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Chapter 90: The Perfect Plan!
Chapter 90: The Perfect Plan!
Standing behind him was a man with a large quiff, a long scar running across his nose, and an earring in his right ear. The man's left hand was missing, replaced by a golden hook, and he wore a black fur coat over an orange plaid long-sleeved vest. He glared at the crowd, chewing on a cigar.
Anyone from Alabasta would recognize him, their local hero, and object of admiration.
"Lord Crocodile!" the dancing girls exclaimed in awe.
Maryka paused and laughed, "Oh, it's a big shot."
"I heard there was someone causing trouble in Nanohala. I thought it was some small-time pirate," Crocodile exhaled a cloud of smoke and sat down in the chair next to Sag, pouring alcohol from a bottle he held in his right hand into a wooden cup. He set the bottle down and picked up the cup with his only intact hand, taking a sip before speaking.
"What brings you to Alabasta, Norton Sag?"
Crunch!
Sag chewed and swallowed the entire large piece of meat on the bone, then casually reached for the bottle that Crocodile had taken, and gulped down the remaining liquor, slamming the empty bottle back onto the table.
"More drinks! Don't just stand there; I paid good money for this!"
"Yes, yes!" The dancers hesitated for a moment before scurrying to fetch new bottles of alcohol from a nearby crate.
Only then did Sag turn his gaze towards Crocodile, grinning maliciously. "If you're here for the party, I'd be delighted to have you."
Crocodile said nothing, simply fixing Sag with an intense stare, to which the latter responded nonchalantly, holding his gaze. After a lengthy stare-off, Crocodile threw back his head and laughed heartily.
"Hahahaha! Are the newcomers these days so arrogant?"
As the dancers refilled the cups, Sag raised his towards Crocodile and smiled. "Weren't you also a newcomer once?"
At these words, Crocodile's gaze deepened, but he still raised his cup and clinked it with Sag's. "Alabasta does not welcome you."
"A proper nation would hardly welcome pirates, would it?" Sag chuckled.
"Well, as long as you don't cause any trouble here, I'll turn a blind eye."
Crocodile set down his cup and scanned the crowd. "Things have been chaotic in Alabasta lately. It's best not to wander aimlessly."
Whoosh!
As he finished speaking, his body transformed into a floating cloud of sand, disappearing from the room.
"Another Logia user?" Renee Tia turned up her nose at the spot where Crocodile had been sitting. "Annoying. What was he even doing here?"
"He's one of the Shichibukai here. It's his duty to stop pirates, so of course, he's here to crack down on us." Sag shrugged.
"Shichibukai?" Renee Tia tilted her little head, and Lily beside her also looked curious.
One was young and hadn't heard much, and the other simply had no idea.
"The Shichibukai of the World Government."
Maryka explained, "Along with the Navy Headquarters and the Four Emperors, they are considered one of the three great powers of the Grand Line. Each Shichibukai is incredibly powerful, and they have the legal right to plunder. In return, they are responsible for dealing with pirates like us."
"Plunder?"
Renee Tia was taken aback. "Legally?"
"Yes, they won't be pursued by the Navy." Maryka smiled.
"They sound pretty powerful. Sag, was that Crocodile guy scared of you? He didn't make a move after showing up. If we defeat him, can we become Shichibukai too? Then you can plunder the King, and the Navy won't be able to touch you." Renee Tia's eyes sparkled at the idea.
"There are probably restrictions."
Lily analyzed, "After all, the King has joined the World Government. If plundering was allowed, then Crocodile would be the King of Alabasta by now, but from what I've heard, the King here is named Cobra, not him."
"They're employed by the World Government. Would they really go around plundering member states? That's like shooting themselves in the foot."
Sag rolled his eyes. "Don't even think about it. I won't become a Shichibukai, and as for that crocodile, he's not one to fear anyone. These famous Logia users don't care about anyone coming their way."
Becoming a Shichibukai? With his bounty, coupled with the fact that he had been on the Navy ship alongside the wanted Nico Robin, it was clear that someone had connected him to the Ohara incident. Most likely, his identity had already been uncovered.
Sag had no doubt about the intelligence capabilities of the World Government. Besides, he had been young and had no opportunity to hide back then. It wouldn't be difficult to piece things together now.
"If they've figured it out, the World Government must be crazy to have chosen him as a Shichibukai."
Even if he, Sag, was illiterate.
...
Outside of ROHARA, amidst the desert under the moonlight, a gust of wind and sand swiftly blew over, transforming into Crocodile's form.
Accompanying him were two gigantic crocodiles.
Beside one crocodile stood a woman wearing a white hat and a white coat, with a revealing purple chemise underneath. She exclaimed in surprise, "I thought they would end up fighting."
"There's no need," Crocodile said, puffing on his cigar and exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Now is not the time to clash with that man. Our plan is right before us, and we can't afford any changes."
The woman glanced toward the city and added, "There are rumors that 'Fire Fist' Ace had a conflict with him here. With Ace's departure, that man's presence is a formidable threat. It's said that he enjoys pillaging kings; I wonder if he has any interest in Alabasta."
"The better for us,"
Crocodile's lips curved into a smirk as he lifted his gaze to the full moon overhead, "Just now, I was pondering if Cobra and the rebel army's disappearance in ALBAANA was reason enough. Now, we have an additional layer—the calamity of Sag pillaging ALBAANA, triggering the bombs, and sending the soldiers to their demise. We, on the other hand, will emerge as the true 'heroes' of Alabasta."
"Whether he has interest or not, Norton Sag is not a threat. Regardless, we shall prevail."
He stretched out his hand and clenched it toward the moon, "Ha, ha, ha, ha! My plan, it is perfect!"
"Ho ho ho ho! I have a perfect plan!"
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Sag disregarded the still-merry pirates and, accompanied by the three women and Ajin, made his way to an upper-level room. He plopped down on a chair, letting out a few hearty laughs before addressing the group:
"I don't know about the other Shichibukai, but Crocodile definitely has money. Let's go rob him first, then head to the capital of Alabasta, ALBAANA, and ransack the royal palace! This plan, my friends, is absolutely perfect!"
Where's the perfection in that?
It's just a crude robbery, thought Lily, keeping her thoughts to herself.
The other two women remained silent as well.
It was only Ajin who clenched his fists tightly, his eyes gleaming with excitement, as he exclaimed, "Captain Sag! Please give the order! No matter what it is, I will definitely carry it out!"
Lily walked over to the window, pulling aside the curtain slightly. She peered down from their elevated vantage point at the desert, illuminated by the moon and cloaked in a silvery hue. "While we were out shopping, I gathered some intelligence. With Alabasta in a state of internal strife, are we going to take advantage of the chaos and raid them?"
"Exactly!"
Sag wore an expression that said, 'You understand me.' Fishing a cigar out from his pocket, he brought it to his nose, inhaling the aroma before striking a match and taking a puff. He then released the smoke through his nostrils and spoke,
"The city where Crocodile resides is called 'Rain Base,' known as the 'Land of Dreams.' It's a gambling city, and where there's gambling, there's bound to be a lot of money. That city is worth raiding!"
"And after we're done with Rain Base, we'll proceed to ALBAANA, to ransack the royal palace!"
The appearance of the straw-hat boy had jogged his memory, reminding him of the blue-haired woman, and Crocodile's presence only added to it.
That blue-haired woman was probably the princess of this country. With the involvement of the Straw Hat crew, it only meant one thing—
Crocodile was going to lose.
Although Sag found it rather unbelievable, from the moment that man had shown up, he'd gotten a sense that he wasn't someone to be trifled with. His See-Through Color perception only reinforced that belief—this man was likely more threatening than Ace.
If he recalled correctly, he was a Natural user who had eaten the Suna Suna no Mi, and especially in this desert terrain, he was to be feared.
But the facts were right there—he had lost rather abruptly. Once he was defeated, Rain Base would be ownerless, and they need not wait for his defeat; they could just go ahead and raid the place.
And after they were done with Rain Base, they'd proceed to ALBAANA, right in the midst of the rebellion outbreak.
(End of Chapter)
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