Chapter 87 – [87] : [BONUS] – Negotiation? I Only Want Your Life!

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“SKY SOVEREIGN ROWEN!” Crocodile snarled, his face a mask of utter darkness as he stared at the image projected by the Transponder Snail.

Though he had never met the man in person, the snail’s mimicry, combined with the user’s voice, always bore a resemblance. That supremely confident smile—was identical to the one on the wanted poster.

Combined with the agent’s earlier report that Straw Hat Luffy was also present… the identity of the person on the other end of the line was undeniable.

Crocodile’s expression grew incredibly grim.

So—it was this man helping Nefertari Vivi!

If Crocodile had previously dismissed this super rookie as insignificant… now, a deep sense of foreboding settled in his heart.

Combat strength capable of overwhelming Vice Admiral Gion—even in the New World, that signified an absolute powerhouse.

With such an ally, no wonder Mr. 1 and the others were defeated swiftly.

Mr. 1 was strong, yes, but before someone of that caliber, he was like dust. Mr. 3 and the others wouldn’t even register.

With such a force involved, and Gion still lurking in Alabasta… the situation had become incredibly complicated.

Worse still—Nico Robin was in this man’s hands!

Crocodile’s mind raced, his dark thoughts churning.

What was this man’s objective? Why interfere in Alabasta’s affairs?

But the man’s next words sent Crocodile into an immediate, incandescent rage.

“You want Pluton? Want to know where it is?”

Seeing the mocking smile on the Transponder Snail’s projected face, veins bulged on Crocodile’s forehead.

“Did that woman, Nico Robin, betray me?!” Crocodile hissed, his voice dangerously low.

“Betrayal? Weren’t you two just in a cooperative relationship? Besides, for something this simple, do I even need Robin to tell me? If you want Pluton’s location, come to Alubarna. I’ll give you two days. I have no patience to play your pathetic little ‘build a military nation’ games. Understood, Crocodile?”

Click!

Before Crocodile could utter a single word, the call was disconnected.

“BASTARD!” Crocodile roared, smashing the Transponder Snail against the wall, his eyes bloodshot.

It had always been him threatening others, manipulating others, leading others by the nose! Now—to be so blatantly toyed with by some brat who had just entered the Grand Line!

Only giving him two days?!

The sheer arrogance!

Who did this brat think he was?!

What enraged Crocodile even more was that his opponent clearly knew about Operation Utopia—and had contemptuously dismissed it as a “PATHETIC LITTLE GAME”!

The most infuriating part? He truly had no other choice! He had to reach Alubarna within two days!

Otherwise, if this man left Alabasta with Nico Robin… the sea was vast; where would he ever find her again?

If Pluton fell into this brat’s hands… then all his years of planning and scheming would have been for nothing—merely paving the way for this upstart!

After running through all possibilities, the only course of action left was to do exactly as the brat dictated: Reach Alubarna within two days.

This feeling of being manipulated, forced to follow this brat’s plan—for Crocodile, who was accustomed to controlling everything—WAS MADDENING!

“Bastard! Since you want to help Nefertari Vivi—then just you wait!” Crocodile seethed, his eyes bloodshot. He began issuing orders.

Mr. 2 was to head immediately to the Rebel Army’s headquarters, use his Clone-Clone Fruit ability to impersonate their leader, Koza, and instigate immediate, widespread conflict!

All Baroque Works agents infiltrated within Alabasta’s Royal Army and the Rebel Army were to immediately begin sowing discord and escalating hostilities between the two factions!

He would plunge Alabasta into the flames of total war!

“Buru-buru-buru!”

Just as a sliver of vengeful satisfaction began to course through Crocodile, the Transponder Snail rang again.

Seeing the snail he had smashed against the wall now lying on the floor, Crocodile’s eye twitched, but he had no choice but to use his Sand-Sand Fruit powers to retrieve it.

Click!

“Oh, by the way—if you’re thinking of using the Clone-Clone Fruit or your infiltrated agents to incite war… I’ll be very displeased. And you should know what happens when I’m displeased, right, Crocodile?”

The snail projected an image of an intensely mocking smile, then immediately disconnected again.

Crocodile’s face contorted in a silent snarl.

BASTARD!

That bastard—he deliberately didn’t say that earlier!

Crocodile knew that kind of smile all too well.

It was the smile of someone relishing complete control, toying with an insignificant ant.

Because when he was the one in control, toying with his own pawns—he wore the exact same smile.

Only now—he was the one being toyed with.

But!

A cruel, predatory grin slowly spread across Crocodile’s own face.

So what if this man knew about Operation Utopia through Nico Robin?

Crocodile still had one final, hidden trump card.

That super-bomb—with an explosion radius of five kilometers!

A bomb not even Nico Robin knew about.

Since this brat specifically forbade him from inciting rebellion in Alabasta, it proved one thing: the brat cared deeply about Alabasta, or perhaps about Nefertari Vivi.

Sometimes—being arrogant, assuming you control everything—that was the most fatal mistake!

Through this conversation, the brat had inadvertently handed Crocodile a crucial piece of intel.

This bomb, capable of obliterating Alubarna—was Crocodile’s ultimate bargaining chip!

‘Little brat! Thinking you can control everything? You’re still far too naive!’

Crocodile stared at the disconnected Transponder Snail, his smile growing even more savage.

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Alubarna, Royal Palace of Alabasta.

“What an incredible bomb! And it’s timed!” Usopp exclaimed, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he examined the massive explosive device before them.

“Crocodile—that bastard!” Vivi’s father, King Nefertari Cobra of Alabasta, stared at the bomb, his face pale with lingering fear.

If not for Rowen… if this bomb had detonated in the heart of Alubarna—Cobra shivered just imagining it.

“Even I didn’t know about this bomb. But Crocodile… that man was always this insidious,” Robin commented, fine beads of sweat also appearing on her brow as she looked at the device.

“Rowen! Thank you… Thank you so much!” Vivi cried, tears welling in her eyes as she threw herself into Rowen’s arms.

At this moment, Vivi could no longer hide her emotions—She clung tightly to Rowen, greedily inhaling his scent, which brought her an immense sense of security. Vivi didn’t dare imagine what would have become of Alabasta under Crocodile’s heinous plan if not for Rowen.

“I told you—I wouldn’t let you wear that expression again,” Rowen said gently, stroking Vivi’s hair, feeling the warmth of her embrace, a soft smile on his face.

Nearby, King Cobra watched them, his eyes initially wide, then softening into a resigned, understanding smile. For Cobra, his daughter’s happiness was paramount. And this man… had saved Alabasta.

“But Rowen, why didn’t you just expose Crocodile’s entire plot directly?” Usopp asked curiously.

“If I revealed everything… what if he got scared and didn’t show up? You need leverage to bring someone to the bargaining table,” Rowen replied with a smile.

After arriving in Alubarna, Vivi had told King Cobra everything.

Rowen, meanwhile, used his Observation Haki to locate the bomb, finding it exactly where it was placed in the original story—the clock tower in Alubarna’s main plaza.

Only after neutralizing all unstable factors did Rowen deliberately reveal their presence.

Otherwise, with Rowen’s current Observation and Conqueror’s Haki, the few spies Crocodile had stationed here would never have detected them and Vivi.

“Including my second call—forbidding Crocodile from inciting rebellion—the primary goal was, of course, to minimize casualties from war in Alabasta. The secondary goal was to convey to Crocodile that I value Alabasta, that I value Vivi. It also makes Crocodile think I’m an arrogant fool who believes he has everything under control. That way, this bomb becomes Crocodile’s biggest bargaining chip. And with a chip like that—of course he’ll dare to come to the table,” Rowen explained.

“SUGEEEEEEEEE! Everything is completely under your control, Rowen!” Usopp exclaimed, looking at Rowen with awe.

The others also smiled.

Rowen’s mind was always so sharp; following his strategy, they always held the absolute initiative.

Hearing Rowen say he valued her, Vivi blushed deeply, but this time, she didn’t look away, meeting Rowen’s gaze directly.

“Princess Vivi has really grown up,”

Chaka (user of the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Jackal) and Pell (user of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Falcon)—hailed as Alabasta’s two guardian deities—watched Vivi from nearby, their expressions fond. They had watched Vivi grow up; she was like a niece to them.

“And the partner she’s found is outstanding. That Crocodile, known for his cunning schemes, is being completely played by this young man,” Pell added, awestruck.

“Princess Vivi’s judgment, of course, is never wrong,” Chaka agreed with a smile.

“If Crocodile contacts you, you know how to respond, right?” Rowen asked, looking towards Mr. 7 and Miss Father’s Day (the Baroque Works agents originally assigned to guard the bomb) with a calm smile.

“Y-Yes! UNDERSTOOD!” Mr. 7 and Miss Father’s Day replied fearfully.

“Alright. Put this bomb back where you found it. I’ve already dealt with its contents using the Munch-Munch Fruit. It’s just an empty shell now. That way, even if Crocodile sends someone to check, they won’t find anything,” Rowen explained, smiling at King Cobra.

“A flawless plan,” Cobra praised, deeply impressed.

“Next, we just wait for Crocodile to walk right into our net,” Rowen finished, a confident smile on his face.

After so much preparation—it was finally time to close the net.

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After ending the call with Rowen, Crocodile raced frantically towards Alubarna.

Finally, within the two-day deadline Rowen had set, he arrived. The tight schedule left even Crocodile looking somewhat fatigued, his eyes burning with suppressed fury. It had been a long time since he had been led by the nose like this!

But… the biggest trump card was still in his hands.

Looking towards Alubarna’s most prominent clock tower, Crocodile’s lips twisted into a savage grin.

Then, Crocodile began to enter Alubarna.

“Mr. Crocodile!”

Crocodile made his entrance into Alubarna with great fanfare.

Using his Warlord status, Crocodile had propagated influence in Alabasta for years—By hunting down pirates causing trouble and leveraging newspaper propaganda, he had successfully crafted an image as Alabasta’s hero.

This ostentatious entrance was designed to draw more attention, to use these foolish, manipulated citizens to further strengthen his hand.

Crocodile wore a false smile, attracting the gazes of more citizens as he headed towards the Royal Palace.

But he hadn’t taken more than a few steps when—

WHOOSH! BANG!

A fist, gleaming with the dark, metallic sheen of Armament Haki, slammed heavily into Crocodile’s face.

WHOOSH!

Under the immense force, Crocodile’s face contorted violently. He was sent flying like a cannonball.

At that moment, Crocodile was completely stunned.

It wasn’t just the shock of being hit in the head by Haki; he was utterly bewildered by the situation!

Hadn’t he just arrived in Alubarna, exactly as this brat demanded?!

Didn’t this brat have something—using Pluton as leverage—to negotiate with him?!

Otherwise, why go through all this trouble to make him come to Alubarna?!

Before arriving, Crocodile had considered countless possibilities—but never this! He hadn’t even seen the brat’s face properly, hadn’t exchanged a single word—and he was instantly sent flying by a Haki-infused punch!

“Took you long enough! I was getting impatient, Crocodile!” Rowen’s voice, laced with laughter, called out as he transformed into a stream of smoke, rocketing towards the airborne Crocodile.

FWOOSH!

Crocodile dissolved into a swirl of sand, reforming on an empty patch of ground nearby, attempting to use his elemental form to mitigate the secondary impact damage.

But the next moment—

WHOOSH! BANG!

Crocodile’s remaining good hand was wrenched behind his back by Rowen.

Crocodile—was instantly captured by Rowen!

“Sky Sovereign Rowen!!” Crocodile twisted his head, glaring murderously at Rowen, his eyes bloodshot. His head was still spinning.

Being struck in the head by Haki so unexpectedly… Crocodile hadn’t fully recovered his senses yet.

‘Such Powerful Haki…’ Crocodile looked at Rowen, veins bulging on his forehead.

“That’s me,” Rowen replied with a wide grin.

“What in the world… are you doing?!” Crocodile finally sensed something was terribly wrong.

This place was too quiet!

No one around… This empty space—felt like it had been deliberately prepared.

Almost as if—it were a specially designed battlefield.

“Figured it out? That’s right. This place—is where you’ll be buried,” Rowen stated, smiling as he observed Crocodile’s dawning horror.

The Sand-Sand Fruit, among Logias, was only T2 (Tier 2)—inferior to the Flare-Flare Fruit. Even awakened, based solely on its fruit power, it only reached the Deep Gold Trait tier.

Furthermore, the Sand-Sand Fruit had a fatal weakness: water. If the user was doused with water, they couldn’t use their sand powers.

And its ability to absorb water was limited to the user’s hands.

Crocodile, having only one hand, meant that ability was already halved—And now, Crocodile’s remaining water-absorbing hand was pinned behind his back by Rowen.

As for why Rowen prepared this specific battlefield? Naturally, to ensure Crocodile’s defeat with absolute certainty.

The Sand-Sand Fruit’s power was greatly amplified in a desert environment. Rowen certainly wouldn’t allow Crocodile any home-field advantage.

From the moment Crocodile stepped into Alubarna—his fate was sealed.

A terrifying killing intent enveloped Crocodile.

“My burial place?!” Crocodile’s face turned ashen.

In that instant, Crocodile finally grasped the truth.

Rowen—had absolutely no intention of negotiating with him!

This brat—only wanted his life!

“ELEMENTIZE——!” With his main water-absorbing hand captured, Crocodile immediately tried to dissolve into sand, hoping to create distance from Rowen.

While Haki could strike a Logia user’s true body, if the user could negate the Haki on the captured part of their body with their Devil Fruit power, they could still elementize.

BOOOOM!

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