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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 114: Resolution
"Crocodile is dead."
The World Government Elders gathered together, some furrowing their brows, others displaying expressions of surprise, and some showing signs of anger.
"Crocodile has been one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea for the longest time; how could he have died?"
"He joined the Seven Warlords of the Sea over twenty years ago and had been relatively stable. For the past seven or eight years, he has been in Alabasta, running a casino without engaging in any overstepping activities."
"Not only that, but he also became a hero in Alabasta, protecting it from pirates and perfectly fulfilling the purpose for which we established the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"Although there is no body, reports indicate that a large hole was broken into his office, with water flooding in from the end of the passage. As a Devil Fruit User, his chances of survival in such an environment after an attack are slim."
"It seems someone was targeting Crocodile."
"Investigations show that a woman brought a giant beast close to the casino. The woman entered the casino while the beast entered the lake. Afterward, both the woman and the beast left and disappeared without a trace. If nothing unexpected occurred, she is likely the culprit."
"The woman had previously entered and exited with Crocodile, indicating that this must have been planned for a long time."
"The agents created several sketches based on eyewitness descriptions. The intelligence department compared them and concluded that it could possibly be Nico Robin, the Demon Child and survivor of Ohara."
"However, Nico Robin is also a Devil Fruit User and cannot operate underwater; she wouldn't be able to do much on her own. It’s unlikely she would send her giant beast to carry out so many tasks without assistance."
"The murder of a Seven Warlord and the appearance of an Ohara survivor require further investigation. Moreover, why was Crocodile meeting with Nico Robin?"
"But regardless of the investigation's outcome, this matter needs to be classified quickly. At least Crocodile has a high public reputation as a hero and serves as a benchmark for the Seven Warlords of the Sea; we cannot allow any dirt to be thrown on him for the Navy to exploit."
"Then let it end with him being too trusting of others, allowing someone to get close and take his trust before killing him. This could raise Nico Robin's bounty and lead to her capture."
"Also, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea is missing. We need to quickly assess a new candidate for the position."
"If we don't patch the hole, it will eventually become a big one."
"Once the three major factions collapse, it will directly impact the world. We must maintain the balance of power."
"Then let Sengoku be responsible for finding a replacement."
"The bounty has increased, now at one hundred million. Her identity has been exposed, and the situation is worse than I imagined."
Nico Robin sat at the round table by the shore, looking at the bounty notice and the information printed in the newspaper, her expression exceptionally grim.
The newspaper read: "Seven Warlords of the Sea's Crocodile assassinated by Demon Child Nico Robin."
Nico Robin's bounty had risen from seventy-nine million to one hundred million.
"This is indeed a rather bad outcome."
Xiaqiu had considered the consequences before implementing the plan.
The worst-case scenario would be a failed attack, allowing Crocodile to escape. The likelihood of that was not high; if he could escape, Xiaqiu would not have chosen to attack.
If he escaped unscathed, Nico Robin would surely die.
The second worst outcome was the exposure of Nico Robin's identity.
After all, Nico Robin had appeared in the casino, and with Crocodile's death, an investigation was inevitable.
The intelligence department had information on Nico Robin; after all, Lucci and his team had been lurking in Water Seven for five years and could recognize her.
So there was a possibility she could be discovered, limited only by the accuracy of eyewitness descriptions and the extent of the intelligence gathered.
But it seemed that this outcome had indeed occurred.
It was predictable that there would be a thorough investigation and even a manhunt following this.
However, labeling it as a bad thing felt somewhat inappropriate; it was actually a double-edged sword.
If used wisely, it could only bring benefits to her, not drawbacks.
Xiaqiu naturally pondered over the answer and wrote a few words on the ground: "I can protect you."
"Thank you, Qiu. However, the Navy has many strong fighters. You alone can't protect me," Nico Robin said with a bitter smile.
Xiaqiu immediately wrote a few more words: "Underwater, I am strong."
"Underwater?"
Nico Robin's eyes lit up upon seeing those words. "That's right! Although the Navy has many strong fighters, their abilities are limited in the sea. Your strength increases significantly underwater. The only ones who can fight you in the water are Vice Admirals or stronger, and many of them are Devil Fruit Users who cannot enter the water and whose combat abilities are weakened there. Of course, Aokiji's powers can affect seawater, which is a threat, but it's unlikely that an Admiral would personally pursue me."
"That's right."
Xiaqiu nodded. The only ones who could harm him now were Vice Admirals and higher-ranking Officers.
A Major General could surpass him on the surface, but underwater, he would only become prey.
The Vice Admiral had mastered Haki, and even if their power was reduced underwater, they could still easily injure him.
Among the Officers above Vice Admiral rank, aside from Aokiji, other Devil Fruit Users could not enter the water, which eliminated a large portion of strong opponents.
Aokiji generally would not pursue Nico Robin; in the original story, he only did so once, primarily to repay the Straw Hat Crew for saving Smoker.
As for non-Devil Fruit Users, as long as they weren't Kong, Peach Rabbit, Tea Pig, or other powerful beings, Xiaqiu even planned to strengthen himself several more times before proactively attacking Vice Admirals to hunt them down and acquire Haki.
Nico Robin furrowed her brows and said, "But considering the strength of the Navy, you might get hurt. Plus, we may not be able to break through a Naval Battleship. If we encounter several Battleships surrounding us, it will still be difficult to escape."
Xiaqiu immediately wrote down a few words: "From underwater."
"Are you suggesting we leave together from underwater? But my time submerged is limited; it's hard to escape too far."
As Nico Robin thought about this, she suddenly said, "But I can create a sealed chamber that can store a large amount of air. No, I can directly use an underwater vehicle. Sabaody Archipelago can coat ships to allow them to submerge. Oh right, there are submarines that can move underwater. They carry fewer crew members, but once I'm skilled enough, I can operate one by myself. The shipbuilding company in Water Seven can do that."
"When we encounter the Navy, we'll leave from underwater while trying to avoid exposing our identities on land."
Nico Robin formulated a strategy and then added, "The current focus is on Baroque Works. If nothing unexpected happens, they should recognize me by now. I wonder what their plans are and if they have any other ideas. So in a few days, we need to make contact, starting with Feng."
Xiaqiu immediately wrote, "I will follow you."
"Mm."
Nico Robin saw the words and suddenly felt a sense of determination. Autumn was still by her side, which made her feel inexplicably more at ease.
Xiaqiu shook her head and looked at Nico Robin, a thought forming in her mind.
Nico Robin's identity had been exposed, and she had become a marker for Nico Robin. Perhaps this could be utilized.
As long as she logged in elsewhere, not only could she help divert the Navy's attention away from Nico Robin, but she could also attract the Navy to her location, gathering a significant amount of energy.
But where should she choose?
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