Chapter 194: The Turbulent Overture

"After all, that guy is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

The voice on the other end of the phone revealed fear that was impossible to conceal; even the tone of his speech trembled.

"I understand."

"I will handle this matter personally."

"Even among the Seven Warlords, there are differences."

Crocodile's voice seemed to possess a magic that could give people strength.

The Baroque Works agent on the other end of the receiver instantly calmed down.

He recalled the various difficulties faced since the founding of Baroque Works; in the hands of this man as leader, they all seemed to fade like a sea breeze.

Whether it was those colleagues who had long since perished in the sea, the great pirates who had inadvertently wandered into Baroque Works' hunting grounds, or even the crises triggered by investigations from the Marines or the World Government.

As long as the Boss acted, everything would eventually vanish into nothingness; for so many years, only Baroque Works had stood unshaken in Alabasta.

Yes.

The Seven Warlords are, after all, merely powerful pirates.

With the Boss's strength, how could he possibly lose to a Seven Warlord?

This Baroque Works agent gradually calmed down; after taking a deep breath, his tone revealed an unhidden flattery and eagerness to please:

"Boss, then we..."

"You continue to monitor every move of Gao Wen's pirate crew; if you don't want to die, don't do anything unnecessary."

"Yes!"

He hung up the phone.

Crocodile put down the Den Den Mushi, reached up, and pulled a slightly yellowed bounty poster from the drawer.

The front of the bounty poster was a photo of a handsome man with a full head of golden hair.

Below it were marked the bounty amount and specific information:

"Knight - Gao Wen, Bounty: 248,000,000 Berries."

"In just a short year since his debut, he fought his way all the way from the East Blue to the Grand Line."

"First, he crushed the branch Marines who opposed him, then defeated the former Seven Warlord Hanafuzza in Loguetown, and finally, even the former Marine Admiral Black Arm Zephyr, who came to subdue him, was defeated by your hand."

"Even the World Government has acknowledged your formidable power."

"Young and impetuous, full of high spirits..."

Crocodile recounted Gao Wen's information in a gentle tone, with even a hint of suppressed admiration in his voice:

"It's like him, truly like him."

"Twenty years ago, I was the same; I fought my way through the Grand Line until I reached the New World and saw that monster standing at the peak of the world."

Swish—!

Crocodile suddenly gripped the bounty poster in his hand tightly; his eyes revealed immense frustration and a hint of unwillingness hidden very deep.

He slumped back in his chair and sighed:

"This world is too vast; relying solely on individual strength is far from enough to conquer those monsters at the peak."

"But humans are not animals; they know how to seek advantage and avoid harm, and they know how to use tools. As long as I hold the Pluton, even if I face Whitebeard, what do I have to fear?!"

"Whitebeard taught me this lesson; let me teach you this lesson; that would not be a bad form of inheritance."

"Don't you agree?"

"Knight - Gao Wen!"

As the voice fell.

Crocodile's figure had already vanished from the office.

A sandstorm rose again in the sky outside the window.

More urgent, more wild, and more ferocious than ever before.

So much so that even sand grains merely flying through the air striking the face could leave a bloody mark on the faces of the town's commoners.

Thus, the commoners who had just stepped out of the windproof houses to clear the accumulated sand from the roads, amidst cries of alarm, retreated into the houses with bodies covered in wounds, looking out the window with faces full of panic.

They even saw the sandstorm blowing outside the window completely tear apart a small building.

"This is the great power of nature!"

Inside Shabao.

An old man wearing sunglasses looked at the disaster-like scene outside the window, his eyes revealing immense awe:

"Humans have ruled this world for countless years, yet have never truly conquered nature."

"Thousands of years have passed; earthquakes, storms, and volcanic eruptions remain disasters that human power cannot stop, just like the sky-filling yellow sand that dragged the entire Alabasta into a desperate situation."

"Humans are ultimately too small, and too arrogant."

On the other end.

Robin pushed open Crocodile's office door; the only thing she saw was a crumpled bounty poster lying on the desk.

She couldn't help but reach out and slowly unfold the bounty poster; immediately, a handsome face appeared before her eyes.

"Knight - Gao Wen, the man hailed as the most righteous in the East Blue?!"

In the midst of her words.

A hint of scrutiny shone in Robin's eyes.

Having wandered for nearly twenty years, she had long witnessed the evil hidden deepest within human nature; naturally, she could not easily trust others.

Even Crocodile, who currently provides her with temporary shelter, only values her ability to decipher the Poneglyphs.

But even so.

She still longs for a place to belong, a spot where she can truly sleep, and a group of people who can be called companions.

Rather, the lonelier a person is, the more they crave recognition and companionship.

And since the destruction of Ohara, she has been alone for over twenty years.

"A man who can make Crocodile angry?"

"How interesting..."

Robin slowly sat down, propping her chin with one hand, and murmured:

"I really want to see if you truly are as the rumors say, willing to prepare a final shelter even for a companion who has lost their utility."

"Hehehe~"

At the same time.

In a certain sea area of the Grand Line.

The seawater rose and fell uneasily, stretching all the way to the horizon; several Sea Kings leaped from the water, only to be startled back in the next instant.

This was because above the sky, several floating islands slowly swept over the sea surface, nearly blocking out all the sunlight.

Those were the floating islands named Strong World, also Shiki's airship warships, a headquarters suspended high in the sky.

At this moment, in the center of the floating island, inside a palace with a Wano Country style.

Shiki looked down from above, gazing at Spandam before him, and said indifferently:

"Do you know the news of Pluton?"

"That's right."

Spandam nodded repeatedly, his eyes flashing with an indescribable awe.

The moment he tried his utmost but still could not stand upright before Shiki.

He clearly realized.

Even after twenty years, even though Shiki was long past his peak, even though he was now in his twilight years and growing old, he was still that king capable of shaking the world.

A king who once competed for dominance with Luo Jie, but was ultimately defeated miserably by the heavens, and also the overlord sung of on the seas!

Spandam bent his knees.

Just like the way he once groveled before the Celestial Dragons.

And the bold words he once spoke to his son Spandine inside the CP organization were thrown straight into the nine heavens.

What power, what strength, all seemed too insignificant in the face of a life-or-death crisis.

Only by surviving is there hope!

Spandam understood this point, and he also clearly understood his only value to Shiki:

"My lord Shi Ji, I can give you the information on Pluton, on the condition that you provide me with shelter."

"Tsk..."

Shiki sneered, his disdain in his heart released almost without any concealment.

Spandam, kneeling on the ground, had no reaction to this; after all, he had long been used to kneeling, so how could he care about a little bit of dignity?

Seeing this, Shiki actually felt a bit of interest.

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

The sound of the sword tip piercing the ground made Spandam's scalp go numb; he raised his head only to find Shiki had walked right in front of him:

"Speak."

Spandam gritted his teeth and said:

"In a certain kingdom of this world, there is a Poneglyph recording the whereabouts of Pluton."

"Are you playing with me?"

Shiki's expression turned cold.

A surging Conqueror's Haki poured out in an instant, pressing down everyone in the entire palace until they could not breathe; Spandam, facing this domineering aura head-on, could not breathe at all and was directly pressed into the ground.

"Ohara was destroyed over ten years ago; even if you get the Poneglyph, no one can decipher it, that thing has long been just an ordinary stone."

Shiki raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose; his tone revealed a bit of annoyance, yet also an indescribable regret:

"If that bastard Luo Jie had agreed to my proposal back then, this world would have long been in our grasp."

"Well~"

"If that guy had really agreed to my proposal, he wouldn't be Gol D. Luo Jie."

"Hahahaha——!"

For a moment.

The arrogant and wild laughter echoed throughout the entire palace.

The violent Conqueror's Haki was like an endless torrent pouring out in all directions; the palace walls were even shaken and cracked.

Spandam felt his body as if subjected to a heavy pressure of hundreds or thousands of jin, his consciousness about to blur.

But the last lingering will to survive in his heart still forced him to barely maintain clarity; he struggled to speak:

"Someone can!"

"Ohara is not yet completely destroyed; one woman still lives."

"Nico Robin!"

"The reason she is wanted is not because she destroyed Ohara, but because she possesses the ability to decipher the Poneglyphs; she is Ohara's successor!"

"As long as we find her, we can decipher the Poneglyphs!"

"We will be able to find Pluton!"

Hah~

The ferocious Conqueror's Haki halted in an instant.

A trace of bewilderment flickered in Jin Shizi's eyes, yet in the next moment it turned into wild joy:

"Truly?!"

"Truly!"

"Where is that woman?!"

"We have no precise intelligence, but according to the CP organization's previous investigation results, she once appeared in Alabasta."

Spandam finally had the chance to catch his breath; he slowly stood up, feeling as though every bone in his body had nearly been crushed by the Jin Shizi.

The awe in his eyes had reached a point where it could hardly be concealed, making his tone appear excessively humble, far more so than when facing the Celestial Dragons.

This was because the former's power came from the World and from bloodline, while the Jin Shizi's power stemmed from his incomparably exaggerated strength.

"I suspect she may have some sort of deal with Crocodile."

"Crocodile?"

The Jin Shizi paused, a youthful face appearing before his eyes; he reached out and scratched his head:

"That arrogant brat from back then~"

"I originally wanted to take him in, but unfortunately, before he could even reach me, he was defeated by that guy Newgate."

"Well."

"It's not much of a trouble, but that woman Nico Robin and the Poneglyph in Alabasta..."

"I want them both!"

Several days later.

Whiskey Peak.

Vivi, accompanied by Jabra, searched the area for several days and finally managed to find a suitable target.

At this moment.

A group of five followed behind Nami and Chopper, who was holding cotton candy, moving stealthily, fearing to startle the prey in the distance.

A sharp glint flashed in Vivi's eyes:

"It's them!"

"I have confirmed that that woman and that... what was that thing again? A pet? A raccoon dog?"

Looking at Chopper, Vivi was momentarily unsure of the opponent's species; after some hesitation, she simply gave up and said:

"Never mind."

"Anyway, they are members of a pirate crew."

"To be honest."

"I feel that even if the two of them team up, they might not be my match."

Ikaram looked at Vivi's confident appearance, momentarily speechless, but ultimately could not bring himself to crush her confidence.

Jabra, standing nearby, asked suspiciously:

"That woman is indeed not strong, but that raccoon dog... is it some kind of Devil Fruit user?"

"However, it doesn't matter; they pose no threat to us."

"You randomly selected a target; it's impossible that you directly picked someone we can't deal with, right?"

(End of this chapter)