"Don!"
Crocodile's heart tightened, his sharp gaze fixed on Don—who had just turned his head toward the sky.
He, too, had noticed the newspaper birds circling high above.
Avoiding being photographed meeting with Don, was that his intent?
Crocodile wondered silently.
He'd seen it all—the rising heat earlier, and the meteor that had fallen from the desert beyond the city walls.
He was already wary of Don.
Now, even more so.
"I'm going to found an organization," Don said suddenly, turning to look at Crocodile. His tone was calm, measured.
"I need someone to help build its structure—and you're one of my chosen candidates."
Crocodile froze for a moment, staring at the composed young man before him.
Behind Don, Robin had quietly taken a step back, while Issho tapped his cane-sword lightly on the ground as he joined them.
"Why should I agree to that?" Crocodile frowned, his voice heavy with suspicion.
"You don't have another choice," Don said simply, shaking his head.
"What an arrogant tone! Don't forget, this is my territory!"
Crocodile's face darkened in anger. Fine grains of sand began swirling around him.
As Don expected, words alone wouldn't work.
That was why he hadn't bothered to sugarcoat it.
Seeing Crocodile's stance, Don sighed softly and turned to Issho.
"How about you handle this one? Consider it collecting a bit of interest. But don't kill him—I'll explain the rest afterward."
Issho rolled his eyes slightly, then nodded.
"Understood."
He stepped forward.
"Bastard! Who do you think you're— I am—!"
Crocodile's furious words were cut short as an unseen force slammed into him.
Boom!
His body shot into the air like a cannonball, vanishing into the desert sky.
Issho followed immediately, rising after him with effortless grace.
The Baroque Works agents nearby stood frozen in disbelief.
They… actually started fighting?!
Now what were they supposed to do?
Every pair of eyes turned to Daz.
The dent Robin had left in his chest had already healed, but the sight of Don made him instinctively tense.
Before he could even speak, a crushing wave of pressure descended upon them.
It was as if the air itself collapsed.
Thud!
Bodies dropped one after another—Daz included, eyes rolling back as they all fell unconscious.
After releasing his [Conqueror's Haki], Don stepped forward toward the casino entrance.
The ground trembled faintly beneath his steps.
Outside the city, Issho and Crocodile's clash had already begun.
Robin glanced once at the fallen agents, then turned to the distant horizon where Crocodile had vanished, before quietly following Don into the Rain Dinners casino.
"I thought you'd at least explain what you're trying to do first," she said as Don sat down at the empty gambling table.
The once-bustling casino was now eerily silent. Even the staff had fled.
Don twirled a poker chip between his fingers. "No point. Someone like Crocodile doesn't listen until after a fight. Beat him first, then talk. By then, he'll be quiet enough to listen."
"So you're just switching the order around?" Robin asked, half-exasperated.
"But he's still a Warlord. Doing this might make him choose death over—"
"He's not stupid," Don interrupted calmly. "Smart men know when to fight—and when to adapt."
He didn't mind leaving the entire framework of the Hunter Association in Crocodile's hands. Even if Crocodile eventually turned it into his own power, it didn't matter.
In this world, everything still came down to strength.
Without it, everything you possess is nothing more than a fleeting dream.
Don understood this truth better than anyone—especially after seeing the world's future.
Without a force strong enough to impose order, the world would always return to chaos.
Even the World Government was just another predator on top of the food chain.
If they truly had the power to control the world, it wouldn't have become what it is now.
"He doesn't seem that smart to me," Robin muttered, resting her cheek on one hand as she sat beside him.
"He knew I was with you, and he still invited me—he even attacked me."
"That was a test," Don said, smiling faintly as he looked at her.
"A test? Of you?"
"Of me," Don corrected. "He was probing my intentions. Deep down, he's already made his choice. He knows he can't beat me, but he can't bear to abandon everything he's built in Alabasta either."
Robin thought quietly for a moment, still a bit unconvinced.
"He thinks he's too valuable to lose," Don said, flicking her lightly on the forehead.
"Ow! And I'm the one you're calling calculating?" Robin shot back, leaning away with a playful glare.
Don chuckled. "If you knew him better, you'd think the same."
"Fine. Then what about that old man? Is he joining us too?"
"You mean Issho?" Don replied. "You could say so. His strength is extraordinary—one of the strongest on the seas. You can think of him as equal to an Admiral."
Robin's eyes widened. "That strong?"
She had sensed Issho's power before, but not to that extent.
"So… can you beat him now?" she asked, blinking.
"Not exactly," Don admitted. "We both held back. It wasn't a true fight."
Robin stared at him, remembering the rising heat and the meteor that had fallen earlier. That was holding back?
Right. She'd stopped trying to make sense of these monsters long ago.
"This sea is vast," Don continued softly. "There are many powerful people like Issho—unknown, unrecognized. Some aren't pirates or Marines. Some just live quietly somewhere, for their own reasons."
He smiled faintly. "That's the kind of people I hope the Association will attract."
"But such people are hard to control," Robin warned.
"Who said anything about control?" Don's smile widened. "The Association doesn't need strict order. It can even include villains."
He turned his gaze toward her. "All I want is to give them purpose—something beyond aimless destruction."
Robin sighed, realizing just how far ahead his vision truly stretched.
END OF CHAPTER
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