So you're Crocodile?

Lofan had arrived a step too late. By the time he reached the Baku Islands, Robin had been gone for more than a day.

He called Morgans, intending to ask for Robin's exact current location so he could head straight there.

"Morgans, where in the Baku Islands is Robin right now?"

"Give me a moment. I'll look through their memories."

The power of Morgans's fruit was not limited to turning into a useless bird.

Most importantly, he could view the memories of any bird he had marked and share its vision, regardless of distance or what kind of bird it was.

"Hmm?"

Morgans's confusion prompted Lofan to ask.

"What's wrong?"

"Robin left with Crocodile. They're heading toward... Alubarna, the capital of Alabasta."

Ever since Morgans had found Robin, he had assigned a seagull specifically to watch her.

Otherwise, he would inevitably have had to go to some trouble again now.

Lofan was not particularly surprised to hear this.

He did not know exactly when Crocodile had recruited Robin.

But it had been somewhere around this time.

"All right. I also need you to track down someone else. His name is Issho."

Lofan paused for a few seconds, recalling his impression of Fujitora's appearance.

"Short black hair, with an X-shaped scar on the left side of his forehead extending down to both eyes."

"He likes wearing purple and should be somewhere in the New World, especially places with lots of gambling dens."

Lofan specifically emphasized the gambling dens, telling Morgans to pay close attention to them.

This gambling-loving Admiral was the sort who would slack off even during working hours to gamble at a tavern.

In the original story, Admiral Fujitora, Issho, possessed the Press-Press Fruit and was a good man.

Someone like him was particularly suited to taking part in the Search Bureau's work and would also be easy to recruit.

That was because he cared more about the safety of civilians than hunting pirates.

He was an obsessive man who had willingly blinded himself because he could not bear to look upon evil.

And such obsessive people were also the easiest to sway with equally obsessive reasoning.

"Of course. I'll let you know when I hear anything."

Lofan hung up the Den Den Mushi and looked at the beautiful scenery around him. It seemed similar to the scenery of some island he had seen online in his previous life.

Then, after pondering for a few seconds and roughly recalling Crocodile's objective, he suddenly stepped into the air.

He followed the pointer toward Alabasta.

"Crocodile certainly moved fast. But how are you going to compete with me for someone I've set my sights on?"

Alubarna, the capital.

The city had been built in five districts around the royal palace:

The west district, southwest district, south district, southeast district, and east district.

The historical stone tablet containing information about the Ancient Weapon Pluton was in the west district.

It still lay quietly dormant in the royal family's Royal Mausoleum.

This was Crocodile and Robin's target, but neither of them knew that yet.

Baroque Works was based in the southwest district, neighboring their target.

Robin had already learned Crocodile's true objective.

After taking control of the kingdom, he would search for the Poneglyph and find the location of the Ancient Weapon Pluton.

The Ancient Weapon Pluton was a terrifying warship said to be capable of blasting an entire island apart with a single shot.

It had been designed and built by the shipwrights of Water 7, but where it was hidden now was a secret no one knew.

Robin was not optimistic about Crocodile's objective.

With her knowledge of history, she knew the history of Alabasta's royal family.

The Nefertari Family was one of the twenty royal families that had created the World Government eight hundred years ago.

Yet they had refused to move to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise in order to protect Pluton's secret.

The one guarding the Poneglyph alone was the twelfth king, Cobra.

If events spiraled out of control, Robin did not believe the World Government would stand idly by.

Even Ohara, whose people could merely decipher the writing, had been destroyed by the Navy, let alone a family with such a background.

The World Government would not stand idly by. They were willing to use every means possible to preserve their rule.

Perhaps this family had long since lost contact with the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.

But anyone who dared lay a hand on this family would be defying the World Government's rule.

Slapping the Celestial Dragons in the face would certainly not end well.

But Robin would not tell Crocodile. They were merely partners.

Crocodile wanted the superweapon, Pluton.

Robin, meanwhile, wanted to decipher the Poneglyph hidden in Alabasta. It was her instinct as a historian.

She did not want such a weapon to reappear, but she could not defy Crocodile either.

Her only recourse was to leave behind a fuse that might be lit.

That was the only good thing she could do.

Drawing on her past experience, Robin quickly adapted to the pace of Baroque Works.

She had to admit that her filthy past had become the nourishment that kept her alive.

Crocodile assisted Robin in a private office.

He helped her gain a deeper grasp of the organization's personnel and working procedures.

Daz drank silently off to the side.

He was genuinely pleased with his own eye for talent.

This woman not only possessed knowledge unmatched across the seas, but also had outstanding management experience.

With that, he could free himself up completely and begin the preliminary preparations for Operation Utopia.

He already had the rough framework. Becoming this country's hero was only the first step.

Next, he would find a pretext to plunge Alabasta into internal strife.

He would paint the current king as an incompetent ruler, then have his subordinates impersonate the royal army and inflame public anger throughout the country.

That would give rise to armed resistance.

He would then secretly supply the Rebel Army with weapons and help them fight their way to the capital.

With the prestige of suppressing the Rebel Army, coupled with the old king's death in the rebellion,

he would completely replace the royal family and become Alabasta's new king.

Once he reached that stage, finding Pluton would be child's play.

It had to be said that Crocodile of the Shichibukai was indeed a calculating man.

Each part of his scheme linked to the next, turning every force in the kingdom into pawns for him to manipulate.

At the root of it all was his Sand-Sand Fruit power, a Logia ability that was virtually invincible in Paradise.

No one in Paradise knew Haki, so naturally no one could do him any real harm.

A pirate who faced no threats and possessed immense ambition and strength would easily bring despair to everyone in the country.

Lighting his cigar, Crocodile rose and walked toward the balcony.

As he watched the bustling street below, reminiscence appeared in his narrow eyes.

Just a few more years, and I'll destroy you, Whitebeard!

Immersed in his past, he suddenly saw a gently smiling face appear by the street in the sunlight.

The white coat gleamed beneath the sun, its glare making Crocodile frown slightly.

He knew that style well. The Navy!

He watched closely until the figure walked into the shade beside the building below.

The man looked up and met his gaze. The cigar abruptly fell from Crocodile's mouth, scattering sparks.

"Nice to meet you. So you're Crocodile of the Shichibukai?"