Chapter 91: Luring the Tiger Out of the Mountain
"There's no need to rush."
Kazuma Yumesaki wasn't particularly bothered by Tsunade's growing impatience, but there were certain things that needed to be ironed out first.
"If we just wanted to extract Vegapunk himself, we could act at any moment. But since our goal is to take the entirety of Egghead Island, we need a flawless plan."
What kind of place was Egghead Island? It was a state-of-the-art laboratory built by the World Government specifically for Vegapunk's use.
To keep a tight leash on the world's greatest scientist, the World Government hadn't just stationed Kizaru there—the Admiral who commanded the Marine Science Force and provided Vegapunk with absolute protection. Even one of the Five Elders, the Warrior God of Science and Defense, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, frequently made appearances to monitor the progress of Vegapunk's experiments.
Forget an ordinary person; even one of the Four Emperors might not be able to get close to a place like that. Taking Egghead Island away right from under the World Government's nose was no simple feat.
Robin spoke up calmly, "I have an idea... to lure the tiger away from the mountain."
"And how exactly do we do that?"
Robin offered a faint, knowing smile as she laid out the details of her plan. After listening to her explanation, Yumesaki burst into a boisterous laugh, clapping his hands together. "Perfect. Let's go with that."
The very next day, Big News Morgans splashed a massive headline across the front page of the World Economy News Paper.
The great hero of the Alabasta Kingdom and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Sir Crocodile, was not only the mastermind behind the frame-up of the King regarding the use of Dance Powder, but he was also the primary architect behind the entire conspiracy.
His ultimate goal? To trigger a civil war within the Alabasta Kingdom in a desperate search for one of the three Ancient Weapons hidden beneath the sands... Pluton!
In an instant, the news that Pluton was hidden in Alabasta spread like wildfire across the globe. The entire world was thrown into an uproar by the revelation, and every eye on the sea turned toward the desert kingdom.
At that same moment, inside Rain Dinners—a sprawling casino in Rainbase, Alabasta.
Crocodile's hand trembled with pure, unadulterated rage as he stared at the morning paper. He had been so close. Just a little more, and his plan would have reached its fruition, only for Morgans to blow the whole thing wide open.
Now, the entire world knew he was hunting for Pluton. The World Government's gaze was undoubtedly fixed on him now. His chances of actually securing the weapon had plummeted to near zero.
Crocodile understood the might of the World Government better than most. Once they decided to move, his fate would be grim. But what he couldn't wrap his head around was how Morgans had discovered his private thoughts and motivations.
He had been meticulous. Not even the high-ranking members of Baroque Works knew his true objective. He had never revealed this to anyone... No, wait. There was one person.
His second-in-command, the Vice-President of Baroque Works, Miss All Sunday—Nico Robin.
But Crocodile couldn't fathom why Robin would do this. Didn't she realize that this would draw the World Government's attention to her as well?
"Just what is the meaning of this, Nico Robin?"
Since he couldn't understand it, he decided to ask the source directly. Crocodile transformed into a swirling sandstorm, whipping through the casino until he found Robin, who was casually admiring some flowers. He materialized and clamped a hand firmly around her throat.
"Indeed... I wonder why?" Robin tilted her head, meeting Crocodile's gaze with an eerily calm expression.
"I'm asking you!" Crocodile snarled. "Why did you do this? Have you forgotten that the World Government is hunting you too, Devil Child?"
Robin sighed softly. "To be honest, I'm just as confused as you are, Boss. I'm quite curious myself—why would my original body do such a thing?"
Original body? What original body?
Crocodile looked momentarily stunned, unable to grasp what she was talking about. "What kind of game are you playing?"
Robin gave a small, thin smile. "That's a question only my real self can answer, Boss. That is... assuming you ever actually meet her."
As soon as the words left her lips, the Robin in his grasp suddenly erupted into a cloud of white smoke. Poof. Just like that, she vanished right before his eyes.
A cold chill, unlike anything he had ever felt, washed over Crocodile's entire body. He hadn't even realized that the Robin who had been by his side day and night wasn't the real person, but some kind of doll or Clone.
How had she done it? When had she made the switch?
Wasn't she a user of the Flower-Flower Fruit? Since when did the Hana Hana no Mi have a Shadow Clone-like ability?
Crocodile was baffled, but he knew one thing for certain: he was in deep trouble. Robin was gone, which meant someone had to take the fall. It wasn't hard to guess who the World Government would vent their fury on.
In that moment, Crocodile almost laughed from the sheer absurdity of it. He, a man who spent his life trapping others, had been trapped himself. Nico Robin had given him a very expensive lesson: never, ever underestimate anyone.
Meanwhile, as the news of Pluton and Crocodile sent shockwaves through the seas.
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, the Warrior God of Science and Defense who had been stationed at Egghead Island, was immediately summoned back to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise to deliberate with the other members of the Five Elders.
Inside Pangea Castle, the Five Elders gathered.
Saint Saturn had barely arrived and hadn't even settled into his seat when Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro spoke up in a level tone. "Crocodile's attempt to seek out Pluton is a direct violation of the World Government's ultimate taboo. I propose we immediately revoke his status as one of the Seven Warlords, arrest him, and imprison him in Impel Down."
Not a single one of the Elders raised an objection. In fact, they were in total agreement.
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter added coldly, "Regardless of who they are, anyone who crosses that line must be dealt with decisively."
At the same time, Saint Marcus Mars asked with a deep frown, "Is Pluton truly hidden within the Alabasta Kingdom?"
Saint Saturn took a moment to reply. "I cannot say for certain. However, Queen Lili was no ordinary figure. It is entirely possible that Alabasta holds information regarding Pluton."
At the mention of Queen Lili from eight hundred years ago, the expressions of the Five Elders turned grave. She was a woman who was never easy to handle. Back then, she could have easily become a Celestial Dragon, yet she walked away from that status to return to Alabasta. Heaven only knew what she was actually planning.
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter spoke again. "Whether Pluton is actually there or not, we cannot afford to be lax. We must act immediately. Pluton—or even a mere hint of its location—must never fall into the hands of pirates."
"Agreed."
"Seconded."
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro noted, "Crocodile is no small fry. The question is, who do we send to apprehend him and bring him to Impel Down?"
"He once challenged Whitebeard; his strength is considerable. A standard Vice Admiral likely won't be a match for him."
"Let Garp handle it. His strength is more than enough to crush Crocodile."
"That man is too arrogant and uncontrollable. There's no guarantee he'll follow orders."
"In that case, send Aokiji."
"A sound choice."
"Agreed."
After their discussion, they settled on sending Admiral Aokiji to capture Crocodile. Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro immediately put a call through to Fleet Admiral Sengoku to relay the command.
"Understood. I will dispatch Aokiji at once."
Sengoku also realized the gravity of the Pluton situation. Whether the news was true or not, it had to be treated as fact. If Pluton actually fell into Crocodile's hands, the Navy would find itself in an impossible position.
After hanging up, Sengoku summoned Aokiji and ordered him to head for Alabasta to arrest the Warlord.
"My, my... what a pain."
Despite the lazy complaint, Aokiji's movements were anything but slow. He immediately set out for the desert kingdom.
Just as the Five Elders were waiting for the results of their orders, they received an urgent intelligence report from a Cipher Pol agent.
One of the Emperors, Kaido of the Beasts, had made a move. His target appeared to be Paradise—the first half of the Grand Line.
Upon hearing this, the Five Elders reacted instantly. Kaido had clearly read the newspapers, caught wind of Pluton, and wanted a piece of the action in Alabasta. After all, the importance of Pluton was beyond question.
It wasn't just Kaido; the other three Emperors would likely not let this opportunity slip by either.
"That damn Morgans," Saint Saturn cursed the journalist for causing such a headache. "Kaido must be stopped. He cannot be allowed to enter Paradise from the New World."
The other Elders nodded in solemn agreement.
"Who do we have guarding the New World right now?" Saint Shepherd Ju Peter asked.
Saint Saturn replied, "Currently, only Kizaru is at Egghead Island."
"Then have Kizaru move to intercept Kaido. Until the matter in Alabasta is settled, he must not be allowed to enter Paradise under any circumstances."
"Tell him it is a direct order."
As for whether Kizaru could actually hold back a monster like Kaido, that wasn't their concern. They had issued the command, and that was that.
Saint Saturn personally called Kizaru, ordering him to stall Emperor Kaido.
"How terrifying~" Even as Kizaru let out his usual drawl, he transformed into a streak of golden light and streaked away from Egghead Island.
At that moment, the defenses of Egghead Island were effectively decimated.
Yumesaki, observing the unfolding chaos through his Clairvoyance magic, couldn't help but chuckle. Without a doubt, his goal had been achieved.
He gathered Robin, Tsunade, and the others, speaking with a serious expression. "It's time. Let's move out and take Egghead Island."
Tsunade huffed. "It's about time. I was getting tired of waiting."
The group prepared to move, but their first stop wasn't actually Egghead. To move an entire island, they needed the help of one more person: the Golden Lion.
And so, their first destination was the territory of Shiki the Golden Lion.
In the original timeline, the Golden Lion had been hiding in the skies above the East Blue. For Yumesaki, finding Shiki's exact location with Clairvoyance required almost no effort at all.
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