Nefertari Vivi, the princess of Alabasta, was a princess who sincerely cared for her country. She had no airs, loved peace just like her father, and was deeply loved by the people.
She was a competent princess. Not long ago, she had infiltrated Baroque Works with Igaram, the captain of the palace guards, to investigate the matter of Dancing Powder and uncover the true culprit behind its use. In just a few months, the two had relied on their powerful abilities and excellent aptitude to successfully rise to the rank of mid-level agents.
At present, she and Koza were helping bandage Rodney's wounds. Big Slug Sister, a slug half the height of a human, was sprawled over Rodney's body, using Chakra to help him recover.
"Um... Mr. Rodney, what about the people from Baroque Works?"
"They're all dead. Oh, there might be one or two survivors, but with all those high- and mid-level agents gone, Baroque Works has suffered a devastating blow. It exists in name only."
Mission: Disband Baroque Works Mission Rank: B Reward: Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, Water Release: Water Formation Wall, Mystical Palm Technique, Eternal Chakra Fruit, 5,000 Mission Points. Status: Complete!
With the mid-level and high-level agents dead, Baroque Works could no longer make waves. It was equivalent to being disbanded, and the system determined that the mission was complete.
A huge number of Mission Points was credited to him. He took out the Eternal Chakra Fruit and ate it in front of them. His depleted Chakra was instantly restored, while his Chakra limit rose as well, increasing by thirty percent of his previous amount.
"Lord Rodney, did your Chakra suddenly recover?" Big Slug Sister asked.
"Yes. I just used a secret medicine similar to a Soldier Pill. It's harmless to the body." Rodney smiled.
He looked toward Princess Vivi and said, "So, Princess Vivi, why did you choose to come looking for me?"
"I wanted to thank you and ask you to come with us to the royal capital, Alubarna." Rodney had destroyed Baroque Works, cutting off their investigation, but Baroque Works had absolutely never been beneficial to the country. His actions deserved this treatment from her.
"It was nothing. I just happened to do it. I'll visit the royal capital if I get the chance, but not now." He shook his head and said with a smile, "If you want to investigate Dancing Powder, I can tell you clearly that it's no longer necessary. I'll drag out the mastermind behind it. It won't be difficult."
"The mastermind? You really can?!"
"As expected, the king was framed." Koza clenched his fists. Even after becoming the leader of the rebel army, he had still chosen to trust that benevolent king who loved his people like children. He had believed in the king, but had been forced into rebellion by the pressure and the obstacles Baroque Works had created.
"Of course. King Cobra is a competent king. If Alabasta weren't such a water-scarce country, it would probably be absurdly wealthy." He believed that a wise ruler like Cobra could make the country even more prosperous in a better location, but Alabasta simply lacked too much water, limiting its economic development.
"Thank you for your praise. I've always had faith in my father, but this is our country. We will definitely lead our people toward prosperity."
"Mm. Vivi, I believe that you and King Cobra can do it."
"Thank you, Captain. Why don't you come help me afterward?" Princess Vivi and Koza had grown up together. Both of them cared deeply about the people and were filled with hope and goodwill toward their country.
Princess Vivi asked, "Mr. Rodney, who is the mastermind?"
"A man you can't afford to provoke—ambitious and unscrupulous. Leave that man to me. He's my target." He glanced at the two of them and said, "Help me prepare a few things. With your status as a princess, you should be able to manage it, right?"
"Tell me what you need. I'll immediately notify my father and have him send the things over."
"All right."
Three days later, Rodney's injuries had healed. He took the things he had asked Princess Vivi to prepare and headed for Rainbase.
Rainbase's largest casino, Rain Dinners.
In a room shimmering with waterlight, the vice president of Baroque Works, code-named Miss All Sunday and whose real name was Nico Robin, reported, "Three days ago, the agents we sent to surround and kill Rodney were completely wiped out!"
The person sitting in the darkness was none other than the Shichibukai Crocodile, an ambitious man who wanted to seize the Ancient Weapon Pluton and become the Pirate King. Cigar smoke curled around him, and his scarred face was frighteningly gloomy. He slammed the golden hook on his left hand onto the table. After a long silence, he asked, "Mr. 1 lost too?"
"Yes. According to the discoverer's account, all the bones in his chest were shattered, his spine was broken, and his upper body was mangled beyond recognition. He may not have broken apart because of his Devil Fruit Ability, but there's no doubt that injuries like that were fatal. In addition, Mr. 2's body is missing. Miss Wednesday has disappeared."
"Don't bother with him anymore. The high-level and mid-level agents were almost completely wiped out. Even if the remaining people rose to become high-level agents, it would be useless. Hm. Have someone find Miss Wednesday. Princess Vivi is extremely important to this country, and to us as well."
Crocodile calmly analyzed the situation. Baroque Works was finished, and so was all the effort he had invested. He had originally planned to spend a few more years building up his reputation and making his usurpation easier. Now, without Baroque Works' assistance, his entire plan had been thrown into disarray.
"Joestar J. Rodney, what exactly do you want?" After closing his eyes and thinking for a moment, he said, "Within one day, gather every piece of information you can find about this man named Rodney. Tomorrow, I want to see his dossier on my desk."
"Understood." Nico Robin nodded and left. Watching her graceful figure, Crocodile exhaled a plume of smoke. "Nico Robin, she's a very useful assistant, but..." He stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray. "She's a troublesome one! She still has value to me now. The Ancient Weapon..."
The Ancient Weapon Pluton was the "most evil battleship in history," built by the prosperous shipbuilding industry of Water Seven. It could sink an island with a single cannon blast and now lay dormant somewhere in the world. The Poneglyph recording Pluton's location was inside Alabasta, but its exact location had yet to be found.
The only person in the world who could read the Poneglyphs was Nico Robin, so he couldn't make a move against her yet.
"Pluton... As long as I can obtain Pluton, I can..." He spread his hand as though he wanted to take the world into his grasp.
Nico Robin left the office and returned to her workplace. She pulled open a drawer, revealing a stack of information about Rodney. "A pirate hunter, strange weapons, explosive paper, Red-Eyed Rodney. Are all his actions aimed at wiping out pirates? For money? No, he isn't short of money."
She wanted to analyze what kind of person Rodney was. The information had been gathered by the intelligence agents under her command, and they had begun collecting it from the moment he rose to fame—starting when he wiped out the Krieg Pirates.
"His attacks contain all kinds of elemental assaults, and he can spit out vast amounts of water... Water?" Her eyes narrowed. She could be certain that Crocodile was going to fall into the hands of this pirate hunter.
"Should I wait until he and Crocodile suffer mutual losses, then escape in the chaos?" She could hide during their battle and continue investigating from the shadows, but what if Rodney lost?
Wouldn't Crocodile find her again?
Having worked with him for two years, Robin knew exactly what kind of man he was: sinister, ruthless, and unscrupulous. He was a pirate bold enough to plot the seizure of a country, and she was deeply wary of him.
Not to mention his Logia Devil Fruit...
It was better to wait and see. If Rodney won, she would cooperate with him. This man would certainly be interested in the whereabouts of Pluton.
Robin believed that few people in the world would reject the temptation of the Ancient Weapon Pluton. The chance to rise to the heavens in a single step and dominate the world was something few would give up.
If Rodney knew what she was thinking, he would certainly have sneered. Once he saved up enough Mission Points, wouldn't it be better to buy a few tailed beasts?
They could fight and run, and even serve as portable batteries. A Tailed Beast Bomb could blow apart a mountain, and there was surely still room to strengthen the Sharingan. Wouldn't Planetary Devastation be great? Wasn't Shinra Tensei useful?
Why obsess over Pluton's firepower? If he took Pluton, would the World Government let him off?
He, Rodney, longed for a peaceful life. Probably.
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