Chapter 88Ace realized everything.He had arrived before Zoro and the others, and had seen from afar everything Luffy had done to that woman in black.He had thought he'd misseen it earlier.Turns out, he hadn't.A proud, fatherly smile appeared on his face.Ace's gaze lingered on Nami and Vivi for a moment, then he pulled Luffy aside and whispered, "Which one do you like better?""...What are you talking about?""Still playing dumb with me? Forget it, you're at that age now, after all."Ace burst into laughter, slapping Luffy's shoulder hard, making Luffy wince in pain.That would have been fine.But then, Luffy watched as Ace walked over to Nami and Vivi, bowed very solemnly, and requested, "Please take care of Luffy from now on.""Huh?""Oh, sure, sure."An indescribable sense of absurdity washed over them.Luffy's expression as he looked at Ace became strange.What was that all about? He felt like he'd been sold off.Chapter 119: What the Devil Child SeeksAce boarded the ship as a guest. He was curious about Luffy's crewmates. With Blackbeardnowhere to be found for the moment, spending some time with Luffy sounded nice.Then he saw the Klabautermann, Merry, and said in surprise, "Your ship actually has a Klabautermann?"Luffy said, "Don't you have one?""Please, have some tea." Sanji brought over tea and snacks."Thanks." Ace picked up the tea and looked at Merry, who was sitting on Luffy's shoulder with its chin resting on his head. "I've heard Old Man mention them, but I've never seen one."The Moby Dick was hailed as the King of Ships. As the symbol of the Whitebeard Pirates, the ship was as famous as its captain, Whitebeard."So Merry is actually quite rare." Luffy laughed, "Then I really have to thank Uta. I met her when I was in the East Blue, and it's all thanks to her uta uta no mi.""Is that your childhood friend?" Ace asked. "She's a Devil Fruit User too, huh."The uta uta no mi—he'd never heard of it. It actually had the power to manifest a Klabautermann? Luffy really did have a lot of strange people around him. If people in the New World knew about someone like that, they'd go crazy.A Klabautermann was a massive boost for any pirate crew."Luffy has a childhood friend?" Vivi heard this for the first time."Yeah, she's a musician, and she sings beautifully." Nami recalled her first rival.But, rivals come and go, while Nami remains! She was always there!Vivi had originally been teaching Luffy music, as she really didn't know what else to teach him. She couldn't exactly dance a duet with Luffy right in front of them, could she?That would be a public execution of her dignity.Because Crocodile had been defeated, Vivi looked a bit more relaxed. Now, they just needed to stop the rebel army and expose Crocodile's plan to prevent this war.However... Vivi was still somewhat uneasy."It's already difficult to stop the war Crocodile has incited. I heard the numbers of the rebel army and the royal army have reached a million."Ace spoke up, "A battlefield with that many people needs a decisive event to settle it."Why were the kingdoms in this ocean so powerful?The advantage in numbers was one of the most important reasons.Wars that broke out in kingdoms could easily involve millions, while a pirate crew with over five thousand members could already be called a Great Fleet."Looks like we really need to find Crocodile. Sorry, Vivi, I let him get away back then." Luffy felt a bit embarrassed.It was all because that plan came at the wrong time!"It's not your fault." Vivi had seen Luffy's efforts; she had no right to blame him.The immediate priority was to rush to Alabasta's capital, Alubarna. When they first arrived in Alabasta, Vivi had Quick take her letter to the capital. As the best of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squadron, Quick was the fastest animal in Alabasta.It might have already arrived by now.While Luffy and the others were rushing to Alubarna, the war sweeping across all of Alabastahad already begun.Aside from the people led by Crocodile, Baroque Works had many agents embedded in the rebel army, inciting the war.Robin was fast. Having been in Alabasta for so many years, she knew how to get to Alubarna quickly. She had to get there before Luffy and the others.Regardless, everyone had their own goals. What she needed to know was about the poneglyphhidden in this country.Deep within the Alabasta royal palace, the atmosphere was clearly heavy. King Cobrafurrowed his brows, listening to the reports from the Captain of the Royal Guard, Pell the Falcon, and Chaka the Jackal, about the increasingly tragic situation on the front lines.Every casualty figure was like a dull blade, cutting into the heart of this benevolent ruler."We cannot let this continue."Cobra slowly stood up, a look of determination appearing on his weary face. "I will go to the battlefield myself. If my appearance and my life can make them stop, then it will be worth it.""Your Majesty, that's too dangerous!""Please leave this matter to us."Pell and Chaka exclaimed simultaneously.Just then, Nico Robin's voice echoed through the empty throne room:"Going now would only add one more royal corpse, King Cobra."The three were shocked and whipped their heads around, only to see Nico Robin stepping out gracefully from the shadows in the corner of the palace."Miss All Sunday?!" Igaram cried out. He had only been able to return to the palace early to report the news because of Robin's help. He couldn't help but ask, "Why are you here?"His mood at this moment was extremely complicated; he couldn't tell if the woman before him was friend or foe.Robin ignored Igaram's questioning, her gaze landing calmly on Cobra. "King Cobra, your daughter, Princess Vivi, and her companions have already defeated Crocodile. The high-ranking agents of Baroque Works have also basically been dealt with by the Straw Hat.""Vivi, she's okay?"A flash of joyful brilliance instantly erupted in Cobra's eyes, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly. However, his long experience in governance made him calm down immediately. He scrutinized Robin with a sharp gaze. "You came specifically to tell me this news; you must have another purpose.""It's always easy talking to smart people."Robin smiled slightly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "My purpose is very simple: take me to the place in this country where the [poneglyph] is recorded."Cobra's brows furrowed deeply. "What do you want to do with that thing?"The smile faded from Robin's face, and her tone became slightly cold and hard. "I don't want to hurt you, King Cobra. So, please don't ask boring questions; you just need to show me the way."Cobra was silent for a moment. His intuition as a king allowed him to keenly grasp the leverage in her words. "Since Vivi is on her way back to end this war, my greatest worry has already been dispelled. So, what makes you think I will be coerced by you into revealing the location of the poneglyph?""I know one thing. Before Crocodile left Rainbaseto intercept Princess Vivi, he planted a large amount of explosives in this palace and key areas of Alubarna. This is the madness of his Utopia plan, a plan decided long ago. This is my bargaining chip. Tell me the location of the poneglyph, and I will tell you where the bombs are buried."Cobra's pupils constricted, and he hesitated before asking, "May I know your name?""Nico Robin.""Nico Robin, it's actually you, the Devil Child of Ohara."As the ruler of a country, Cobra was quite aware of some of the famous pirates.Using the public as a threat? Not really; this was a trade Robin was offering.Chapter 120: Don't Be Ridiculous, CrocodileCobra was silent for a few seconds."Fine, I agree. Where are the bombs?"Robin reported several key locations without hesitation, so decisively that it even surprised Cobra."You trust me that much? Aren't you afraid I'll go back on my word?""As the King of the Nefertari family, the universally acknowledged benevolent ruler of Alabasta, and Vivi's father... I am willing to grant you that much credit."Robin tilted her head slightly. Inappropriately, Luffy's face flashed through her mind. She suppressed this inexplicable thought and said to herself:"Perhaps, I have changed a little."In the past, she would never have trusted anyone.Cobra looked at Robin deeply and immediately ordered Pell, "Pell, take men and dismantle the bombs immediately!"Pell acknowledged, not daring to delay, and instantly transformed into a white falcon, crashing through the window and flying away rapidly."Then, please follow me, Miss Robin."Cobra sighed and turned to lead Robin toward the royal forbidden area—the Royal Tomb.They passed through a deep, secluded corridor and entered the magnificent and solemn underground mausoleum.Cobra asked, "Do you understand that kind of script?""This is the reason Crocodile chose to cooperate with me." Robin said:"He wants to obtain that legendary ancient weapon... but I have no interest in that."Only then did Cobra realize that this was Crocodile's goal.He had previously received the letter Vivi had Quick bring, knowing that the mastermind behind the rebellion in this country was Crocodile. He hadn't expected that Crocodile's goal was actually this.Cobra pointed to a huge stone tablet deep in the mausoleum, covered with mysterious characters:"That is the poneglyph that our Nefertari family has protected for generations. Does it have what you want on it?"Cobra stared at Robin, waiting for her answer.If Robin's goal was a poneglyph that recorded the location of the ancient weapon, he would choose to perish together with Robin without hesitation.That kind of weapon should not end up in the hands of someone with ulterior motives.Robin's gaze was instantly drawn to the giant stone. She stepped forward quickly, her fingertips trembling as she stroked the cold ancient script, her eyes shimmering with the longing she had been chasing for twenty years.She read it word by word, but her expression gradually changed from initial excitement to solemnity, and finally into a silent disappointment."It's not..."Just then, Robin's face changed abruptly. She spun around, and upon seeing who had arrived, cold sweat instantly soaked her back.At the entrance, a blood-stained figure with a violent aura leaned on a golden hook, blocking the only exit.Why was Sir Crocodile, who should have been defeated by Luffy, here?"Cough, hahaha!"Crocodile let out a hoarse and triumphant laugh, the smoke of his cigar mixed with the scent of blood."Where is the Pluton mentioned in the poneglyph? Tell me now! Nico Robin!""This poneglyph only records the history of the Alabasta royal family; it doesn't mention a single word about the ancient weapon Pluton." Robinforced herself to calm down, her voice as steady as possible:"We found the wrong one.""Impossible!"Crocodile roared, his eyes bloodshot.He didn't want to believe there was no information about the ancient weapon on it, and he didn't want to believe it.He had planned here for so many years; could it really just be to learn the history of a royal family? What a joke!"I've searched for so many years, and you tell me this is just some broken family chronicle? I think you want to keep Pluton for yourself, don't you? That's right, you betrayed me long ago."
