The Poneglyphs—massive stone tablets that record the essential history of the world's "Void Century."
Did the Sorbet Kingdom have a Poneglyph? Maybe, maybe not. Bonney certainly didn't know. Did she want to give one to the Government? Absolutely not. But only an item of such immense strategic value could trick Smoker and his team into abandoning the warships and following her into the kingdom.
Bonney was playing for time.
"Nice work, Bonney," Chrollo muttered from the distance. He watched Smoker and the others disappear behind her toward the capital. "Now, it's my turn."
A transparent page of [Bandit's Secret] flipped open in front of him. Chrollo's figure gradually vanished into thin air...
This was another of Chrollo's 23 Nen abilities:
> [God's Alibi (Specialist Type)]
> [Description: By holding his breath, the user can erase his presence from space entirely.]
Originally the ability of Meleoron, a Chimera Ant Squadron Leader, Chrollo had managed to add this masterpiece to his collection. Unlike the Clear-Clear Fruit (Suke Suke no Mi) in the One Piece world—which only makes the body transparent but leaves sounds of breathing and footsteps—God's Alibi has no such flaws. Once activated, even if you touch or strike someone, they will feel the physical impact but will be unable to perceive your location or existence.
The only known counter to this ability would be a specialized "En" that senses emotions, like the Ant King's, or perhaps a master-level Observation Haki. However, no one keeps Haki active 24/7 when there are no visible enemies around. This made it the ultimate assassination and infiltration tool.
Under the effect of God's Alibi, Chrollo walked boldly onto the deck of the first Marine warship.
"Nen abilities might not match the raw, world-shaking power of some Devil Fruits," he mused, "but in terms of utility, they are second to none."
He walked right past a group of Marines with total composure. Entering the storage hold of the first ship, he activated [Fun Fun Cloth]. A white flash followed. Following the principle that "a thief never leaves empty-handed," he swept up every glittering crate of treasure.
Then, he moved to the second ship: Fine wine and gold. Alcohol was a hard currency in this world, full of people who valued a good bottle over their lives; sometimes, a rare vintage could solve more problems than a sword.
Finally, he reached the third ship.
Ducking into the storage hold, Chrollo finally saw the objective of his trip in a large corner crate: Sea Prism Stone. This rare mineral, essentially "the sea in solid form," was the ultimate counter to Devil Fruit users. Its incredible hardness made it perfect for handcuffs, cages, and, crucially, ship hulls.
"This should be enough to modify the Black Whale," Chrollo smiled.
Zip—
The white cloth flashed again, and the third ship's hold was left completely empty.
Clatter—
The sound of a heavy object hitting the floor echoed through the hold. A Marine soldier who had been moving crates stared at the empty space where the treasure had just been. He rubbed his eyes, then let out a scream of pure terror as he scrambled for the exit:
"H-Help! The treasure! The treasure is GONE—!!"
"What?!!"
"Dammit! What happened?!"
Chaos erupted on the deck. Shortly after, several figures in white suits, wearing masks and top hats, arrived to inspect the hold.
"So these are the members of CP0..."
Chrollo watched with interest. He activated the Nen ability [Visual Eye] to scan one of the agents.
> [Joseph]
> Stats: Str: 42 / Agi: 45 / Int: 29 / Con: 42
> [Doriki: 4,022]
> [Gismonda]
> Stats: Str: 37 / Agi: 34 / Int: 31 / Con: 39
> [Doriki: 3,960]
"Quite formidable," Chrollo noted, raising an eyebrow.
Rob Lucci, hailed as the strongest CP9 agent in 800 years, had a Doriki of about 4,000 when he first met Luffy. Every CP0 agent standing before him was at that level.
If the Troupe faced them now, it would be a very difficult fight, Chrollo analyzed. He had no intention of picking a fight with the Government before the Spiders were fully ready. He wasn't actually insane; he was just a survivor.
Before the timer for God's Alibi ran out, he quietly withdrew from the scene, a phantom leaving no trace. Following the Troupe's tradition, he left behind a single slip of paper with a twelve-legged spider on it.
---
"!!!"
"It's really gone?!" Joseph's voice was shrill with rage as he stared at the empty hold. "What about the other ships?"
"Sir! We've checked," a Marine soldier replied, trembling. "Everything from the first three ships is... gone!"
"Dammit! How is this possible?!" Gismonda barked, looking stunned before turning furious. "What were you Marines doing?! How did you not notice a thing?!" He looked ready to strike the reporting soldier.
"Don't blame them. We didn't notice either..." Joseph said, placing a hand on his colleague's shoulder to calm him. Beneath his mask, his face was pale. "If the Celestial Dragons find out that the Heavenly Tribute was stolen right under our noses..."
Gismonda shivered. The Celestial Dragons would tear them apart.
"Call those useless Marine officers back immediately!!" Joseph's cold sweat began to pour. He looked out at the horizon, where the weather was turning and rain was starting to fall. "Something big is happening..."
---
Meanwhile...
"Three thousand and eighty-one steps..."
"Three thousand and eighty-two..."
Bonney counted every step in her head. Is that bastard Chrollo actually reliable? Another thousand steps and we hit the capital. If she reached the city, the ruse would be up. She was nowhere near strong enough to take on the group behind her.
As the capital drew closer, the pressure from the Marines behind her felt heavier and heavier.
"R-Report!!"
From the woods behind them, a Marine soldier came sprinting at full speed, drenched in sweat and gasping for air.
"What is it? Breathe," Smoker said, patting the man's shoulder.
The soldier wheezed, "Captain Smoker! The... the Heavenly Tribute on the ships... it's GONE!!"
"What?" Smoker and Hina exchanged looks of sheer disbelief.
Without a word about Poneglyphs, they spun around and bolted back toward the harbor.
Bonney watched them run, her panicked breathing finally slowing down. Her eyes lit up, and a shocked smile touched her lips.
"That guy... Chrollo... he actually did it!"
"He stole the Heavenly Tribute right out from under CP0!!!"
---