Chapter 28: Crocodile's Plan
At this point, the other four gates still hadn't fallen. The city was relatively calm—for now.
The royal army was vastly outnumbered. Koza had rallied nearly every able-bodied citizen who could fight.
Luo Lin strolled leisurely down the empty streets. Civilians were hiding indoors, and all soldiers were stationed at the gates.
He hadn't eaten breakfast in his rush to the south gate, and every shop was closed. Time for some good old five-finger shopping.
Meanwhile, at the south gate:
Before Luo Lin arrived, Princess Vivi had tried to stop Koza from launching the rebellion. A premature cannon blast from a Baroque Works spy created a massive dust cloud. Vivi and Koza passed within meters of each other—had Karoo not shielded her with his life, she'd have been trampled by the stampede.
Then Luo Lin showed up and knocked out 100,000 rebels with Conqueror's Haki.
Koza had been among the rebels at the south gate—one of the few who stayed conscious.
After an intense internal struggle, he chose to continue fighting for his "utopia" and led the remaining forces to the other gates.
As for Luo Lin's claim that every gate had someone like him? He'd believe it when he saw it.
The Straw Hats had successfully infiltrated Alubarna and were scattered across the city, fighting Baroque Works senior agents.
Some time later…
Vivi painfully crawled out from under the injured Karoo and froze at the sight before her.
"W-What… happened? Are they all dead?!"
Tens of thousands of rebels lay unconscious on the ground.
She checked a few—still breathing. Relieved, but no time to waste. Karoo was badly hurt, and rebels had already breached the other gates.
She had to stop Koza!
Just then, Usopp (actually Mr. 2 Bon Clay in disguise) rode up on horseback.
Vivi saw through the disguise instantly.
Cue a princess + giant duck vs. ballerina chase scene.
Vivi eventually made it inside the city.
Meanwhile, Luo Lin was still "zero-dollar purchasing" breakfast on the main street…
He heard commotion behind him.
"Hm? What's all that noise?"
Carrying a small bag of pilfered food, he munched as he walked toward the sound.
Turning a corner, he spotted Vivi on the ground, dying Karoo, and Bon Clay twirling forward in full ballet mode.
Luo Lin's eye twitched.
Hard. Fist hard.
Why become a cross-dressing ballerina when you're a perfectly good man?!
Whoosh—he appeared in front of Bon Clay and punted him in the gut.
Poor Bon Clay rolled his eyes and flew off, but Luo Lin held back—he vaguely remembered this one was actually a good guy later.
"Yo, Princess Vivi! Had breakfast yet?"
Vivi had already recognized him the moment he moved. Joy exploded across her dusty face—she was still beautiful even covered in dirt.
"Mr. Luo Lin! Thank you!"
Right then, Sanji arrived with two running ducks.
Seeing Bon Clay KO'd and Luo Lin standing protectively beside Vivi, Sanji punched the ground in despair.
"Damn it! Late again! He was Nami's childhood brother, fine—but now he's saving Vivi-chan too?! What kind of bullshit luck does this guy have?!"
Luo Lin: …
Vivi: …
Ducks: …
"Uh… Sanji?"
"Don't mind me. My shattered heart can never be mended…"
"Actually, I was going to say I have somewhere else to be. I'll leave Princess Vivi in your hands!"
"Leave it to me!!"
Sanji instantly sprang up, striking a cool pose and lighting a cigarette.
Classic Sanji—brain works fine, but when it comes to simping, he goes full throttle.
Luo Lin waved and left. He had breakfast to deliver to Robin.
After he left, Bon Clay woke up.
"What just happened?! Didn't even see who hit me!"
Sanji glared.
"So you're the guy who can copy anyone?"
Bon Clay: "Who the hell are you?"
"Vivi, go! You still have to stop the rebellion!"
Vivi nodded and ran off with the ducks carrying Karoo.
Sanji stared daggers at Bon Clay—such an awesome Devil Fruit, why wasn't it mine?!
Cue trash-talk → fight.
…
Luo Lin strolled back to the palace, munching along the way.
He saw plenty of rebels inside the city and thought: What are the royal guards even doing? I barely finished breakfast and they're already inside?
But he didn't care. He'd already done his symbolic part by stopping the south gate. Any more work required extra payment.
"Robin baby, I'm back!"
"Welcome home!"
"Hungry? Brought you breakfast!"
He proudly raised his bag of stolen goods.
After Robin finished eating, they rooftop-hopped straight to Cobra's location.
Doors? Real masters don't use doors.
But when they arrived, Crocodile was already there.
He had beaten Cobra senseless and nailed him to the wall with his hook.
Vivi and Chaka were present.
Luo Lin and Robin immediately ducked into hiding on the ceiling beams to watch the show.
"Let my father go!"
Vivi shouted furiously.
Crocodile casually lit his cigar, voice dripping with mockery.
"Hm? After all the effort I've put in to reach this point, you think one sentence from you will make me let him go? Do people not think before speaking these days?"
"Father!"
Cobra painfully raised his head, eyes full of guilt toward Vivi.
"I'm sorry, Vivi… I ruined everything you worked for."
Crocodile, tired of the family drama, cut in.
"Well, well, a touching father-daughter reunion. But I don't have time for tears, Miss Wednesday."
"Don't call me that!"
"Fine, I'll grant that request. But first—none of you are leaving this room alive. When a kingdom falls, its royal family should perish with it."
"Before that, though, I have one question for the current king. That's my real goal."
He stepped right up to Cobra.
"Where is Pluton?"
Cobra's calm mask shattered. Eyes wide, he roared:
"How do you know about Pluton?!"
Up on the beams, Robin whispered:
"Shouldn't we help?"
"Wait, wait—just a little longer! Let me watch the drama!"
Robin smiled and obeyed.
Below, Crocodile bragged about Pluton's power and his grand ambitions once he obtained it—completely unaware of the two spectators above.
"I don't know where it is," Cobra spat. "I don't even know if it's in this country!"
"I see. You don't seem to be lying. I was prepared for the possibility it doesn't exist at all."
Outside the palace, royal guards were desperately trying to break in to save the king, but Crocodile's sand powers had sealed every entrance.
Crocodile glanced outside and continued:
"According to my plan, the rebel army will reach the palace square soon and clash with your forces. In half an hour, I've arranged a massive bombardment. Everyone dies.
From up here, it'll be quite the spectacle. Once the royal family perishes with them, I—the hero who 'saved' the country—will naturally become the new king. Then my real dream begins. Heh heh heh…"
Classic Crocodile laugh. Everyone below ground their teeth in rage.
Up top, Luo Lin and Robin got chills.
Ruthless. Crocodile really was a mastermind—brains, means, everything. Just terrible luck.
"Alright, small talk over. Last question, Cobra—where is the Poneglyph?"
Cobra clenched his jaw, ready to die silent.
Then his lips curled into a smirk—he agreed.
Vivi and Chaka stared in disbelief.
Crocodile grinned.
"As expected of a wise king—much smarter than the average fool."
Suddenly Chaka drew his sword.
"Sorry, Princess—I can't hold back anymore!"
Crocodile turned, saw the attack coming, and began elementalizing.
Chaka lunged, transforming into his jackal form.
"Wolf Fang!"
Useless—passed right through sand.
"Pointless. You want to die for this country? How noble. Courage alone isn't enough."
Crocodile kept taunting.
Chaka, enraged, attacked again.
One move later—Chaka down.
"Desert Storm!"
Crocodile unleashed a sand tornado to finish him.
"CHAKA!!!"
Vivi screamed.
BOOM!
Dust exploded.
"Hm?"
Crocodile frowned—something had struck his sandstorm.
"Told you this guy's fruit sucks. Sandstorm every five seconds? Robin baby, remember to moisturize extra when we get home—this stuff is terrible for your skin!"
That infuriating voice.
Crocodile gritted his teeth—he remembered the bastard who once kicked him through a building.
The others lit up with joy.
"Mr. Luo Lin!"
Dust cleared—Luo Lin stood protectively in front of Chaka, Robin beside him.
"Portgas D. Luo Lin! Why are you here? Planning to stop me?"
"Nah, don't get the wrong idea. Just here for the show—and to collect on Cobra's promise to let us read the Poneglyph."
"Oh? In that case, we can work together again once we find it!"
Vivi and the others paled. If someone as strong as Luo Lin sided with Crocodile, the kingdom was doomed.
Vivi opened her mouth—
Luo Lin cut her off.
"Don't even start. We never worked with you, you country-stealing crocodile. We only pretended back then to see if you actually had the Poneglyph. Even if you did, we weren't gonna translate it for you.
Now we just need to save the king and we get to read it for free. You're useless to us now. Cooperation? Dream on."
Crocodile nearly choked on his cigar.
The others felt immense satisfaction watching him get verbally destroyed.
Luo Lin continued:
"Vivi and Nami are pretty close. Sure, the kid's zero percent cute and all attitude, but she still calls me big brother. Her friends are off-limits.
Long story short—this is over. You can leave now."
He waved his hand in front of his face like shooing a bad smell.
"You little—Desert Storm!"
Luo Lin lazily drew his blade and sliced—the sandstorm vanished.
Crocodile turned his lower half to sand and flew at him.
"Careful, Mr. Luo Lin! Physical attacks don't work!"
"Relax."
Luo Lin fired a casual sword beam.
Unlike everyone expected, Crocodile frantically dodged—he knew that slash could hurt him.
Luo Lin closed in, blocked Crocodile's golden hook, and kicked him straight into the wall beside Vivi.
BOOM!
"Good lord, he's strong!"
Crocodile, in pain but conscious, saw Vivi right beside him.
Rage overtook him—he lashed out with his hook toward the princess.
"Vivi!"
"Princess!"
Cobra and Chaka cried out.
Vivi froze in terror.
Luo Lin's face darkened—he was supposed to leave the final boss for Luffy. This might break that promise.
He could stop it, but it might kill Crocodile.
He exploded forward at max speed—
Then, right as he reached them, a delicate arm sprouted from Crocodile's neck.
SLAP!
A perfect bitch-slap sent Crocodile spinning.
Luo Lin skidded to a stop and looked at Robin, who crossed her arms and gave him a dazzling smile.
His brain turned into Sanji.exe.
Mom, I just saw an angel!
Then he followed up with a full-power kick that launched Crocodile clear out of the palace.
He wouldn't be getting up for at least half an hour.
"Done. Clocking out."
Luo Lin dusted his hands, walked over, and pulled Cobra off the wall.
Vivi and Chaka rushed to the king's side.
"King Cobra, can you take us to the Poneglyph now?"
"Of course! But first, I have a few things to take care of…"
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