The Pirate Princess Becomes Queen

"Ah!" A scream rang out beside him.

One of von Clay's men suddenly developed a wound in his chest and abdomen, spurting blood more than a meter high, and died on the spot.

Before he could react, two more of his men screamed and fell to the ground. After struggling for a moment, they were soon lifeless.

"Who is it? I will never let you get away with this!" von Clay said angrily, punching and kicking at the air, but it was as if there was an invisible person nearby, easily dodging his attacks while constantly changing position to kill his men.

Just when von Clay was at a loss, Vivi on the second floor of the Rain Banquet Casino quietly flicked her toe, sending a bucket spinning and flying down to the first floor.

The bucket appeared to be a cleaning tool, and it was more than half full of sewage. As the sewage was poured over him, a blurry figure appeared in the air.

It was a guy wearing a pink down jacket, holding a spray bottle, and carrying a long knife.

His clothes and hat were stained with water, which drastically reduced his overall sophistication, but he still looked very serious, and he covered his entire face with the brim of his hat.

"I am Seku.P, the Color Man who ate the Color Fruit and can blend into my surroundings! Look at my super cool graffiti!" As he sprayed the surroundings with his spray, the attackers who had been hiding in the shadows lost their invisibility color and charged towards the bounty hunters of Baroque Workshop with shouts.

The attack was somewhat unexpected, but it was only a little surprising. The whole attack felt like it started strong but ended weakly. The giant and Robin didn't even make a move, let alone Vivi.

The battle ended close to dawn, with the pirates hired by the opposing side being completely wiped out. However, the woman who shot the arrow and the man in color disappeared together in the middle of the battle and never appeared again.

Baroque Works may not be very strong, but with its advantageous location, dealing with a bunch of rabble is no problem.

Vivi directed everyone to clean up the battlefield and collect the spoils. All the pirates with bounties on their bodies were captured and sent to exchange for the bounty. The Rain Banquet Casino was bombed by three arrows and went through a chaotic battle. It would take at least a week to repair before it could reopen.

"What do these guys mean?" Robin was puzzled.

Vivi handed her an invitation she had found while cleaning up the battlefield: "It must be to bring this over to us."

Robin glanced at it: "What does this mean? Inviting Baroque Works to play on this Gran Tezzolo ship? This is obviously a trap. Why would we go on their ship? We don't even know where their ship is!"

Vivi pointed to a small, square piece of paper that was placed with the invitation, and asked in a cute, newbie-like manner, "This thing is still moving... How strange!"

Robin thought for a moment: "This...this might be the legendary Vivre Card?"

Robin's guess was confirmed by Crocodile, who knew that the small piece of paper was the Vivre Card of Gild Tesoro, the Golden Emperor. The meaning of the other party sending the Vivre Card was very simple: take the bait if you want. My treasure and my man are right here. Do you dare to take them?

This is a completely pirate-style way of doing things. Robin is a scholar and doesn't understand or agree with this approach, but Crocodile does. This behavior aligns with Crocodile's values.

Upon learning that the Golden Emperor's colossal ship, the Gran Tesoro, supposedly filled with gold, was anchored in the first half of the Grand Line, not far from the Sabaody Archipelago, Crocodile made up his mind to take him down! He'd show him the power of a Shichibukai!

Chapter 151 We Are All Crocodile's Henchmen

Crocodile couldn't be said to know nothing about the Golden Emperor; on the contrary, he knew some information about him, that the man was very wealthy, possessed a considerable fortune, and had maintained connections with the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, but that was all he knew.

This world believes that great power comes from within. When you are strong, status and position will naturally follow. Wealth is not useless, but it is far less useful than power.

Did Doflamingo occupy Dressrosa for money? No, it was for a sense of pride. He felt that the country belonged to him, and it was only right that he take it back. Later, his business dealings with Kaido were also to strengthen his power, not for money.

Did the Crocodile try to take over Alabasta for the country's wealth? No, he did it for the ancient weapon, Hades.

With power comes everything! Crocodile understood this principle when he was ten years old, which is why he looked down on the Golden Emperor's actions.

So what if they're rich and powerful? Just rob them!

Honestly, Crocodile thought Robin had found a really good opponent for him this time, and he deserved praise!

If he were to casually fight some random random person and the fight ended in a draw, the Five Elders would definitely not believe it. An opponent of the Golden Emperor's caliber is just right.

If he gets entangled with the Golden Emperor, the Five Elders will have no reason to let him kill Ace.

Crocodile once again praised Robin's competence. Since he was still unable to leave the Sabaody Archipelago, he ordered the entire Baroque Works to mobilize, with only one objective: to plunder the Golden Emperor's immense wealth.

Robin was very satisfied with her friend's efficiency. The request Crocodile had made was daunting, but it had been resolved smoothly. Even Crocodile himself was pleased. What does this mean? It means that Ms. Wednesday is truly capable!

This time, Crocodile took the initiative to cause trouble and said he would take the blame if anything went wrong.

There's only one requirement for the studio: to make things bigger.

After a brief discussion on Wednesday, Robin and her friend Ms. finalized Baroque Studio's action plan for the next period of time.

They collected all the information on the Golden Emperor Gild Tesoro, at least all the information that could be found publicly.

In the movie, this guy has a giant ship and spends his days drinking, singing, and indulging in debauchery, but in reality, he's not that simple.

Gild Tesoro has close ties with the Celestial Dragons and the World Government. His businesses are spread all over the world. Not to mention, he even has a casino in the desert oasis Rainfield. However, it is smaller in scale and its turnover is far less than that of the Rainfield Casino. The envious casino manager contacted the Golden Emperor and staged the scene of exchanging Beli for gold. This led to a series of subsequent events.

Now that Crocodile has declared war on the Golden Emperor, these scattered businesses will naturally attack any one they see.

In Alabasta, Drum Kingdom, and many surrounding countries, casinos, brothels, hotels, pawnshops, shipyards, paper mills, and wineries belonging to the Golden Emperor were all looted by the Baroque Studio gang. They smashed and stole whatever they could find!

Vivi felt that it was too inefficient for Baroque Studio to have so few people to fight over it.

The malicious person even contacted his "plastic sister," Bello Betty, the commander of the Revolutionary Army's Eastern Army.

Vivi said into the Den Den Mushi, "I know you're short on money, so I'll tell you a shortcut to wealth... You can send people to plunder all of the Golden Emperor's properties worldwide. Just rob whatever you want, and after you're done, just pin the blame on Crocodile! Crocodile will take the fall for you."

Bello Betty was shocked: "You're not kidding me, are you? Your sister is penniless, she can't even afford clothes, and you want me to rob someone? I'd really believe you!"

"Don't worry, it's more real than real gold. What kind of relationship do we have? Would I lie to you? You can send people to rob it."

Bello Betty initially couldn't believe it. Could such a good thing really exist these days? Was that crocodile a fool? She'd dedicated half her life to revolution, and this was the first time she'd encountered something so bizarre...

They tentatively sent men to rob two casinos, then shifted the blame to Crocodile.

The situation developed in a way that greatly exceeded her expectations. Just two days later, Crocodile, the Sand Crocodile, in front of a reporter from the World News, passionately declared that all the recent actions against the Golden Emperor were carried out by his subordinates! He also sneered about the other party's attempt to exchange Beli for the gold in his possession, and firmly stated that he, a veteran Shichibukai, would not yield. He would teach the Golden Emperor a lesson, and his current actions were just the beginning!

Bello Betty was overjoyed upon receiving the news! The Revolutionary Army was lacking everything: weapons, clothes, supplies—in short, money!

Why is Monkey D. Dragon's son, who is 15 years old, still acting like an idiot? Because he can't afford to go to school!

Sabo, the chief of staff of the revolutionary army, fights every day with a broken water pipe. Why? Because he doesn't have money to buy equipment!

Not to mention Bello Betty, the commander of the Eastern Army, she was always shirtless, why? Because she couldn't afford clothes!

This is all because of a lack of money. Now that someone is willing to take the blame, what is there to hesitate about?

Send everyone out and rob any of the Golden Emperor's properties you see! After you're done, if they ask who you are, just say you're Crocodile's men!

The Eastern Army, Western Army, Southern Army, Northern Army, the General Staff, and a large number of Revolutionary Army personnel were deployed all over the world. Not only did high-ranking officials like Bello Betty all take action, but even the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon, eventually joined the fray.

Uncle Dragon harbors lofty ambitions and is determined to overthrow the World Government and liberate all enslaved people. He rarely takes action, but in reality, he possesses immense combat power, comparable to the Four Emperors. He refrains from action for fear of arousing the suspicion of various factions. He believes his only enemy is the World Government, and he doesn't want to provoke any additional enemies, fearing it might hinder his revolutionary cause.

Now that's great! A scapegoat has appeared, so what's there to worry about?

With its full power unleashed, the dragon swept through more than ten casinos in the Golden Emperor in just one day. Keep in mind that these casinos weren't located in just one place; they were basically located in different countries.

Uncle Long flew through the clouds, robbing one house after another, leaving behind the name of Crocodile, before taking flight again to rob the next one.

Ninety-nine percent of the looted money went to the revolutionary army's expenses. He planned to keep the rest for himself, intending to buy his son a pair of sneakers in a few days. The boy wore straw sandals every day; it was truly pitiful...

Chapter 152 The Vast Power of the Sand Crocodile

If the Revolutionary Army were to confront the World Government head-on, they would definitely be outmatched, as the two sides are simply not on the same level. However, dealing with the Golden Emperor would be much easier, as their intelligence network, manpower, and organizational capabilities are not even in the same league as the mafia-like Golden Emperor.

The revolutionary army is frantically looting the assets belonging to the Golden Emperor in the four major sea areas of the East China Sea, West China Sea, South China Sea, and North China Sea, as well as some areas along the Grand Line! They're taking as much as they can!

Crocodile was unaware of this, as he was under house arrest and was frequently interviewed by reporters from the World News in the Sabaody Archipelago.

"What are the reasons behind the numerous attacks targeting Gild Tezoro's properties within Alabasta...?"

Crocodile looked smug, inwardly praising Robin and his crew for their quick action: "That's right, it was my men who did it. That guy actually tried to trade Berries for the gold I had, so I had to teach him a lesson! I didn't even need to lift a finger; with just a few of my men, I could easily crush him!"

The reporter then asked, "So the vandalism and looting that happened in Drum Kingdom was also at your behest?"

"That's right, it was my men who did it."

"Was the vandalism and looting that occurred in the Kingdom of Batlira in the South China Sea also at your behest?"

“That’s right, he’s one of my men…wait, wait a minute…” Crocodile nodded subconsciously, then suddenly realized something was off: “…Where is this country you’re talking about? I’ve never heard of it before?”

The reporter completely ignored him and quickly jotted down notes in his notebook: "Crocodile said that the events in the Kingdom of Bartilla were also done by his men!"

The reporters, always eager for chaos, included their leader, the president of the World News, Morgans, who had eaten the Bird-Bird Fruit in his Albatross form. Morgans, one of the emperors of the underworld, was also reluctant to provoke Crocodile and the Golden Emperor unless absolutely necessary, thanks to some tacit understanding. But the problem was, the news had already been published—that was his job—so why shouldn't he report it? He wasn't that cowardly! The newspapers embellished the story, giving it widespread coverage.

Seeing the various reports in the newspapers, Gild Tesoro, the Golden Emperor, was so angry that his teeth ached. He had suffered huge losses. Seventy percent of his various businesses, both overt and covert, had been wiped out. This was a situation he had built up over twenty years under the cover of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government. Now, it was almost like going back to square one overnight.

The world government knows about some of the industries, after all, they can't keep everything to themselves, they have to share the profits, and the other party has to take the lion's share. Some of the industries were created by him without the knowledge of various forces, and now most of them have been exposed.

At the same time, he was filled with apprehension; he had made a mistake!

He used to think Crocodile was a mad dog, but look at him now? He's not mad at all. Look at this plan, sending so many subordinates to act all over the world at the same time. How meticulous the coordination must be, how many capable subordinates must be? This is not a situation that can be created in a day or two.

The power of money is still very strong. Gild Tezzolo has also deployed some experts in his industries around the world, but without exception, these experts have suffered heavy casualties. Many times, they were knocked unconscious before they could even see the enemy's face. Only a few eyewitnesses have a consistent account: there are many and very strong enemies!

The Golden Emperor is in a difficult position. A lot of people are watching him. If he weakens, not only Crocodile, but the World Government and the Celestial Dragons could devour him.

Nico Robin, one of the direct participants in the incident, was initially quite surprised. Crocodile's hidden power was considerable! Judging from that massive force, he must have mobilized tens of thousands of people at once.

Then she felt it was only natural. In her mind, Crocodile had always been an ambitious man. He was a Shichibukai when he was 20 years old and is now 40. There is a 20-year time span in between. It is only reasonable for him to secretly cultivate some power.

The news spread faster and faster, and within Big Mom's Kingdom of Totto Land, her older children discussed Crocodile for two days.

As the second son of the old woman and the older brother of her many younger siblings, Katakuri's attitude has undergone a significant change this time.

Crocodile's power is simply too great. If they could bring this force to their side, Big Mom's path to becoming the Pirate King would be at least a third easier. With its global intelligence network, manpower, and mature organizational system, Crocodile is far more valuable to Katakuri than the Giants.

He used to think Lola was childish, but now he thinks differently. He now thinks Lola has great taste. Crocodile, you're such a good brother-in-law! As her older brother, he must make this marriage happen.

Katakuri personally intervened and found their "uncle," who was also Big Mom's former comrade in the Rocks Pirates. He was a great pirate nicknamed "Gourmet Knight," and was 88 years old this year.

He wanted to ask Longbread to be the head chef, with the help of his brothers and sisters, to make an unprecedentedly huge cake for the old lady, and then, while the old lady was enjoying the cake, he would talk about Crocodile and Lola.

Katakuri still had some influence; the long bread was quite old, but he still agreed to help.

In an instant, the entire Kingdom of Tottoland was bustling with activity.

Kaido, Whitebeard, Shanks, Doflamingo—all factions are paying attention to the conflict between Crocodile and the Golden Emperor, only to varying degrees.

The Five Elders were shocked.

They want to maintain global balance and are most wary of this kind of global unrest.

They were well aware of the secret deals between Gild Tesoro, the Golden Emperor, and the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, but they never expected that Gild Tesoro's businesses were at least 30% larger than they knew.

What was even more unexpected was the power displayed by the sand crocodile.

These days, people bully the weak and fear the strong. When you're all alone, they think you're a dog they can call on and dismiss at will. But when you prove you control a powerful force, they'll respect you.

The Five Elders secretly changed their attitude towards Crocodile; they felt they should treat him better...

Knowing that Akainu was intolerant of injustice, the Five Elders sent Akainu back to Marine Headquarters and dispatched Kizaru, who was good at mediating disputes, to the Sabaody Archipelago to handle the relay of orders between him and Crocodile.

When Kizaru arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, Crocodile was reading a newspaper.