A magic merchant infiltrating Fairy Tail

Smoker showed no shame for his sneak attack, simply chewing on two cigars and coldly saying, "Since Crocodile isn't here, I have no choice but to arrest you, Straw Hat!"

"Damn it..."

Chapter 862 Kira: The so-called D is actually...

Crocodile was released by Kira, otherwise, how could he, a prisoner trapped in a water-filled metal box, have escaped on his own?

He left in a pitiful state, all alone, with only two cigars, a coat, and a bucket of water that he loathed but had no choice but to take with him.

Even though he was penniless and had lost all his men, Kira believed that for someone as ambitious, resourceful, and powerful as Crocodile, it would be easy for him to rise again.

"So, where did Crocodile go?" Robin asked Kira curiously as she looked at the empty cage on the screen in the carriage.

Kira pursed his lips and said, "Who knows? Maybe they'll just find a new group of men and head to the New World?"

"Aren't you afraid he'll find your associates and use them to threaten you?"

In just one day, Robin had already learned from the naive Wendy and the others that the Fairy Tail mages were scattered all over the world.

"Please, I'm his great benefactor. He's too grateful to even think about seeking revenge on my companions."

My benefactor... how could you be so shameless?!

Robin's eye twitched: "Just because you let him go? But he was imprisoned by your crew in the first place. How could you choose not to take revenge just because of that? He's a notorious pirate!"

“How could it be because of that? He owes me more than just the favor of freeing me from the cage!” Kira chuckled and explained to Robin, then held out his right hand and counted off the debts on his fingers one by one.

"First, I had him leave Alabasta early to avoid a power struggle with the Nefertari family, so there's no clear evidence to prove his 'usurpation' plan. Therefore, Crocodile remains a hero of Alabasta, and his reputation is untarnished."

"Secondly, Crocodile didn't get access to his ultimate goal—the Poneglyphs—and no one except a few of us knew that his true target was 'Pluton' rather than 'stealing the kingdom,' so he wouldn't be targeted by the World Government and the Five Elders;"

"Third, by taking you away, I'm essentially eliminating a potential traitor to him, and also removing the threat of attracting a Marine Admiral, or even a high-ranking World Government agent like CP."

"Fourth, even if we didn't intervene, Crocodile would eventually be defeated by Monkey D. Luffy, his conspiracy would be exposed, he would be stripped of his 'Shichibukai' title by the Navy, and finally imprisoned in Impel Down forever. My actions saved him from a prison sentence."

Fifth, I told him the whereabouts of the ancient weapon 'Pluto,' which he had been longing for, saving him a great deal of trouble and time.

"Lastly, it was my kindness in releasing him from the cage."

Kira held up a big five in front of Robin with his right hand and recounted all the favors he had done for Crocodile: "Look, I've done so much, and all I got in return was Baroque Works, a bunch of weak, unintelligent assassins and agents who could turn against me at any moment. Why shouldn't he be grateful to me?"

Baroque Works is a pile of shit when gathered together, but scattered like stars. Holding onto those talents in Crocodile's hands is just a waste of their abilities. I'll let them realize their greater value.

"..." Robin stared at Kira with her mouth agape and eyes wide, speechless for a long time.

Having sailed the high seas for twenty years, she had seen her share of the world and knew how dark it could be, but this was the first time she had ever encountered someone as shameless as the man before her. Yet, what he said seemed to make perfect sense, and she couldn't find a single point to refute him...

"How do you know the whereabouts of 'Pluto'?"

Other things aside, 'Pluto' is related to the historical texts of Alabasta, and she can't ignore it.

Kira remained silent for a while before finally resorting to his tried-and-true excuse: "I have special intelligence channels."

Robin was stunned again: a special intelligence channel? What kind of channel could be so special that it even had information about 'Pluto'?

"You just said that Straw Hat... Monkey D. Luffy could defeat Crocodile. Isn't that overestimating his strength? Even if he can't beat you guys, Crocodile is still a Shichibukai and a Logia-type Devil Fruit user! Does he really have that kind of strength?"

"You underestimate Straw Hat Luffy. He's the most likely person in the world to become the Pirate King!"

The second most likely person is Bucky; we can't think of anyone else besides those two.

“Monkey D. Luffy…” A look of confusion flashed in Robin’s eyes. “D… what exactly is that? Who are those people whose names contain the letter D?”

“D…”

Until he traveled through time, Oda hadn't explained the true meaning of "D," so it could mean anything from humanity's dream, the dawn of the world, a horizontal smile, or even a bra cup.

Thinking of this, Kira's tone suddenly became incredibly emotional, and a hint of nostalgia even appeared on his face: "The so-called D is a title that is only bestowed upon the most outstanding mages."

Robin: "??"

Everyone: "??"

That can't be right, can it? It's impossible from any perspective. How could the so-called "D" be something like that? How could a bunch of newly emerged mages possibly be related to the "D" tradition, which has been passed down for who knows how long?

Wait a minute! This just appeared today??

Robin was startled, then her mind raced: Lucy said they came from a world called Asland, a world full of magic, belonging to a place called the Kingdom of Fiore. And now this man said that the title 'D' is an honor bestowed only upon the most outstanding mages. Combining their statements, she could roughly deduce that the Kingdom of Fiore had a custom of awarding the title 'D' to outstanding mages...

Oh, right, Levy also mentioned that their time is X786, while it's currently 1520 in the Sea Calendar, a difference of 734 years, which is extremely close to the number 800! And the history of this world from 900 to 800 years ago is completely blank! Could it be that these mages are really connected to the blank century of history?

Speaking of which, they also mentioned that magic can connect to other worlds, that the magical world possesses magic that can manipulate time and space, and that mages frequently travel between multiple worlds on dimensional journeys. Their 'Fairy Tail' mages also arrived here because of a spatial rift…

I've heard that in their world there's a race called demons, and that name sounds very similar to Devil Fruits! And the magic used by that girl named Juvia is exactly the same as a Logia-type Devil Fruit…

Not only that, but aside from lacking the weakness of seawater, those spells are just as incredible as the abilities of Devil Fruits. Could it be...?

In an instant, it was as if a white beam of light appeared behind Robin's head, connecting all the clues together, and a bold idea popped into her mind.

"Impossible! That's absurd!"

Robin gritted her teeth, thinking to herself, "Unless there is a Devil Fruit in this world that can travel through time and connect to other dimensions, I will absolutely not believe it!"

Kira stared at Robin's ever-changing expression, utterly bewildered: all he did was casually mention an isekai (another world) reference, so why was this woman making that face?

The others also looked at Kira, blinking in confusion.

Wendy tugged at Kira's clothes and asked, "Kira-san, does Aslant have a custom of awarding the title 'D' to mages? I didn't know that. Isn't the title awarded by the Magic Council 'The Ten Wizard Saints'?"

"You're not the strongest mage in the Kingdom of Fiore, so it's normal that you don't know these things!"

Kira rubbed his head, which was adorned with twin ponytails, and rambled on in a serious manner, "'The Ten Wizard Saints' is a title given by the Council to the most outstanding mages in Ishgar; 'D' is a title given by the Fiore royal family to the most outstanding mage in the Kingdom of Fiore. The two are different."

After a pause, Kira added, "This involves a political clash between the Fiore royal family and the council. You kids shouldn't ask too many questions; it won't do you any good. Anyway, we'll hold the sky up if it falls."

"Is...is that so...??"

Seeing that Kira spoke so convincingly, Wendy actually believed him, nodding with some doubt, while thinking to herself, "Who does Kira-san mean by 'we'? The powerful mages in the Kingdom of Fiore? Could it be that the Guild Master and Gildarts are among them?"

Apart from the naive Wendy who believed Kira's words to some extent, the other mages in the carriage all rolled their eyes.

What political clash between the Fiore royal family and the council? I've never even heard of it!

While the council members may be a bit rigid and inflexible, they have ultimately maintained the stability of the magical world; otherwise, they wouldn't have existed for so long. And King Thomas and Princess Emerald of the Fiore royal family are both good people, so how did this guy come across as treacherous and ruthless politicians?

Ultear, having infiltrated the Council of Judges, was the one most certain of the truthfulness of Kira's words. Looking at Wendy, whose eyes were filled with innocent naiveté, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly: 'How could this child be so easily fooled?!'

Don't they, the creators of 'Fairy Tail,' completely neglect the education of children?!

"Don't believe his nonsense, Wendy! The Kingdom of Fiore doesn't have such a ritual at all!"

"Huh?? Really??"

Urudia puffed out her chest: "Of course! I've worked for the royal family before, do you think I don't know?"

Wendy understood this, and a hint of resentment crept into her gaze as she looked at Kira.

Was it all a scam?

Robin felt a pang of disappointment: 'I thought I'd just cracked a little bit of a historical mystery…'

"Ahem, okay, I admit I was joking just now. 'D' has nothing to do with magic." Kira coughed tactically, then his expression turned serious. "However, I do know the true meaning of 'D'!"

"Hmm??" Robin's eyes lit up again.

Kira smiled slightly and said, "It's actually an abbreviation for 'debt.' The 'D' clan is actually the creditor (debtee) of this world, while everyone else is the debtor (debtor). In other words, the whole world owes them money; everyone is a 'D'."

Everyone: "..."

"This explanation is even more outrageous than the last one!!"

"If you don't know, don't make things up, Kira!"

Kira's expression darkened, and he retorted, "How can this be considered a mere fabrication? Everything I'm saying is based on facts and evidence!"

"Ha ha……"

"Okay, the 'D' clan are actually doctors from the 'Lost Technological Kingdom,' with the 20 most outstanding among them being known as 'Doctor 20,' and their descendants are the current Celestial Dragons..."

"I'd be an idiot to believe you again!"

"Don't believe me? Let me tell you a few more. 'D' stands for democracy, referring to the revolutionaries who overthrew the dark rulers of the past; 'D' represents demons, referring to those who obtained Devil Fruit powers long ago, destined to bring an end to the rulers who called themselves 'gods'; 'D' is..."

"Hey! Wake up and listen to me! Don't fall asleep!..."

Chapter 863 Historical Text

Albania.

The 'Dancing Powder' incident a few years ago did indeed cause the Neferutari clan's prestige to decline significantly throughout Alabasta. Crocodile's plan made everyone who was in Alabasta feel threatened, but for the people living in Alabasta, that period was the happiest time of their lives in the last ten or twenty years.

When Kira led the group through Albana’s west gate into the city, the first thing they saw was a scene of joy and harmony.

The residents of the capital city move freely on the streets, doing business or playing around, all with happy smiles on their faces, like flowers being cultivated in a greenhouse.

Unlike Nahana, whose prosperity is supported by the perfume trade, and Rainy Country, whose wealth is supported by the gambling market, this city is filled with an atmosphere of peace. It may not be rich, but it is definitely safe and happy.

As the direct beneficiaries of the 'Dancing Fans' incident, they are the least likely people in the entire country to abandon the Nefertari clan because of this.

The abundant rainfall significantly improved their quality of life. Even though they later learned that the rain was brought down by depriving rain clouds of surrounding cities, an unethical practice prohibited by the government, how could these people living in the desert, who were extremely short of water resources, complain about having too much water?

Yes, we got more rain because of this, but were we wrong? No!!

The ones who truly did wrong are the people who used the "dancing powder." If you want revenge, you should go after them. What does it have to do with us ordinary people living in Albania? We have no power, no influence, and no strength. How could we possibly control other people's thoughts? We are also heartbroken and feel helpless and regretful that the conspirators used "dancing powder"!

After making inquiries, Kira discovered that this idea was prevalent among the people of the city.

Calling conspirators is fine, but joining the rebels? Sorry, not an option! As for why we're calling conspirators instead of the royal family, well… you can't just make things up without evidence!

"I feel like they still have some principles; at least they didn't do anything like 'biting the hand that feeds them'..."

After learning about King Cobra's reputation from the people, Kira complained to them, "If even people like them join the rebels, then this country is truly doomed!"

In the world of One Piece, there are ungrateful people, such as Marine Captain T Poon, who was betrayed by the very people he was protecting.

"So, where are we going now?"

"I'm going to the royal tomb. The historical texts passed down by the Neferutari clan are there. I'm going to get my hands on them!"

Since Kira had already told everyone about his plans, they knew that what he wanted to do now was to collect historical texts and obtain 'evidence' for writing history.