Koza shoved Vivi aside and stormed out without looking back.
She collapsed to the ground, her hands trembling as she gathered a handful of Dance Powder spilling from the torn bag. She had no way to explain any of it. Her throat tightened, and tears rolled down her cheeks without stopping.
"It's really... not…"
* * *
Behind the boulder.
Watching the scene unfold, Cobra and Igaram clenched their fists so tight the veins bulged across their arms. Shock filled both of their faces.
They couldn't believe it either. Dance Powder was tightly controlled. How could it appear everywhere across the country?
And without them knowing a thing.
"Who could it be..."
* * *
Alabasta, Revolutionary Army branch.
As one of the largest islands in the Grand Line, the Revolutionary Army also kept troops stationed there.
But because King Cobra had always been well-regarded by the people, they didn't make any moves. They only used this place as a backup base and avoided exposure. That choice ended up saving them when the Marines began their widespread purge.
They had never made contact with the rebel army organized by the people of Alabasta. They didn't interfere in their actions.
However, the Dance Powder was another matter entirely. Revolutionary scouts had discovered its existence, then they handed it to the rebels and let them decide for themselves.
The powder Koza found came from that.
But now, inside the branch base...
Every Revolutionary soldier lay unconscious with their heads tilted at strange angles.
Robin sat elegantly in the main seat of the hall, her chin resting lightly on her palm. She looked down at the struggling branch leader, who had several arms held down each of his joints.
"Stop resisting. It won't help."
He lifted his head with great effort. Sweat covered his face, and he gasped for breath.
"Who… exactly… are you..."
Robin picked up the notebook on the table in front of her, flipped it open, and skimmed through the pages.
"You can call me Miss All Sunday."
The branch leader's expression tightened.
"Miss...? You're… from Baroque Works."
The Revolutionary Army had gathered information on the rising organization in the Grand Line. They knew its members were all given code names starting with Miss and Mr. They knew the group had many bounty hunters and could trace most members' backgrounds, except for the mysterious boss. That person had no records at all. It was as if he had appeared from nowhere. But the wealth required to build Baroque Works couldn't be ignored.
Robin chuckled lightly. "That is correct. Now then, leader. I'm only here to deliver a warning from our boss. Don't stretch your hands too far."
He took a deep breath. "And what is that supposed to mean..."
Robin put away the notebook as she stood up and released her Observation Haki, sensing the entire base. She crossed her arms.
"Alabasta's situation is national internal affairs. You actively helped the rebels, found all that Dance Powder, and even gave them strategies. You've overstepped. So our boss had me come warn you that if you interfere again… everyone here will… die. Don't even think of running. On Alabasta soil, no one escapes Baroque Works."
More arms sprouted on the unconscious soldiers. Each hand twisted a head slightly, as if one more push would snap their necks.
The branch leader's eyes widened in fury. He twisted violently, struggling as hard as he could.
"Stop it!"
Robin chuckled again. "What's your choice, leader?"
Looking at the room full of comrades on the edge of death, the branch leader unwillingly closed his eyes, his teeth nearly cracking from how hard he clenched his mouth.
"Fine..."
She lowered her hands. "A wise choice. Now that the warning is done, let's talk about cooperation."
The arms restraining him vanished. The branch leader slowly stood.
"Cooperation? What cooperation could the Revolutionary Army possibly have with Baroque Works."
His eyes stayed cold and alert.
Robin sensed no one else nearby through her Observation Haki, then her expression grew serious.
"Not with Baroque Works. With me. Let's get to know each other properly."
She reached out her hand.
"Nico Robin."
Her earnest expression made the branch leader frown as he slowly extended his hand to shake.
"Nico Robin...? Nico…!"
His eyes shot open.
The survivor of Ohara! The one the Supreme Commander called... the Light of Revolution!
* * *
A few days later.
The New World, inside a branch base conference room.
Sakazuki sat at the head of the table. Below him sat Bullet, Enel, Soter, Doberman, Momonga and other high ranking officers. Law and Drake listened quietly in a corner.
When the doors closed, Sakazuki nodded.
"Let's begin."
Carlo stood beside the large screen across from the table. With a swipe of his hand, a map filled with dense red markers appeared.
He pointed at the screen and spoke. "As you can see, these red marks are the targets of our upcoming operation. They are the weapon factories of Knox, one of the Four Emperors. These factories send weapons all over the world and also serve as one of the Revolutionary Army's sources of armaments.
"Not long ago, Vice Admiral Soter destroyed a fleet in the Calm Belt. That fleet was carrying weapons Knox planned to deliver to the revolutionaries. Luckily, we intercepted it in time. Our mission is to destroy every one of Knox's weapon bases as fast as possible."
Momonga studied the map and frowned.
"The range is too wide. These scattered islands almost cover the entire New World. Some locations won't be easy for us to strike."
Carlo smiled. "You don't need to worry about that. Areas too deep in enemy territory will be handled by Kaido's side. His weapon business has been crushed by Knox. If he wants to break the deadlock, he has to work with us. And the profits involved make it impossible for him to refuse."
He switched the screen again, displaying the Steam current business records. Lines of text filled the whole screen, with even more pages waiting behind a scroll button.
"Given the current situation, Knox can hardly be called a pirate anymore. He controls the largest underground power on the planet. He dominates nearly every part of the New World's black market, becoming the sole emperor of the underworld.
"After supporting the Red Hair Pirates and driving back Big Mom together, the old and new emperors have now formed an alliance. With their combined strength, it's bad for us and bad for the remaining two emperors.
"But even though the Four Emperors are hostile, the New World is still in a fragile balance. Our goal is to ignite that conflict and break the balance they're trying to keep."
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