself a lot of effort."
"You know where the Poneglyphs are?" Crocodile's expression changed.
"I do!" Ronglin thought for a moment, trying hard to recall. "I can't