The hundred-meter-high city wall was still beyond Vir’s ability to climb.
That duck from earlier had also fainted from the fall.
Vir was certain that Crocodile had taken a serious hit.
His kick had landed squarely on Crocodile’s face.
There was no doubt—Crocodile had felt the threat from him.
That meant he definitely wouldn’t be chasing after him.
Finding Pluton was Crocodile’s top priority now.
Since Vir couldn’t climb the wall, the only way to find Crocodile was to wait for him in the underground chamber.
Not far from the palace, Robin was leading the king toward the chamber’s entrance.
They had set off before Vir appeared, so they hadn’t gotten far yet.
Robin frowned slightly as she looked at the Marines blocking their way.
This little Marine girl had no idea what she was up against.
Robin glanced at Tashigi, who was standing in their way, and didn’t bother wasting words.
She activated the power of the Hana Hana no Mi.
In an instant, slender arms sprouted from the bodies of the surrounding Marines.
A series of cracking sounds followed.
Every Marine, including Tashigi, lost their ability to fight in an instant.
Robin cast a cold glance at the fallen Tashigi before stepping over her.
Behind her, the king sighed helplessly and followed along.
No one noticed that in a dimly lit alley nearby, an unconscious figure had mysteriously appeared…
Under the king’s guidance, they soon arrived above the chamber.
With a push of the statue before them, a secret passage was revealed.
One after another, they stepped inside.
After a long walk through the passage, they reached an ancient chamber filled with the weight of history.
Various antiques lined the room.
But the most eye-catching feature was the massive stone at its center.
The moment Robin saw it, a ripple of emotion flickered across her otherwise calm eyes.
She quickly stepped forward.
Reaching out, she gently touched the ancient stone.
“This is the Poneglyph you were looking for” the king said with a grim expression.
Robin didn’t need him to say it—she could tell at a glance.
This was exactly what she had been searching for.
Just as she prepared to decipher it, a hoarse voice echoed from behind her.
“Finally found it. Hahaha! Now, let’s see who can stop me!”
Robin’s face immediately darkened.
“Translate it for me now! Tell me where Pluton is!”
Crocodile, eyes manic with excitement, ordered from behind her.
He looked utterly wretched.
His hair was a mess, and a deep shoeprint was imprinted on his face.
He was a sorry sight.
Robin lifted her gaze to the Poneglyph.
She was at his mercy. If she disobeyed, she could die at any moment.
But after scanning the inscriptions, her expression shifted unpredictably.
The text did contain clues about Pluton.
But if she told Crocodile…
“Well?! Speak!”
Crocodile roared, growing impatient with her silence.
“There’s no mention of Pluton here. This only records the history of this kingdom.”
Robin ultimately chose not to reveal the truth.
The moment she spoke, the air around them grew noticeably colder.
Crocodile’s expression darkened to its limit.
His inherently suspicious nature told him that this woman was lying.
After everything he had done, was this all he had found? Just the history of some ancient kingdom?
What a joke!
She had to be lying!
At that moment, Crocodile’s killing intent toward Robin flared.
Pulling out a handkerchief, he wiped his already dirtied golden hook.
“No mention, huh? What a pity…” he said flatly.
Robin, perceptive as she was, could clearly sense his intent to kill.
She knew her chances of survival were slim.
She wouldn’t just sit there and wait for death!
With lightning-fast reflexes, she hurled a bottle of water at Crocodile!
Then, drawing a long knife from her coat, she lunged at him!
But after being humiliated by Luffy with water, there was no way Crocodile would be unprepared!
With a swirl of sand, he intercepted the bottle mid-air.
As for Robin’s attack—her movements were riddled with openings in his eyes.
With a simple flick of his hook, he disarmed Robin’s dagger with ease.
Then, he clamped his fingers around her throat.
The power gap was too vast.
Robin couldn’t even touch Crocodile.
“Die, you pathetic little rat!”
With that, he thrust his golden hook toward her chest!
He despised being deceived.
Robin could do nothing but struggle desperately.
Feeling the crushing force on her throat, she finally closed her eyes in despair.
‘After hiding for so many years… am I finally going to die? Maybe death isn’t so bad. I have nothing left to care about. Perhaps this is my true fate.’
As that thought crossed her mind, a smile formed on her lips.
She had suffered too much over the years.
She was exhausted. So, so exhausted.
Just as she was about to embrace death, the expected pain never came.
Perplexed, she slowly opened her eyes.
Before her was a hand.
A hand that had caught Crocodile’s golden hook mid-thrust!
The hand was coated in a pitch-black substance, radiating an overwhelming sense of danger.
Following that arm, she saw a tall figure standing beside her.
It was an unfamiliar face—one she had never seen before.
There was no emotion in his expression, only an eerie calm.
But with her years of experience, Robin could sense the fury hidden beneath that calm exterior.
Crocodile was even more shocked.
He recognized Vir.
The guy who had nearly kicked his head off earlier!
How was he here?!
Panic crept into Crocodile’s heart.
That single kick had already shown him the power gap between them.
He wasn’t sure he could beat Vir!
This guy could even use Armament Haki so effortlessly!
The pressure from Vir’s grip alone told him—this kid’s physical prowess was monstrous!
No! He had to find a way to escape!
But before he could react, he felt the grip on his hook tighten!
His hook… was being crushed!
The golden hook that had served him for years… was turning flat!
Its color even began to change… gradually transforming into solid steel!
Then—crack!
With a sharp noise, Crocodile’s right hand was left with nothing but a mangled piece of scrap metal!
Panic set in.
He instantly released Robin and turned into a cloud of sand, trying to flee.
But at that moment—
Everything around them began turning into steel!
As if alive, the liquefied steel surged toward the chamber’s entrance!
In the blink of an eye, a massive steel door slammed shut, sealing off the only exit!
In less than a second, an iron fortress had formed.
Steel Transformation: Temporarily converts anything touched into steel.
Shaping: Allows the liquefaction of inanimate objects and reshaping them into any form.
Crocodile was forced to stop.
His expression was now utterly grim.
At the same time, a deep voice finally broke the silence.
“I didn’t say you could leave.”
With a calm yet chilling gaze, Vir looked at Crocodile and spoke in a low, steady tone.
—–
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