An ancient secret?
Lorne's fingers, propping up his chin, rhythmically and gently tapped his cheek.
The grim chill emanating from the ice sculpture throne swirled around him, forming a visible circle of faint white mist that made his entire presence seem increasingly unfathomable.
He looked down at Crocodile, who was held in a wretched state by ice spikes; those deep eyes of his didn't show even the slightest ripple of emotion.
"Oh! A secret sufficient to challenge the World Government!"
Lorne repeated the phrase, as if savoring its absurdity.
Crocodile gasped for air, his voice becoming hoarse and urgent.
"That's right! An ancient weapon! Possessing immense power! Power enough to shake the entire world order!"
The flames of ambition reignited in Crocodile's eyes as he tried to tempt the man before him with a vision of ruling the seas together.
"Once we have it, neither Marine Headquarters nor the World Government will be a threat anymore! Join forces with me, and we can rule this ocean!"
However, the response to his grand speech was a sneer full of ridicule.
"Oh? What you're trying to talk about... wouldn't happen to be the information recorded on the Alabasta Kingdom's poneglyph regarding the ancient weapon Pluton, would it?"
Lorne's casual remark caused all of Crocodile's impassioned words to get stuck firmly in his throat.
His sinister eyes suddenly bulged as he stared fixedly at the lazy man on the throne, a look of horror surfacing on his face that far outweighed his physical trauma.
How is this possible?
How can this be!
This was top-secret intelligence he had spent years of effort and infiltration to obtain; it was the ultimate trump card he had prepared for his comeback after his crushing defeat in the New World!
Why... why would this man know?
And looking at his nonchalant attitude, it was as if he were discussing a common piece of news found anywhere on the street!
At this moment, Crocodile felt that the schemes he took pride in and the ambition he had hidden for years were stripped bare before this man, ridiculously naked.
Lorne looked at Crocodile's horrified expression with a heart completely unmoved.
Subverting Alabasta, searching for the ancient weapon Pluton.
Lorne didn't even bother to expose the plan the other was preparing, such as using Dance Powder to create a drought in Alabasta and inciting a rebellion to steal the kingdom's throne.
The Sand Crocodile is actually quite adorably naive!
Lorne laughed inwardly.
This guy probably thinks that just by finding the poneglyph, he can get Pluton and then run rampant to challenge the world!
In the eyes of truly top-tier powerhouses, the so-called Pluton that can destroy an island with one shot is far less reliable than the strength one masters personally.
Moreover, Lorne knew very well that the blueprints for Pluton were currently in Water 7, kept by Tom's second apprentice, the future Straw Hat crew shipwright, Franky.
The actual hull of the battleship Pluton was buried deep underground in Wano Country in the New World, which had already been occupied by Kaido of the Beasts.
Even if Crocodile learned Pluton's location through Alabasta's poneglyph, with his strength, would he have the ability to dig things up in Kaido's territory?
It was simply a pipe dream!
Lorne slowly stood up, and the ice sculpture throne behind him turned into a shower of ice shards, dissipating into the air.
He slowly approached Crocodile once more. The sound of his approaching footsteps made Crocodile's heart involuntarily tighten!
One step.
Two steps.
Until Lorne's toes were less than a step away from Crocodile.
"Ground Death!"
The corners of Crocodile's mouth suddenly split into a hideously savage grin. With a low shout, while still suspended in mid-air by the ice spikes, countless fine cracks appeared across his entire sand-transformed body.
In the next instant, his body exploded!
Countless grains of sand, entwined with pitch-black Armament Haki, turned into a destructive storm, shooting toward the close-range Lorne like billions of bullets fired from a gun!
This was his final trump card—a suicidal attack where he completely detonated himself, concentrating all his power into a single point!
This sudden turn of events was indeed somewhat beyond Lorne's expectations.
In his haste, he raised his arm, and a thick ice wall along with Armament Haki instantly condensed in front of him.
Boom~!
The dense sandstorm slammed into the ice wall, letting out a deafening explosion.
The terrifying impact instantly shattered the ice wall, and with unabated momentum, it struck Lorne, pushing him back more than ten meters and plowing two deep furrows into the ground.
The violent dust slowly cleared, and Lorne's figure gradually became clear within it.
He appeared almost unharmed, with only a few tears in his clothing.
Pfft.
Lorne spat out a mouthful of blood-streaked saliva and flexed his arm, which felt a bit numb from the shock.
"I didn't expect you to have such a trick left up your sleeve."
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