The drought problem remained unresolved, a massive war was imminent, and the identity of the mastermind behind it all was still unknown. Furthermore, Nefertari Vivi and Igaram, who had left the country to uncover the truth, had sent no word.
These burdens pressed down on him until he could barely breathe. It was as if the entire country had lost all hope...
Nefertari Cobra's expression was bleak, making him look as though he had aged several years in an instant. After a moment, he calmed himself and looked down at his subordinates.
"This is indeed a good opportunity, but not for war. For negotiation."
"Negotiation?"
Pell looked up at the king, his expression filled with confusion.
Cobra's expression remained steady as he spoke calmly.
"That's right. Previously, Koza repeatedly refused to reconcile through negotiation. Now that he has been separated from the rebel army, we actually have a chance to meet with him."
"Pell, Chaka, the two of you are to set out immediately. Head out at top speed to rescue Koza. This is our only chance for negotiation before the war breaks out."
Cobra's eyes were filled with resolve.
Rooting out the mastermind was the key to solving the problem, but if he was powerless to stop their conspiracy, he had to at least minimize the casualties among the citizens and soldiers.
Pell and Chaka exchanged a glance, their eyes turning resolute as they bowed their heads to accept the order.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"We will depart at once."
...
The next morning, the sun slowly rose over the sea.
The crew members gradually emerged from their quarters, crossing the deck to the second-floor dining hall. After breakfast, they each began their daily tasks.
Allen woke up in his bedroom. He washed up and changed his clothes as usual, then prepared to head to the door to grab the breakfast his subordinates normally left for him.
Just as he stepped out of his bedroom, he noticed a figure sitting on the single sofa in the living room.
"My, good morning, Mr. Allen."
Nico Robin smiled faintly. She set down a half-empty cup of coffee and gestured toward it.
"I saw the coffee was getting cold, so I drank it for you. I hope you don't mind."
"Ah, it's fine."
Allen paused, looking her up and down for a moment before asking, "By the way, why are you still here? Did I forget to pay you last night?"
"..."
"I think you have the wrong person. If it had been me last night, you wouldn't be waking up right now."
Robin maintained her elegant and charming smile.
"Is that so? Then I must be mistaken." Allen chuckled along with her.
*If she could keep him from waking up, her skills must be pretty damn good.*
*Just to clarify, he meant her assassination skills.*
Allen walked over to the opposite sofa and sat down. Looking at the half-eaten breakfast on the table, he simply pulled the tray toward himself and asked,
"So, what do you want with me?"
"I was merely curious. I came to see what the person who abducted the rebel leader looks like."
Robin gazed at Allen, resting her chin in her hand with a smile. "I wanted to see exactly what kind of person could make Mr. 0 assemble his Officer Agents for an assassination."
"So, to sum it up, you're here to kill me?"
Allen glanced at her, then looked down at his tray. "You didn't poison this, did you?"
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not his subordinate; I'm his partner. Therefore, the people executing the assassination order do not include me."
Saying this, Robin pulled the tray back toward herself and said softly, "Besides, wouldn't it be a waste to poison such a delicious breakfast?"
"My chef would probably faint from happiness if he heard you say that."
Allen smiled, leaning back against the sofa as he faced Robin.
"In that case, you must be Miss All Sunday. What's your purpose in bringing me this intel? And don't give me that 'just curious' nonsense again."
Seeing Allen cut straight to the chase, Robin stopped beating around the bush and spoke frankly.
"I need someone to help me keep Mr. 0 in check. I originally planned on using someone else, but unfortunately, they didn't appreciate the gesture. Seeing as they likely won't be of any use now, I have to find a new partner."
"You want to kill Mr. 0?"
"Exactly. Rather than calling it a partnership, it's more accurate to say we're using each other. The successful execution of his plan benefits me, and I possess an ability he needs. However, I don't want the latter half of his plan to come to pass. Therefore..."
Robin stared directly into Allen's eyes. "When the time comes, I want you to cooperate with me to kill him. Naturally, you will receive ample benefits. I believe you won't refuse."
Allen looked at her with an intrigued expression. "This little drama is getting far too interesting. What benefits do I get?"
"The mastermind behind Baroque Works, Mr. 0, is actually Sir Crocodile of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. By defeating him, you can reap massive amounts of fame and wealth. As for the reason you should work with me..."
Robin stared earnestly into Allen's eyes, her voice lowering. "I know his weakness. At the critical moment, I can help you defeat him. Is that enough?"
...
After a moment of silence, Allen spoke up. "Defeating a Warlord of the Sea is indeed tempting enough for most pirates. It sounds like I have no reason to refuse."
"Of course. There's no downside for you, is there?"
Robin took a sip of her coffee, set it down, and smiled faintly.
She needed Crocodile to reach the Poneglyph, but she didn't want him to revive the Ancient Weapon. Nor did she have any desire to see a war break out, let alone seize control of the country.
However, for the sake of her own goals, she had no choice but to cooperate with Crocodile's schemes over the years, right up until the plan recently reached its final stages.
First, she intentionally allowed Vivi and Igaram—who had infiltrated Baroque Works—to tail her, letting them discover Mr. 0's true identity.
Unfortunately, their methods were far from brilliant, and they left behind flaws that Crocodile noticed.
Later, when the Mr. 5 pair was dispatched to eliminate Vivi and Igaram, she secretly followed behind, attempting to protect them from the shadows.
To her surprise, by the time she arrived, Vivi had already been saved by a group of pirates—the Straw Hat crew.
Meanwhile, she had been lured by Igaram's disguise and nearly boarded a ship packed with explosives. Fortunately, she saw through it in advance; otherwise, she would have been caught in his mutual-destruction suicide bombing.
Even though he was a fool, Robin still spared Igaram's life, placing him on a piece of drifting driftwood.
She knew that Mr. 5's failure didn't mean it was over. Crocodile would definitely send higher-ranking Officer Agents.
Thus, she boarded the Straw Hat crew's ship and gave them an Eternal Pose to the island closest to Alabasta, the 'Island of Nothingness'.
She hoped the Straw Hat crew would take Vivi and avoid the route where they would encounter the Officer Agents, while also sparing them the year-long wait required to set a Log Pose on Little Garden.
...And then the Eternal Pose was crushed to pieces by their captain.
At that point, Robin had given up all hope on them.
Whatever happened to this country in the end would be up to the heavens. If it was doomed to be destroyed, so be it. She had already done enough.
She thought Alabasta's fate was sealed, but who could have known that Allen's crew would change their course and land in Alabasta at this exact moment?
She had read the reports about what happened on Holiday Island. He was a highly ambitious rookie who had just entered the Grand Line, yet possessed the strength to clash with a pirate boasting a bounty of over a hundred million.
No matter how Robin looked at it, this potential partner seemed far more reliable than the Straw Hat crew.
Last night, Crocodile had ordered the assembly of the Officer Agents. She had only sent out the secret orders to the agents halfway through her own journey, finally managing to arrive a step ahead of them this morning.
That was what led to her current meeting with Allen.
Aside from preventing the genuine possibility of the Ancient Weapon Pluton being revived, she also needed to guard against Crocodile turning on her once she outlived her usefulness. If conditions permitted, she also hoped to minimize the casualties of the war.
Therefore, successfully forming an alliance with Allen would accomplish multiple goals at once.
Even though her initial goal had simply been to find a Poneglyph...
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