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The next day, the people of the royal capital gathered at the site of the previous night's 'thunder.'
Gazing out at the landscape—miles of desertified earth, pitted and scarred from the chaotic battle—they were utterly stunned.
It was terrifying.
Was this the work of a human?
A jolt of searing pain ripped Crocodile from unconsciousness. He forced his eyes open, the agony almost unbearable. He trembled involuntarily.
Gritting his teeth, he managed to sit up, only to find himself wrapped in bandages.
'I'm not dead?' Crocodile thought, shocked.
"Not yet," a voice said. "But you're not far off."
Crocodile turned his head and saw Jin sitting in a chair. He set down a newspaper. "Care to talk?"
"We have nothing to talk about," Crocodile sneered. "If you're going to kill me, do it now. Otherwise..."
"No need to be so dramatic," Jin said with a smile. "Don't you want to hear my terms?"
Crocodile fell silent.
"Pluton," Jin said.
"That traitor, Nico Robin, told you," Crocodile spat.
Jin didn't answer, simply stating, "I know where it is."
"What?"
Crocodile's eyes widened, the wound on his face twitching, unable to hide the shock that rocked him to his core. He let out a gasp—whether from pain or surprise, it was hard to tell.
"You know? How is that possible?!"
"The Ancient Weapons... why shouldn't I know?" Jin said. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
'Who? Could he have some other identity?'
It made sense... How could a nameless king's illegitimate son be so strong? And to possess Conqueror's Haki... that was the disposition of a king.
Crocodile was certain that the final punch he had taken had been imbued with it.
On these seas, if you didn't have the right bloodline or connections, you were nothing. The New World was just a playground for the children of legends.
His mind raced.
Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Where is Pluton?"
Jin said breezily, "I'm not telling you."
"Are you messing with me?" Crocodile snarled.
Jin shrugged. "That's right. I'm messing with you. Fun, isn't it?"
DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!
He wanted to curse. If he wasn't completely immobile, he would have fought to the death. He was so angry he started coughing, his whole body trembling.
"Alright," Jin said. "Pluton is in Wano Country, buried deep in Kaido's territory—one of the Four Emperors. You think you're brave enough to go digging for it? Wano isn't some pushover like Alabasta. Sure, you might be able to sneak in, but you'll never make it out alive. They won't even find your body."
Crocodile's body went rigid, the pain forgotten.
"Is that true?" he asked, his voice filled with a desperate excitement.
Twenty years. He had been searching for twenty years.
How many twenty years does a man have?
"Are you really going to go dig up Pluton in Kaido's backyard?" Jin said with a chuckle. "Are you trying to do him a favor? Kaido doesn't know Pluton is in Wano. If he did, do you think the New World would still be in its current state? It would have been turned upside down long ago."
Crocodile calmed down, his intellect returning. "Why are you telling me this? What's your objective?"
"I want everything you have now," Jin said. "And then, someday in the future, I will help you take Pluton. I'm not interested in being the Pirate King. But... I don't mind helping you become one. So, what do you say? Care to join forces?"
Crocodile was lost in thought. Everything he had built, he had built in his search for Pluton. Now that Jin had just given him the answer, was any of it still important?
No.
The next step was to figure out how to get to Wano, how to dig up Pluton from under the nose of a Yonko, and how to get it out.
Kaido, the World's Strongest Creature, a man on par with Whitebeard and Big Mom.
Red-Hair? A rookie Yonko. Crocodile didn't even acknowledge him.
To take on Kaido with his current strength... it was impossible.
But Jin... a user of all three types of Haki, a young man who had defeated two Warlords, with a mysterious background...
"You swear it," Crocodile said, his last shred of defiance.
Jin raised his hand. "I swear. I will help you take Pluton and claim the title of Pirate King."
Crocodile let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey," he rasped, "you got a decent doctor? I'm dying of pain here."
"I do," Jin said with a smile. He raised his hand, drew a circle in the air, and a three-meter-wide hole appeared above Crocodile.
"A Devil Fruit?" Crocodile said, surprised.
Jin walked over, hauled him up, and tossed him into the hole.
The demonic carrier had a professional surgical team. They would give Crocodile the five-star treatment.
Pell landed outside, folded his wings, and knocked on the door. He walked in and froze. Crocodile... was gone.
"Croc said he had something to do and left," Jin explained. "What is it, Vice-Commander Pell?"
Pell knew better than to ask questions. He bowed low. "King Jin, the king requests your presence."
"Alright."
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That night, in the royal palace, Cobra once again hosted a banquet for Jin.
This time, Chief of Staff Igaram and the two Vice-Commanders, Pell the Falcon and Chaka the Jackal, all stood guard behind him.
After last night, in their eyes, Jin was dangerous. Extremely dangerous.
Though Cobra thought they were being overly cautious, their duty was to protect the king. Jin could understand that. Loyalty was a quality to be respected.
"So, King Cobra," Jin asked, "—have you considered my offer?"
Cobra set down his utensils. "I have. I accept. We need a large quantity of Ice Mushrooms to alleviate the drought, at least to solve the drinking water problem in some areas. But... the kingdom has no money. So, as you suggested, we will have to trade in kind. What do you want? Perfume from Nanohana? Fish from the Sandora River? We will do our best to accommodate you."
Jin smiled.
"Mines," he said. "Preferably, iron-rich mines. And if you have any gold or silver, I'll take that as well."
King Cobra produced a map. "This is a map of all the currently known mineral deposits in Alabasta. The main mining area used to be in the northeast, in the mountains and hills around the old mining town of Yuba. But that area has been completely desertified. It's a no-man's land now, unsuitable for mining. And if we were to try, the cost would be astronomical. There are a few scattered mining areas near Katorea, Rainbase, and the royal capital. You can take a look."
Jin glanced at the map. "Could I go take a look myself? And at the same time, experience the beauty of Alabasta."
The upgrade materials, besides steel, also included a large quantity of rare earth metals. And he would need Ai to detect those.
"Well..." Cobra hesitated. "I must remain in the capital."
"If you're worried," Jin said, "you can have Princess Vivi accompany me."
"No, I'm not worried!" Cobra quickly explained. "Please, don't misunderstand. I'm just concerned that something might happen to you."
"Father," Vivi said, "I want to help." She was a practical girl who hated feeling useless.
Cobra looked at her. "Alright then."
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