"Thank goodness—thank goodness that lunatic didn't run to our country!"
"Yeah. I heard he caused a huge mess in Alabasta, and a lot of people died. If he'd come here…"
"What can the World Government do besides put out a wanted poster? The Marines are putting all their effort into the New World. Tsk. We can't count on them."
"Even someone like Crocodile got taken the moment they moved. Lulusia's strength… looks like it's way beyond what we imagined. No wonder they dare to go up against the World Government!"
"Maybe if we ever run into an enemy we can't deal with… we could try asking Lulusia for help?" That thought quietly took root in the hearts of nearly every king in the first half of the Grand Line. Especially for smaller nations—protection from the World Government was far too distant and out of reach, while Lulusia Kingdom, right here in the first half of the Grand Line, could solve problems quickly. The attraction it held for other kingdoms grew without anyone quite noticing.
Of course, there were also cautious voices, and voices of doubt.
But those voices were quickly drowned out. The facts were right there—no matter what complaints they might have had about Lulusia Kingdom, they didn't dare say them out loud right now.
But either way, the image of Lulusia Kingdom and its King, Ronan, had already changed in the minds of these small-nation rulers—into a role defined by overwhelming strength and the ability to maintain stability in the first half of the Grand Line. That shift in perception carried significance far deeper than it looked on the surface.
At the same time, in other dark corners of the first half of the Grand Line, some people reacted to the news with a completely different kind of shock and unease.
Those people were the surviving officers of Baroque Works, scattered across different regions.
Alabasta Kingdom, Rainbase—inside a hideout disguised as a bar.
"Miss Valentine's Day! Look at the newspaper—now!" Mr. 5 burst the door open and rushed in, his face showing a rare panic as he slapped a newspaper down onto the table in front of Mikita.
Miss Valentine's Day, who had been touching up her makeup in the mirror, turned her head with irritation. "What are you yelling about, Mr. 5… huh?" The moment her eyes landed on the front-page headline and Crocodile's photo, the powder puff in her hand fell to the floor with a dull plop, and her face instantly drained of color.
"B-boss… got caught?! By Lulusia?!" Her voice went sharp, filled with disbelief. Crocodile—the vicious, terrifying boss in her mind—had actually gone down just like that?
"H-how… how is that possible?! Boss, he…" Mr. 5 was panicking too. Baroque Works had scattered and gone to ground in different places, still hoping their boss would make a comeback and gather them again. But now their biggest backer—the core holding everything together—had collapsed in an instant.
"Then what do we do now?" Miss Valentine's Day's voice trembled. Without the boss's orders and protection, former Baroque Works members like them—people with bounties on their heads, and now being watched by both the World Government and Lulusia—suddenly felt their future turn pitch-black.
Similar scenes played out in Little Garden, near Drum Kingdom, and on Jaya Island… in one secret contact point or hiding place after another.
Mr. 3 stared at the newspaper, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He pushed up his "3"-shaped glasses, his mind racing—should he move to an even more remote island to hide, or just throw himself under some other faction's protection? But the moment he thought about his own limited strength, he couldn't help doubting it. Would anyone even want him?
As for the many low-ranking agents who had been ordered to lie low and wait for instructions, they fell into total chaos the moment they were left without a leader. Some cowards fled with whatever money they could grab and disappeared. Some started suspecting each other, even coming to blows over funds. And of course, some turned their hatred toward the cause of it all—Lulusia Kingdom, and that damned King Ronan. But even the boss had gone down. What could small fry like them possibly do?
Baroque Works—the underground organization that had once terrified the first half of the Grand Line—shattered completely the moment Crocodile was captured by Lulusia. It would never be a threat again.
Meanwhile, somewhere even more hidden…
A small, unremarkable sailboat drifted quietly along the edge of the Calm Belt.
At the bow stood a woman in a deep-purple long coat, black hair flowing down her back. Her eyes were fixed on a briefing in her hands.
She was Robin.
The briefing contained detailed information about Crocodile being captured by Lulusia.
Robin's gaze moved calmly over every line. There was no surprise on her face—no sorrow either. Her relationship with Crocodile had only ever been cooperation.
Crocodile had been arrested.
Another "boss" had fallen.
To her, it was a trivial matter.
Over the years, she had drifted through countless dark organizations and factions, from the West Blue to the Grand Line, watching rise after rise—and collapse after collapse. She had "served" far too many ambitious powerhouses like Crocodile.
Ever since the tragedy of Ohara, survival—and finding the truth of the Poneglyphs—had become her only goal. As for who she worked for, who she took orders from… those were only methods, temporary shelters.
Crocodile used her to pursue the ancient weapon Pluton. And she used Crocodile's resources and power to pursue the Poneglyphs. It was mutual exploitation. Now that this "partner" was gone, it simply meant she would need to find a new "employer" who could provide protection and resources.
Maybe, deep down, she had once felt a sliver of guilt for the innocent people of Alabasta who suffered under Crocodile's scheme. But time had worn even that down. She had learned not to invest feelings in any "organization" or "leader," focusing only on her own plans and goals.
Crocodile's era was over.
Baroque Works had vanished like smoke.
In the first half of the Grand Line, Crocodile's capture sent underworld currents surging. Some people celebrated, some panicked, but most were indifferent. And in the center of that whirlpool, Lulusia Kingdom had established its own authority—displaying strength enough to reshape the balance of the first half of the Grand Line.
(End of Chapter)
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