So You Wanted Me Dead All Along?

Beneath the damp, shadowy underground palace, massive stone pillars supported the high ceiling, carved with ancient, mysterious patterns and writing.

The cold, dim palace was filled with an ancient, mysterious aura. Before a huge, square blue-gray stone stood three figures, all looking up with different expressions.

"How did it go, Nico Robin?"

The low voice broke the quiet, tense atmosphere. Crocodile's question carried an unquestionable authority.

The woman beside him looked despondent and answered calmly,

"No. There is absolutely no mention of the Ancient Weapon."

She had a graceful figure, wearing a white cowboy hat and a white coat, with nothing beneath it but a tiny cropped camisole.

Below her slender waist was a short skirt that barely covered her, as though if it were any shorter, the skirt would have lost all meaning.

The white coat did nothing to conceal her proud, alluring figure. Instead, it added a hazy sense of barely concealed beauty.

Yet the man beside her had no mood to appreciate it. His dark, twisted face bore an icy gaze, and his low voice carried barely restrained fury.

"You said... there was nothing?"

No one answered. The atmosphere gradually fell silent, as though the air itself had frozen. After a while—

After a long while, Crocodile's expression returned to calm. He turned and looked mockingly at Nico Robin beside him.

"As long as we obtain its power, and join forces, we will have the strength to contend with the World Government. Don't you want revenge against the World Government, Nico Robin?"

Crocodile refused to believe that the Poneglyph contained no information about the Ancient Weapon. He was unwilling to believe it.

He had plotted here for so many years. How could it be? How could he possibly end up with nothing? He believed Nico Robin was lying to him, that she wanted to keep the Ancient Weapon for herself!

Behind them, the bound Cobra looked at Nico Robin with a strange expression.

Rumble!!!

At that moment, a tremendous noise came from overhead. A ray of light pierced through the palace's heavy ceiling, illuminating the dim underground chamber.

The three people before the Poneglyph were startled and looked up, only to see stones of all sizes tumbling down from above, along with several figures.

"Straw Hat Boy!?"

Crocodile recognized one of them at once, and a vicious look immediately appeared on his face.

That reckless bastard!

He had inexplicably gotten involved in Crocodile's plans. Crocodile had thought he was merely a brat who did not know his limits, yet he had disrupted his plans time and again.

Bang!

Bang! A huge number of stones crashed to the ground, causing the chamber to shake and kicking up billowing clouds of dust.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Cobra lowered his head and turned away, avoiding the rushing dust. Then he anxiously looked toward the smoke, having just spotted two familiar figures. He immediately shouted himself hoarse into the haze.

"Vivi! Pell!"

"Father!!"

Vivi answered with a long cry full of worry. Yet Cobra showed no joy at their reunion after so long. Instead, he cried out in panic.

"Don't come over!! Run, Vivi!!"

"Pell! Take Vivi and leave!"

"As if it would be that easy!"

A low voice entered Cobra's ears, and in the next instant, a dark shadow swept past him.

Crocodile's lower body transformed into flying sand. The hook on his hand gleamed gold as he plunged headfirst into the smoke.

There was no greeting and no warning. The rage filling his chest desperately needed an outlet, and that person would naturally be—

"Die! Straw Hat Luffy!"

Bang!

Bang!

A tremendous impact rang out. Crocodile, who had charged in with explosive speed, was instantly sent flying backward from the smoke. He slammed hard into the Poneglyph and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"What was that!?"

Crocodile looked utterly bewildered. His scattered hair made him look somewhat disheveled. Visibility in the smoke was poor, and the other side had moved too quickly for him to react. He only remembered that, as he rushed in, something holding a shield had suddenly blocked his path.

Not taking it seriously, he had directly activated Element Transformation, intending to bypass the opponent and take Straw Hat Boy's head. Yet to his surprise—

That single move had sent him flying!?

Something was wrong. Very wrong!

"Armament Haki!?"

Crocodile stared in shock at the gradually dispersing dust. Several figures stood within it.

The one who caught his attention most was naturally Luffy, wearing his straw hat, along with two towering figures holding spears and round shields, greatswords hanging at their waists. One of them had just knocked him back.

As for the others, aside from Princess Vivi and Pell, there were three unfamiliar faces.

A long-nosed man, an orange-haired girl, and a timid blond man with a pet sitting on his shoulder.

They appeared to be minor characters. The only ones truly worth his attention were the three at the front, Crocodile silently assessed.

At that moment, Cobra and Robin both stared in astonishment at the Sand Crocodile, blood at the corner of his mouth. He had actually suffered a loss in a single exchange?

Could this group truly possess the strength to defeat Crocodile?

No, that was not right!

Robin watched the Sand Crocodile rise. Though he looked disheveled, he had not suffered any serious injury. Her expression turned complicated. Should she betray him while she had the chance?

Robin had long prepared to stab Crocodile in the back. Hidden in the inner pocket of her coat was a test tube of water. She had merely been waiting for the right opportunity. It was not time yet; she needed to strike when he was off guard.

"Who are you people?"

Crocodile frowned at Blue Ogre and Red Ogre. According to his intelligence, the Straw Hat Crew did not have these two people.

Yet the threat he felt from them was the strongest. Their every movement radiated explosive power born from the combination of strength and speed.

"They're Blue Ogre and Red Ogre, the strongest combat members on our ship! You're finished, Sand Crocodile!"

Reiner hid behind a fallen stone, poked his head out, and shouted loudly at Crocodile.

Nami and the others were hiding as well. The only one standing alongside Luffy and the others was Pell, the birdman.

Thus, Luffy, Blue Ogre, Red Ogre, and Pell confronted Crocodile head-on. Their gazes met in midair, sending sparks flying.

"Nico Robin, go deal with those scraps hiding over there."

Crocodile looked coldly at Robin beside him. His low voice was icy, an order that allowed no defiance, while a mass of sand spun rapidly in his hand.

"I understand." Robin answered calmly and turned to leave.

It was not time to strike yet. She would cooperate with him first and continue looking for an opportunity, Robin thought to herself.

Though the earlier scene had given her hope for the Straw Hat Crew, Crocodile's true strength was far more than that.

However, just as Robin turned her back—

"Unfortunately, I don't trust you, Ms. All Sunday." Crocodile's eyes sharpened. The sand in his hand surged forth, directly transforming into a blade that struck at Nico Robin.

Desert Spada!

He did not intend to kill Nico Robin, but against opponents capable of threatening him, how could the Sand Crocodile allow someone he did not trust to remain by his side?

He believed that this woman had just intended to monopolize the information about the Ancient Weapon.

"You should lie down for a while first, Nico Robin."

The sand blade formed instantly. Its high-speed vibrating grains buzzed through the air as it shot at the completely unprepared Robin.

Yet at that moment, Robin seemed to sense something and swiftly sidestepped, turning her head. The Sand Crocodile did not trust her, but did she trust him?

Having stayed by Crocodile's side, Robin had been on guard against him at every moment. Her childhood experiences had made her unable to trust anyone, while also teaching her to remain constantly alert to everything around her.

At the same moment he attacked, Robin drew a tube of water and a dagger from her coat. The sand blade grazed her shoulder, slicing open her coat and drawing blood.

Yet Robin endured the pain and threw the water at him, then hurled the dagger with all her strength like a dart.

That unexpected scene stunned everyone present.

Even Crocodile was dumbfounded. So you wanted me dead all along!

Reiner was dumbfounded too. What was this?

—They were all sneaky bastards!?

This was fucking exciting!

Before anyone could think further, Blue Ogre and Red Ogre took a single stride and leaped forward, launching a surprise attack.

Reiner knew Old Sand would not go down that easily. Even if they could not kill Crocodile, they at least had to protect Robin.