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worm novel 200 . xyz '
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The royal cemetery sat in the western district of the royal capital.
A group of people navigated through the vast and desolate graveyard. They only came to a halt upon reaching the entrance of a sacrificial hall.
Click!
Cobra pushed the stone statue of the guardian jackal deity. Almost immediately, a hidden underground passage appeared in the adjacent grassy patch.
"The item you seek lies beneath this underground palace!"
Turning around, Cobra looked at Lius and Ace. His eyes were filled with apprehension and complex emotions.
As the twelfth-generation king of the Nefertari family, his bloodline had rooted themselves in this desert for generations. Their sole purpose was to protect the Poneglyphs hidden beneath this palace.
Or to be exact, they were protecting the whereabouts of the ancient weapon Pluton.
It was a terrifying weapon capable of obliterating an entire island with a single shot.
Yet this centuries-old pact was being broken in Cobra's generation.
No. If they entered the underground palace, he would bury himself right here with these pirates to protect Pluton's whereabouts!
But Cobra seemed to realize something the next moment. A hint of resolve flashed through his eyes as he looked up at Lius.
"As the trade for acquiring Pluton's whereabouts, can you let my daughter go now?"
He had already made his decision.
He planned to bury the secret underground along with these ambitious schemers.
However.
Lius completely ignored this. He carried Vivi over to the sacrificial hall's entrance and gently set her down. Following that, he simply sat on the steps.
"I can't read the Poneglyphs!" he explained, looking at Cobra.
He then waved Ace over so they could sit on the steps and wait together.
Cobra froze upon hearing this, completely failing to react for a long moment.
"Then what are you doing now?" he asked in pure confusion.
"Oh, naturally I'm waiting for someone. I'm waiting for the Seven Warlords' Crocodile!"
Lius responded with a faint smile, making no effort to hide his intentions.
This answer was completely beyond Cobra's expectations.
The underground palace's hidden passage was already open. The clues to the ancient weapon Pluton were right in front of them, an alluring prize capable of driving any pirate or even the world government entirely mad. Any other pirate, or even Cobra himself, would find it impossible to hold back.
Let alone doing something as absurd as sitting down to wait for the enemy.
Looking at Lius and Ace, and then at the sleeping Vivi on the steps, Cobra knitted his brows tightly together.
Clink! Clatter!
An unknown amount of time passed before the sound of colliding metal echoed from outside the cemetery.
It was Nami!
She was back.
She carried a large sack that was half as tall as a person.
"Even though Alabasta is a desert kingdom and our treasury's wealth can't compare to other nations, it shouldn't be limited to just this much!"
Cobra couldn't help but speak up at this point.
The confusion in his eyes deepened.
Clatter!
The sack was dropped in front of the sacrificial hall.
Nami sat down beside Lius and turned to smile at Cobra. "I only took 80 million beli worth of items. This is just a deposit. You still owe us the rest. We'll come back to collect it when we have some free time later!"
Having said that, she hooked her arms around Lius's arm and gazed off into the distant night.
Ace was playing with fire in his palm out of pure boredom.
Vivi was sleeping soundly beside them.
Seeing this, Cobra also sat cross-legged by the hidden passage and joined the waiting party.
They didn't have to wait for long.
The allure of the ancient weapon Pluton and the Poneglyphs recording its location was enough to make Crocodile, who had schemed for many years, want to obtain it at all costs.
Moreover, even if Crocodile didn't dare to come.
Robin, who was obsessed with history, would definitely find a way to make Crocodile show up.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of footsteps echoed from the distant darkness.
Four faintly visible figures approached from afar, gradually entering everyone's line of sight.
"Is this the Seven Warlords? What a terrifying aura!"
"The great pirate of the Seven Warlords disguised as a national hero!"
Nami and Ace exclaimed in low voices.
"It seems I understand now. The ancient weapon Pluton is Crocodile's true target!"
Cobra suddenly realized something, a bitter smile surfacing on his face.
Leading the group was naturally the Seven Warlords member, Sand Crocodile, who was draped in a black fur coat.
"You brats sure have a lot of nerve!"
Crocodile's dull eyes were brimming with murderous intent when he saw Lius and the other two sitting on the steps.
But his pupils shrank violently the next moment. His expression shifted drastically as he noticed the opened hidden passage in the nearby grass.
"This hidden passage..."
Crocodile's eyes turned completely red.
Beside him, a flash of astonishment crossed Nico Robin's eyes.
Deep shock surfaced on her wheat-colored face.
"If my guess is correct, the end of this underground palace holds the..."
"Kuahaha, it's my ideal world!"
Crocodile burst into loud laughter and interrupted Robin before she could finish.
Beside the two of them were Mr. 2 Bon Clay and the assassin Mr. 1, Daz Bonez. Although they didn't quite understand what was happening, they could sense their boss's ecstatic mood.
"Ideals are merely realities that only those with strength have the right to speak of!"
Lius slowly stood up from the steps and stretched his limbs. He gave a faint smile. "What right does a loser who fled the New World and scurried back to Paradise like a stray dog have to talk about ideals?"
The moment these words were spoken.
Crocodile's laughter stopped abruptly. He glared at Lius, making no effort to hide his fierce killing intent.
"Brat, are you tired of life?"
"Don't misunderstand. I'm merely stating a fact."
Seeing that Crocodile was about to strike, Lius quickly waved his hand to urge him to calm down. He then looked at the tall woman beside Crocodile, raising his hand in a gentlemanly inviting gesture. "Nico Robin. Born in Ohara, West Blue. Profession, archaeologist!"
"Well, our ship lacks a scholar like you!"
Lius maintained direct eye contact with Robin and offered a faint smile. "Rather than cooperating with a loser, you might as well board my ship. That's the future of the new era!"
Silence fell.
The entire royal cemetery plunged into a dead silence.
Everyone, from Cobra to Crocodile and his crew, was left completely dumbfounded.
Even Robin herself slightly parted her lips and froze on the spot.
However, Crocodile lived up to his reputation as a ruthless overlord.
He regained his composure in less than three seconds. Looking at Lius, Ace, and the rest, he barked, "Kill them!"
Upon his command.
The assassin Bonez, who was accustomed to following his orders, and Bon Clay quickly stepped forward and charged straight at Lius.
But they were sent flying back even faster than they approached.
Bang! Boom!
The two of them flew backward like sandbags, smashing through dozens of gravestones before crashing to the ground.
Nami dusted off her hands as if brushing away invisible dirt. A look of disgust crossed her face. "What exactly do you guys think you're doing to Lius?"
Ace buried his face in his hands and shouted in pure agony. "Why do I have to be the one fighting?"
He had firmly resolved to be a Captain before setting sail. Yet here he was, unknowingly acting as Lius's shield and fighting battles that a Captain shouldn't be bothered with.
This was simply torture for him!!