"And then…"
Crocodile slowly lowered his head, no longer wasting words, and said directly:
"Although the Nefertari family was not one of the original First Twenty,
it is an indisputable fact that they controlled the Ancient Weapon, Pluton!
Olvia was absolutely certain about this and told me so herself!"
A heavy silence fell over everyone again.
But this time, all eyes were drawn to Vivi.
No one had expected that the stranded princess who had been traveling with them for a while would harbor such a massive secret!
Curious gazes scanned her incessantly, and Vivi didn't dare lift her head to meet anyone's eyes.
Her delicate pink fists were clenched tightly.
Just when Luffy thought she would remain silent forever,
the princess unexpectedly spoke up, admitting the truth:
"That's right!"
"The whereabouts of the Ancient Weapon, Pluton, are indeed under the control of the Nefertari family!"
"Vivi…"
Nami looked at Vivi, feeling a strange unfamiliarity, unsure how to comfort her.
After all…
The world had been unbearably cruel to her.
Though she was a princess, she had none of the arrogance of nobility.
Though she was a fragile girl, she carried the weight of an entire nation on her shoulders.
Though she had done everything right, every effort made with sincerity, the world's blows kept coming, relentless and merciless, giving her no respite.
At that moment, ordinary people couldn't begin to fathom the sacrifices Vivi had made.
This was her family's secret, safeguarded for eight centuries!
And now, layer by layer, it was being stripped away, leaving her exposed.
She was starting to fear…
She feared that if she didn't compromise, the Starry Sky Pirates might do something reckless.
They were such overwhelmingly powerful beings; she knew that just a few days of interaction wouldn't earn their sympathy or mercy.
One Crocodile alone had caused chaos in Arabasta.
From her understanding of Luffy and the others over the past days, they would do whatever it took to achieve their goals.
So it was better to lay her cards on the table herself.
At least that way, her dignity, the dignity of a royal, could be preserved in some form.
These were the thoughts flashing through Vivi's mind in just a few seconds.
She had decided that as long as it meant protecting her country and her people, today…
She could sacrifice everything!!!
It was impossible not to respect Vivi for this commitment to her people.
Yet…
Vivi had accurately understood how Luffy and his crew operated.
But the weak remain weak.
Like a frog in a well cannot understand the ocean, like a summer insect cannot understand ice.
Vivi's perspective could never catch up to Luffy's way of thinking.
Pluton? Ancient Weapon?
Nothing more than a highly destructive warship.
How could any ship in this world compare to the Going Merry in Luffy's heart?!
The best ship was the Going Merry!
The strongest weapon was themselves!
What the rest of the world spent a lifetime chasing was just a trinket in their eyes!
Vivi's delicate features quivered as she closed her eyes tightly, long lashes trembling.
A bright, warm voice suddenly spoke in her ear:
"We'll take care of the rebellion for you."
Luffy, with his back to her, left only a mysterious silhouette and said no more.
Instead, he turned his gaze back to Crocodile:
"Although I feel it's a little inappropriate to ask… I'm curious why Robin's mother chose the people of Ohara instead of you…
Was there some hidden reason?"
Luffy wasn't trying to hurt Crocodile intentionally.
Thanks to Sanji, he had learned that in this world, there was a hidden force, the power of bloodlines!
Ohara, Robin's homeland.
According to the original story, the scholars who perished there mentioned a massive lost kingdom during the Void Century.
Its name? Ohara.
Sparse population, yet an enormous outpouring of learned scholars.
This wasn't just about having lots of books.
Every successful scholar there had intelligence far beyond ordinary people.
Robin herself had shown an unparalleled academic talent since childhood.
Perhaps Robin's mother pursued this extraordinary power, which is why she abandoned Crocodile…
Well, Luffy admitted it, his curiosity about gossip was starting to flare up.
Hearing Luffy's question, Crocodile went silent for a long while. Then, he sighed:
"Ahh…"
As if reminiscing about the past, his eyes deepened, recalling old stories:
"Actually, Olvia didn't do anything wrong…
It's just…
I… loved her too much!!!"
"If I had changed into this self earlier, perhaps none of this would have happened…"
Whoosh!
The Starry Sky Pirates immediately perked up.
Gossip, after all, is human nature, some things you can't resist.
Luffy examined Crocodile thoroughly, head to toe.
Slicked-back hair, a scar across his face, multiple expensive rings, constantly puffing a cigar.
In scorching Arabasta, he wore a thick fur coat, looking every bit the nouveau riche who had never seen the world.
Not exactly the type a woman would fall for…
Probably only a gold-digger would notice those gemstones on his fingers!
But…
Robin's mother, such an ambitious, ideal-driven scholar…
How could she have liked Crocodile in this state?!
Luffy's questioning gaze settled on Crocodile.
Crocodile, as if expecting it, didn't seem surprised and continued:
"Decades ago…
My name was not Crocodile.
I changed it when I entered the New World."
"My original name was Cloridal… and I was a woman."
Gasp…!!!
At these words, the Starry Sky Pirates all stepped back simultaneously, eyes wide with disbelief.
A fierce, intimidating man suddenly claims he was once a woman…
Wouldn't that scare you?!
Only Luffy didn't retreat. He slowly leaned back, feet hovering, still shocked, whispering:
"Co…could it be… the Horm-Horm Fruit!?"
"Huh!?"
Crocodile glanced at Luffy, slightly surprised, then spoke slowly:
"I didn't expect you to know so much…"
Horm-Horm Fruit, the Devil Fruit of Iva, the trans leader in the Revolutionary Army.
It can secrete hormones into the body, controlling body temperature, pigmentation, growth, emotions, and even alter sex.
No wonder… no wonder!!!
No wonder Robin's mother didn't stay with Crocodile!
The real reason was this!!!
The person who adventured with Robin's mother wasn't Crocodile, but Cloridal!!!
A woman couldn't be with another woman!
Reality, it seemed, was even stranger than imagination!
Luffy looked up, eyes complex, staring at Crocodile, momentarily at a loss for words.
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