"Ptooey!"
Crocodile spit a mouthful of hot ginger tea outside the sled.
Dalton, who was driving the sled, quickly turned his head and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Mr. Crocodile?"
"No, it's nothing, just too hot."
Crocodile wiped the corner of his mouth, turned his head to look at Rowan, his eyes full of surprise.
CP0 or CP9?
Hey, does this guy know what he's talking about!
CP stands for: Cipher Pol, the World Government's spy agency.
Among them, CP1 to CP8 are well known, but the existence of CP9 is one of the World Government's top secrets.
They are a group of special agents who only know how to complete World Government missions, using any means necessary, and many of them are strong fighters.
Even Crocodile only had a slight understanding of them when he was messing around in the underworld. There is no information about CP9 in ordinary intelligence channels.
So, how did Rowan, who just came out of the tomb, know about them?
No, that question is not important.
Crocodile frowned slightly, repeating Rowan's words in his mind.
"Maybe it's CP0, or CP9?"
This sentence contains a lot of information.
CP0, located above CP1 to CP9, is also known as the "Strongest Shield of the Celestial Dragons"!
Compared to the secret CP9, CP0 is much more famous on this sea.
After thinking about it, Crocodile asked directly: "How do you know?"
"Conqueror's Haki."
"Not Observation Haki?"
"No, I'm more used to using Conqueror's Haki." Rowan replied with a smile, "Although it can't be as detailed as Observation Haki, it can still detect the existence of others."
Crocodile looked a little puzzled, but after all, there are very few Conqueror's Haki users on this sea, so the information is severely lacking.
"Conqueror's Haki can be used like that?"
"Everyone's Conqueror's Haki has different characteristics, at least I can."
Rowan slowly explained, "Everything within my territory can be sensed by me."
Crocodile asked another question, "How do you know it's the CP organization?"
"Aura, posture, speed, movements, not the Marines' elite troops, but proficient in the Six Powers, then there's a very high chance that it's CP0 or CP9."
Rowan replied,
Then, he turned his head to look at the slightly surprised Crocodile, and smiled: "I told you, I know everything in my territory."
"Using Conqueror's Haki as Observation Haki, what an amazing old monster..."
Crocodile leaned back in his seat, murmuring in a low voice: "So, what do you think they're here for?"
As soon as he said this, both Rowan and Crocodile himself became quiet.
They looked at each other for a while, then suddenly burst out laughing.
Rowan even slapped his thigh, laughing very happily, "Why would you ask such a stupid question?"
Crocodile shrugged his shoulders, also finding his question funny, "Just chatting to pass the time."
After laughing, Rowan regained his calm expression.
He rested the staff on his shoulder, took a sip of hot ginger tea, and smiled softly, talking to himself.
"Want to find me? Then come."
...
Vivi didn't have the heart to listen to the conversation between the ancestor and Mr. Crocodile.
At this moment, the little princess was murmuring softly, trying hard to review what Rowan had told her during the voyage these days.
I can do it!
The little princess was cheering herself on.
I definitely can!
...
Unlike a superpower like Alabasta, Drum Kingdom is just a small island nation, so the travel time is not long.
About three hours later, the group was about to arrive at their destination, which was the location of the cable car to the Drum Island main peak castle.
Looking at the magnificent Drum Island main peak in front of him, Dalton couldn't help but sigh.
Once upon a time, under the leadership of the old king, this main peak was both the residence of the royal family and a tourist attraction in the Drum Kingdom.
Many children liked to take the cable car with the help of the guard soldiers to look down on the beautiful snow scenery of the Drum Kingdom from the top of the peak.
But after Wapol took the throne, everything changed.
The Drum Island main peak became a forbidden area for civilians, only allowing the royal family or those related to the royal family to enter and exit.
Dalton pondered with his head down.
This Ryan Rowan sitting behind him was completely different from King Wapol in every word and deed.
But... after all, he is also of the old king's bloodline. Hopefully, Wapol will have some understanding after contacting Rowan!
As Dalton was thinking, the giant sled dog pulling the sled suddenly stopped, as if it had been blocked by something.
He looked up and saw two familiar figures.
They were his two colleagues, Staff Officer Chess, and Administrative Officer Kuromarimo.
At this moment, these two ministers in rather exaggerated costumes were leading a group of guards, stationed at the starting point of the cable car, seemingly waiting for a long time.
Seeing Dalton coming, Chess immediately waved his hand and said, "Hey, Dalton, you can't go this way for now!"
Dalton was stunned, "Why?"
"His Majesty Wapol is eating!"
Chess explained, "You know, His Majesty doesn't want to be disturbed by any outsiders while eating."
Dalton frowned, "How could this be? I clearly notified His Majesty in advance that I would arrive at this time, and it's not his fixed eating time now..."
Speaking of this, Dalton suddenly paused.
He seemed to understand what was going on.
That King Wapol was simply unhappy with Rowan's visit and intended to give them a cold shoulder and a show of strength!
Thinking of this, Dalton couldn't help but grit his teeth, his eyes showing a hint of anger.
It's just nonsense!
Alabasta's approach has always been known for its gentleness, but it is also a superpower with a standing army of nearly 600,000. Drum Island, a small country, cannot compare with it in terms of military strength.
Facing the representative of such a big country, he still wants to act up.
Dalton had reason to suspect that Wapol had eaten too much wood, causing his head to be dizzy!
He nodded slightly to Rowan behind him to show his apology.
"Please wait a moment, perhaps there is a misunderstanding in communication, I will go and explain it to my colleagues."
Then, Dalton endured his anger and went to emphasize the importance of the matter to Chess and Kuromarimo.
"This matter may develop into a dispute between countries! Why don't you two advise His Majesty?"
"Hey, Dalton, why so serious?"
Chess, dressed as a circus performer, said with a smile, "As fellow member states of the World Government, war is impossible!"
"Besides, even if a war breaks out, the Drum Island main peak castle is definitely an easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack fortress."
"As long as the cable car is cut off, only His Majesty's Woolly Mammoth can freely go up and down this mountain peak. Our entire force can hold out against hundreds of thousands of troops for several months, enough to hold on until the World Government intervenes to mediate. It's very safe!"
Dalton was stunned, "What about the people of Drum Kingdom?"
"Dalton, you just can't think straight." Chess shrugged his shoulders, "As long as the king is there, the Drum Kingdom is there. There can be as many citizens as we want!"
...
Dalton and Chess's argument continued.
Sand grains appeared on Crocodile's fingertips, and the desert blade was ready to go.
"A bunch of idiots."
He asked Rowan beside him, smiling coldly, "How many people do you think will be left alive if I strike with my blade?"
Rowan did not answer.
Crocodile turned his head and saw Rowan looking up at the Drum Island main peak.
He couldn't help but be curious, "What are you looking at?"
"Oh."
Rowan came back to his senses and replied with a smile, "It's nothing, just an old habit acting up."
"Old habit?"
"It's just that when I hear them say that there is an easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack fortress."
Rowan smiled, excitement flashing in his eyes, "I like attacking fortresses the most, so I just tried to simulate in my mind how to conquer this Drum Island main peak, how many people, time, and supplies are needed."
Crocodile, holding an unlit cigar in his mouth, thought the question was very interesting, so he pondered as well.
After a moment, he replied: "Ordinary soldiers, about 10,000 people, use siege spears to poke them in one by one as steps, or simply use cannons to blast it."
Rowan shook his head, "This is a winter island, it's too cold, the soldiers can't afford to delay, we must fight quickly."
Crocodile looked disapproving.
Although in his eyes, the Drum Kingdom guys, including that Dalton, were just a bunch of fools and idiots, he had to admit that the Drum Island main peak castle was indeed difficult to conquer in terms of war.
"So what about you? How fast would it be?"
Rowan narrowed his eyes, sizing up the strangely shaped mountain in front of him.
"700 Alabasta Kingdom soldiers, prepare for seven days, conquer it within seven hours."
Finally, he added a sentence.
"Casualties, Zero."
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