Chapter 143: Crocodile: I've Become the Double?
Ralph stood at the brightest spot in the center of the square, hands tucked into his pockets, head slightly tilted back, striking what he believed to be a boss-like pose.
The echo of his words still lingered in the night air:
"The mastermind behind Baroque Works, the mysterious Mr. 0—
—is actually me."
Ten seconds.
A full ten seconds of silence.
Then—
"You shameless Pirate! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Mr. 5's voice sounded as if it were squeezed through gritted teeth.
His perpetually cold, dark face was now twisted with rage:
"Want us to take you out first?"
Beside him, Miss Valentine had dropped her signature smile, her expression filled with disgust as she addressed the shameless, shirtless Pirate:
"Exactly! Just look at your appearance—how could you possibly live up to the title of Mr. 0?"
At these words, Ralph's expression stiffened slightly.
He glanced down at himself.
During the earlier battle, his shirt had been shredded by Mr. 8's Saxophone Shotgun, leaving his upper body bare.
His pants, however, remained intact—loose legs tied tight with straps, paired with brown leather boots, giving him a clean, sharp look.
The cross necklace on his chest gleamed under the moonlight, while the gilded Pistol at his waist swayed gently with his movements.
"What's wrong with my look?"
Ralph couldn't help but mutter to himself.
His short black hair was neat, his face youthful and handsome.
Though he couldn't match the elegant, golden-haired noble air of someone like Sanji, he wasn't that bad, was he?
His exposed upper body showed well-defined muscle lines—chest and abs carved like marble.
This was the result of countless workouts and systematic training, radiating a sense of strength.
The cross, the Pistol, the leather boots…
A few accessories, simple yet hinting at luxury, luxurious yet revealing a touch of cultural depth.
Though not as "distinctive" as the characters in Oda-sensei's works.
Like a certain Seven Warlords of the Sea with slicked-back hair, a floral shirt, and a scarred face, or a certain rubber man always wearing a straw hat and a red vest.
But at least it was his own aesthetic, and it wasn't that bad, right?
Probably... not that bad, right?
Ralph fell into a brief moment of self-doubt.
Maybe... it...
Needs improvement?
Once this thought emerged, it began to grow wildly.
He had been pursuing Lufia for so long, yet their relationship had only progressed on a friendly level, never reaching a breakthrough.
Could the reason for this prolonged stagnation be his appearance?
Lufia probably wasn't the type to care about looks…
Well, not entirely.
She liked "interesting" things.
Like zombies, unicorns, robots, ninjas—things she had indeed shown interest in within the original work.
If Ralph dressed himself up as a zombie-style ninja or even transformed into a robot…
Lufia might just adore him.
But Ralph couldn't bring himself to do that!
Loving someone shouldn't mean completely losing yourself, right?
Still, the idea of changing his style was worth considering…
"Hey! We're talking to you!"
Mr. 5's furious roar snapped Ralph out of his thoughts:
"Don't look down on us like this!"
Ralph blinked, quickly adjusting his expression back to a serious mode.
He cleared his throat, adopting a tone that mimicked a "boss giving a lecture," and said:
"If it's about my appearance, that's my fault. As the boss, I've been swamped with work and have neglected my image management lately."
He paused, then shifted his tone:
"But you can't deny that I am Mr. 0 because of that!"
He spoke with righteous indignation, as if it were true.
Mr. 5 was so angry he nearly coughed up blood.
He pointed at Ralph, his finger trembling:
"What makes you think you're Mr. 0?!"
Ralph spread his hands, looking as if the answer were obvious:
"Have you ever seen Mr. 0? Do you know who Mr. 0 is?"
Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were both taken aback.
They... really didn't know.
Baroque Works' confidentiality system was extremely strict.
Employees were forbidden from investigating each other's identities, and even the executives... didn't know the boss's identity.
All orders were conveyed through special Den Den Mushi or by messengers.
"See."
Ralph smiled, his expression carrying a hint of "you're too young, too naive."
"Since none of you know who Mr. 0 is, why can't I be Mr. 0?"
"..."
Mr. 5 opened his mouth but found himself speechless for a moment.
What Ralph said... seemed to make sense?
No!
This was pure sophistry!
The others on the scene were already stunned by Ralph's maneuver.
Zoro crossed his arms, his lips twitching.
He hadn't expected Ralph to pull something like this.
Using the organization's confidentiality system to impersonate their boss?
That was some next-level thinking.
Meanwhile, Princess Vivi, whose identity had been exposed, and Igaram, who had just been prepared to defend the princess with his life, both lit up.
They exchanged a glance, seeing the same thought in each other's eyes:
An opportunity!
Chaos was an opportunity!
Miss Valentine clearly realized the seriousness of the situation as well.
She turned to Princess Vivi and asked coldly:
"Miss Wednesday—no, Princess Vivi. You infiltrated Baroque Works under a false name to gather intelligence on the boss, so you must know Mr. 0's true identity, right?"
"Now, please tell us, is this shameless Pirate really Mr. 0 or not?"
Instantly, everyone's gaze focused on Princess Vivi.
Under the moonlight, the princess of the Alabasta Kingdom looked pale, but her eyes were unusually resolute.
She took a deep breath, then—
Nodded firmly.
Look!
"He's the real one!"
Princess Vivi's voice echoed through the quiet night:
"The mastermind behind Baroque Works, the mysterious Mr. 0, is this 'Nameless Swordsman' Ralph!"
Whoosh—!
The crowd erupted in shock once again.
Even the unconscious Miss Monday and Mr. 9 woke up in astonishment.
They stared wide-eyed at Ralph, their faces filled with disbelief.
But Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine quickly regained their composure.
"You're lying!"
Mr. 5 pointed at Princess Vivi, his voice icy:
"You're cooperating with this Pirate to save your own life!"
Upon hearing this, Ralph immediately took offense:
"You have a witness now, and you still don't believe it?"
"Because the evidence is insufficient!"
Mr. 5 said coldly, "We received our orders through a special Den Den Mushi to come here and eliminate the traitor. If you really are Mr. 0, then give us a new order."
All eyes turned to Ralph once again.
Zoro even curled his lips into a mischievous grin, his expression clearly saying:
"Let's see how you keep spinning this tale."
When a boss gives orders to their subordinates, they naturally have special methods.
Den Den Mushi, codes, secret signals...
How could an outsider possibly know?
But Ralph's reaction once again defied everyone's expectations.
Far from panicking, he instead put on a "profound" expression.
He slowly lowered his head, his voice dropping to a low, exceptionally grave tone:
"You want me to give an order? This involves the greatest secret of Baroque Works..."
He raised his head, scanning the room, his gaze lingering on each person's face:
"If I were to reveal it here, could you bear the consequences?"
The atmosphere, the tone, the expression...
It was just like those big shots in movies who hold core secrets, warning their ignorant underlings that the more they know, the faster they'll die.
Miss Valentine sneered:
"Bluffing! You can't even produce the Den Den Mushi to issue commands!"
Ralph calmly admitted:
"That's right, I can't produce it."
As soon as he finished speaking, just as Miss Valentine and Mr. 5 thought they had exposed this imposter, his tone suddenly grew even more sorrowful:
"Because I, this Mr. 0... have been betrayed."
Moonlight fell on his face—that expression, that look in his eyes: three parts anger, three parts sorrow, and four parts the desolation of being stabbed in the back by the person he trusted most.
Oscar owes him a little golden statue.
"Originally, I wanted to remain the hidden boss behind the scenes, guiding Baroque Works forward in silence."
Ralph's voice echoed through the night air, carrying a sense of weathered history as he recounted the past:
"But that stand-in I put forward... the person I trusted most... actually betrayed me."
He closed his eyes, as if enduring immense pain:
"He took my place, using my name to issue orders to all members of Baroque Works. He even... twisted our original dream, that beautiful 'Utopia' plan..."