Starting as a pirate, he rose to become the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society.

Chapter 31 Crocodile and Nico Robin.

After jotting these thoughts down in his notebook, Bane quickly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, in the Rainfield of Alabasta, on the second basement floor of Rain Banquet, the most luxurious casino in the entire Alabasta and even the first half of the Grand Line.

This is the headquarters of Baroque Works, and also the office of its president, Crocodile Crocodile.

Although it was late at night, this was the best time for the casino. Crocodile was not resting; instead, he was enjoying a very cruel show.

That means throwing those who owe money at his casinos into his "crocodile pool" to watch banana crocodiles eat.

Just as the banana crocodile swallowed the unfortunate man whole, there was a knock on the office door.

Crocodile, with a cigar between his teeth, his hair slicked back, and a fur coat draped over his shoulders, said with an air of authority, "Come in."

As he finished speaking, the door was pushed open, and a woman with a great figure, healthy tan skin, and a very beautiful face, wearing a white trench coat and a white cowboy hat, walked in.

Nico Robin!

The woman known as the "Child of the Devil" by the World Government and with a bounty of 79 million Berries, is the sole survivor of the Ohara incident.

"What is it?" Crocodile asked in a cold tone.

Although Robin is the second-in-command of Baroque Works, Crocodile actually harbors deep suspicion towards her. Their cooperation can be summarized as Robin seeking a powerful patron to evade the World Government's pursuit and help her find the Poneglyphs, while Crocodile wants to use her knowledge to decipher the Poneglyphs and obtain the ancient weapon Pluton, capable of destroying the world.

The reason they can't trust each other is that since she was eight years old, Robin has lived in an environment of being betrayed and betraying others, while Crocodile is a ruthless and cunning man who naturally wouldn't trust anyone too much.

Therefore, their cooperation was also characterized by mutual wariness and suspicion.

"Some interesting news has come from down below, and I think you might be interested," Robin said softly, unperturbed by Crocodile's coldness, as she casually sat down on the sofa, made herself a cup of coffee, and spoke softly.

"Interesting news?" Crocodile chuckled dismissively. "What interesting news?"

"Bane, the one who killed the fourth division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, appeared at Whiskey Peak. This means that they have chosen the route we are on. Perhaps it won't be long before they arrive in Alabasta." Robin said calmly, sipping her slightly bitter coffee.

"Bane?" Crocodile's previously indifferent expression turned slightly serious upon hearing the name. He stroked the gold ring on his hand, lost in thought.

The main reason he managed to get to the first half of the Grand Line was because he failed to challenge the Whitebeard Pirates and was eventually forced to leave the New World.

Crocodile has never forgotten this grudge over the years, and he has always wanted to return to the New World, defeat the Whitebeard Pirates, dominate the pirate world, and become the Pirate King.

Currently, his chosen method is to search for ancient weapons.

At the same time, he also wanted to recruit some outstanding talents to become his subordinates. However, after so many years in Alabasta, he had not found any subordinates that he particularly admired. Daz Bonis was, to put it mildly, one of them.

This guy named Bane is capable of taking down Whitebeard's captain, yet he's still alive and well, surviving without being killed by Whitebeard, which indirectly proves that he does indeed have some skill.

Crocodile wondered if he could recruit him as one of his subordinates?

"Then have everyone on this line keep an eye on their movements. If he really comes to Alabasta, I'd like to meet him. This kind of talent can barely be my tool, and I hope I can use him smoothly," Crocodile said after thinking for a moment.

Hearing his arrogant words, Robin smiled and said, "You have a good idea, but he might not be willing to submit to you, especially since you're a pirate and he's a well-known pirate hunter. Maybe he'll want to use you as prey?"

Although Crocodile is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the prerequisite for maintaining that status is not to be defeated. Once defeated, the World Government will consider that he no longer has the strength and qualifications to serve as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and he may be stripped of his status.

If Crocodile were to be killed by Bane, his status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea would most likely be revoked, and Bane could definitely use Crocodile to exchange for a bounty.

Hearing Robin's words, Crocodile sneered disdainfully, "Don't mistake me for one of those second-rate pirates. Besides, this is the desert nation of Alabasta. Do you think anyone can defeat me here?!"

Crocodile is a Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit user, and Alabasta, as a desert country, is practically his home turf. His abilities are greatly amplified here, and Crocodile doesn't believe anyone can defeat him here!

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

Nico Robin stirred her coffee with her spoon, and listening to this, she agreed that Crocodile was right. In this desert kingdom, he was indeed the true king of the desert.

However, recently, with the help of Crocodile's power, Robin has found some clues and hints about the Poneglyphs in Alabasta. In reality, she just wants to understand history, but she doesn't want to revive any Ancient Weapons, much less reveal information about Ancient Weapons to the ambitious Crocodile!

So Robin is now starting to think about how to break away from Crocodile after reading the Poneglyphs and learning part of the history.

"Perhaps Bane is an opportunity I can take advantage of. After all, he was able to defeat Whitebeard's captain in the New World, so his strength shouldn't be too bad. I can stir up trouble between him and Crocodile and make them fight. No matter the outcome, I should be able to find a suitable way to escape during this time. It would be best if he could kill Crocodile, then I would have no worries." Robin thought to herself.

However, she remained outwardly calm and replied as usual, "I understand. I will personally keep an eye on this Bane information and report to you as soon as there is any progress."

Crocodile stared at Robin with a meaningful look for a moment, then, without offering any comment, changed the subject and asked, "How's the matter with Hades going?"

"It's already confirmed that the Alabasta royal family, the Nefertari clan, secretly possesses a Poneglyph. However, the exact location of this Poneglyph has not yet been discovered. So, you'd better hurry up and get yours too. Once you take control of Alabasta and become the true King of the Desert, I'll be able to see this history as soon as possible," Robin said, taking a sip of coffee with a slightly expectant tone.

"Hmph," Crocodile snorted lightly, then said, "The plan is almost complete. If all goes well, we should be able to deal with the Nefertari clan this year, and I will become the new king of this ancient country!"

Thinking about this, Crocodile was still a little excited. Alabasta had enormous wealth, ample military strength, ancient weapons, and his own power. If he could also find a few powerful subordinates, returning to the New World wouldn't be too difficult!

Having nothing more to say, Robin finished his coffee in one gulp and then left the office.

After the office door closed, Crocodile's eyes darkened. He decided that once he found Hades, he would take care of this scheming woman; that would be the safest course of action!

(End of this chapter)