Chapter 82: It Seems We Can Recruit the Whole World
Eh? Eh? Are-re?
Yumesaki stared at Nico Robin, who was speaking so eloquently in front of him, with a completely dazed expression. Wait, wasn't I just an ordinary guy who liked traveling and good food? Why did I suddenly become this world-ending monster capable of taking on the World Government directly in Robin's eyes?
Did I miss a page somewhere?
Just as Yumesaki was beginning to doubt his own reality, Robin kept right on going.
"Mr. Yumesaki, Shiki the Golden Lion might be arrogant, but after losing his legs and living with a ship's steering wheel stuck in his skull, he's been half-insane for a long time. If you helped him recover, he would naturally submit."
"Whitebeard is old and ailing. If he wants to return to his prime, he needs your help."
"Big Mom is even simpler. If she wants to build a family encompassing all races, she cannot do it without your resources."
"Fujitora is a man of great virtue. If he knew you intended to save the world, he would join without hesitation."
"Gild Tesoro is the easiest of all. That man is obsessed with Stella. If you could resurrect her, he would kneel before you and give you everything he owns."
"Ryokugyu is a bit of a problem, though. He's a fanatic worshipper of the Celestial Dragons, so it's probably better to just kill him."
"Zephyr has been fed up with the World Government for a long time; otherwise, he wouldn't have left the Navy. Recruiting him would be trivial."
"Garp is stubborn, sure, but if he knew the World Government was set on destroying the world, he would never stand by their side."
"We could even use Garp to convince Aokiji to join our faction."
"Kizaru and Vegapunk are close friends. If we recruit Vegapunk, it's highly likely we can convince Kizaru to switch sides as well."
"The Navy is full of people who believe in true Justice. Vice Admiral Tsuru and Momousagi Gion are all viable targets for recruitment."
"Wait, wait, wait... stop!"
Seeing that Robin was prepared to keep rambling indefinitely, Yumesaki hurriedly cut her off, scratching his head in exasperation.
"Are you sure any of this will actually work? Why does it sound like you think every single expert in the world is just waiting to be recruited?"
Robin gave a little laugh. "We have the World Government to thank for that. If they hadn't spent the last eight hundred years acting so inhumanely, I might not have such an easy time finding recruits."
"In short, according to my plan, toppling the World Government is not an impossible dream."
"However, the prerequisite for all of this is your help, Mr. Yumesaki."
"Only if you personally step forward can I make this plan a reality."
Robin looked at Yumesaki with eyes that practically sparkled with expectation. Yumesaki sighed. "You're aware of the situation, right? I'm not from this world."
Robin nodded. "I know."
"The life or death of this world really has nothing to do with me."
Robin continued to nod. "I know that as well."
"Since you know that, why are you still asking me to help?"
Robin kept nodding. "Because I know you are a man who loves peace. I've been to your world, Mr. Yumesaki. I've explored your internet and seen what your world looks like."
"I know you enjoy sightseeing and food, and that you dislike conflict and killing."
"But here is the problem: if our world is destroyed..."
"Where will you go for your vacations? Where will you find the unique cuisines of our world?"
"You wouldn't want to lose this beautiful world, would you, Mr. Yumesaki?"
Yumesaki: "..."
Please stop talking like that, Miss Nico Robin. You're being a bit too dramatic.
However, she did have a point. Yumesaki was genuinely fond of the food in this world. If things got so chaotic because of the World Government that he could no longer enjoy a good meal, it really would be a huge loss.
"Alright, I get it."
Yumesaki finally caved. "I'll help you with this. But how these things are executed and how you actually go about recruiting these people... that's on you. I'm just here to provide the backing."
"No problem at all," Robin agreed instantly. "Then, from this day forward, I shall call you 'Boss.'"
"Whatever you like." Yumesaki asked curiously, "So, who's the first person on your list?"
Robin didn't hesitate. "Naturally, my former employer—Crocodile."
Yumesaki's face immediately twisted into a look of disgust. No matter how you looked at it, Crocodile wasn't a good person. For the sake of the Ancient Weapon Pluton, he had orchestrated the Dance Powder incident in Alabasta, causing the deaths of countless innocent people.
In Yumesaki's original world, a guy like that wouldn't just be executed; people would want to shoot him for five minutes straight and it still wouldn't feel like enough.
But since the people he hurt weren't from Yumesaki's world, he didn't feel like lecturing her.
"Ah, Boss, it seems you don't like him very much."
Robin picked up on his reaction immediately.
Yumesaki nodded. "I just don't like the way he does things. In my world, what Crocodile did is called 'bringing disaster to the nation and its people.' He would be severely punished, and his name would be dragged through the mud forever."
"In that case, let's forget about him."
Robin dropped Crocodile without a second thought.
In the world of One Piece, the Captain of a crew was the absolute authority. Whatever the Captain decided, a subordinate could offer advice or suggestions, but they were never to argue or refuse—let alone oppose them. It was an absolute rule.
In the original story, Usopp was nearly kicked out of the Straw Hat Pirates for breaking that very rule.
Nico Robin knew very well that to save her world and overthrow the World Government, she needed Yumesaki's power. Therefore, Yumesaki's preferences were her highest priority.
Since Yumesaki disliked Crocodile, Crocodile was off the list. Simple as that.
Besides, there was no shortage of experts in this world. Losing one Crocodile didn't bother her in the slightest.
Yumesaki was actually a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Robin to value his opinion so much. Just because he was dissatisfied with the guy, she abandoned him without hesitation.
This feeling of being respected—or even feared—was... actually kind of nice.
No wonder so many people want to be at the top.
No wonder the Celestial Dragons all feel like they're the center of the universe. When you're worshipped for that long, you naturally start thinking you're the only ruler of the world.
The longer it goes, the less you care about others—or even the value of life itself.
No wonder there are so few wise leaders in history, but so many tyrants.
Yumesaki cleared his throat. "You don't have to worry about me too much. To be fair, Crocodile's strength is decent. The fact that he gets a 1.9 billion bounty in the future shows he rediscovered his Haki. He's a high-level combatant."
Robin replied calmly, "We aren't lacking in high-level combat power. As long as you are willing to grant them the ability to extract Chakra, we can mass-produce high-level fighters."
Chakra was simply too practical.
Ever since Robin had gained access to it, her strength had skyrocketed.
What about people like Shimotsuki Ryuma or Kaido?
If monsters like that gained the power of Chakra, how strong would they become? It was honestly terrifying to imagine.
Therefore, in Robin's eyes, Crocodile was a small fish.
Yumesaki's happiness was the only thing that truly mattered.
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