At the port of Alabasta, after receiving Crocodile's promise, many young Alabastans made up their minds—they wanted to join Baroque Works.
Amidst the admiring gazes of the crowd, Crocodile waved his hand and left the port, heading for Rainbase.
"Welcome back, Lord Crocodile!"
At Rain Dinners, a large number of Alabasta citizens were also waiting. Worried that the port would be too crowded, they had settled for waiting at the entrance of Rain Dinners.
Crocodile once again feigned honor, chatted with them briefly, and promised that Baroque Works would recruit new members before entering his second-floor office.
Click—the heavy office door closed, and Crocodile's expression instantly changed.
The utterly hypocritical smile vanished, replaced by a cold, indifferent look. The murderous intent flickering in his eyes made him seem like a completely different person.
"Hmph, a bunch of fools. If it weren't for that guy, I'd have turned you all into slaves long ago." Crocodile's face darkened as he recalled the citizens at the port.
It had been too long since he had experienced what true Pirate life was like.
Now, he felt like nothing more than a dutiful Navy officer.
Navy!
Crocodile slammed the cup on his desk to the ground, venting his frustration.
Because of Raleigh's presence, Crocodile was forced to suppress his ambitions, slaughter Pirates, and maintain his image among the people, leaving him utterly stifled.
After a brief rest, Crocodile stood up.
He pressed a few hidden spots on his luxurious executive chair, and suddenly, a secret door appeared in the office—this was his true secret.
Even when Raleigh had visited last time, he hadn't detected the location of Crocodile's hidden chamber.
Pushing open the secret door, he entered a narrow, dark corridor and passed through an area inhabited by Banana Gators before finally reaching the underground office.
Crocodile sat directly in the even larger executive chair and began to rest with his eyes closed.
This recent spree of killing Pirates had been rushed; he had been slaughtering nonstop to return ahead of schedule, fearing it would delay his true plans.
After a long while, he pressed a button on the desk.
Not long after, Baroque Works executive Viola arrived at Crocodile's office.
"Boss, were you looking for me?"
Crocodile opened his eyes and glanced at Viola before speaking. "Have you found any information on the Devil Child, Nico Robin?"
Viola replied cautiously, "Boss, we currently have no confirmed information on Nico Robin, but a Black Market informant sold me an unverified lead. It is said that someone has seen Nico Robin appear in the Polar North Country of the North Blue."
Upon hearing the information about Nico Robin, Crocodile's eyes flashed with a sharp gleam. "Then hurry and send someone to verify if it's true."
Viola wore a troubled expression. "Boss, we are severely short-handed right now. We can't even fully control the interior of Alabasta, let alone the Polar North Country far away in the North Blue."
"Moreover, it is said that there is a mysterious force in the Polar North Country, which is very likely one of the important bases of the Revolutionary Army. Sending our people there would be like entering a dragon's den or a tiger's lair—ordinary individuals cannot handle it."
Crocodile felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.
He hadn't expected that a remote country like the Polar North Country would have connections with the Revolutionary Army.
But upon careful thought, it made sense.
No one knows where the Revolutionary Army's headquarters is, and the Polar North Country is a weakly governed nation under the World Government's control.
Still, he felt deeply unwilling. "Don't worry about manpower for now. Next, our Baroque Works will recruit a large number of people. We'll use these Alabastans to fight the Pirates in our place. Additionally, increase contact with the information brokers in the Black Market. Tell them that as long as they can confirm Nico Robin's information, no matter how high the price, we can afford it."
Crocodile didn't care much about Belly.
At his level, a small amount of money meant nothing.
He could easily earn hundreds of millions by casually plundering a few cargo ships, as he belonged to the Seven Warlords of the Sea and could legally plunder.
Compared to Belly, what he needed more was Nico Robin. Only Nico Robin could decipher the Poneglyph preserved by the Alabasta royal family.
Crocodile was absolutely certain that he could find the legendary Ancient Weapon Pluton from this Poneglyph.
Using Pluton to dominate the world—that was Crocodile's ambition.
Upon hearing this, Viola nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Boss, I will immediately arrange contact with the information brokers."
A trace of weariness flashed across Crocodile's brow.
He rubbed his temples and asked, "How is the formation of Baroque Works progressing now?"
"Boss, our Baroque Works is now on the right track," Viola replied confidently. "Most of the people have been assigned to combat roles, and we have recruited many officers as well. However, because we need to suppress the Pirates, a large number of officers are currently dispersed at the exit of Reverse Mountain and Whisky Peak."
"Whisky Peak is under the responsibility of Mr. 1, but he is facing some trouble now. Many powerful Bounty Hunters want to stay in our town but are unwilling to follow our commands."
Crocodile's eyes turned ice-cold. He never expected that in Alabasta, anyone would dare to cross him.
Apart from Raleigh, Crocodile had never suffered a loss at the hands of anyone else.
Due to Whitebeard's early death, Crocodile never had the chance to challenge Whitebeard.
The only one who had thoroughly defeated him was Christian Raleigh.
"Hmph, trying to scheme against me? They should be careful not to break their own teeth!"
When the idea of the town was first proposed, Baroque Works had already conducted similar contingency planning, though at the time, most of the organization's executives treated it as a joke.
After all, Crocodile's covert power in Alabasta already surpassed that of the king.
In their view, whatever their boss created, others only needed to follow the rules.
The unique geographical location of Whisky Peak meant that the place would inevitably attract a steady stream of Pirates in the future—each representing a wealth of Belly and bounties to be claimed.
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator