"Robin, have you prepared yourself to be killed by Crocodile?!"
"What?!" Robin's eyes widened in shock.
Renaud smiled slightly. "If you hadn't deliberately leaked Crocodile's true identity to Vivi, she never would've uncovered it on her own."
He was right—down to every word.
Even if it cost Robin her life, she would never allow Crocodile's scheme to succeed and endanger innocent people.
Renaud looked into her eyes, voice firm and sincere.
"Robin, you are not the one who deserves to die—Crocodile is.
Join my crew. I'll take you with me to uncover the truth of the world and help you realize your dreams.
And more importantly, you no longer need to pretend to be someone you're not.
A woman as beautiful as you should live freely beneath the sun."
Robin couldn't help but burst into laughter.
He really did know how to flatter.
"Renaud, if I join your crew, you do realize the World Government will chase you relentlessly, right?"
"They're already after me," Renaud cut her off, waving casually. "You don't need to worry."
He had already resolved to recruit every beautiful woman in this world of pirates—and he wasn't stopping at just them.
He didn't know what Imu looked like yet, but he bet she was stunning.
He'd steal even the throne of the sea itself—so what did it matter if the Government sent an army?
Seeing Robin lower her head, moved, Renaud struck while the iron was hot.
"Robin, no one in this sea is truly born alone—not you, not me.
Someone out there will always accept you.
The Renaud Pirates will always welcome you."
"And if you're my comrade, then your enemies are my enemies.
If the World Government dares chase you… I'll kill them one by one."
The words mirrored those from a day over two decades ago—words that once changed the trajectory of Robin's life.
In her mind, she saw flames climbing into the sky, and Saul's final roar echoed in her heart.
Then Renaud whispered, "Here's a secret—Saul is still alive."
Robin's eyes widened to the brink of tears, her body trembling.
"Saul… is alive? Are you serious?!"
She remembered it vividly—how Saul had stood against the Navy to protect her, only to be frozen by Aokiji.
After Ohara's destruction, she had long accepted Saul's death as inevitable.
She'd blamed herself for it countless times.
To hear now that Saul had survived… How could she not be shaken?!
"He made it out. He's living peacefully in Elbaf now."
Renaud didn't withhold what he knew.
"That's… wonderful. Truly wonderful," Robin said, her eyes brimming with tears.
More than believing Renaud, she wanted to believe Saul was still alive.
She had never seen his body with her own eyes. Maybe… just maybe…
"Robin, I've said all I needed to say," Renaud said with a confident smile.
"It's time to make your decision."
"…Captain Renaud, I can't possibly refuse your invitation." Robin returned a bewitching smile.
"Shall we go see how you're going to slay that crocodile?"
Without hesitation, Renaud activated Observation Haki and pinpointed Crocodile's location.
He grabbed Robin's hand and teleported.
Elsewhere in the palace…
Mr. 1, the agent of the Dice-Dice Fruit, was searching room to room.
Suddenly, as he opened a door—
He found himself face to face with a woman in glasses, holding a sword, seemingly waiting for him.
"The number one agent of Baroque Works, Daz Bonez, user of the Dice-Dice Fruit, and former assassin from the West Blue," Tashigi said calmly, recounting his dossier.
Renaud had briefed them beforehand. She recognized him at a glance.
"…Who are you?" Daz Bonez glared back.
"No need for names. All you need to know is—I can defeat you."
"A swordswoman?" Daz sneered at the blade in her hand.
"Pity. I don't go easy on women."
His arms transformed into gleaming steel blades—his signature ability.
His body, coated in hardened metal, was a living weapon. Guns, swords—none could pierce him.
But Tashigi merely smirked and shook her head.
She wasn't the same woman from before.
Nearby, Miss Two-Finger—tattooed and snake-hipped—was exploring her sector.
She froze when she saw a familiar woman waiting ahead.
"…Valentine? You dare come back here?! You betrayed Baroque Works and didn't even run far. Are you not afraid of dying?!"
Valentine chuckled. "Don't get cocky. You don't even know if Crocodile will survive tonight.
And as for you and me… I'd say we're evenly matched."
"…What did you just say?" Two-Finger's eyes widened in disbelief.
She was Mr. 1's partner—at the top of Baroque Works' hierarchy.
Valentine? She was just Mr. 5's partner.
Where did she get the nerve to act so arrogant?
Something was off.
Her playful expression vanished, and she stepped forward coldly.
"I'll beat you, drag you to Crocodile, and let him decide your fate."
Her body sprouted deadly thorns—she was a user of the Spike-Spike Fruit.
Valentine glanced at the growing spikes and sighed.
"Two-Finger, I've already picked out a room for you. Once I beat you, I'll take you straight to my captain."
She attacked first.
Elsewhere—
Nami frowned at the two agents before her.
So they were the ones sent after her?
One was Lassoo, the gun who had eaten the Dachshund-Dog Fruit. The other—Miss Merry Christmas, a Mole-Mole Fruit user.
"So… a dog-gun and a tunneling mole. What a joke."
Nami yawned and watched as Lassoo barked and Miss Christmas dug a tunnel.
As soon as they attacked, Nami slammed her palm down—Boom!
Blinding silver lightning exploded, crackling through the air!
Elsewhere in the capital, the royal guards—led by Minister Bell and Minister Haka—launched their coordinated counterattack.
They moved under Renaud's orders to eliminate the millionaires and billionaires of Baroque Works.
Crocodile's face twisted with rage.
He was out of time. Tonight, he had to force Cobra to reveal the location of the Poneglyph.
But just as he prepared to move—
A voice interrupted him, tauntingly:
"Looking for someone? You won't find him."
Renaud and Robin stepped forward.
"…Robin? You betrayed me too?!"
Robin gave a lazy smile.
"Crocodile, I never swore loyalty to you. So how could I betray you?"
"…Very well," Crocodile said darkly.
"Very well!"
Baroque Works wasn't a place people could just leave at will.
Everyone but Robin… would die.
"Renaud… user of the Desire-Desire Fruit, bounty: 300 million. If that's all you've got, you'll die here."
His killing intent exploded as he raised his golden hook.
"Robin, wait your turn. I'll finish this brat, then deal with you."
Robin instinctively stepped closer to Renaud, wary of Crocodile's fury.
But Renaud placed a hand on her head and whispered:
"You dared to threaten my woman? You're dead, Crocodile."
"Robin, step back. Watch closely as I skin this overgrown lizard."
"You lost to Whitebeard and still think you're invincible?"
"You'll die here."
Crocodile snapped. Sand gathered rapidly around his arm.
"Desert Spada!!"
Boom!!
The ground cracked like tofu. A deadly blade of compressed sand slashed toward Renaud—
—but he vanished in a blur, dodging it easily.
"Let me show you a real attack, Crocodile!"
"Aqua Piercer!!"
Crocodile's pupils shrank in shock.
He panicked—truly panicked.
His power was sand—but his natural enemy was water.
Seastone… or anything that resembled moisture.
Robin was stunned.
She had never seen Crocodile look this afraid before.
He was truly rattled.
Her heart trembled as she stared at the man before her. Her eyes sparkled.
Water blades shredded the Desert Spada to dust—then continued surging toward Crocodile!
The Warlord's face twisted in horror. He twisted his body to dodge inside the palace.
"Threaten my girl and then try to run?!"
"Water Whip!!"
Crocodile shuddered the moment he saw it—his instincts screamed at him to flee.
And as he turned, he saw Renaud's devilish grin.
Game over.