If he pretended not to see what was happening, then everything he had done at the World Summit before this would turn into a complete joke. Not only would the World Government seize on it and make a huge fuss, even the countries that had been watching from the sidelines—or quietly supporting him—would start to doubt him.
After all, if you can't even punish a former Ōka Shichibukai who's openly committing violence, how are you supposed to establish a new order in the first half of the Grand Line?
"Beth, what do you think?" Ronan asked, turning to the bodyguard he trusted most.
Beth didn't answer immediately. She frowned in thought for a moment, then spoke with calm precision. "For Crocodile to do something like this right now… it's probably not just to provoke us. He may have a reason he can't avoid."
"I know what he's after," Ronan said. "He wants to find the Ancient Weapon, and Alabasta happens to have a Poneglyph. He wants to use the Poneglyph to track down the Ancient Weapon."
"Ancient Weapon? Poneglyph?" Beth looked genuinely lost. After all, the World Government had always tried to erase those things and keep ordinary people from ever learning about them. Even someone like Beth had no real channel to know.
So Ronan told her everything he knew about the Ancient Weapons and the Poneglyphs.
The more Beth listened, the grimmer her expression became. "Ronan-sama… if something like that really exists, then even we… we might not be able to face it head-on."
Beth was putting it mildly. In Ronan's eyes, if they ever had to face that kind of thing directly, there would only be one option: run.
And when he thought about how Lulusia Kingdom would later be wiped out by the World Government's "Mother Flame" weapon, Ronan understood even more clearly—this wasn't something they could deal with right now.
Still, Vegapunk hadn't created the "Mother Flame" yet. The World Government couldn't use that kind of large-scale weapon at present.
"Crocodile chose to move now for the Poneglyph—his timing is excellent," Beth continued, voice steady. "He's intentionally stirring the water to make it even muddier. Attacking Alabasta helps him reach his goal and also tests everyone's reactions—especially ours."
Ronan nodded. "Right. If we ignore him, his next step will be even more reckless. He might even link up with other restless factions."
He stood and began pacing back and forth across the room.
"We can't let him succeed." Ronan stopped and turned, decision already hard in his eyes. "Stability in the first half of the Grand Line has to be maintained—at the very least, it can't collapse completely because of Crocodile. This isn't just for Alabasta. It's for every other country's trust in Lulusia."
He needed to show the first half of the Grand Line a clear signal:
Even while opposing the World Government, Ronan had both the ability and the resolve to eliminate anyone who dared to create large-scale chaos in these seas.
"But, Ronan-sama…" Beth's tone carried real worry. "Right now we only have Germa's clone soldiers. And the only people who can realistically deal with Ōka Shichibukai types are probably us guards. If we deploy large forces across the first half… then your personal safety—"
She didn't finish, but the meaning was obvious.
Even if the World Government and Lulusia had reached an agreement, no one could guarantee the World Government wouldn't take advantage of an "empty interior" to make a move against Ronan.
Ronan understood what she meant. Honestly, it was exactly what he feared too. He'd done so much since coming to this world—he wasn't about to get played at the very end.
In that case, there was only one way: make the World Government and the Navy lose all ability to monitor him.
And the instant that thought formed, Ronan knew exactly what to do.
Neferpitou's Float-Float Fruit was perfect for completely slipping free of the World Government's surveillance. Flight in the sky was something no one would notice—no one would even think to look there.
Ronan immediately gave Beth an order. "Tell Tesoro to locate Crocodile's hiding place. Find him in the shortest time possible."
Beth nodded at once and headed out, preparing to contact Tesoro—who was far away in Golden City—through a Den Den Mushi.
As for Ronan, once Tesoro sent word, he would leave immediately.
A few days later—first half of the Grand Line, waters near Alabasta: Cactus Island.
At noon, the sun scorched the earth. The townspeople carried on as usual, trading the small amount of goods available in the market.
Then someone wiped sweat from their brow without thinking, glanced up at the sky—
—and froze.
Their face went blank.
"T-That… what is that?"
More and more people lifted their heads.
The sky, which should have been perfectly clear, now held a massive shadow.
And it was moving—slowly getting larger, slowly getting lower—until it swallowed the entire town in dimness.
"The sky… cracked open?!"
"It's an island! An island—flying in the sky!!" someone screamed.
"God… how is that possible?!"
"Run!! It's going to fall!!"
Panic spread through the crowd in an instant. The whole town plunged into chaos unlike anything it had ever seen.
In a corner of the town, inside a sandstone house that looked a little worn-down—
There were no windows. The light was dim, with only an oil lamp on the table providing a weak glow.
Crocodile, former Ōka Shichibukai, sat in a broad chair, holding a glass filled with amber liquor.
His expression was dark. A lingering gloom clung to his brow.
Ever since his plan in Alabasta ended in total failure, not only had he failed to obtain information about the Ancient Weapon Pluton, he'd also been forced to evade Lulusia Kingdom. He had no choice but to abandon Rainbase—something he'd cultivated for years—and hide here, rebuilding strength and searching for a new chance.
For safety, he had also pushed every other Baroque Works member completely underground—breaking them up, scattering them into smaller units. Only Mr. 1, Daz, remained at his side. All other senior officers and members were dispersed across the Grand Line, maintaining contact only through Den Den Mushi.
And this remote little town on Cactus Island was one of the temporary hideouts he had carefully chosen.
"Boss," Mr. 1, Daz said suddenly from beside him. "It's noisy outside."
Crocodile's brow tightened. He hated loud environments.
Yet the screams outside pierced the thick walls and reached his ears. The fear in those voices was unmistakably real.
A strange unease rose in his chest.
He stood up at once, no longer caring about hiding, and strode to the door. He looked out along the edge of the doorway toward the sky—
—and his face turned deathly pale.
A floating island.
"…Damn it."
(End of Chapter)
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