Pirates on Rocks' Ship 996

"What are they going to Albana for?" Karp asked, somewhat curiously.

"They were chasing after the Straw Hat crew and Fire Fist Ace!" the officer replied truthfully.

"Who?" Garp asked this time, his voice louder.

"Damn... the second division commander of the Straw Hat Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates, Fire Fist Ace!" The officer was startled by Garp and, thinking he hadn't explained clearly, immediately repeated it loudly again.

"Those two little bastards! Everyone listen up... immediately prepare supplies and then set off for Albana!" Garp, who had originally planned to rest for a while, couldn't sit still when he heard that his grandson Luffy and Ace were here, and that Aokiji had even led a group to chase after them.

“Um… Vice Admiral Garp… Besides those people I just mentioned, the Kingdom of Alabasta seems to be in turmoil. In addition, Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, is also in this country! Besides him, Dracule Mihawk has also come here!” The officer immediately stepped forward to add as he saw Garp preparing to leave.

"What on earth happened here? Why are they all here?" Garp was somewhat shocked. Apart from the Straw Hat crew, who were newcomers, who among these people wasn't a famous figure known throughout the seas? Why were they all gathered in Alabasta?

"This... I don't know yet!" the sergeant shook his head and replied.

"Never mind, have people prepare. I need to head to Albana immediately!" Karp said solemnly.

Before long, the naval division had prepared enough supplies, and then the division's highest-ranking officer, along with a team of soldiers acting as guides, led Garp straight to Albana.

But just as they were about to leave, a pirate ship flying the Whitebeard Pirates flag arrived at the port.

"Phew~ We've finally arrived!" Reina exhaled and turned to the pirates beside him, saying, "Go prepare supplies, get plenty of water and food. We'll head along the inland river to Albana. Once we get there, you'll be free!"

"Yes, yes, sir... we'll go prepare right away!" Captain Frank, the pirate captain, replied with a bow and scrape.

However, when he disembarked, he saw that the crew members were all on the shore and had not gone out to buy supplies.

"What are you all still standing here for? Don't you know who that person is? If we can't satisfy him, we're all doomed!" Frank frowned and asked his subordinates.

"No... Captain! We need money to purchase supplies! But we don't have any money at all!" a crew member said helplessly.

"This..." Frank was also dumbfounded. They really didn't have any money. If they did, they wouldn't have become pirates. But now, asking Reina for money was something he obviously didn't have the guts to do.

"Captain... how about... we rob someone! With that guy backing us up, who would dare to lay a hand on us? Just look at that flag, no one would dare to say no to us, right?" A crew member pointed to the Whitebeard Pirates' flag on the pirate ship and said with some longing.

“Not bad…you’re quite clever, kid! Let’s do it this way! Men, it’s a rare opportunity like this, let’s go…we’re heading into the city!” Frank thought about it and felt that his subordinate’s words made a lot of sense, so he immediately nodded and led his crew toward the port city.

After a while, Reina waited and waited on the ship, but the group of pirates did not return. He thought they had taken the opportunity to escape. However, after he disembarked, he heard from the surrounding residents that a group of pirates had robbed a ship and were captured by the Navy.

Reina then realized, somewhat speechlessly, that those guys must have been captured by the Navy.

Actually, it was their bad luck. If they had acted a little later, Garp would have taken another part of the branch's navy, and their robbery plan would have had a good chance of succeeding.

Unfortunately, what they robbed was exactly the supplies Garp needed, so they ran into Garp's adjutant, Bocato. Don't underestimate Bocato just because he's Garp's adjutant; his strength is definitely above that of an ordinary colonel, and he's even comparable to some major generals.

Therefore, dealing with such a group of pirates is a piece of cake.

However, after throwing them into prison and preparing the supplies, Reina slowly came looking for them after Garp and his men left.

"I said you... if you don't have money, you can come to me for it, why did you rob me?" After taking down the remaining soldiers of the Navy branch, Reina released the group of pirates. Looking at their pitiful appearance, Reina realized that they must have been robbing others because they didn't have money to buy supplies.

"Um...we didn't mention your name, so don't worry!" Frank thought Reina was giving them a cold shoulder because they had lost face, so he quickly explained.

"Being defeated by so many naval soldiers, you're incredibly weak! And my dissatisfaction with you isn't because you lost face, but because you attacked ordinary people!"

Our Whitebeard Pirates' ironclad rule is: never lay a hand on any civilian! As a pirate, you can challenge any strong person, but never bully the weak... that's the most shameful thing to do!" Reina glanced at Frank and said softly.

"I'm...I'm sorry! We were wrong! We will never lay a hand on civilians again!" Frank immediately admitted his mistake and vowed never to lay a hand on civilians again.

"Forget it, I'm too lazy to lecture you. Go buy supplies and then set sail! We've wasted enough time here!" Reina shook his head and walked straight out of the naval branch.

Chapter 287 Operation Ideal Land

Inside the royal palace in Albania, the capital of Alabasta.

"You must be Portgas D. Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?" King Cobra asked with a smile.

Ace nodded and said, "I wonder what business His Majesty has with me?"

"Alright, I'll get straight to the point. I've heard about Nico Robin and your pirate crew before! I didn't originally intend to have any dealings with her, but I'm sure you've been aware of the recent unrest in our country!"

"Now I have concrete evidence that the source of the unrest is Baroque Works, where Nico Robin works! So I would like to know your organization's position in this incident!" King Cobra said seriously, his smile fading.

He had received the letter from Karu and understood Crocodile's plot.

Even in Weiwei's letter, the arrival of Fire Fist Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, in Alabasta was mentioned, and Ace's original words were also stated.

However, after receiving news that Ace had arrived in Albana, Cobra decided to meet Ace in person to ascertain the Whitebeard Pirates' stance on the matter.

Upon hearing King Cobra's words, Ace smiled slightly and said, "I have already met Princess Vivi and told her that protecting Nico Robin is our bottom line. If she dies in Alabasta, then no matter the reason or who did it, any force involved will face our retaliation. I have made this very clear!"

Upon hearing Ace's words, Cobra's expression darkened. The other party's meaning was clear: if Nico Robin died in Alabasta, they would also bear some responsibility; if she died at their hands, then war would be inevitable.

"As for what she wants to do, it's none of our business. Whether she succeeds or not, we won't interfere! So... if His Majesty the King wants to take action against Crocodile, don't worry about me! Just be careful... not to hurt Robin!"

"Of course, if Your Majesty can provide me with Robin's location, I can persuade her not to get involved in the conflict between you and Crocodile. As far as I know, Nico Robin is not someone who likes war!" Ace said with a slight smile.

“I understand. I will immediately arrange for someone to find Nico Robin. I hope Your Majesty can persuade her to leave!” King Cobra nodded and said.

What Ace said was the same as what he said on WeChat, so he could rest assured.

After having Ace escorted to his guest room to rest, King Cobra immediately summoned Jackal Jakka and Falcon Bell.

"You two, immediately assemble the army! Prepare to fight Crocodile! Also... Bell, find Nico Robin's whereabouts and report back to me!"

"If we haven't found her before the war starts, then we must be careful during the battle and absolutely not kill her! It's best to capture her alive, but if that's not possible, letting her go is acceptable! Our target is only one person... and that is... Crocodile!" King Cobra said solemnly.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Jaka and Bel bowed and then turned to leave the palace.

The two hadn't walked far when a guard rushed in.

"Your Majesty! A naval force is rapidly approaching Albana!" the guard reported, kneeling on one knee.

"The Navy? What are they doing here?" Cobra frowned and said, "Keep an eye on their movements and see if they've made contact with Crocodile!"

Because of Crocodile's status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Cobra currently distrusts the Navy.

After the guards left, King Cobra thought for a moment and said to the guard beside him, "Go and inform Mr. Fire Fist Ace that a group of marines is heading towards Albana. Although we are not sure of their destination, please be careful and do not leave the palace for the time being, otherwise it will be difficult to explain later!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The guard saluted and immediately headed toward Ace's room.

In fact, Cobra informed Ace in order to show goodwill to him. According to Vivi, she is currently receiving help from Ace's younger brother, the Straw Hat Pirates.

Therefore, the Alabasta Kingdom is basically on the side of the pirates, and Crocodile is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, so the Navy will naturally side with him.

If he could get Ace's help, their chances of winning would be much greater.

After Ace finished his bath, he met the guard who had come to deliver the message. Upon learning that the Navy had arrived, Ace smiled slightly and said, "They're probably after me! How about this, I'll stay at the inn outside the palace to avoid some unnecessary trouble!"

Ace had sensed Cobra's overtures, but he didn't want to get involved. He didn't know why Robin was at Baroque Works yet; perhaps Reina was setting something up. So, he didn't want to disrupt the situation. Leaving the palace was the best option.

This way, they wouldn't offend the Alabasta royal family, nor would they unintentionally sabotage what might be Reyna's plans.

At this moment, he was somewhat like Hawkeye Mihawk, wanting only to watch from afar and not wanting to get involved in helping anyone. Because when he was out and about, he represented not only himself but also the Whitebeard Pirates, and his every move would have a significant impact.

So after tidying up a bit, Ace didn't choose to say goodbye to King Cobra, but left the palace directly.

Cobra received the message after Ace had already left. Although he was somewhat disappointed, his main objective was to deal with Crocodile, so he didn't care about Ace's departure.

But just as Ace was leaving, inside the secret headquarters of Baroque...

"Is everyone here? All the senior agents?" Crocodile asked the guard beside him.

"Yes, Boss!" the guard replied respectfully.

"What about Nico Robin? Still no news?" Crocodile suddenly asked just as the guard was about to leave.

"No, news has already come back. The vice president is on his way back and seems to have some important news!" The guard shook his head and replied.

"Hahaha... Important news? What important news could there be at this point? Never mind... Let's not wait for her. Notify all senior agents to come to a meeting!" Crocodile said with a light laugh as he sat at the head of the table.

"Yes!" The guard turned and left to inform the senior agent who had been waiting for a long time.

Soon after, all the senior agents of Baroque Works entered one by one. Then Crocodile appeared, which surprised everyone. They did not expect that the big boss behind Baroque Works would be Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

However, with Crocodile's appearance, many of their problems were solved.

The next part was Crocodile's speech, where he explained his Utopia Operation to all the senior agents and then assigned tasks to everyone.

"When you all complete your respective missions, that will be the time of Alabasta's destruction, everyone... At that time, Alabasta will fall into the hands of our Baroque Works! This is the biggest and most important mission since the founding of Baroque Works, and we absolutely cannot fail! We will begin the operation at seven o'clock tomorrow morning!" Crocodile said softly.

"Understood!" Everyone nodded, indicating that they understood.

"Then I wish you all success once again!" Crocodile smiled slightly, raised his glass, and said.

All the senior agents raised their glasses.

But just then, the door suddenly opened, and Mr. 3, covered in injuries, walked in and said, "That Utopia operation plan... could it be postponed for a while?"

"Mr. 3? What are you doing here?" Mr. 2 looked at Mr. 3 in shock. His mission was to kill Mr. 3, but he went to Little Garden and didn't see either the Straw Hat Pirates or Mr. 3. He thought they had died together.

Mr. 3 then told Crocodile about his failed mission, which infuriated Crocodile.

Back in Den Den Mushi, Mr. 3 said he had completely dealt with the pirates, but now he's saying he hasn't.

Finally, when Mr. 3 took out Luffy's photo, Mr. 2 was even more shocked to discover that he had encountered Luffy and his crew when he returned, and had even become friends with them. So he used his ability to change the appearance of Luffy and the others, which finally allowed Crocodile to fully understand the situation.

Enraged, Crocodile gave Mr. 3 no chance to explain or do it again, draining him dry before throwing him into a tank full of banana crocodiles.

"I've received intelligence that Princess Vivi and the rebel leader have known each other since childhood. Although she may not be able to stop the 70 rebels, she will definitely confuse them! So... no matter what, we must prevent her from meeting with the rebels!" Crocodile slammed his hand on the table and roared.

"Go and inform the spies lurking in the rebel army now. As soon as they find Princess Vivi and the others, kill them immediately!" Crocodile said to the guards beside him.

This task should have been given to Robin, but since Robin hasn't returned, Crocodile has no choice but to entrust it to his bodyguards.

"Yes, Boss!" The guard immediately turned and left to deliver Darkroc Davy's orders.

"It seems Nico Robin has discovered something over there! As expected of someone who's been in contact with intelligence for a long time, her eyes are really sharp!" Crocodile thought that Robin had found out something and went to the port to investigate the Straw Hat crew.

"In short, everyone can set off now. This mission absolutely cannot afford any more mistakes!"

"Leave it to us, President!"

"Oh~ I'll work hard!"

The senior agents left the scene and began to carry out Crocodile's orders.

Crocodile, on the other hand, looked towards the direction of the royal palace. Tonight, he had another important matter to attend to!

Chapter 288 Rebel Army

"Your Majesty! Are you resting?" Jackal Jaka asked softly, standing at the door of King Kobra's bedroom.

"It's Gaka? Come in!" Clearly, King Cobra was not resting at this moment.