Nico Robin's submission was nothing out of the ordinary.
The reason she chose to obey Crocodile and conspire with the tiger itself was simple—she wanted access to the Poneglyph hidden in Alabasta, to uncover the secrets of the Void Century recorded upon it.
However—
Crocodile sought only the location of the ancient weapon Pluton.
And a single Poneglyph's content was limited—it could either record the history Robin yearned for,or the weapon's resting place that Crocodile desired.
Until one laid eyes upon it, no one could know which truth it contained.
That was why Robin had submitted to Crocodile, pretending that she only did so to stay alive.
In reality,if the Poneglyph of Alabasta didn't record the Void Century but the location of Pluton, Robin would never tell Crocodile the truth. She would rather die by his hand.
Because she was exhausted—endlessly hunted, yet never closer to the answers she sought about that lost century.
That was Robin's state of mind.
And that same imbalance of one-way information created the perfect opportunity.
As for why Ren dared to seize control of Baroque Works without fear of being exposed—the reason was simple.
Everyone knew that despite their grand slogans, Baroque Works was a criminal organization. Everyone also knew that Crocodile was the hero of Alabasta—the so-called "Desert King," revered for his shining deeds, a model of redemption.
And everyone knew that Ren had crushed several senior agents—without killing them.
And finally, everyone knew that the only person aware of Baroque Works' true boss was Robin.
So when Ren recognized the perfect timing and struck boldly—his plan succeeded.
All the prerequisites were in place.
Robin silently raised her dark-skinned hand and placed it in her enemy's—no, in her Boss's palm.
She had no other choice now. Crocodile's arrogance had doomed them all.
Only submission offered a future.
"Very good."
Ren clasped her hand briefly, releasing it with a casual tone as he issued his orders—the "Origin Plan," the "Utopia Project," and other such schemes.
Of course, he knew perfectly well that Robin would betray him the first chance she got. Her obedience was only because she couldn't resist—and because of the explosive collar around her neck.
At the slightest sign of rebellion, Ren could end her life instantly.
There was only one exception—if Crocodile contacted her directly. That would be her one chance at escape.
Ren was well aware of that, so he planned to keep her bound tightly to his warship during the coming gap in communication.
He knew that the Alabasta Poneglyph in the original timeline didn't contain what Robin had sought about the Void Century—and that was what drove her to despair and to seek death by Crocodile's hand.
Ren intended to exploit exactly that—to let her hope, then crush it, and finally, give her new purpose.
Next came the "Safety Assurance Package," and perhaps a taste of the "Beautiful Life of the Revolutionary Army." By the time he finished stringing her along, she'd not only betray Crocodile—she'd probably crawl into his bed willingly.
Of course,Ren would never actually do that—he was a gentleman!
Now, if it were Nami, that might be another story.
"Anyway," Ren concluded, his crimson eyes locking on Robin. "That's what you'll be cooperating on next."
Robin's calm face shifted into a subtle, complex expression.
She wanted to resist, yet had to submit—a silent fury burning beneath. Despite that, her voice was as cold as ice. "Would this expression suffice?"
"Yes. Excellent. It perfectly fits the Boss's… preferences. That's also the only reason you're still alive."
Ren leaned back comfortably in his chair.
A half-transparent specter drifted through the window and circled above his head. Outside, the storm clouds receded, sunlight breaking through to pour into the meeting room.
Golden rays draped across him like a cloak of victory—dazzling, commanding, and terrifying.
Robin's expression flickered. She bowed her head instinctively.
"Now, here are my commands, Miss All Sunday. This is your only chance to prove yourself."
Resting his chin on his hand, Ren's tone turned cold.
"Investigate the Revolutionary Army's contact routes.
Within two days, transfer all Baroque Works funds below the red line.
Dismiss the current Mr. 4 duo—the Flame Queen and the Weather Messenger will take their place as the new Mr. 4 team.
The former Mr. 4 pair will be demoted to command executors.
As for the Mr. 5 team—Gem is dead. Dissolve it. Have Mikita and Bonney—codename 'Rice Bucket'—form the new Mr. 5 pair.
Replace Daz Bonez with the green-haired swordsman who killed him—Zoro—as the new Mr. 1, codename Asura.
Finally, tell those idiots to clean themselves up and report to me!"
"Yes, Boss!"
Robin bowed respectfully and left to carry out Ren's orders.
The transparent Shikigami behind her gathered a few remaining Ender Pearls and followed in silence.
When she stepped out of the small building and into the sunlight, Robin looked dazed. An hour—or two, maybe? And her world had turned upside down.
For a moment, it all felt like a dream.
But the cold touch of the explosive collar around her neck was a merciless reminder of reality.
"What are you standing there for?"
A cold voice came from beside the doorway. Robin turned reflexively.
Leaning against the wall was a green-haired swordsman, carefully polishing his blades as he spoke.
At his feet lay dozens of corpses—Baroque Works members who had dared to storm the building. All of them dead, each with a different expression frozen in death.
"...Oh my, congratulations."
Robin's eyes narrowed before she offered a faint smile. "The Boss has decided—you'll be the new Mr. 1, codename Asura. The others will be reassigned. I have messages to deliver—urgent ones. The Boss has other matters for me as well."
"I'm not stopping you."
Zoro tossed away the cloth, sheathed his swords, and turned back into the building.
Robin exhaled softly and hurried away.
Down the street, in the bright sunlight, she spotted Daz Bonez's corpse. Her steps faltered.
A dozen blooming hands emerged from the ground, gently burying the body before she walked on without looking back.
Many senior agents of Baroque Works were still alive.
The first she encountered were Mr. 3—Galdino—and his partner, Marianne.
They were dragging two unconscious figures behind them: Zala, the burnt and blackened former partner of Mr. 1, and Bon Clay (Mr. 2), the Okama, also scorched nearly beyond recognition.
They looked as though they had been struck by lightning.
"Miss All Sunday?!" Galdino froze, staring at Robin, then noticed the strange collar on her neck.
An explosive slave collar—infamous in the underworld for being nearly impossible to remove, used to control high-value captives.
"As you can see," Robin smiled faintly, "this is the punishment for betrayal."
"So… that man really is the Boss?" Marianne demanded angrily. "You used us as bait? Do you know how hard it was to survive out there?!"
She had nearly died! Galdino too had barely escaped death.
"Hehe… so the prettier a woman, the less you should trust her, right? "Robin traced her fingers along her cheek, smiling coldly—sending a chill down their spines. Not because of her words, but because they suddenly remembered how dangerous Miss All Sunday truly was.
"What do you—or rather, what does the Boss—want?"
Galdino changed the subject, voice low and wary.
"Let's talk," Robin said. "Relax—I won't deceive you again. My credibility only stretches once." She pointed to the Shikigami circling above. "That's the Boss's messenger—and his eyes."
"Fine."
Robin's power was undeniable, and as the only one who knew the Boss's identity,her authority within Baroque Works was absolute.
The chaos on Darwin Island soon subsided. The Billion agents were nearly annihilated, and the few survivors were executed by Robin for safety.
Next came the senior agents.
After learning that Mr. 1 was dead, Zala—once she awoke—showed curiosity about the swordsman who had slain Daz Bonez, and requested to partner with Asura.
She was cold by nature—though she regretted her partner's death, she felt no thirst for revenge. After all, she'd spent most of her time undercover.
Bon Clay, furious at Robin's manipulation, tried to attack her the moment he recovered—but a few moves later, he was subdued by the Flower-Flower Fruit.
When Robin invoked the Boss's name, Bon Clay was forced to shelve his anger—for now.
The Mr. 4 duo, Babe and Dorothy, were half-dead and in no position to protest. They didn't even dare show hostility toward Robin; clearly, they'd learned that lesson already.
Mikita, however, glared daggers at Robin. Her partner Gem had been struck down by one of the Boss's thunder spears, impaled through the wall,his body charred black by lightning. If not for Mikita's Kilo-Kilo Fruit letting her manipulate her weight and dodge at the last moment by riding the heated air currents—she'd have shared his fate.
If not for the Flame Queen and the Weather Messenger intervening and stopping the thunder spear, she might have died there too.
Mr. 3—Galdino—had said at the time, "Now everything makes sense."
And indeed, the pieces fit. Whatever had seemed illogical before was now justified in their minds—thanks to Robin's story and their own assumptions.
Thus, the core of Baroque Works had fallen completely into Ren's hands.
As the new leader of this vast organization, Ren's first move—
Was to make a phone call.
(End of Chapter)