I collect everything in the One Piece world.

The people on the Orange were completely stunned. Lali's eyes widened, and her mouth involuntarily agape.

Below the Rain Banquet lies a spacious underground space.

This is not the casino's vault, but a more secluded private space.

In the center of the hall, a sea stone cage stood silently, inside which were Nico Robin and Bakala, who had been captured.

Crocodile sat at a large dining table not far from the cell, a thick cigar burning between his fingers.

Grayish-white smoke swirled and rose under the dim yellow light. His gaze, like that of a cold, venomous snake, slowly swept over the two people in the cage, finally settling on Robin.

“Nicole Robin,” his voice broke the silence, filled with suppressed anger and disappointment, “you’ve really disappointed me.”

"Over the years, I've given you wealth, status, intelligence resources, and even opportunities to access historical secrets. Haven't I been good enough to you?"

"But you still want to betray me?"

Robin met his gaze without flinching, a sarcastic smile even playing on his lips.

"Betrayal? Crocodile, put away your hypocritical rhetoric. Haven't we always only ever been about using and being used?"

"I merely stumbled upon your true fangs hidden beneath your mask and sought to carve out a way to survive."

She tilted her head slightly, her aura undiminished despite being in a cage: "What's the point of saying all this now? You can only fool yourself. I know you better than you do what kind of person you are."

Seeing Robin's completely open and submissive demeanor, Crocodile's facial muscles twitched almost imperceptibly, but he quickly regained his cold, all-encompassing composure.

He wasn't angry; instead, he chuckled coldly, "Heh...heh...a stray dog ​​dares to bare its teeth at its master?"

He flicked the ash from his cigar, his tone laced with undisguised contempt: "If it weren't for my protection, do you think you could have lived so peacefully these past two years?"

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze like a tangible icicle piercing Robin: "I originally intended to give you a decent living after I'd used you. After all, you've worked for me for so long. Too bad, you're the one who didn't want it."

He held up two fingers, his tone becoming unquestionable: "Now, I'm giving you two choices."

"First, abandon your unrealistic fantasies and recognize your place. Be a good tool for me and continue to interpret the historical texts."

“Second,” he lowered his voice, with a cruel pleasure, “I will now inform the Navy to hand over the exact location of ‘Devil’s Child’ Nico Robin, as well as ‘evidence’ that she is attempting to collude with unknown forces and endanger the security of Alabasta.”

"Tell me, what will the World Government do with you, a survivor of Ohara? Will they kill you on the spot, or take you back to Enies Lobby for a public execution, so that the title of 'Child of the Devil' and the forbidden history it represents will be wiped from the world forever?"

There are two choices: one is to be used endlessly until they lose their value, and the other is to be handed over to the World Government immediately. Either way, it's a dead end.

However, Robin's reaction was unexpected by Crocodile.

She felt neither fear nor anger, but simply listened quietly, then looked directly at Crocodile and said, word by word:

I won't choose either of them.

The dungeon fell silent instantly, save for the hissing sound of burning cigars.

A few seconds later, Crocodile seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world.

He suddenly stood up and walked over. His tall figure looked incredibly imposing as he looked down at Robin in the cage with a mocking smile on his face.

"Ha! Hahahaha!" His laughter echoed: "Not choosing? Nico Robin, what kind of spell has that guy named Morsen cast on you? How have you become so stupid and irrational?"

As he spoke, he stopped laughing, his eyes turning sharp as knives again, his tone filled with disdain and mockery: "You're not still naively fantasizing that some 'collector' who's appeared out of nowhere will come to your rescue, are you?"

"I advise you to give up on that idea as soon as possible." Crocodile sat back in his chair, exhaling a puff of smoke, as if stating a fact that was about to happen.

“You know Mr. 1’s strength best. Even if that collector is a little clever, he’s just a pirate hunter with some fame. He’s no match for the absolute difference in strength.”

Robin's heart skipped a beat, but he kept his face calm, though his fingers involuntarily curled up slightly.

"Perhaps..." Crocodile deliberately dragged out his words, savoring the fleeting tension in Robin's eyes, "In a little while, I'll have Mr. 2 deliver that guy's mangled remains to you, so you can properly behold the gruesome state of your new 'partner.'"

Robin's fingertips dug slightly into her palm, but she forced herself to remain calm, not showing any weakness, and not letting this bastard succeed!

"Even if... even if he got lucky, or used some underhanded means, and managed to defeat Mr. 1 by sheer luck..."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice extremely low, a hint of mockery and cruelty flashing in his eyes: "Do you think he can come to save you? You should have witnessed Mr. 2's abilities. He can transform into anyone, anyone he touches."

"He will become like you or her, when that guy is most relaxed and least guarded, and then..."

Crocodile made a "stabbing" motion, his smile cold and cruel.

"Silently plunge a sharp blade or a poisoned dagger into his heart, and let him die at the hands of his most trusted 'partner'."

"Don't you think this ending is more interesting, and also more despairing, than being killed by Mr. 1 in a fair and square manner?"

"You!" Robin finally lost her composure, her face turning even uglier. She knew all too well Mr. 2's bizarre Imitation Fruit ability.

No wonder Crocodile made Mr. 2 touch their cheeks when they were being captured; he had planned all of this! He was using their identities to assassinate Morsen!

Robin's mind was filled with images of Morsen defeating a powerful enemy, only to see "her" or "Bakara" appear unharmed, walking towards him without warning, only to be pierced through the body by a cold blade the next second...

Just imagining this scene made Robin feel a pang of heartache and fear.

Chapter 51, Crocodile's Recruitment

"You... damn bastard!" Robin's eyes burned with rage, as if she wanted to burn Crocodile to ashes.

"Hahahaha!" Seeing Robin's expression, Crocodile also let out a hearty laugh, the depression he had been suppressing because of Robin's betrayal was swept away.

Baccarat, standing nearby, kept her ears perked up, listening intently to Crocodile and Robin's conversation.

When Crocodile described how Mr. 2 would transform into their appearances to assassinate Morsen, she initially felt a chill and fear, just like Robin. But then she frowned slightly, a hint of contemplation and a strange sense of relaxation flashing across her face.

So that's why that effeminate man touched us. Bakala recalled that when she was arrested earlier, the strangely dressed man who called himself Mr. 2 did take the opportunity to touch her face and arm.

At the time, she thought it was just a lewd attempt to take advantage of someone, and she felt disgusted. However, the moment they made contact, she subconsciously activated the power of the Lucky Fruit.

Although the efficiency of this passive contact absorption was far less than that of her active contact, and the amount absorbed was also limited, she did indeed take away some of her good luck from Mr. 2.

The bit of luck that was taken away might not be enough to kill Mr. 2 by falling flat on his face, but when carrying out a dangerous mission like a "disguised assassination" that requires a high degree of concealment and precise timing to succeed, any loss of good luck could be magnified, turning into a small accident in the plan, a setback in the operation, or a small flaw that would expose the disguise.

Crocodile was unaware of Baccarat's thoughts. He only noticed that after he described Morsen's possible tragic fate, Baccarat did not show pain and anger like Robin did, but instead quickly fell into thought.

In his view, this undoubtedly shows that Bakara has already given up on that unreliable "collector" in her heart and is calmly weighing the pros and cons, looking for a more secure way out.

Claudio Crocdale liked people who were intelligent, pragmatic, knew how to assess situations, and had a clear desire for wealth and status.

Such people are easier to control and more likely to be used as "tools" if given enough benefits and a sense of security.

In particular, Bakara's apparent ability to "manipulate luck" is crucial to his future plans.

After witnessing Robin's suffering, Crocodile turned his gaze to Baccarat, his face once again displaying the confident smile befitting a superior.

“Miss Bakara, perhaps you could consider finding a stronger and more reliable partner.”

Upon hearing Crocodile's words, Bakara looked up at him with some surprise, revealing a hint of doubt and inquiry at just the right moment. She had thought that being captured here was just a side effect.

Seeing that Baccarat raised her head, and that her eyes showed little lingering affection or resentment towards her "former comrade," Crocodile became even more certain of his guess and began to play his carefully prepared bargaining chip:

“I know you enjoy gambling, the thrill of winning, and the happiness that wealth brings.” He got straight to the point, hitting Bakara’s point of interest.

“If you’re willing to work for me, I can put you in charge of the entire ‘Rainy Banquet’ casino. Not just as a senior dealer or manager, but as a real manager.”

“I can even give you a share of the casino, making you one of its owners. The profits from that would be far greater and more stable than the two hundred million Berries you painstakingly won a few days ago.”

He observed Bakala's expression, and seeing the obvious gleam in her eyes, he smiled slightly and continued to press the issue:

"Moreover, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, I have special privileges on this sea, and in Alabasta, my word is law."

“I can provide you with the strongest protection. From now on, you will never have to worry about being harassed or hunted down by those sore losers after you win money. Your safety is guaranteed by me, Crocodile.”

"At the same time, within the Baroque Works, I can also give you a very high position and authority. You can manage a group of elite personnel and have them at your command."

"Whether it's protecting your safety or handling some private matters, you can use them."

"Wealth, status, manpower. As long as you agree to work for me, I can give you all of these."

His terms sounded impeccable, full of sincerity and allure.

A casino, the protection of a Shichibukai, partial command of a vast organization... this almost fulfilled most of Bakara's former fantasies about the "ideal life".

Bakara lowered her head, seemingly engaged in a "fierce" internal struggle, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes: "How much of the casino shares you mentioned are you talking about?"

Crocodile sneered inwardly upon hearing this, but his smile remained unchanged, and his tone became even more gentle: "We can discuss the shares in detail. The premise is that you demonstrate your due value and loyalty."

"I can guarantee that it will bring you at least 500 million yuan in revenue every year, and that's just the bare minimum."

Crocodile believed these conditions were enough to sway the woman's heart. If she cooperated, there would be plenty of time and means to slowly control her and extract her value.

The atmosphere seemed to become delicate because of this recruitment. On one side was Robin, who desperately held on to his companions, and on the other side was Bakura, who seemed to be teetering on the edge of "betrayal" and tempted by huge profits.

Crocodile watched the scene before him with satisfaction, as if he could already see Morsen being betrayed and killed by his "partner," Robin utterly despairing and surrendering, and Baccarat becoming his new pawn.

“Five hundred million Berries! And it’s still one year!” Baccarat’s expression did indeed change subtly, a mixture of calculation and excitement.

Robin, standing beside her, looked at Baccarat with a complicated expression; she could hear the implied meaning in Crocodile's words.

He not only wanted to recruit Bakara, but also wanted to groom her to become his new head housekeeper.

But at this moment, she could not influence Bakara's choice, and could only pray in her heart that Bakara could see through Crocodile's true nature, and that Morsen would be able to make it in time.

Crocodile was eager to strike while the iron was hot, to release more details, or to give Baccarat some more time to think.

But then he heard Bakara mutter to herself, "Five hundred million a year! Heh heh! How much does he owe me? Now I'm the creditor!"

"What?" Crocodile didn't quite understand what Baccarat meant.

Baccarat raised her head, suppressing her excitement and the fantasies of turning the tables in her mind, and looked at Crocodile clearly and calmly, saying:

"The offer is good, but I refuse."

Please continue reading and update the plan.

Before it goes live, there's a promotional period, so I can't update too many chapters. I'll only be releasing two chapters a day, so please remember to follow along.

Follow-up data is extremely important! My follow-up reading has been dropping these past two days, and I'm afraid it will suddenly stop.

I'll be releasing a ton of chapters on the day of release, with a minimum of five chapters, followed by three chapters every day thereafter. If the sales are good, I might add more chapters.

Finally, I urge you to keep reading. Please, please, please do not wait for the book to be released on the shelves before you start waiting.

The readership data before the 200,000-word mark is my lifeline, please everyone help protect it! Please!

Love you all!!!

Chapter 52, Crocodile's Furious and Incomprehensible Outburst (Please continue reading!!!)