The Pirate Princess Becomes Queen

Now everyone in the world knows that Crocodile has enormous power, but he was the last to know this, and sadly, he only found out by reading the newspaper.

Chapter 153 The Golden Emperor Wants to Make Peace?

Seeing the reporters' exaggerated reports, Crocodile himself suddenly had the illusion that the whole world was under his control. He was dumbfounded. What the hell? Do I have that many subordinates?

He definitely doesn't have that many subordinates. He's not stupid, and he doesn't have amnesia. Others might not know, but he knows himself, right? This is clearly someone trying to muddy the waters and make him take the blame.

He immediately wanted to deny it, but then he realized from Kizaru's words that the Five Elders' attitude towards him had changed. After Kizaru left, Charlotte Cracker, one of the Sweet Commanders, also showed him Totto Land's goodwill in a very rare way, which was unimaginable before.

Should he clarify things or not? The key question is, what benefit would clarifying things bring him? He pondered this question all night.

When the reporter asked him again, "Were the looting and vandalism that occurred in the Kingdom of Ambrizette also at your behest?"

This time, Crocodile didn't ask where the place was; he gave a vague answer: "...maybe."

The reporter wrote furiously again: "Crocodile's attitude was very arrogant. He said, 'Is there any need to ask? This is what my men did!'"

The Five Elders no longer mention the mission Crocodile was given to kill Ace, and they treat Gecko Moria's death as if it never happened, as if there was never a person named Gecko Moria in the world.

The Five Elders wanted to see just how powerful Crocodile and the Golden Emperor were, so they not only didn't give him any new missions, but even subtly encouraged him to continue his feud with the Golden Emperor!

However, the house arrest has not been lifted. Their plan is nothing more than to profit from this situation. If they hold people in their hands, they can control the forces you control, right?

Crocodile wasn't really in the mood to leave. He was confused. He seemed to have accomplished what he asked Robin to do, and the Five Elders had withdrawn their order for him to kill Ace. From this perspective, the outcome was actually quite good, but something felt off. He felt like something was amiss. The world was changing too fast. He wanted some peace and quiet to think about what had happened recently...

......

"Hehehe, I won again." Robin grinned from ear to ear, while Vivi, Karu the Duck, and Mr. 2 Bon Clay on the other side looked ashen-faced, having lost fifteen consecutive matches...

Baroque Works does indeed have a mission to rob the Golden Emperor's property, but none of them are very interested. Vivi likes money but doesn't like robbing; she thinks it's not skillful. Robin also dislikes the kind of violence and looting. Mr. 2 only cares about his transvestite path and his sense of loyalty; he doesn't value money at all. The three of them sit on Mr. 2's new ship, the "Fast Swan," and stroll along the route from Alabasta to Whiskey Hill. Duck suggests playing cards to kill time, and unsurprisingly, they are once again bloodied by Robin.

Just then, Crocodile called, and Vivi and the others immediately stopped playing.

The group went for a stroll on the deck, leaving the space to Robin, who was on the phone.

Not long after, Robin would quietly come out.

She whispered to Vivi, "The Golden Emperor is demanding a settlement, and the employer also thinks we should stop."

The Five Elders hinted that Crocodile should continue to clash with the Golden Emperor, but Crocodile knew his own limitations; he didn't have any real power. What use were his words?

After eliminating several impossible options, he now found a suspect: he suspected that this powerful force belonged to Nicole Robin, and that this phone call was mostly a test.

Although Vivi couldn't fully understand Crocodile's thoughts, she could figure them out by putting herself in his shoes.

If the Golden Emperor wants to talk, then let's talk. Whether we can reach an agreement or not is another matter.

At this time, the Golden Emperor himself was still in the New World. The peace envoy he sent was still the big-headed Tanaka. The two sides quickly agreed on a meeting place, and the Quick Swan deviated from its original course and headed towards a small island a little further away from their original destination.

Anticipating an upcoming battle, Vivi suggested that Robin change her clothes.

"Huh? Is this kind of clothing not okay for me?" Robin asked, looking surprised.

Vivi stared at Robin's strapless dress, somewhat speechless. The dress was rather provocative; could she even fight in that? It didn't even have straps, her shoulders were completely exposed, and the dress was mainly supported by her G-cup breasts. If the dress fell down during a fight, the sight would be quite something...

After observing in secret for a long time, she discovered that the female swordsmen didn't seem to be very big. Tashigi, Ain, and several other female swordsmen she had seen were no match for Robin. Even Yamato seemed to be two sizes smaller, having lost all her fat through training. This was the price of martial arts training!

Vivi had both the second-generation Kitetsu and Shusui hanging around her waist, and her clothes were very conservative. In comparison, Robin's clothes were indeed too casual.

"Ms. Wednesday, no need to be so nervous. Although I'm different from you swordsmen, I'm still very strong." Robin didn't take it seriously at all. Anyway, when it comes to fighting, she just needs to find a place to stand and use her Devil Fruit ability. Surely not everyone has the Chop-Chop Fruit, right?

As long as she doesn't encounter an oddball like Bucky the Clown, she isn't afraid of ordinary enemies.

Vivi didn't say anything more. Robin's Devil Fruit ability wasn't actually bad; the reason it seemed a bit weaker later on was mainly because Luffy and his crew were too hot-blooded, while Robin wasn't hot-blooded enough, making her seem a bit out of place with them...

"Don't worry! Little Ms. Wednesday and Little Ms. Sunday, the new ship you built for me is fantastic! Thank you, I will protect you with my life!" Mr. 2 von Clay, acting crazy, immediately started spinning around and doing ballet when he heard that a battle might break out soon, and declared with certainty that he would protect the two of them.

Vivi had no interest in Mr. 2's ballet at all, and gave a few perfunctory replies. Seeing that Robin didn't seem to feel any urgency and was reading a book on a chair nearby, she went over to him.

She asked, "You really enjoy reading. What book is this?"

“Some old history, you might not be interested in at your age.” Even so, she still handed Vivi a thick book that could knock Karu the duck unconscious.

"Looking down on me? My historical knowledge may not be as good as yours, but it's still better than most people's." Weiwei flipped through the book, and the content was indeed very professional. It was a book about the crests and emblems of noble families from various countries around the world.

She felt an overwhelming headache after turning just two pages.

"So what are you looking for here?" Vivi was certain that Robin wasn't flipping through the book aimlessly.

Robin took a stack of newspapers out of his bag and pointed them out to her one by one: "I wasn't looking for anything, just browsing. Look, here, here, and here, these are all articles in the newspapers analyzing Moonlight Moria's life. Some of them are quite interesting."

Chapter 154 Negotiations Fail

The Pirate Princess Becomes King, Chapter 154: Negotiations Fail. Since the person was already dead, the World News, in order to boost sales, recounted Gecko Moria's life from his rise to the end of his life in a fairly accurate manner.

Vivi's expression was strange: "Why are you researching Moonlight Moria all of a sudden?"

Robin gently shook his head: "I'm not studying Moonlight Moria, but the history he was involved in, and this country."

As if analyzing a case, she meticulously pieced together the clues, finally pointing to a few small print in the newspaper and saying, "This is it, Wano Country. Gecko Moria has a very deep connection with Wano Country; this country completely changed his fate. How interesting..."

Robin shared her deduction: "Gecko Moria's experience in Wano Country is very strange. Judging from his early style of doing things, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would be crushed by a setback. Yet, many newspapers reported that he became extremely depressed after his battle with Kaido, one of the Four Emperors. Is that normal? Is that the reaction a strong person should have?"

Vivi was speechless. She thought it was normal... It's hard for someone who has never faced Kaido to imagine that a person can be as terrifying as an ancient beast. That person is a pure and utterly evil villain. Gecko Moria was brave enough to challenge Kaido and come back alive!

Unfortunately, she couldn't say these things to Robin. She could only nod vaguely, "You don't want to go to Wano Country, do you? I heard it's a really, really far place..."

For a moment, Vivi even considered taking Robin along when she went to Wano Country, but then she felt it wasn't appropriate. Revealing each other's true colors now wouldn't benefit either of them.

Robin was unaware of her friend's thoughts; when talking about her profession, her eyes shone brightly.

"Wano Country is indeed too far away, and I don't have any plans to travel there at the moment, but I can learn about this country through other means. I remember when I was a child, I read some stories about this country in the notes of some adventurers. I heard... about fifty years ago, someone left Wano Country..."

She didn't say exactly where she saw the notes, but Vivi guessed it was probably some work by an Ohara scholar.

Robin picked up the thick book again and quickly flipped through it to show Vivi: "Look at this family crest. Many people think it's the emblem of a lost ancient noble family. They have no idea that it's actually the crest of the Shimotsuki family of Wano Country. I've also heard that someone in the East Blue has seen this crest..."

Vivi covered her cheek. Goodness, after going through such a long and winding road... She finally knew what Robin was looking for. She was looking for Zoro's master, Shimotsuki Koshiro, right? You wanted to ask him for information about Wano Country?

The saying goes that those with squinty eyes are all monsters. Vivi had always known of Koushirou's existence, but due to several concerns, she had never made contact with him.

Koushirou's father is Kousaburo, who is probably the samurai Robin mentioned who left Wano Country fifty years ago. Koushirou's ancestral home is Wano Country, but he was born in the East Blue, making him a true East Blue native.

Instead of asking Koushirou about Wano Country, you should ask Vivi...

Furthermore, Koushirou has a very deep relationship with the Revolutionary Army, and investigating him too thoroughly would definitely arouse the suspicion of the Revolutionary Army.

Robin doesn't recognize Prince Luffy right now. If she's mistaken for a World Government spy, the Revolutionary Army might send a skilled assassin to kill her.

The two did not delve into the topic and soon moved on to other things, as if this was just a casual chat during their trip.

After a day's voyage, the Happy Swan docked at an unnamed island.

The Golden Emperor's messenger, Big-Headed Tanaka, had been waiting for them for a while.

This time, Vivi was much more polite because she didn't need to help Crocodile attract hatred. She wasn't a violent person to begin with; her eloquent speech last time was entirely to "help" Crocodile.

She was very polite, exchanging pleasantries about Mr. Tanaka repeatedly.

Her politeness gave Tanaka, the envoy, some new ideas.

Tanaka is a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong; he's a typical spineless coward. If you keep trying to please him, he won't take it seriously at all. But if you scold him harshly and then soften your attitude a little the second time, he'll actually feel quite comfortable.

Big-headed Tanaka is very happy now.

Got it! It seems that the woman's insults towards me last time were at Crocodile's behest!

The two sides began formal negotiations, with Robin remaining hidden in the shadows while Vivi and Tanaka continued to conduct the talks.

At the outset, the two sides reached a stalemate due to each other's exorbitant demands.

The Golden Emperor demanded that Crocodile compensate him for all his losses during this period, and offered an astronomical sum of 10 billion Berries.

Vivi could never agree to this condition. The Revolutionary Army has already spent all their money on weapons and equipment; where is she going to find money for the Golden Emperor? Take Luffy's sneakers off his feet? Would the Golden Emperor even want that?

Their demand that the Golden Emperor withdraw his forces from the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line was flatly rejected. What difference was there between such a condition and surrender? The New World's seas were indeed vast, and its population and resources were abundant, but the Four Emperors were all there! The Golden Emperor was very arrogant, but he didn't want to provoke the Four Emperors.

The world is a major source of his wealth, and he would never give it up.

Negotiations between the two sides reached a stalemate, and they only agreed to temporarily halt the talks before returning to their respective homes.

In fact, whether it was Tanaka, Vivi, or even the Golden Emperor and Crocodile behind them, they all knew that as long as there was an order to stop, that would be enough. The two sides were never friends, and now that they were fighting like this, they could never be friends in this lifetime. The most important thing was to stop temporarily, each of them accumulate strength, and prepare to kill the other in the next blow. At least that's what the Golden Emperor thought.

As for Crocodile... what he's thinking isn't important. He just wants to know if his orders are effective against the forces "under his command".

He has been under immense pressure lately.

The revolutionary army was still using his name to do things every few days.

Katakuri, under the guise of being his "future brother-in-law," sent his younger siblings out to steal cream, fruit, and vegetables. Don't ask why, it was Crocodile who made them do it!

He felt that he was helping his "future brother-in-law," so he used the name Crocodile with a sense of righteous indignation.

Great pirates like Whitebeard, Kaido, and Shanks wouldn't even consider such a small gain; their arrogance prevents them from doing so. But ordinary pirates aren't so principled, and they happily engage in taking advantage of others' good fortune.

Bucky the Clown has been using Crocodile's name to scam people lately. You think I have a grudge against Crocodile? No way, Crocodile's name is so convenient to use.

If he were just reading the newspaper, Crocodile would think everyone in the world was his subordinate. But putting the newspaper down and asking himself honestly, he felt a chill run down his spine; he was starting to feel overwhelmed...

Chapter 155 Hibernation

In the novel "The Pirate Princess Becomes King," Chapter 155, Vivi guesses that Crocodile is currently in a state of confusion. To give this scapegoat a break and lighten his burden, she quickly contacted Belo Betty, saying, "Girl, that's enough. My scapegoat is a bit overwhelmed!"

You could tell from Bello Betty's voice that they were very happy; the revolutionary army, which had been poor for over a decade, was finally getting rich.

The Golden Emperor claims to own 20% of the world's Pele, which is somewhat exaggerated, but roughly accurate.

If the Revolutionary Army went to plunder, they certainly couldn't get their hands on all 20% of the Beli. A large amount of real estate couldn't be moved. What they got were some floating assets, but even these floating assets were a fortune overnight for the Revolutionary Army, which had been poor for more than a decade!

When they heard that Weiwei wanted to stop, they had no objections. The revolutionary army had lofty ambitions, and from beginning to end, what they cared about was not money, but the boost that money could bring to the entire cause. They stopped from top to bottom, sent people to purchase weapons and ammunition all over the world, and prepared to carry out a new round of revolutionary activities.

Meanwhile, Katakuri of the Big Mom Pirates had almost finished collecting the ingredients for the Super Cake, and his younger siblings all returned to the Totto Land Kingdom to work together to make the cake.

Bucky the Joker is such a cunning guy, seeing that Crocodile's henchmen had all disappeared overnight, he naturally wouldn't jump out and provoke hatred.

The remaining sporadic acts of vandalism and looting became insignificant after the main force withdrew.

Crocodile, stranded in the Sabaody Archipelago, was utterly bewildered. Had he really quelled all this chaos with a single command? Were these people truly his subordinates? He felt he needed to calm down further...

The conflict between the Golden Emperor and the Crocodile gradually subsided, and all work at Baroque Workshop was halted due to the boss's personal reasons.

Since the mission to kill Ace has been cancelled, Crocodile felt he should keep a low profile. Now that his news is all over the newspapers, he doesn't want to be a star and doesn't need this kind of popularity. He only has one requirement for Baroque Works: to lie low.