Oboro's First Invitation

Robin handles all of Baroque Works' external affairs.

Crocodile was almost nowhere to be seen.

So when he answered the phone and heard a woman's voice, Long made a judgment.

There's no denying that Robin is indeed very intelligent... This is an ability cultivated through her experiences.

Her life on the run since childhood honed her extraordinary wisdom.

However, he is still not composed enough.

He had only mentioned her name, but it had already made Robin panic.

Crocodile claimed he could protect Robin, but in reality he just 'hid' her and disguised her.

If word gets out about his relationship with Robin, even if Crocodile is a Shichibukai, he will be powerless to change the situation in the face of the World Government's coercion.

It's even possible that Robin will be abandoned altogether.

"What about Crocodile?"

Dom looked over.

"Um."

Oboro threw away the Den Den Mushi and returned to his seat.

He had no designs on Crocodile or Robin, nor did he want to recruit Robin onto his crew. Although Robin could decipher the Poneglyph, Oboro's goal wasn't to seize the One Piece. He wanted to overthrow the Celestial Dragons' rule, kill as many of those scum as possible, destroy the world's order, and plunge it into chaos. From this perspective alone, Robin didn't meet Oboro's criteria for selecting crew members. This encounter with Baroque Works was purely accidental.

Long found a map.

The coordinates of Bona Island, viewed from a parallel angle in the first half of the Grand Line, place it upstream of Little Garden and downstream of the Alabasta Kingdom, but they are not on the same horizontal line. In other words, if they follow the normal route, they will reach Reverse Mountain very quickly.

Let's go.

Long flipped through the latest newspapers for a while, collecting various news from the sea.

Once the goal is achieved, they will not linger.

He immediately led Dom away.

He wasn't too worried about the navy coming, since outsiders wouldn't know that Sea Kings used 'submarines' as their mode of transportation.

"Boss... someone's here."

As soon as the two stepped out of the building, Dom stopped in his tracks.

Long saw a person standing on the empty street.

The town was now deserted... yet there were still some fearless people who hadn't left.

It was that old man who was mining ore.

The old man, wearing a tattered undershirt, plopped down on the ground with his legs crossed when they appeared.

He stared at Oboro with interest.

"What's up?"

He asked a question he already knew the answer to.

His identity has already been exposed, and the Slick Pirates have been wiped out. Under these circumstances, the old man still took the initiative to contact him.

It's obvious that they no longer care about life or death.

The fate of Bona Island was already sealed.

The World Government's personnel will arrive soon.

This island will likely disappear from the shipping lanes as well.

"I've spent most of my life sailing the seas, and this is the first time I've ever seen anyone dare to kill Celestial Dragons! I originally thought you two were just reckless fools from who-knows-where, but I never imagined you could take down the Slick Pirates..."

He looked at Long with the same gaze he would give a rare species, and laughed with the air of someone who'd been there all along.

He then picked up a cigarette that was clearly freshly picked up, and seeing that Oboro and the others were about to leave, lit it and said to himself, "However... the Slick Pirates are just small fry. You've ruined Crocodile's business..."

After saying this, the old man shook his head. "Forget it, it's no use saying anything now... You may not be able to leave alive. This place is not far from a branch directly under the Marine Headquarters... Judging by the time, at their sailing speed, they should be arriving soon."

"That means... you two only have one hour to go out to sea... and escape from the encirclement at sea."

"Gloat?"

Long raised an eyebrow.

How could that be?

The old man puffed on his cigarette with relish. "I used to be One Piece too... I came to see you just because I felt it was a waste for a guy like you to die here."

"Let's go. I'm very familiar with the surrounding waters and know a relatively hidden route. There's a section of the sea with a very harsh environment and a lot of hidden currents. This is the Grand Line, where all sorts of strange weather and factors can occur at any time. If you want to find a way out, you can only put your hopes on God. The premise is that you must get there as soon as possible. As for whether you can get out of trouble in the end, I can't say."

The old man slowly rose and led the way.

Dom was about to mock the former's arrogance, but was interrupted by Oboro.

The two followed the old man out of town.

Why are you helping me?

Long walked side by side with the old man and asked.

"Hmm... if I had to give a reason, there's a feeling about you that I recognize..."

"How does it feel?"

"A great man... a true powerhouse at sea."

The old man said, "I've seen too many One Piece in my life... Some seem strong, but are actually all bark and no bite; some rise overnight, their fame resounding throughout the seas, only to fall just as quickly... Not everyone is qualified to stand on this sea and remain standing for years. To put it more bluntly, to survive, to outlive everyone else, is a skill in itself... You must have something special to have escaped from Sabaody Archipelago. But what I admire is your courage."

"To attack the Celestial Dragons... This is a thought that even the Yonko dare not easily take, and have never even considered."

"Have you ever seen Yonko?"

Long understood the implied meaning.

"Hmm... I've met one, Whitebeard Edward Newgate. Since you know Crocodile, you must have guessed some of my identity... I used to be his partner, or rather, not exactly a partner. To him at the time, we were just his subordinates, that's a more accurate description. I witnessed his battle with Whitebeard and saw what it meant to be the strongest man to rule the seas."

"After the One Piece crew disbanded, I came back and became the mayor of the town, helping Crocodile make some profits on the island. But things changed one day. He started to go too far, which led to some unpleasant conflicts between us... and then, this is what you see."

Why aren't you leaving?

Dom chimed in from the side.

"Hehe... I'm getting old, this is my home."

"Fallen leaves return to their roots; even if I die, I will die here."

The old man said with relief.

"You don't hate me? If it weren't for my arrival, this island might not have disappeared..." Long smiled.

"Look at those sea tyrants, before they all achieved their success, didn't they all do something earth-shattering to make the world remember their names?! From the perspective of your fate, it only involves an unknown little island, which is not a big deal. Besides, as a weakling, I have no right to complain. From the day I set sail to become One Piece, I knew... the only way to change things, to have a voice, is to have absolute strength."

"What's the use of me hating you? Will it change anything?"

The old man first chuckled self-deprecatingly, then waved his hand, "However, don't be too smug... You do have the 'traces' of a strong person, but you're still far from being like Whitebeard or Crocodile. You'll understand what I mean when you get to the New World... There, there are many people like you. It's just that you're a little special... Right now, you're just a fugitive whose life could be lost at any moment. Someday in the future, you might become a big shot, but not now."

"I came to see you just to see what it's like to be wanted by the World Government."

"If your face or eyes are filled with fear and panic, I will not help you."

After a while, the old man led them to a deserted beach.

On the shore, in a secluded cave in the rocks, a small boat covered with a black cloth was moored.

"Go."

The old man then took out another flight route map and handed it over.

Long didn't take it, but looked at him and asked, "Want to take a gamble?"

"What are we betting on?"

The old man chuckled.

"You said it yourself, one day I'll become a big shot... So, how about boarding my ship? Making an investment?"

This is an invitation from Oboro.

"I've lost that drive..."

The old man laughed heartily.

"Pity."

Oboro felt that the old man was of good character, and that he was quite similar to... Oboro's understanding of One Piece was based solely on reading the original manga when he was on Earth.

Instead of simply killing and plundering, he was able to venture into the New World with Crocodile and fight against Whitebeard... There are very few people in the entire ocean who can do something like that.

They are definitely the elite among One Piece.

Moreover, having an experienced elder saddle the boat can save a lot of trouble.

But... I was rejected.

"May I have your name?"

Long asked another question.

"He's just a dying man, does his name even matter?"

The old man smiled faintly.

"Too."

Long nodded.

The old man's kindness towards him confirmed one thing for Long.

That is the world's will of One Piece, which cannot interfere with the fate of any character.

While there is an impact, it is not absolute.

"Forget about the boat... I'm afraid I'll never see it again. Meeting you is still a good thing."

After speaking, Oboro immediately turned around and led Dom toward the sea.

The old man looked bewildered.

I don't understand what Oboro means? If we don't escape by boat now, aren't we just waiting to die?!

However, the next second, a huge shadow appeared on the nearby sea, and the waves surged, splashing up white water.

Immediately afterwards, a Sea Kings emerged from the water, revealing half of its body.

And it opened its blood-red maw.

Under the old man's shocked gaze, Oboro and Dom swam around for a while, then climbed onto the Sea Kings's mouth, entered its mouth, and looked back at him.

The Sea Kings didn't shut its mouth either, as if it were being 'controlled'.

After glancing at the black dots on the shore, Oboro and Dom walked into the Sea Kings's body.

The enormous creature then sank to the bottom of the sea and disappeared.

"I see... no wonder..."

The old man came to his senses and muttered to himself.

Then, he laughed loudly, looking up at the sky.

He suddenly felt a pang of regret for rejecting this junior...

This kid, it's not just a possibility... he's definitely going to succeed!

Unfortunately... he couldn't see that day.