ALABASTA - UNDERGROUND LOCATION
Crocodile crushed the newspaper with his right hand.
The faint crackle of paper echoed through the dim office, sharp enough to draw the attention of the man standing nearby. Mr. 1 remained silent, his arms crossed and eyes fixed on his boss expression.
"Robin…" Crocodile muttered, his voice dry as sand. A thin smile tugged at his lips, but there was no amusement in it. Only a face of someone who had been betrayed and disbelief that the woman dared to escape from him.
Few years ago he found Robin and had offered to protect her and hide her from Marines, since then Robin had never betrayed or ran away from him but today he just read the news about her betrayal.
He read again the headline on the newspaper.
Former Baroque Works Officer Nico Robin Confirmed as Member of the Straw Hat Pirates.
"She said she was searching for a potential spy," Crocodile continued, remembering what Robin reported to him before he went to search for miss wednesday, his golden hook tapping once against the desk. "Left without hesitation after finding someone strong and she didn't even give farewell and explanation." His eyes narrowed. "And all this time, she was walking straight into their crew."
Mr. 1 finally spoke. "Should we kill her sir?"
Crocodile let out a low chuckle, although he had failed to kill whitebeard in the past and didn't afraid of that man but seeing how cruel strawhat pirates towards their enemy make him trembled a bit "No, we need to get out from this island."
The report stated, just after they kidnap Akainu something unbelievable happen. First they tortured the captured Marines and even Cipher Pol and second the narrator believed they found a way to extract devil fruit power.
He unfolded the paper again, forcing himself to read past the first report. Each line that followed made his mood sink deeper.
The Straw Hat Pirates had not only taken Robin in, they had escalated beyond all reason. A Marine base destroyed, cipher Pol humiliated and then....
Crocodile breath paused.
"…Akainu," he read aloud.
The article described chaos at sea. A sudden ambush from Marine, a battle so violent that nearby ships were reduced to drifting wreckage.
Fleet Admiral Akainu, missing. Official status: kidnapped and on another paper it also stated how
Crocodile stared at the word for several seconds.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue. "They've gone mad."
But the final report was what truly unsettled him.
A witness account. An anonymous reporter claiming to have seen Sabo from Revolutionary Army who held the second-in-command position sailing alongside Monkey D. Luffy. Nothing unusual about that.
Until the next line.
Moments after the clash, Sabo's body turned molten. Magma flowed where blood should have been.
Crocodile slowly leaned back in his chair.
"Magma logia…" he murmured.
Mr. 1 frowned. "That power belonged to—"
"Akainu," Crocodile finished calmly.
Silence filled the room.
For the first time in years, Crocodile felt something close to unease. Not fear... no, he had buried that long ago but a wariness.
They are not simply fighting a mindless Pirates but the one who had resources, capability, intelligence and strength.
Robin had chosen her side and the Straw Hats… they were no longer reckless rookies playing pirate.
"They didn't just steal a woman from me," Crocodile said quietly, folding the paper with care. "They stole a key to become a pirate king and with her I could gather ancient weapon."
His smile returned and his lips become thin, he smirked dangerously.
"And that," he added, standing up, "means the world is about to burn with their ruthlessness."
Crocodile instinct told him to leave Alabasta, without Robin there is no way he could find the ancient weapon and he believed one of the person from bounty hunter list are Princess Vivi. If he stayed here, he might be hunted down by them.
---
DRESSROSA CASTLE
Doflamingo read the newspaper again and again, everytime he read it his vein on his forehead throbbing wildly and even his grin widened.
"Fufufufufufufufufu" the only sound escaped from Doflamingo.
"Doffy, you looked angry at the same times you look very happy," commented Trebol with a snot on his nose.
"Someone strong enough had beaten Holy Knight," commented Doflamingo.
"Wasn't that the best news?" asked Trebol. Fully knowing how Doflamingo hated Celestial Dragon. "But why are you angry?"
"I was angry remembering the past," said Doflamingo on how Figarland family had banished him from Marijoies.
"At the same times you also happy?" asked Trebol.
"Do you want to know about D family?" asked Doflamingo wanted to share another secret of celestial dragon.
Trebol gulped before nodded.
"We are being taught that the D family is our natural enemy, since generation after generation the one who fought with us always have moniker D," said Doflamingo. "Now someone from D family who are strong enough to beat those arrogant fools finally born and Im very excited to see their dawnfall."
....
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