The Poneglyph / A Heroic Rescue Entrance

When Crocodile saw what Noil had swept up in the sand, his eyes nearly burst from their sockets. "No!!"

Noil shot high into the sky, then exploded outward in a cloud of sand.

Gold and silver treasures, along with high-denomination Beli notes, rained down.

Bathed in the shower of money, Noil shouted so loudly that all of Rainbase heard him.

"Crocodile's handing out cash, everyone!!"

A huge sandstorm swept through Rainbase. When it passed, the residents opened their stinging eyes.

Beli notes were falling from the sky like rain.

After Noil's shout, the people of Rainbase went wild.

"Crocodile's giving away money!"

"Stop grabbing! Don't push!"

"Money! Give me that money!"

"Bastard! Put down those Beli notes!"

Crocodile felt as though his heart were bleeding.

Rain Dinners was one of his most lucrative money-making operations.

That one casino alone earned as much as all of Baroque Works.

Noil stood behind the chaotic crowd with two sacks of Beli on his back. "Well, I'll be going now, Lord Shichibukai~"

Grinning in triumph, Noil gathered up the money and turned to sand, sinking into the ground.

Now even Crocodile couldn't tell where he had gone.

Like a furious lion, Crocodile unleashed his rage. "Noil!!"

Crocodile might have become the nation's "hero," but that honor wasn't enough to make people hand back money they already held.

Besides, Noil had given it away in Crocodile's name!

When the uproar finally died down, Crocodile returned to his office, exhausted in body and mind.

Looking at his wrecked casino and empty vault, he felt nothing but anger and hatred.

He forced himself to calm down and think through Noil's motives.

He had been the one to target Noil. That much was true.

But Noil knew far more about him than he had imagined.

The plot to seize Alabasta and the hunt for Pluton—Noil seemed to have known about them from the start.

If he knew all that, why had he come to Rainbase and wasted time?

Was he trying to draw Crocodile away?

If so, he had intelligence even Crocodile lacked.

For instance, the location of the Poneglyph that recorded Pluton's whereabouts!

But what good would that do him?

Unless... he had an accomplice who could examine the Poneglyph while Crocodile was distracted.

A thought flashed through Crocodile's mind, and he pictured a woman.

Nico Robin? The woman he had sent away?

If Noil could have heard Crocodile's reasoning, he would have grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and cheered him on.

His reason for causing havoc at Rain Dinners was much simpler: he wanted to steal some money.

Yet through sheer speculation, Crocodile had stumbled onto the real reason.

Noil hadn't expected that.

Crocodile paced the room. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

He picked up his private Den Den Mushi and called Robin.

Brrring, brrring, brrring...

No one answered. Crocodile took that as further proof he was right.

Nico Robin and Noil had been working together all along!

Crocodile rallied himself and sped toward the Royal Capital. This time, he was certain!

As Crocodile flew off in a swirl of sand, Noil slowly poked his head out in a Rainbase alley, looking puzzled.

"Damn it... why's he heading for the Royal Capital?"

"I wonder if Robin's finished."

With the Beli on his back, Noil turned and walked out of the alley.

He had barely taken two steps before he hesitated.

"Forget it. I'd better follow him..."

Alubarna, the Royal Capital of Alabasta.

An uninvited guest had entered the normally heavily guarded royal palace.

At the entrance to the Royal Cemetery west of the palace, more than a dozen skilled guards lay on the ground.

Arms had suddenly sprouted from their shoulders and backs, locking their throats and joints in moments.

Crack!

After several sharp snaps of bone, the guards collapsed without a sound.

Robin withdrew her powers, quietly opened the gate, and slipped into the cemetery.

The Hidden Sacrificial Hall is underground...

Robin searched for a long time before finally finding the switch.

She gently activated the mechanism. With a dull rumble, a heavy door fitted seamlessly into the floor began to rise.

There really was an underground chamber.

Delighted to have found the entrance, Robin felt more certain than ever that the Poneglyph was here.

She was not disappointed. After a long, narrow passage, the space opened up before her.

There, in the underground hall, stood the blue stone she had dreamed of day and night!

A Poneglyph!

Robin gently stroked the cold stone.

She felt the carved characters beneath her fingers and was overcome by a reassurance and excitement she couldn't put into words.

Her beautiful eyes moved across the inscription character by character. To her, the obscure Ancient Script was as readable as ordinary writing.

Only after reading the entire record did Robin let out a long breath.

As she and Crocodile had suspected, the stone contained little historical account.

It recorded the location of Pluton, the most fearsome warship in history and one of the Three Ancient Weapons.

But Robin felt no desire to possess it. Reading the inscription had left her deeply disappointed.

Robin's dream was simple. She sought no reward from the Poneglyphs.

Pluton, Ancient Weapons—she wanted none of them.

She only wanted to know the complete history. Nothing more.

But in this world, Robin's dream had too many enemies.

Gifted with a perfect memory, Robin committed the inscription about Pluton to mind before leaving the tomb.

She hadn't found the clues to the lost century she wanted most, but she was still grateful to have discovered another piece of history.

Using the Flower-Flower Fruit to keep watch, Robin managed to leave the heavily guarded palace with only a little trouble.

Night had fallen. As Robin walked across the soft, fine sand, she felt both relieved and troubled.

Relieved, because she had finally learned what the Poneglyph hidden in Alabasta said.

Troubled, because she had now checked the last lead she had on a Poneglyph. Where would she look next?

Poneglyphs didn't grow on trees.

As Robin wrestled with the question, Noil's face came to mind again.

Should I accept his invitation and search with him?

It might not be such a bad idea...

If things turn against me, I can do what I've always done: betray him and run...

After all, I'm still the Devil Child.

Robin smiled bitterly at the thought, but behind that smile lay endless pain.

"Nico Robin. Where do you think you're going?"

At the sound of the low voice, Robin's eyes trembled and fear surged through her.

"Crocodile..."

A Heroic Rescue

Robin turned. A towering figure stood before her, his Golden Hook giving off poisonous purple fumes and gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Crocodile looked down at Robin, murder plain in his eyes!

"What are you doing here?" Crocodile demanded through a ring of smoke.

Robin pushed down her fear and forced a calm smile. "Didn't you send me here on a mission, boss?"

"Did I?" Crocodile sneered. "Since when does a Baroque Works mission require breaking into the palace?!"

Without warning, Crocodile lunged. He seized Robin by the throat with his right hand and lifted her into the air.

His bloodshot eyes bore into her. "Tell me! What did you find in the palace? Was it the Poneglyph?!"

Choking, her face turning purple, Robin struggled to speak. "Yes..."

Crocodile roared impatiently, "What does it say? Is it about Pluton?!"

Robin's consciousness was fading, but she still denied it. "No... it only records... Alabasta's history..."

"Bullshit!"

Crocodile slammed Robin down at his feet, knocking a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"You still dare lie to me?!" Crocodile swung his Golden Hook, turning his fury at Noil on Robin.

The hook came down. Robin rolled aside as soon as she could breathe, but its sharp, poisoned tip still tore a vicious wound across her fair-skinned waist.

Blood poured from the wound. Robin pressed a hand to her side and held back a cry despite the searing pain.

Crocodile had clearly lost some of his self-control.

In the space of a single day, one disaster had followed another.

First, an absurdly powerful newcomer had uncovered his secret. Then, while Crocodile went after him, Noil had robbed him blind!

When Crocodile returned to his base, the bastard had destroyed his source of income right in front of him!

And now, before he'd even recovered at home, he had discovered that Robin had raided another of his secrets!

Someone had reached what he had pursued for so long before him. Crocodile was furious enough to tear the knowledge from Robin's mind.

Then he would find out exactly what the stone said!!