One Piece: New Order

Nusjuro nodded. "For now, this is the only way."

The Marines’ strength had grown far too overwhelming. Facing them head-on would only lead to unnecessary losses, so it was far safer to let the pirates clash with them first and gradually wear them down.

Mars spoke, "In that case, I’ll contact Red Hair..."

Those who stand at the peak of the world are not fools.

Except for pirates...

* * *

Grand Line, Alabasta.

Rainbase, early morning.

The once-thriving city now carried a faint but unmistakable sense of decline. Ever since the Dance Powder scandal had been exposed, the authority of the Alabasta royal family had dropped sharply. On top of that, the long drought had drained the light from people’s faces.

At the same time, the rebel army was sweeping across the country, and the shadow of war hung over every citizen of the desert.

Inside the Rain Dinners casino.

Robin stood by the window of the top-floor office, looking out at the scenery with a slight frown.

Crocodile was already starting to lose patience. He had endured for more than twenty years just to obtain the legendary Pluton. Now that the critical moment was near, no one could stay calm.

Recently, he had been disappearing frequently, and even she could not track where he went. If this continued, Alabasta would truly be finished...

The Revolutionary Army, which should have advanced into the Grand Line before his plan began, had slowed down for some reason. At this rate, they would not arrive in time...

Robin dialed the Den Den Mushi in her hand, but there was no response. Quietly putting it away, she sighed softly.

"What exactly happened..."

What she did not know was that because of the Den Den Mushi surveillance incident, Dragon had not informed her yet. So even though she called, he did not pick up. He was preparing to find a new Den Den Mushi and call her back.

Whoosh!

Just then, a gust of sand blew into the room, swirling onto the large chair and gathering into shape.

Crocodile appeared with a smile on his face. "Well, how long have you been waiting?"

Seeing that smile, Robin knew his plan had likely moved one step closer.

"Not long. It’s just that you’ve been disappearing every day. It’s hard to report work like this."

Her tone carried a hint of teasing as she looked at him.

Crocodile leaned back in the large chair and smiled. "None of that matters now. That old man Cobra can’t hold on much longer. The rebels will soon reach the capital, and Pluton is about to emerge. The future belongs to us..."

It was not known from where the information came from, but he seemed to firmly believe that one of the ancient weapons, Pluton, was buried in Alabasta. That belief was what drove his plan for over twenty years.

Now, victory was within reach...

Robin’s thoughts sank slightly, but she kept a gentle smile. "Then congratulations in advance, boss."

Purururu~ Purururu~

The Den Den Mushi in her pocket suddenly rang. It was Dragon calling back.

Without changing her expression, she hung up, which caught Crocodile’s attention. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why didn’t you answer?"

At such a critical moment, his suspicion had grown stronger than before.

Robin replied casually, "Just a work report call. You weren’t here just now, and I wasn’t idle either."

Crocodile looked at her with doubt. "Oh? I see... Then call them back. You can report everything at once."

She gave a small shrug. "Alright."

She slowly took out the Den Den Mushi and dialed back.

* * *

South Blue, Bango Island.

On the rooftop of the Revolutionary Army’s temporary headquarters, Dragon narrowed his eyes as he stared at the Den Den Mushi in his hand.

Robin had called him. He went to get a new Den Den Mushi and called back. It had only been a brief moment, yet she hung up...

"Not convenient? Was it... Crocodile?"

Purururu~ Purururu~

With a guess forming in his mind, he quickly organized his thoughts and answered the call, his voice turning calmer.

"Hello, Vice President. Regarding the recent situation report..."

After exchanging a few simple lines, he was interrupted by Robin, and the call was cut.

Those who stand at the peak of the world are not fools...

Except...

* * *

Grand Line, Alabasta.

Rainbase, top floor of Rain Dinners.

Robin hung up and looked at Crocodile. Fortunately, Dragon had responded in time, and she brushed it off casually, so he did not notice anything unusual.

Crocodile nodded slightly. "Good. Take care of everything recently. I’ll need you soon. Don’t mess this up..."

There was a hint of threat and killing intent in his tone. He had taken risks to hide Robin for years, all for the sake of deciphering the ancient texts. He would not allow any mistakes.

She smiled lightly and gave a nod. "Understood."

He waved his hand. "You can go."

Robin stepped back slowly, leaving the luxurious office behind as Crocodile remained alone, indulging in thoughts of a perfect future.

* * *

Far outside the city, on an unremarkable sand dune, Enel slowly withdrew the call. The blue lightning-formed office and the two small figures faded away.

Using powerful electromagnetic scanning, he had clearly mapped the interior of the top floor. Then, through lightning, he recreated it, making it feel like a live broadcast with sound.

Enel rolled his wrist. "Do we move now?"

He glanced at Carlo.

Beside him, Bullet cracked his knuckles.

Just yesterday, Carlo had agreed with Sakazuki to find a time to eliminate Crocodile. But he was worried about unexpected complications, so he wanted to deal with it as soon as possible.

That was why he brought Enel and Bullet today as a double safeguard.

Everything could be resolved in an instant, and they could return to the New World without delay, but...

"Pluton is about to emerge?" Carlo fell into brief thought.

To be honest, in their eyes, everything Crocodile had done felt like a joke. But the fact that he had played the role of a hero for over twenty years meant his source of information should have some credibility. Whether it was true or not, a complete Pluton was still worth paying attention to.

After all, even though they had the blueprints, the cost of building a complete Pluton was far too high. They had no choice but to settle for constructing only the main cannon, the most powerful part.

Coming back to his senses, Carlo let out a soft sigh. "Let’s wait a bit longer. Keep watching for now. We should at least see what Crocodile’s so-called Pluton really is..."

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