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Alabasta, Erumalu.
Just over half a month ago, this city was filled with wails of despair due to drought. Now, it has taken on an entirely new appearance.
The land, once cracked and split from dryness, had healed.
Vendors had set up their stalls along both sides of the streets once again.
Although the "City of the Oasis" was far from returning to its former prosperity, it was clearly beginning to brim with hope.
There was no need to say the reason out loud; every citizen of Erumalu knew it. Erumalu had managed to endure thanks to the rain brought by the "Rain Summoner."
On the western outskirts of Erumalu stood a café.
A plain wooden sign read "Spider Café," and it was located in the desolate, sparsely populated western outskirts of the city.
At first glance, it looked utterly unremarkable.
But at that moment, a figure walked up to the café.
He wore a sand-colored travel robe and had just lowered his hood. Beneath the hood, the man had slicked-back hair, a long scar across his face, and a cigar clenched between his teeth.
Most striking of all, however, was his left hand.
Instead of flesh and blood, it was a massive metal hook that gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen. His gaze was fixed on the hopeful atmosphere within the city, but his expression was indifferent.
He disliked this city's atmosphere.
It wasn't that he harbored any particular malice toward its citizens; rather, this air of hope symbolized an obstruction to his plans.
As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile... he detested any obstacle standing in his way.
But that was fine.
"Hmph."
He removed the cigar from his mouth and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
According to the information he had received, the "obstruction" had already been eliminated.
He muttered softly to himself. "I only hope the clues Nico Robin found are valuable enough."
Those words also explained the reason he was here.
Not long ago, he had ordered the Baroque Works officers to kill the "Rain Summoner" hiding in the royal palace, who was capable of bringing rainfall. And just the day before yesterday, he had received Nico Robin's report.
"The target has been successfully eliminated."
This news did not surprise Crocodile.
The Baroque Works officers were all battle-hardened Devil Fruit users, so working together to assassinate a single person was nothing unusual for them.
Moreover, the target's ability to manipulate rainfall was hardly a combat-oriented power.
What did surprise Crocodile was another piece of information that Nico Robin had included in her report: "Within the palace, I accidentally discovered an important clue regarding 'Pluton.'"
It was this message that prompted Crocodile to return to Alabasta immediately.
And now, Crocodile stepped into the café.
Ding-ling!
The wind chime hanging on the doorframe rang out with a crisp ding-ling.
Crocodile stopped in his tracks.
Right in front of him, two figures were seated at the counter inside the café.
He knew one of them very well: slender, graceful, and beautiful. It was Nico Robin.
But the other...
"Rain Summoner."
Looking at the dragon-head mask recorded in the intelligence files, Crocodile exhaled another puff of smoke.
A man like him, a true schemer, understood the situation almost instantly.
The "Rain Summoner," who should have been dead according to Nico Robin's report, was standing there, while Nico Robin was clearly on his side.
The other officers were nowhere to be seen.
The implication... spoke for itself.
"You betrayed Baroque Works and lured me here?" He exhaled smoke as he spoke, his tone calm as he looked at Nico Robin.
"As expected of a woman who has survived by betraying others time and time again... Nico Robin."
Upon hearing these words, Nico Robin's expression tightened with tension. But before she could respond, Crocodile heard the voice of the person beside her.
"Speaking to a lady like that is quite rude, Crocodile San" Shinryu said with a light chuckle. "And besides... betraying Baroque Works? Where does that accusation even come from?"
He stood up, looked at the great pirate whose name echoed across the Four Seas, and pointed at himself. Then, softly and word by word, he stated what he called the "facts."
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am 'Shinryu,' this lady's partner and the president and decision-maker of Baroque Works."
"Or, if you prefer, you may call me Mr. 0."
Even Crocodile was stunned by what he had just heard.
He thought it was absurd.
"You're Mr. 0?" Then who am I?"
"I see..."
But in the span of a single instant, he understood. As the founder of Baroque Works, he knew the organization's defining traits.
Every member of Baroque Works used a codename.
From MR.1 to MR.12 and the lower-level members known as the "Millions" and "Billions," it was all the same.
The most mysterious of all was MR.0... himself.
No one in the entire organization had ever seen his true face. Almost all of his orders were delivered through his partner, Miss All Sunday, aka Nico Robin.
The reason was simple.
He was one of the Seven Warlords chosen by the World Government, meaning he could not openly lead a criminal organization.
In other words...
To all members of Baroque Works, as long as Nico Robin acknowledged someone as Mr. 0, then that person was unquestionably Mr. 0.
Just like right now.
"Shinryu..." Crocodile spoke thoughtfully.
"And you, Nico Robin, You not only betrayed me, but you also joined forces with others to lay claim to what is rightfully my domain."
After figuring out the intentions of Shinryu and Nico Robin, Crocodile suddenly laughed.
"Not a bad plan."
He did not stint on his praise. But there was no warmth in his smile, only...
"But you seem to have gotten one thing wrong."
Coldness.
Buzz!
As his anger surged, the floor beneath his feet shattered silently, turning into fine, flowing sand. Countless grains of sand swirled around him like loyal guards.
He raised his left hand, the massive golden hook flashing with a chilling gleam.
"What do you think Baroque Works was built on? What allowed it to gain a foothold in this sea and grow to its current size?"
He raised his right hand, removed the spent cigar from his mouth, and casually tossed it to the ground.
"It's because of me that Baroque Works exists! It's because of my power!"
The cigar was instantly swallowed by the flowing sand, vanishing without a trace as if it had fallen into an abyss.
Then...
Bang!
The abyss-like sand erupted outward in a violent surge.
Everything began to be engulfed by yellow sand. Crocodile's figure merged into the storm of sand as well, and only his voice echoed amid the grains.
"On this sea, the only thing that truly decides everything is power!"
......
A small note about the Spider Café's location:
I asked about it on DS and was told that it's in Rainbase. However, based on my memory and the Encyclopedia, it's located in Erumalu.
Of course, it's possible that I'm mistaken, but this doesn't affect the plot. I'm just explaining this to avoid readers getting hung up on it.
(End of Chapter)