Will took a sip of the sherry on the table.
Setting the bottle down, he turned with a playful grin and teased, "Robin, you've got quite a bit of power as vice president, huh?"
"It feels like you've practically sidelined Crocodile. The Baroque Works runs just fine with or without him."
Robin couldn't help but chuckle at his words, though her tone carried a hint of resignation.
"No choice, really. After we started working with that man, he dumped all the tedious tasks on me."
"So, in the eyes of the Baroque Works members, I might as well be their boss."
"No surprise there," Will replied, not the least bit shocked, his words cutting straight to the point.
"Those guys are mostly mercenaries who only care about the paycheck. And you're the one signing their checks, right?"
"So, with Crocodile out of the picture, you're naturally the one calling the shots behind the scenes."
Robin maintained her gentle smile, propping her chin with one hand, nodding in agreement.
"True. A lot of the people in Baroque Works used to be bounty hunters, so they still operate on the principle of 'do the job, get the cash.'"
Nearby, Ichiji listened quietly, picking up on a crucial detail. Thoughtfully, he remarked, "It sounds like Ms. Robin played a big role in helping Captain defeat Crocodile."
"Exactly," Will nodded without hesitation, his tone growing a touch more serious.
"Thanks to her, I saved a ton of time and energy. She helped me pinpoint Crocodile's location as fast as possible."
"That's why I won't take all the credit for this."
A faint glimmer passed through Robin's eyes as she smiled softly.
"All I did was keep my promise to you. Honestly, I didn't help that much."
Ichiji nodded slowly, still unfamiliar with the finer details of the situation, and chose not to press further.
He picked up the bowl of soba noodles from the table and started eating, lost in his own thoughts.
But just as Will and Robin continued their casual chat—
Buru buru—buru buru!
A clear ring from a Den Den Mushi interrupted the conversation.
The sudden noise broke the relaxed atmosphere.
Robin froze for a moment before quickly pulling a Den Den Mushi from her waist. Glancing at it, she placed it on the table.
"Boss, this is the one you gave me earlier. It's probably Nami and the others—something must've happened, or they wouldn't call out of the blue."
Will's eyes sharpened. Without a second's hesitation, he grabbed the receiver.
Buru buru—gacha!
"Hello, Nami? What's going on over there?"
But the voice that answered wasn't a woman's.
Instead, a stern male voice came through.
"It's me, Madman Will."
Recognizing the familiar tone, Will's brows shot up, his voice tinged with surprise.
"Smoker?! Why the hell are you calling? Where's Nami and the others?"
Though puzzled, Will knew one thing for sure: even if Smoker had chased him down to cause trouble, he'd never stoop to holding his crew hostage. That just wasn't the man's style.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
In the capital of Alabasta, Alubarna, inside a meeting room in the royal palace—
Smoker held a Den Den Mushi that bore an uncanny resemblance to Will, borrowed from Nami.
Nearby stood Nami, Karina, Chopper, and Vivi, the latter now dressed in elegant royal attire. Alongside them was Tashigi, who had arrived with Smoker.
King Nefeltari Cobra sat at the head of the conference table, flanked by three members of the royal guard.
By now, everyone in the room had shared what they knew—details about the conspiracy of Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and Will's mission to confront him.
That's why Smoker had immediately asked for Will's Den Den Mushi, eager to get the latest update.
Hearing Will's question through the receiver, Smoker didn't bother with pleasantries. Biting his cigar, he said bluntly, "They're all here. I'm in the royal palace in Alubarna."
"Your crew and Princess Vivi filled me in on the situation."
"Since you're answering this call, I'm guessing Crocodile's already been taken down by you, hasn't he?"
Karina's eyes flickered as she called out loudly, "Don't worry, Will! This guy doesn't seem to have any bad intentions toward us!"
Will couldn't help but laugh at her words. Instead of answering right away, he teased, "Smoker, what are you doing all the way out here? Don't you have Loguetown to keep in line?"
Smoker's face darkened slightly. Switching the receiver to his other hand, he growled, "Cut the crap and tell me about Crocodile!"
Seeing Smoker's impatience, Will didn't drag it out any longer. He got straight to the point.
"You guessed right. Crocodile's been dealt with."
"Since you Navy folks are already there, you might as well clean up the mess."
"He's somewhere outside the gambling city of Rainbase, in the desert to the north."
"As for the exact spot, you'll have to find it yourself when you get there."
"That's it. I've got stuff to do, so I'm not wasting any more time on you."
Click!
Will hung up the receiver, and the Den Den Mushi's eyes drooped as it fell back into a slumber.
"That bastard…" Smoker muttered, gripping the receiver tightly, veins popping on his forehead.
Taking a deep drag of his cigar to calm himself, he set the receiver down and tossed the sleeping Den Den Mushi aside gently.
"Tashigi, we're moving out. Head to Rainbase immediately!"
Smoker strode toward the door, not doubting Will's words for a second. He knew someone like Will wouldn't bother lying to him.
As Karina caught the Den Den Mushi, Smoker was already at the doorway, moving with purpose.
"Yes, sir!" Tashigi snapped to attention, saluting quickly.
Before leaving, she politely nodded to everyone in the room, then hurried after Smoker.
Nami watched the two leave, her expression thoughtful as she remarked, "Those two… they're definitely different from most Marines."
"Mhm," Chopper nodded in agreement. "They don't seem all that friendly, but they feel like good people."
"Maybe that's why Will swapped Den Den Mushi numbers with him back in Loguetown," Karina said with a concise smile, arms crossed.
If they hadn't exchanged numbers, Smoker wouldn't have been able to contact them so quickly and rush over.
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