Satisfied with his massive haul, Chrollo strolled out of the captain's quarters with a relaxed, steady gait.
The air froze instantly.
Bonney was still standing right there, her eyes fixed on him with an expectant look.
"..."
She didn't leave?!!
Why is she still here?
If she had heard him laughing like a maniacal dork inside that room, his cool, calculated persona was officially dead.
Chrollo took a deep breath. His face instantly turned to ice, and a chilling aura flared around him. He looked down at Bonney with a gaze that could wither plants.
"How much did you just hear?"
Feeling the crushing weight of Chrollo's pressure, cold sweat began to bead on Bonney's forehead.
What is wrong with this guy? One second he's fine, the next he's ready to kill. This bloodlust... how many people do you have to murder to give off an aura like that?
Under the suffocating tension, Bonney instinctively hugged her arms, her body trembling and her teeth chattering. "Wha... what?"
Chrollo kept his eyes locked on her. Why is she still outside the door?! His earlier lapse in character—that triumphant laughter—was totally unlike the Leader. It could never be discovered by the Troupe!
Wait. Bonney isn't an original member.
Never mind, then.
The terrifying pressure vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had never happened.
"So scary..." Bonney muttered. She made a silent vow never to cross this man, or she'd likely end up dead without ever knowing why.
"Do you need something?" Chrollo asked tonelessly, casually adjusting his cuffs.
Bonney bit her lip and found her resolve. She finally blurted out, "I want... I want to ask what you plan to do with the Heavenly Tribute."
Chrollo thought for a moment and immediately caught her drift. He raised an intrigued eyebrow. "You want me to give it back to the Sorbet Kingdom?"
Bonney looked worried and nodded. "The amount of treasure is staggering. You guys can't possibly use it all. I was hoping that after you take what you need... you could return the rest to Sorbet."
She looked at him with pleading eyes. "With that money, next year... a lot fewer people will die in the Sorbet Kingdom."
Chrollo nodded. "A noble thought."
"So you'll do it?" Hope flared in Bonney's eyes—
"I refuse."
The light in her face died instantly. Disappointment and resentment flickered in her gaze. She asked softly, "Why?"
A faint, mocking smile touched Chrollo's lips. "When have you ever heard of a thief returning what they've stolen?"
"Besides..." Chrollo looked down at her. "You're being naive, Bonney. If I actually returned that treasure to the Sorbet Kingdom, it wouldn't be a seed of hope. It would be a death sentence."
Bonney's pupils shrank.
"Do you think the Celestial Dragons and the World Government will just shrug off the loss of the Tribute?" Chrollo asked. "You're wrong. They will hunt that treasure down relentlessly. Not just because of the money, but because their pride is on the line. They will be watching every black market and every kingdom. And Sorbet... would be the first place they look."
Understanding dawned on Bonney, followed quickly by fear.
"So you're saying..."
"I'm saying," Chrollo continued, "that if they find that treasure flowing back into Sorbet, the World Government will assume the kingdom staged the theft to avoid paying taxes. If things reach that point... how do you think they'll treat Sorbet?"
Bonney's face went pale. "They would... they'd attack. They might even... call a Buster Call!!"
"Exactly," Chrollo agreed.
Bonney sank to the floor, her expression blank. She whispered to herself, "Is there really no way?"
"Well, there is a way~"
The moment Chrollo spoke, light returned to Bonney's eyes. She scrambled up, grabbing his arm. "There's a way?! Tell me! Tell me now!"
She knew this man was resourceful. He had to have a solution.
Chrollo lowered his voice mysteriously. "Don't forget, there are more than just two powers on this sea..."
"You mean..." A name she almost didn't dare say came to mind.
Chrollo gave a firm nod. "That's right. The Revolutionary Army."
"The Revolutionaries are the World Government's sworn enemies. If they publicly claim responsibility for the theft, no one will doubt it. They already support nations abandoned by the Government; one more or less won't matter. They can exchange the gold for supplies in small batches and smuggle them back into Sorbet without drawing attention. It would essentially be a trade between us and them."
Chrollo's eyes narrowed in thought. "Besides, those Revolutionary types are a bunch of driven idealists. Their morals are straight; I don't think they'd embezzle the treasure."
Bonney thought it over. The more she considered it, the more brilliant the plan seemed. Why hadn't she thought of that?
Moreover, her father, Bartholomew Kuma, used to be a member of the Revolutionary Army.
"I've met Dragon!" she blurted out.
For the sake of her father, Dragon would surely agree to this deal.
Excitement overcame her, and she hopped up to plant a quick kiss on Chrollo's cheek. "Chrollo, I freaking love you!"
Chrollo wiped his cheek with a look of pure disgust—eight-year-olds are way too erratic.
Was the plan that impressive? It was basic geopolitics; his ancestors from before he crossed over had been doing this for thousands of years.
And besides... Dragon was currently hiding out in the East Blue anyway, waiting to look after his own kid, Monkey D. Luffy. The direction was perfect.
Physical treasure was useless to the Troupe. The original Chrollo usually stole things just to play with them before tossing them away. This move fit the leader's style perfectly. By using the Tribute to connect with the Revolutionaries, they could get better intel and cause more chaos to farm prestige.
"So, we're still going to the East Blue~"
Bonney nodded vigorously. "Yes!"
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