One Piece: The Strongest Trait System novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78 - [78] : Wapol's Fruit! Vivi Can No Longer Hide Her Feelings!

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"What... What in the world happened?!" Crocodile stared, eyes bloodshot, into the darkness.

The only sounds were the futile clicking and ringing of the Transponder Snails he kept dialing, met only by silence.

After losing contact with Nico Robin, Crocodile had immediately dispatched his ace agents—the Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger pair—along with the cunning Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek combo, straight to Little Garden.

Of course, unlike the original timeline, Crocodile possessed no intelligence whatsoever about Rowen and his crew.

With Rowen's Observation and Conqueror's Haki, the Unluckies (Baroque Works' intel gatherers) stood no chance of getting descriptions or information.

Rowen certainly wouldn't benevolently provide intel to Crocodile; letting the scheming fool operate blind suited Rowen just fine.

So why send Mr. 1 to Little Garden without intel? Because Crocodile had sent scouts to investigate Whiskey Peak after losing contact.

The bounty hunters there—wiped out.

Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, sent to eliminate Princess Vivi and Igaram—also wiped out.

Mr. 9 and Miss Monday—missing.

Nico Robin—lost contact at Whiskey Peak.

Clearly, Princess Vivi and Igaram weren't capable of this alone. Someone must have helped them.

Now aided, and likely aware of his identity, Vivi would surely head back to Alabasta. And the next stop from Whiskey Peak towards Alabasta—was Little Garden.

This was the extent of Crocodile's current knowledge.

Just as Rowen had told Vivi, Crocodile's entire scheme revolved around the Poneglyph in Alabasta detailing the location of the Ancient Weapon, Pluton.

Losing contact with Robin—the only one who could read the Poneglyph—threw even Crocodile's cold calculation into disarray. Without her, his plan was effectively dead before it began.

Thus, Crocodile dispatched the strongest forces available to him.

But now—not only had Robin not been recovered, but Mr. 1 and the others had vanished too!

Obviously—something had happened to all of them!

BANG!

Crocodile slammed his fist onto the table, his eyes burning red.

His top five ranked agent pairs—now only Mr. 2 and Mr. 4 remained!

His carefully constructed Baroque Works, built over years with numerous skilled agents—now reduced to just a handful of operatives!

And losing the Unluckies, vital for aerial reconnaissance, at Little Garden was the final straw!

Crocodile raged impotently—he didn't even know who his opponent was!

He, who always manipulated everything from the shadows, now felt like he was being played by an unseen hand!

Worse, without Nico Robin, enacting his plan now seemed utterly pointless. And with his enemies hidden while he was exposed, the situation was slipping from his control.

"If you chose to help Nefertari Vivi—then you must be coming to Alabasta!" After his initial fury, Crocodile forcibly calmed himself.

He rapidly issued new orders.

All remaining Baroque Works forces were to converge on Alabasta. All high-ranking agents were to gather there. He deployed numerous operatives along Alabasta's coastline—any sign of Nefertari Vivi or Nico Robin was to be reported immediately.

"I'll be waiting for you—right here!" Crocodile hissed, eyes bloodshot. The rage boiling within him was second only to the humiliation of his past defeat by Whitebeard.

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Little Garden.

Unlike the furious Crocodile, the Straw Hats were enjoying a feast.

The prehistoric ingredients were transformed into delectable dishes by Sanji.

All the remaining booze was consumed heartily by Brogy and Dorry. Zoro, still injured, was forbidden from drinking.

Luffy and Usopp, chopsticks stuck up their noses again, performed the bizarre 'nostril-chopstick dance' they learned from Johnny, their comical expressions sending everyone into fits of laughter.

Even the giants, Dorry and Brogy, slapped their massive thighs, roaring with laughter.

Delicious food, fine wine, joyous laughter—this was a pirate feast!

"GABABABA! This is great! It's been too long since we had a proper pirate party!"

"GEGYAGYA! Brings back memories! Haven't had this much fun in ages!"

Brogy and Dorry laughed uproariously.

The feast eventually wound down amidst cheerful camaraderie.

"Well then, we'll be taking our leave," Rowen said, smiling towards Dorry and Brogy.

"Oh! The biggest obstacle leaving Little Garden—you already cleared it out, Rowen! The path ahead is clear!" Dorry and Brogy escorted the Straw Hats back to the Going Merry.

"They will surely make names for themselves across the sea," Dorry commented, watching the Merry depart with a smile.

"Of course! Especially Rowen! His name will thunder across the entire ocean someday!" Brogy boomed confidently.

"Indeed! That way, if Rowen ever needs us, we'll hear of it quickly and rush to his side!" Dorry added with a grin.

"Now then! Time for the contest of wills! Dorry! GABABABA!"

"Bring it on, Brogy! GEGYAGYA!"

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"I still can't believe there are really goldfish as big as islands," Usopp commented with a smile aboard the Merry. Another one of his tall tales turned out to be true! The sea truly was vast.

"But if we're going to Drum Island, how do we get there without a Log Pose for it?" Nami asked.

Their current Log Pose was useless, still recording Little Garden's magnetic field. Until they reached the next island and it reset, it would only point back towards Little Garden.

The only other navigational tool they had was the Eternal Pose for Alabasta, taken from the Unluckies.

Vivi instinctively looked towards Rowen. In her eyes, there seemed to be nothing Rowen couldn't do. She had already begun to rely on him unconsciously.

"Which is why I said we should just go straight to Alabasta," Zoro grumbled from where he lay resting on the deck.

"Relax. When comrades are in need, I can handle anything. From here on, I'll take command of navigation. Head in this direction—and we'll reach Drum Island," Rowen stated calmly, pointing towards a specific bearing, his smile radiating absolute confidence.

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New Trait Acquired: Route (Path to Tony Tony Chopper's Location).

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(System Note: After bonding with the Straw Hat crew, the System can provide routes related to important plot points.)

"SUGEEEEE! Rowen!" Hearing Rowen's confident declaration, Luffy cheered loudly.

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—[Sun God (Apex Gold) Trait equipping progress increased.]—

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"Rowen, you..." Zoro closed his eyes, leaning back against the deck, saying nothing more. But behind his closed eyelids, his heart filled with gratitude.

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—[Asura Aura (Special) Trait equipping progress increased.]—

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"Full speed ahead! Get Zoro's injuries treated, find a ship's doctor! Then, our next destination—Alabasta!" Rowen declared, standing tall on the deck, radiating energy.

"OOOHHH!" The crew responded with a unified cheer.

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Sailing into a frigid, wintry sea region, a group of pirates suddenly boarded the Going Merry.

BOOM!

Conqueror's Haki instantly cleared the deck of Wapol's men.

"Plunder." Rowen commanded.

And one more thing... the Munch-Munch Fruit.

Thud!