Chapter 40

This proposal is excellent—it strikes right at the heart of the matter.

But...

"We're too passive, and this leaves us with no escape," Robin shook his head. "If Alabasta finds out I've betrayed him, there's a high chance he'll change his plan. Of course, he might still go through with it, confident enough to come kill us troublemakers—then... are you certain you can defeat Crocodile, a Warlord of the Sea?"

That is indeed a problem.

Crocodile, user of the Sand-Sand Fruit, a rare Logia-type, possesses the ability to turn into sand and become immune to most attacks.

Although Robin also mentioned his flaw—he must solidify upon contact—still...

Logia-types are most famous for their control over an element—don't they have long-range skills?

Instinctively,

some looked toward Sima Di, others toward Luffy.

How should we decide?

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39. Widely recognized genius! Capricious Luffy!

Everyone looking at Luffy is fine—he's the captain of this ship.

But...

"Why are you all looking at me?" Sima Di asked, puzzled.

Don't want...

"Sima, you're the smartest on this ship—do you have a plan?" The one who spoke was Luffy.

He showed no sense at all of the captain's authority.

"Sima-chan, if it's you, you'll surely come up with the perfect plan!" Robin declared confidently.

"Exactly! Sima must have the perfect plan!" Nami nodded in agreement.

The others also voiced their agreement.

Wow!

You've raised me so high—I can't avoid giving you something useful now?

"Alright, then I'll give a brief analysis."

"The core issue of Alabasta's civil unrest is that King Cobra, Vivi's father, was framed by Crocodile using the Dance Powder, causing droughts across other cities for three years."

"This was the spark."

"To smoothly take over Alabasta afterward, Crocodile has been hunting pirates within Alabasta, becoming a hero in the eyes of the common people."

"So if we simply announce this news—especially from the 'selfish royal family'—they won't believe it. Instead, they'll think the royal family is slandering the kingdom's hero who threatens their throne."

Sima Di paused, giving everyone time to absorb this.

"And Vivi's goal isn't to expose Crocodile—it's to prevent more casualties, correct?"

Vivi nodded in agreement.

"So our real focus isn't protecting Cobra—it's preventing the rebel army and royal army from launching a full-scale war!"

Hearing this, Vivi's eyes lit up!

"Kossa, the rebel leader, is my childhood friend—I can definitely convince him if I meet him!" Vivi said confidently.

But Sima Di shook his head.

"Crocodile will think of this simple logic too... Robin, didn't you say Mr. 2 of Baroque Works is a Paramecia-type with the ability to mimic others?"

Vivi instantly understood!

Besides disguising himself as Cobra to provoke conflict between the royal and rebel armies, Mr. 2 could also impersonate Kossa, forcing the rebels to fight the royal army without any negotiation!

Moreover,

Crocodile surely knows Kossa's location—going to find him now might actually put him in danger...

Vivi felt despair rising!

How can we break this deadlock now?

Must we only passively guard Cobra?

Even if we do,

Crocodile can still have Mr. 2 impersonate Kossa, and bloodshed will still follow.

"Actually... there's another way—guaranteed to reduce casualties to the absolute minimum, even nearly zero," Sima Di said, looking at Vivi. "But it will deal a massive blow to the royal family's dignity."

Vivi clung to this last straw, gazing hopefully at Sima Di.

The silent Icarium also spoke: "Please, Mr. Sima, enlighten us."

"No need for enlightenment—my suggestion is..."

After hearing Sima Di's words,

Icarium, who had been polite moments before, widened his eyes in shock!

"Impossible!" he cried out. "If we do this, the royal family's prestige will..."

"No! Icarium! This plan is the most suitable!" Vivi declared firmly. "Let's follow Sima's advice—we return to Alubarna first, then..."

"I disagree!"

The sudden objection came from Luffy—the very one who had originally urged Sima Di to propose a plan.

"This is too frustrating! Why not just find Crocodile and punch him into orbit?" Luffy said confidently.

Indeed, it was the most direct solution.

But the prerequisite for everything is to be able to defeat Crocodile!

But seeing Luffy's state, everyone helplessly exchanged glances.

He cannot be persuaded.

Luffy; Deer,!''? Everyone could only look at Sima Di, leaving it up to you.

Sima Di did not intend to persuade Luffy either.

—If he doesn't cause trouble, how can I sign in for the famous scene?

Moreover,

Having already unlocked Gear Second and Gear Third, facing a flawed Old Sand, it truly remains to be seen who will win.

"Then let's split into two groups," Sima Di said. "One team goes with Vivi to Alabasta to execute the plan just mentioned, ensuring the lowest casualties. One team follows Luffy to find Crocodile and execute the decapitation plan."

This is also the most suitable plan for now.

Splitting the teams is also very simple:

Those with combat power go with Luffy, those without go with Vivi.

In the end,

Luffy, Sima Di, Sanji, Zoro, and Robin formed one team, responsible for the decapitation operation.

The rest formed a team with Vivi.

Among them,

Laboon, Chopper, and Usopp all possess a certain amount of combat power.

But the former two cannot adapt to the hot climate; the desert they must cross to reach Rainbase is too torturous for them.

As for Usopp...

He is simply just a coward.

—Curcus insisted he was a combat power of five trash, wanting to stay with Laboon and continue guiding Chopper's studies.

"Very well, before this, we have one more thing to do, which is..."

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40. A new routine that refreshes Smoker's worldview! Ace appears!

"Given that Mr. 2 has the possibility of turning into anyone, so..."

"Everyone, make a distinguishing mark!"