Alubarna was in an uproar. Even with the windows tightly shut within the sprawling palace, the commotion reached inside the castle walls.
Cobra, bound to the throne, his arms restrained, bled from his head. His eyes closed, a grim expression on his face, he gritted his teeth, enduring something unspoken. To his left, Chaka and Pell knelt, gagged and their limbs tied, stripped of their weapons and freedom, unable to protect the king before them. They cursed and hated themselves for their miserable state, guards who couldn't guard.
But even more hateful was the man standing before them. A pirate who had stolen the name of a national hero, secretly preparing to seize the country. Sir Crocodile, the desert hero, now stood before them, his true nature revealed.
"It's taken a long time to reach this moment. I meticulously prepared, waited for the opportune moment, and now I can finally obtain it… the ideal nation I desire."
"A country is not so simple. Even if your scheme succeeds, the people will surely realize their mistake. Would they ever accept you as king?"
"Kuhahaha. Still the idealist, I see. If that were the truth, then why have things reached this point? To me, it sounds more like you're saying it's easy to move a country." Crocodile smiled, a look of余裕 (yoyuu - confidence/composure) on his face, almost appearing to be in high spirits.
"You and I have seen different things. It's only natural for national policy to change. More than anything, after witnessing your failures, the citizens will surely be satisfied with the country that comes next."
"I don't believe you're thinking of such things now. What you seek is not governance, but domination."
"Oh, you're quite perceptive, aren't you? So you do have an eye for people."
"Even if you do that, it can never become an ideal nation. Cracks will inevitably appear somewhere. And when they do, no matter how much time passes, it will surely collapse."
"So what? Are you going to tell me to stop seizing the country, or to cherish the citizens?"
Crocodile's attitude remained unchanged, and Cobra met his gaze with an equally resolute expression.
"A wise king Cobra wouldn't believe such words could change the situation… Aren't you saying the wrong thing? Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood for idle chatter."
"What do you want?"
"Good. Don't worry, it's nothing too grand."
Crocodile took a step closer to Cobra. Just watching him sent shivers down their spines. His presence was extraordinary; at least Chaka and Pell perceived him as an unbeatable foe, robbing their minds of any thought of resistance. To reduce battle-hardened veterans of such strong will to this state was proof that he was no ordinary man.
Amidst this, only Cobra met his gaze with strong eyes, prepared to hear his words. He knew that if he died, the country would fall into chaos. Therefore, he had to face this with resolve.
To survive himself, and to protect his people. Easier said than done. It was practically impossible to achieve. At least in this situation, where he could do nothing with his own power, he refused to give up, even knowing his limitations. In a situation where only a miracle could save them, Cobra still maintained his will to fight.
Just then, the room's door quietly opened. Crocodile casually turned, and in that instant, his expression changed.
Entering were Miss All Sunday, and a man she was guiding. A thin coat and a ten-gallon hat, with a matching bandana underneath. He was dressed in shabby clothes, even sporting a beard. He wasn't particularly young; perhaps middle-aged. Though slender, he was clearly well-trained, quite muscular, and possessed strength beyond that of an ordinary person.
He carried a man over his shoulder. Kiri, soaked with water, was being carried with his eyes closed. Miss All Sunday, having finished her guidance, quietly but unhesitatingly moved away from his side. After that, the man, the bounty hunter Nick, threw Kiri's body to the ground.
"Your delivery has just arrived—"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a swift attack shot through the air, aiming to cleave his neck. He ducked, narrowly dodging it. If he hadn't leaned back, his head would surely have been severed. It had been an attack of such deadly intent.
Nick calmly righted himself, picked up his dropped hat, and put it on. He had somewhat expected it, but not to this extent. What he saw now was Crocodile's face contorted with rage.
"Whoa, whoa, careful now. I'm hired by you, aren't I? In other words, I'm an ally."
"This isn't what we agreed upon…! I told you to bring him back unharmed!"
"Now, now, don't say that. Just so you know, if I hadn't done this, I'd be the one dead. This was the only way to bring him in. You said he was strong, after all."
"I don't want to hear your excuses…!"
Crocodile's right arm seemed to turn to sand, extending like a blade, apparently to sever his neck. Had Nick not anticipated it, he wouldn't have been able to dodge. The sight of him, seemingly losing his composure in anger, was more intense than imagined, yet Nick understood why Crocodile would hire an outside bounty hunter. He clearly had a strong obsession.
Nick had only been ordered to "capture the Paper User." He didn't know their relationship. Still, seeing Crocodile's current expression, he could somehow guess.
Quietly moving away from Kiri, who lay on the ground, Nick grinned defiantly. It felt like the first time he'd seen a weakness in the man he thought unbeatable. At the same time, though he understood he would incur intense wrath, he wore a strangely satisfied expression.
"Just calm down for a bit. My job's done. So, what do you want me to do next?"
"Don't go making assumptions. Do you want to die?"
"Scary, scary. Don't be so angry. I didn't know he was so important. I just thought you didn't have a heart."
Sand began to swirl not only from his right arm but from various joints in his body. Any more of this would be bad. If he played it wrong, he really would be killed. He probably wouldn't last a second. Nick raised both hands, signaling surrender with a smile still on his face.
"Okay, I get it. I apologize. Sorry for my clumsy actions."
Even without losing his smile, a cold sweat unknowingly trickled down his skin. Such was the threat, such was the presence, and such was the bloodlust. There was no longer any place of peace in this vast room. If Crocodile decided to act, it would take mere seconds to massacre everyone present. This was what true terror meant. Nick, meeting a truly formidable opponent for the first time in a long while, or rather, for the very first time, felt a surge of good humor.
Would he truly kill him?
Just as such tension filled the air, Miss All Sunday, who had been in the room the whole time, interjected.
"Wouldn't it be a waste to kill him now? I think he still has value."
Crocodile's eyes turned to her, but his killing intent did not dissipate.
"We're in a war. You can eliminate him later, but I don't think we have the luxury of being so leisurely."
"You dare advise me… You've become quite bold, Miss All Sunday."
"I apologize if I offended you. But he's barely clinging to life, isn't he?"
Miss All Sunday's gaze flickered to Kiri, and a heavy silence fell. After a moment, the sand swirling in the air vanished. Everything gathered back into Crocodile's body, and the atmosphere in the room finally returned to normal. Turning his back unexpectedly, he spoke to Miss All Sunday.
"Treat him immediately."
"Are you sure? He's an enemy right now."
"Miss All Sunday. Do you want to die?"
It was likely his way of saying, Don't speak unnecessarily. Apparently still agitated, he unleashed a surge of killing intent at her without a glance, and Miss All Sunday merely shrugged, not breaking a sweat. A gentle smile on her face, she gracefully walked over to the fallen Kiri.
"Welcome back, Kiri. To think our reunion would be like this."
"Ugh… Miss All Sunday…"
As she led him to another room, a faint voice was heard. Crocodile didn't move until the door closed, and only then did he speak.
"Eliminate the Straw Hat Pirates. Depending on your performance, I might let you live."
"How kind. Well then, I suppose I'll do my best for my beloved boss."
Saying this, Nick headed outside, but in his heart, he had no intention of following the order. Crocodile, Baroque Works, the rebellion, the seizure of the country—nothing truly captivated him. All he sought was the thrill of how much his heart would race. He didn't care what happened to the country. Only whether the process was interesting or not. Wondering if there would be anything amusing out on the battlefield, Nick left.
Meanwhile, among his own targets was the name Crocodile.
Left alone, Crocodile let out a deep breath. His expression was utterly sinister. Strangely, his emotions were churning, and he couldn't regain his composure. Nevertheless, within a few seconds, he managed to control himself, regain his calm, and turn back to Cobra.
There had been an unexpected turn of events. Yet, it was also part of the plan. This was the main event. Without hiding his imposing presence, he stood before the throne.
"My apologies, but plans have changed. There's no time for lengthy discussions. Answer my questions."
"Will you swear not to harm the citizens?"
"I'll say this much: it depends on your attitude."
He couldn't be trusted. But at this moment, Cobra was given no choice but to nod. Cobra lowered his gaze, waiting for Crocodile's words.
"Where is 'Pluton'?"
At that single word, Cobra's eyes snapped open.
"Why do you know that…!?"
"So you do know, it seems."
"Don't be foolish. Do you know what that is?"
"Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn't go to such lengths."
There was no smile, no emotion, only facts. The way he calmly proceeded was utterly terrifying.
"Pluton. They say one shot can obliterate an entire island without a trace… The world's most destructive ancient weapon, bearing the name of a god. It should be sleeping somewhere in this country."
"What do you intend to do with such a thing?! Surely, not this country—"
"I'm the one asking questions."
Crocodile said coldly, and began to walk. To the left of the throne, he stood before the restrained Chaka, and without a word, grabbed his neck. At that, Cobra's face contorted in alarm, and he leaned forward.
"Stop it!"
"Answer my questions concisely. You understand the rest, don't you?"
Crocodile's right hand was gripping Chaka's neck. Then, inexplicably, a change began to occur in Chaka's body, slowly wasting away. The speed was not particularly fast, but it was an unnatural phenomenon. Chaka struggled, trying to resist, but couldn't escape. The sight of a human body gradually shriveling in front of him panicked Cobra.
"Taking over this country itself isn't difficult. All you can do now is reduce the number of casualties. Or perhaps I should line up the heads of all your citizens?"
"Understood, I'll talk! Everything I know!"
"Speak."
Chaka let out a muffled scream. The process hadn't stopped yet. Cobra, desperate to save his subordinate, cried out.
"There's a 'Poneglyph of History'! It's in the Royal Mausoleum!"
"Good. Lead the way."
Crocodile's hand instantly released Chaka. The wasting stopped. However, in that short time, his physique had already drastically changed, and he lay on the ground with a pained expression, severely weakened despite not being physically wounded. He looked as if he had almost been mummified. Pell, watching nearby, anxiously peered at his face, and Cobra bit his lip until it bled.
There was nothing they could do here. Absolutely nothing. Currently, the space was dominated by only one absolute强者 (kyousha - strong person), Crocodile. Defeated, all they could do was stubbornly refuse to give up on living.
"Unluckies. Guard this place."
He addressed the two figures in the corner of the room. Neither was human: one was Mr. 13, an otter wearing sunglasses, and next to him was Miss Friday, a vulture also wearing sunglasses. They were known as "Friday the 13th Unluckies." They were a special number, sometimes acting as messengers, other times eliminating agents who had failed.
Leaving them to guard the room, Crocodile exited. His expression still didn't flicker, and without looking back, he headed to another room.
He seemed to know exactly where he was going. Opening the door, the air shifted the moment he stepped inside. Kiri, seated in a chair, was in the middle of being bandaged by Miss All Sunday.
From blood loss, or fatigue, Kiri, with sleepy eyes, caught sight of Crocodile from the corner of his vision.
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