A magic merchant infiltrating Fairy Tail

To build rapport, Mr. 3 launched into a long, detailed account of his experiences in the small garden, embellishing the details but highlighting the essentials, and even bringing up Miss Golden Week as a witness and the "Complete Collection of Ishgar Sculptures" as physical evidence.

For a moment, all the members of Baroque Works felt that Mr. 3's ugly frog-shaped glasses and his lewd eyes seemed to hide countless conspiracies and schemes.

Just how deep is this man's cunning and scheming?!

"Oh, right! We left the Little Garden together, and their destination also seemed to be Alabasta. I think you'll be able to meet them soon!"

The air seemed to freeze, breathing seemed to stop, and everyone stared wide-eyed at Mr. 3, their gazes filled with admiration, anger, shock, gratitude, and curiosity...

No, bro, why didn't you say so sooner that you had this connection? You made us waste so much time and energy... Never mind, we're colleagues from now on, so just let me know if you need anything, and I'll definitely do my best to help!

At this moment, these Baroque Works agents had only one thought in their minds—

Mr3 Galdino is truly an enigmatic man!

Chapter 845 Baroque Works: The Future is Worrying!

Mr. 3's words not only silenced Crocodile and his group, but also stunned Gajeel and the others.

"He just mentioned the Fire Dragon and the others??"

"You have news of Lord Gray?!?"

"Lu-chan?!"

"Harpy's here too?!"

"Hey, hey, hey... isn't anyone going to compliment my performance just now?"

Apart from Marcus, who was still basking in his own glory, all the mages were surprised that Mr. 3 had news of Kira and the others, and their gazes toward him became complicated.

In the eyes of those high-ranking agents, this scene was a sign that Mr. 3 was about to be given an important position by the new boss!

Why didn't I get to have such a good thing?! Damn Mr. 3, even on paid vacation I run into big shots. I should have gone on vacation to Little Garden a few days ago! Damn it, it's infuriating!

Thirty minutes later.

The room had been tidied up again, and everyone had stopped fighting.

The table was put back in its original place, and a few more chairs were brought over. The Baroque Works agents sat down again, while the mages sat opposite them. Except for Crocodile, who was still imprisoned, everyone in the room had gained enough freedom.

The two groups, led by Gajeel and Nico Robin respectively, resumed their meeting, and the topic of their next discussion was their future employment.

"As everyone knows, the maritime industry is currently in a downturn, and the job market is extremely tough. Large companies are constantly laying off employees, and small companies are going bankrupt one after another. Every year, a large number of young people are going to sea, resulting in immense employment pressure. A large portion of the people here are about to face the critical age of 30 and 35. Therefore, we must take the future development plan of Baroque Workshop seriously and deeply consider the issue of job transformation."

"Of course, I know that you are all capable people, and you have been at sea for so many years, some even reaching the management level of the company. You certainly won't change your mind just because of a few words. But you must know that the sea changes very quickly. Many well-established bosses have been taken down by newcomers who have just set sail because of a moment of carelessness, and have been imprisoned for life, never to have a chance to rise again."

"Baroque Works is quite a piece of the pie in the first half of the Grand Line. I wonder how many newcomers from all over the world plan to use us as stepping stones. Who knows, one day some greenhorn will pop up, shouting that he's going to beat our boss to a pulp, and then wipe us all out."

"If we don't make changes, what's the difference between us and lambs waiting to be slaughtered? I think none of you want to be defeated one day by a bunch of random people in random ways, right?"

Around the long table, everyone listened to Robin's words, their eyes flickering, and then they began to discuss in hushed tones.

Mr1: "Is this person really 'Devil's Child' Nico Robin? She seems more like a seasoned businesswoman to me..."

Mr3: "That's true, but haven't we been wiped out in one fell swoop? Even the boss is a prisoner! Being defeated by a random group of people in a random way, isn't that exactly what we're going through?"

Miss Golden Week: "She's only 16 years old, she probably doesn't want to think about career transitions yet..."

Miss Valentine's Day: "You can't say that. It's Miss Golden Week. A person who doesn't plan for the future will have trouble in the present! Speaking of which, Mr. Halloween is already over 50, isn't it too late for him to consider a career change now?"

Mr4: "I think the role of a miner suits her quite well~"

Mr5: "Hehe... I think what she should be thinking about most right now is retirement."

Mr. Halloween: "Shut up! You two bastards!"

Mr2: "I have no age anxiety. No matter how old I am, I will steadfastly uphold the path of a transvestite!!"

Miss pointed to both fingers: "I also own a coffee shop, so my future shouldn't be a problem..."

"..."

Robin found the arguing group in front of her extremely amusing. She sat to the side, crossed her legs, and rested one hand on her chin, her eyes filled with amusement. Gajeel, on the other hand, was utterly bored and simply closed his eyes to take a nap, leaving Lily and the others to keep an eye on things. As for Crocodile in the cage... he only wanted to kill people right now.

"Why did these guys suddenly stop fighting?? It's all Mr. 3's fault!! Once I get out of here, I'll never let this traitor get away with this!!"

Yes, traitor!

Even he, the boss, was a mage whose background was unknown to all the members of the company. Yet he knew about him and had such a good relationship with him. What else could he be but a traitor?

Looking at the relaxed face of Mr. 3, who was sipping his tea, Crocodile's eyes were filled with rage. Unlike those high-ranking agents who regarded Mr. 3 as a 'good brother,' Crocodile had already sentenced Mr. 3 to death in his heart. The more he appreciated Mr. 3 when he helped him unlock the door earlier, the angrier he was now.

Suddenly, a voice broke the noise in the room.

"Speaking of which, what was Crocodile's original plan, boss? What was the purpose of gathering us all together? And what was this 'ripe time' you mentioned before?"

The one who spoke up was Mr. 1, and the one being questioned was Robin. He sat with his arms crossed to Robin's left, his face cold and stern, displaying the composure expected of an assassin.

"Oh my, this really surprises me. I thought nobody would care about this anymore..."

Robin looked at her with some surprise, and everyone else quieted down, even Gajeel opened his eyes.

Mr.1 said in a deep voice, "Even if we have failed, I want to understand what Baroque Works' real plan has been all this time."

Robin glanced back at Crocodile, her expression hesitant: "Well..."

“That makes sense. If you know the answer, ma’am, you might as well tell me. I’m also quite curious to know.”

Although Gajeel and the others had previously discovered that the rebellion within the kingdom was related to Crocodile, most of their conclusions were just Levy's speculations, and they were not entirely clear about the specifics.

Robin sighed, "Well, now that things have turned out this way, Crocodile can't explain it to you, so I'll have to do it myself. His plan is like this..."

Robin quickly revealed Crocodile's entire plan, including: the "Dancing Powder Incident" years ago, in which he framed King Cobra of Alabasta with Dancing Powder, which greatly damaged the kingdom's credibility; the "Sowing Discord" operation, in which he constantly sent people to impersonate the royal army to bully the people and to impersonate rebels to provoke the royal army; the "Final Battle" that was originally planned to be carried out next, in which Mr. 2 would impersonate King Cobra to admit to the "Dancing Powder Incident" to the people and attack them, thereby intensifying the conflict between the two sides; and the "Final Battle" in which he would present fabricated witnesses and evidence to the people to expose the royal family's crimes.

Besides the specific execution of the plan, there's also Crocodile's plan to let the King's Army and the rebels fight each other, and then he would step in to suppress and resolve the conflict—the "Operation to Seize the Kingdom"—and his long-cherished dream: the whereabouts of the legendary "Pluton," which can destroy an island with a single shot, and the Poneglyphs that the Nefertari family has guarded for generations.

"This is his plan... So everything we've done so far has been preparation for the final stage of this plan?"

"Pluto... Does such a thing really exist in this country? To be honest, I'm getting a little excited just listening to it!"

After hearing Robin's account, the agents could not hide their shock and excitement. They looked at Crocodile in the cage with different expressions in their eyes. However, these strange looks quickly disappeared when they saw Crocodile's wet and angry face.

Unfortunately... man proposes, God disposes!

Beside her, Levy, holding a pen and paper, frowned as she silently took notes on the Crocodile plan Robin had described. She felt the story was somewhat familiar, as if it resembled a plot from one of Kira's adventure novels.

Although she enjoys reading and has read many books, she is not very interested in adventure novels. If it weren't for the fact that Kira wrote them and they were very popular in the Kingdom of Fiore, she wouldn't have read them.

As for the other mages in the guild, most of them were semi-literate and didn't like reading. Among those present, only Marcus might be remembered, because Levy remembered that one day Marcus enthusiastically took that adventure novel and declared in the guild that he was going to develop magical techniques based on the character in it (actually Crocodile)...

Several years ago, Kira did indeed write "One Piece" in the form of an adventure novel in the Kingdom of Fiore. However, since One Piece was still being serialized before he traveled to the future, only the first half of the adventure novel was copied, while the second half was his own original content.

As Kira predicted, the subsequent novel's development was described by readers as starting strong but declining in quality, ultimately ending abruptly. Consequently, many settings were not incorporated. Furthermore, when Kira adapted One Piece into a novel, he renamed all the characters and kingdoms in the story, and replaced Devil Fruits with more familiar magic. Therefore, even if the mages in the guild had read the novel, they would only find it familiar and similar, at most feeling that Kira had once lived in this world.

After all, they knew that Kira was highly skilled in spatial magic and often went to other worlds to play.

"Put away your passion, you're all my subordinates now!" Gajeel sneered, speaking arrogantly. "Because I'm the boss, you have to do whatever I tell you to do!"

Mr. 1 raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, new boss, what are you planning to do next? Judging from your tone, it seems you don't intend to continue Crocodile's plan, do you?"

"Huh?? Isn't that obvious? The throne? Ancient weapons? What's the point of those things?"

Mr.1 nodded and continued, "Now, explain your plans for the future of the company! But if your orders bore me, I think I might need to reconsider whether I should continue this job."

"After all, I don't want to waste my life with someone who has no dreams and no ambition!"

As Mr. 1 stated his position, everyone present looked at him with surprise. They hadn't expected him to be so bold in front of his boss, who possessed absolute power.

Upon hearing his statement, Crocodile in prison smiled with satisfaction: I knew I hadn't misjudged you, Mr. 1! Of all these people, only you have the courage and strength to follow in my footsteps!

Gajeel blinked, his eyes filled with disbelief: These days, people actually ask their bosses to make empty promises? How strange!

He waved his hand and said, "Put future plans aside for now, I need to find our guild members first!"

"...Huh?!" ×N

Chapter 846 Gathering of All Parties

On the other hand, Luffy is in a terrible situation.

After sending Runaway north from Nahana to Albana to deliver the news, Luffy and his crew sailed across the Santo River, which has a history of over a thousand years and has nurtured the Kingdom of Alabasta, and landed at the Almaru Oasis at noon the next day.

Near the Elmaro Oasis lives a group of kung fu dugongs who admire kung fu and are decisive and fierce in their attacks. However, when they encounter Luffy, they are easily crushed and subdued. The group then set off from Elmaro and trekked across the desert to Yuba, where they met Doto, a middle-aged man who was diligently digging for water.

Doto is Vivi's childhood friend and the father of Kosa, the current leader of the rebel army. Although his son has joined the rebel army, as an old father, he firmly believes that "Yuba will not lose to the sand." Day after day, he digs in the Yuba desert, trying to find a water source.

Time is a cruel mistress. The relentless sandstorms that have ravaged Youba for years have transformed this once chubby uncle, weighing over 200 pounds, with a round face and a big belly, into a thin and withered old man. This scene of change from person to person directly broke Weiwei's defenses.

From Doto, the group learned that the rebel army's base had moved to Katrea, near Nahana. They were speechless for a moment. After a night's rest, they had no choice but to turn back. However, Luffy hesitated halfway there and even had a big argument with Vivi.

At this moment, Luffy displayed a rare strategic vision and great wisdom as a captain, vehemently criticizing Vivi for having a slim chance of persuading the rebel army, and even if she succeeded, it would be of no use in addressing the rebellion within the kingdom. Only by reaching Crocodile could the root of the problem be solved.

Finally, Weiwei was persuaded, and the group set off again, heading north towards Rain Country.

It takes a day to get from Nahana to Yuba; and another day to get from Yuba to Rain Country. Just as Luffy and his crew were making their way to Rain Country on foot, Gajeel and his crew were causing chaos at the Rain Banquet and subduing Baroque Works.

Meanwhile, the rebel army and the kingdom's army were constantly clashing, and war was just one spark away from breaking out.

In the original work, the trigger was Mr. 2 impersonating King Cobra, admitting to the 'Dancing Powder Incident' near Nahana, and plotting to have a ship carrying Dancing Powder crash into the harbor. He then had the crew lie and claim that it was cargo secretly transported to Albana on the king's orders. They also ruthlessly attacked the people and children, which led the rebel army to launch a general offensive against Albana.

However, now that Mr. 2, Mr. 1, and other members of Baroque Works are no longer doing these things, the fuse is gone, the 'King's use of dancing powder' is not confirmed, and the rebels' anger is not as strong. Although there is a plan to 'launch a general offensive after gathering,' it has been delayed considerably from the original time, which undoubtedly buys Vivi time for her actions.

The royal palace in Albana, the capital.

Carrying Vivi's letter, Cobra rushed back to the palace day and night. After learning that Crocodile was the mastermind behind everything, Cobra immediately ordered that the rebel army's uprising be ignored. Instead, he reorganized his troops and decided to rush to the Rain Banquet to defeat Crocodile. He also sent Bell, the vice-commander of the Royal Guard and a user of the Bird-Bird Fruit in Falcon form, to the Rain Banquet ahead of time to gather information (and send himself to his death).

On the Navy side, Smoker already disliked Crocodile. Now, with the news brought by Killer, whether it was to investigate Crocodile, verify Killer's information, or simply to capture Luffy and his crew, he was driven to lead his troops to the Rain Zone.

The Kingdom Army, the Straw Hat Pirates, and the Navy are all heading towards the Rainlands. Unfortunately, they don't know that their target, Crocodile, has already become a prisoner and is being subjected to inhuman torture. Meanwhile, the rebel army's purpose is different from the others, making them seem like a pitiful little guy who has been removed from the group chat.

In the rain, an airship landed outside the city. After the people on board disembarked, the entire airship vanished without a trace with a 'whoosh'.

After a day of high-altitude desert tour and enjoying the desert scenery, Kira and his group finally followed the magic signal device and entered the city before other factions arrived in Rainlands.

On the street, Kira held a magic signal device, counting the red dots on it.

"One, two, three... There are actually five people here?! They really know how to pick a good spot. Rainfield is the richest place in all of Alabasta, and Rainfield in the city center is the most famous gambling venue in the country."

Wendy looked up and asked, "Are we going to the casino, Killasan?"