Sailing: I Open Treasure Chests in the Pirate World

"what?"

The crocodile's mocking expression softened slightly.

Ian said calmly.

"You are afraid."

Several blue veins bulged on the crocodile's forehead.

"……what are you saying?"

"What 'power of the Pirate Emperor'? What 'unimaginable power'..."

Ian spoke frankly, saying 5.5.

"This idea, as pointless and venomous as scorpion droppings in the desert, has already cost you your life!"

"Crocodile, I thought you at least had the guts to challenge the Four Emperors."

"I never expected that the person in front of me was just a coward who wouldn't even dare to think about it!"

"What 'Seven Warlords of the Sea'? They're nothing but walking corpses, skeletons in a tomb!"

After saying those words...

Ian raised his right hand again, his fist enveloped in Armament Haki, assuming an attack stance.

"Shah Crocodile, let me send you on your way..."

"and many more!"

Crocodile clenched his fist.

He was extremely reluctant to admit that Ian's words had indeed touched him...

I've spent too much time in a paradise-like little country like Alabasta.

Only now does Crocodile realize that his abilities have been neglected for far too long, and even his Haki has vanished...

"What's the plan you just mentioned, the plan about the 'Pirate Emperor'?"

"The plan is simple."

Ian deactivated his Armament Haki and said calmly.

"Follow me, charge into the New World, and challenge the Pirate Emperor!"

Crocodile looked at Ian, and a thought popped into his mind.

He's still just a kid...

Chapter 81 Nico Robin, want to come over here?

Rainy ground, rainy banquet.

Crocodile, shrouded in a thin layer of sand, returned to his "crocodile lair".

Upon entering the Rain Banquet Casino and taking in its interior, Crocodile couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath.

"That bastard Bai Long!"

Earlier, Crocodile had seen the blue-eyed white dragon atop the Rain Banquet Pyramid.

He already felt the situation in his own stronghold was not optimistic...

Crocodile is now back at Rainy Banquet Casino.

What first caught his eye was a scene of "clay hell" that was enough to terrify an ordinary person!

An endless supply of white clay filled the interior of the Rain Banquet Pyramid to the brim.

From the staff of Yu Yan Casino to ordinary customers visiting the casino.

Each person was encased in white clay, transformed into a "clay statue" that could neither move nor speak.

The entire Rain Banquet Casino was deathly silent, devoid of its usual frenzied atmosphere.

After Crocodile finished cursing, his opinion of Ian's strength rose a little higher.

With his keen eye, it wasn't hard to see that the Rain Banquet Casino had been completely "clay-ified"...

This ability to assimilate the surrounding environment on a large scale is called—

Devil Fruit Awakening!

"The White Dragon's Clay Fruit... has actually been developed to the Awakening level!"

Thinking of this, Crocodile's already displeased expression turned even more unpleasant.

Because of the "battle" just now.

Apart from the Blue-Eyes White Dragon at the very beginning, Ian has basically never used the Clay-Clay Fruit's abilities.

Ian defeated Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, with just his fists...

Crocodile was very unhappy, but he couldn't find a reason to vent his frustration.

Should we blame his weakness? Or should we blame Ian's powerful punches?

"White Dragon... you bastard..."

Crocodile muttered to himself as he quickly made his way down into the Rain Banquet Pyramid.

Beneath the Pyramid of Rain, there is a well-hidden secret chamber.

That is Crocodile's core base.

However, as the sand crocodile traveled along, he discovered that the interior of the Rain Banquet Pyramid was completely covered and eroded by clay.

Even his secret base was piled high with white clay...

In the underground chamber, Crocodile saw a woman who was both unexpected and yet perfectly logical.

Like the people outside the secret room, this woman was also covered in a thick layer of clay.

"Miss allSunday, you're here too?"

Crocodile walked over to his casino manager and senior executive at Baroque Works, raised his right hand, and unleashed a sandstorm that destroyed the "clay shell" covering the man.

"Mr. 0, I'm sorry, I'm no match for that person at all."

Nico Robin struggled out of the clay, shook off the clods of dirt and sand, and looked expectantly at the sand crocodile.

"Did you deal with the intruder?"

solve?

Crocodile's lips twitched violently.

He removed the layer of sand and dust that protected him, revealing his disheveled true form.

Nicole Robin is a very intelligent woman.

She made a very accurate judgment based on her boss's expression and appearance.

Even Crocodile was no match for that man...

As Crocodile turned to leave and went to clean up.

Nico Robin watched Crocodile's retreating figure, a series of thoughts flashing through her mind.

'Even the Seven Warlords of the Sea are no match for that man…'

'He has recognized me and knows my secret…'

'Am I going to have to change bosses again? This life of constantly hiding and running away is so annoying...'

'But what was that man's purpose...?'

Nicole Robin clearly remembers being in a coma for a long time.

When she woke up, she was already "imprisoned" in this secret room.

She was unaware of anything that happened while she was in a coma.

Nicole Robin only remembers that the man immediately revealed her true identity.

The remnants of O'Hara!

Nico Robin stood alone in the secret room for a long time, lost in thought.

When Crocodile finished cleaning up and came back in a new outfit, she was still standing there, motionless.

"Miss Sunday, come with me to greet the 'guest'!"

guest?

An incredible idea flashed through Nicole Robin's mind.

She followed the sand crocodile out of the underground chamber and arrived at the ground floor of the Rain Banquet Pyramid.

The white clay that used to be everywhere has disappeared without a trace.

Even the people inside the Rain Banquet Pyramid disappeared at this time.

The only living person on the ground floor was the man riding the white dragon who had just invaded the Rain Banquet Pyramid...

"finally come?"

Ian sat on a soft clay sofa, waving leisurely to the two of them.

"Please sit wherever you like, don't be shy."

Robin glanced at Crocodile beside her.

The latter sat down directly on a casino chair, without touching the clay sofa.

Miss Sunday followed suit and found another safe chair to sit on.

As soon as he sat down, Crocodile asked.

"What about the customers inside the casino?"

“I deactivated my powers, and then they all ran away.”

Ian shrugged and said casually.

"Not one of them stayed."

Several veins bulged on Crocodile's forehead instantly.

Rain Banquet Casino was a money pit that he had spent a great deal of effort to build.

After today's incident, it's unclear how long it will take for Yuyan Casino to resume normal operations.

Mixed protein dragon!

Ian was completely unaware that he had dealt a major blow to Crocodile's gambling business.

"How's your thinking about that plan from earlier?"

"Outrageously childish!"

Crocodile criticized without holding back.

"The power of the Pirate Emperor—"

“Here it comes again, here it comes again.”

Ian silently interrupted Crocodile's attempt to boost others' morale.

"Are you scared out of your wits by Whitebeard, Crocodile?"

"If you're afraid of this and that, what kind of pirate are you?!"

"Whitebeard——"

Crocodile gritted his teeth; the name was a taboo subject for him.

"I'm not saying we won't challenge Whitebeard! I just feel that our preparations aren't sufficient yet!"

"To challenge Whitebeard, we need more manpower, more weapons, and more..."

"Manpower? Weapons?"

Ian casually pointed to Nicole Robin standing to the side.