"W-we're trapped in the canyon! If we lose this money, the World Government will issue sanctions tomorrow, and Alabasta will be completely finished!"
The call ended.
Despair once again shrouded the ruins.
First came Crocodile's plot to seize the kingdom, then the theft of the Heavenly Tribute. It was a dead end.
"It's over... everything is over..." Igaram sank to the ground, his eyes vacant.
Yet Lin Xuan, who had remained silent nearby, suddenly laughed.
There was no warmth in that smile. Instead, it held a madness and cunning that sent a chill down even Carina's spine.
"Interesting."
Lin Xuan stood and brushed the sand off his backside, a calculating gleam flashing in his black eyes.
"If we can't touch him without evidence, we'll just give him a generous gift he can't refuse."
He walked up to the two dispirited figures and looked down at them, his tone as casual as if he were discussing dinner. "Hey, since you can't protect that Heavenly Tribute, why not give it to Crocodile?"
"W-what?"
Vivi and Igaram looked up together, staring at Lin Xuan as though he were insane.
Give a fortune large enough to buy half the country to the devil trying to steal their kingdom?
"You're mad... you must be mad!" Igaram muttered.
Carina smiled, patted Vivi on the shoulder, and said,
"Our captain is doing this to find a legitimate reason to cut someone down."
"Think about it. If the Heavenly Tribute ends up in the Shichibukai Crocodile's hands, and we catch him red-handed..."
"Then he won't be able to deny it. We might even be able to uproot the cancer poisoning your Alabasta Kingdom."
Vivi froze. She had never imagined that an Admiral would go to such lengths and devise a plan like this just to cut down a