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Chapter 126: The Warlord Invitation
🕑 Added 2025-08-13 14:44:33 +0000 UTCChapter 126: The Warlord Invitation
Another Warlord dead?
The other four Elders' expressions changed.
The white-haired, long-bearded Elder, Marcus Mars, passed around the latest intelligence report. After they had all read it, the meeting room once again fell silent.
After a long time, the blond Elder said with a grim face, "Regardless, the Warlord system cannot be shaken. The most urgent matter now is to fill the vacancies."
The Elder in the kimono, Nusjuro, narrowed his eyes slightly. "What are you suggesting?"
"Instead of letting him continue to cause chaos, we should try to win him over," the blond Elder said, closing the file. "The Warlord system was established to balance the powers of the sea."
"Since he was able to defeat both the Sand Crocodile and Hanafuda, it proves that his strength is among the top tier of all the Warlords. If we can recruit him, he would be a much more useful pawn."
"A guy like that won't bow his head so easily," Saturn frowned. "In just over a month, he has committed so many heinous acts. He must be an ambitious and arrogant madman. An invitation to become a Warlord is something most pirates would kill for, but for him, it probably holds little appeal."
"That's precisely why he needs to be controlled," Nusjuro said, slowly adjusting his glasses. "I agree with Saturn's opinion. The situation in the New World is tense right now, and we need the Admirals on standby. Enies Lobby also needs a large number of troops until it's rebuilt."
"Marine Headquarters cannot launch a full-scale assault on him in the short term. And if we let him run wild, the situation will only get more out of control. If we can restrain him with the position of a Warlord, we can at least temporarily stabilize the situation."
"And if he refuses?" Saturn asked coldly.
"Then we'll send in CP0 to fill the manpower gap and assist in the cleanup," Nusjuro said calmly. "Even if we can't capture him, we must at least force him into the New World. We can't let him continue to run rampant in Paradise. Hanafuda was Kaido's friend. When the Beast Pirates hear that he's in the New World, they won't let him off so easily."
"That's a sound argument. I second it."
"I also second it."
"Seconded."
"Once the Warlord agreement is drawn up, who will we send to deliver it?"
"Let that guy go…"
In the meeting room, the lights flickered.
With a few more words, the five of them had quickly reached a consensus.
————
Meanwhile, in a side hall of the Alabasta royal palace.
"Uncle Cobra, thank you for your hospitality tonight."
"A mere banquet is nothing. We are the ones who should be thanking you," Cobra said, leaning against the headboard of his bed. His voice was a little weak, but his gaze was sincere as he looked at Shane. "If not for you, the tragedy at the mouth of the Sandy River would have been unavoidable. You saved those merchant caravans and the people on the shore, and you also saved the face of our royal family."
"And besides that, we must also thank you for the matter of Crocodile," Cobra said with a bitter smile. "That man was plotting to overthrow the royal family, and yet I never noticed…"
Hmm?
Shane was a little surprised. "You already knew, uncle?"
He hadn't even said anything yet.
To avoid a "he said, she said" situation, The Curtain Call had specifically docked at Nanohana Port for a night when they first arrived in Alabasta.
One, to return Banchi. That's right, Robin's sea turtle had been rented from a travel agency in that port city.
And two, Robin's secret base was also there, and it contained some of her correspondence with Crocodile, which was more than enough to expose his true nature to the royal family.
But now, it seemed that evidence was no longer needed.
"Yes, Lord Shane," Cobra said with a slight nod, a complex look in his eyes. He sighed. "For the past two days, the guards have searched the entire area around the royal capital and the Rainbase area where Crocodile was active. They have found several hidden bases, and the evidence of his crimes… the true nature of that man that has been revealed is simply chilling."
"If he hadn't been defeated by you, Lord Shane, the entire country of Alabasta would have been deceived by him, and the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Oh, no wonder.
The Royal Army is quite efficient.
Of course, at this point in time, the rebellion and civil war in Alabasta had not yet begun, and Cobra's control over the country was still at its peak.
And besides, if Crocodile were still alive, the things in those secret bases would have never been found by the guards. They would have been moved at the first sign of trouble.
And out of his trust and affection for this "national hero," Cobra would have never even thought to investigate.
But Crocodile was dead.
And he had died very suddenly. When he had gone to Whiskey Peak to ambush him, he had probably thought it would be a quick and easy job.
But he had never returned, and a large amount of evidence had been left behind, which had eventually been uncovered by the Royal Guard.
"So, Lord Shane, you have saved our country from disaster twice!"
"I will never forget this kindness. From now on, you and your comrades are the eternal benefactors and friends of the Alabasta Kingdom," Cobra said, solemnly placing his right hand on his chest and bowing slightly, a gesture of the highest respect in the royal family. "Whenever you need help, the entire country of Alabasta will do everything in its power to assist you."
"You're too kind, uncle," Shane said with a smile. "But speaking of which, I do have something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Please, speak," Cobra said quickly.
Shane said frankly, "Before Crocodile died, he told me many things to beg me to spare his life, including… the Poneglyph that your royal family has been guarding."
"Besides wanting to overthrow Alabasta and build his ideal country, what Crocodile was most interested in was that stone, wasn't it? After all, it records the location of Pluton."
Cobra was taken aback.
He subconsciously looked up and, after meeting the black-haired young man's clear gaze, he nodded with a bitter smile. "That is true. It is natural that you would be interested, my lord. But I'm afraid I cannot take you to see the legendary ancient weapon. The Poneglyph only records its location. The real Pluton is not…"
"…is not in Alabasta, but in Wano, which is under Kaido's control, right?"
"Yes…"
Cobra subconsciously nodded, and then he was shocked. "Huh?! How did you know?!"
This is a secret that the Nefertari family has guarded for eight hundred years!
Robin, who had been listening quietly, finally couldn't help but turn and glance at Shane.
"Oh, actually, Kaido found Pluton a long time ago. Otherwise, he wouldn't have set up his headquarters right next to it and refused to leave," Shane said, blinking, as if it were nothing. "That's what Hanafuda told me before he died, to beg me to spare his life. He was Kaido's good brother, after all, and he had been to Wano."
This was, of course, a lie.
Pluton was buried under Wano, and Kaido definitely knew about it by now. That was true.
But he would have never told an outsider like Hanafuda, and Hanafuda would have certainly never told him.
But…
Someone has to take the blame.
Dead men tell no tales, and he had long since become a master of lying without blinking an eye.
"Kaido already knows?"
Cobra's face instantly went pale. He struggled to sit up, his voice trembling. "T-This… how could this be…"
If the real Pluton has already been found, then what is the point of the secret they have been guarding for so long?
Shane shrugged. "That's just how it is. In any case, who knows when the real Pluton will be revealed to the world, or how long you can keep this secret. But this stone, if it stays in Alabasta, it will only continue to attract those who covet it and bring disaster to this country. Why not just cut off the problem at its source and give it to me?"
"Hmm?"
Cobra looked confused.
An ambitious man like Crocodile had gone to great lengths to find this Poneglyph for the information on Pluton it contained.
But this Lord Shane already knew all of this.
So, the Poneglyph itself was just a stone. What use could it be?
"Because I have no interest in Pluton. What I really want is the stone itself," Shane said with a laugh, as if he could read his mind. "Uncle, don't you think that something that can exist for hundreds of years without being destroyed would make a great piece of training equipment?"
"Training equipment?"
Cobra was stunned.
This was the first time he had ever heard someone describe the Poneglyph with that term.
But thinking about it, it was true.
For a powerhouse like him, who was already infinitely close to the pinnacle of the sea, even the thickest of steel plates would probably no longer be sufficient. No wonder he had his eyes on the Poneglyph itself.
He lowered his head and thought for a moment.
"I understand," Cobra said, looking up at Shane, his expression solemn. "If it will truly help you to improve your strength, then please, take it. This is by no means enough to repay your kindness, but it is the only thing I can do for you at this moment. If it can really help you to improve, then there is nothing better."
Before this meeting, the black-haired young man before him had already proven his character with his actions.
And now, after speaking with him so openly, he was even more convinced.
Otherwise, he could have just taken it by force. A terrifying being who had already killed two Warlords, if he really wanted to do something, who in the entire Alabasta Kingdom could stop him?
He was happy to help such a powerhouse become even stronger.
He even naively hoped that there would be more powerhouses like Shane in the world.
Perhaps it wouldn't change the era much, but… for the people who were struggling to survive in this chaotic and turbulent time, it was a good thing.
————
Half an hour later, in the catacombs of the Tomb of the Kings.
In a dim stone chamber, a massive, square stone slab stood silently.
In the flickering torchlight, the ancient characters on the surface of the stone slab glinted with a cold, metallic light, as if they were telling the story of eight hundred years of vicissitudes.
Robin stood before the stone slab, her fingertips gently tracing the familiar characters.
These were the characters she had seen countless times in the documents of Ohara. To see them now, in person, was a surreal experience.
"The Poneglyph…" she murmured, her voice echoing in the empty stone chamber.
The dream she had been chasing for over a decade, had the first step really been achieved so easily?
Although she already knew most of the historical information recorded on it from the conversation between the captain and Cobra, and it all seemed to match up…
But.
This was a real Poneglyph.
Was it really so easy to collect them?
The dream that had been buried deep in her heart, a dream she had thought was unattainable, now seemed to be within her grasp.
She glanced at Shane, who was standing across from her, and said nothing.
…
Shane had no idea what was going through Robin's mind.
He was standing on the other side, stroking the smooth, cool surface of the stone slab, a look of interest on his face.
I've never felt anything like it. The material really is special!
In any case, let's give it a try.
He took two steps back, regulated his breathing, and clenched his fist. Armament Haki instantly coated it, and he slammed his fist into the stone!
BOOM—!
A dull thud echoed through the catacombs. The entire stone chamber trembled, and dust rained down.
However, the Poneglyph stood unmoved. Not a single crack appeared on its surface, let alone a dent.
Whoa!
Even though Shane had been prepared, he was still surprised.
His punch had seemed ordinary, but it had been quite powerful, and he had even used the internal destruction technique.
Even a thick steel plate would have been completely shattered from the inside by that blow.
And the result?
The Armament Haki that had surged from his fist had been like a stone dropped into the sea, instantly swallowed without a trace, having no effect on the massive stone.
Shane grinned.
This is good stuff!
This trip to the royal capital was not in vain!
Hanafuda, in his Tyrannosaurus Rex form, was undoubtedly an excellent sandbag.
But in front of this Poneglyph, he was nothing.
Clearly, for a long time to come, this thing would serve as a perfect piece of training equipment, an excellent tool for him to further improve his Armament Haki and temper his body.
To completely destroy it was probably a pipe dream. Even Imu probably couldn't do it.
Otherwise, the Poneglyphs that were scattered all over the world would have been destroyed long ago.
But to be able to leave a conspicuous mark on it would be a sign that his Haki and his physical strength had undergone a transformation, reaching a new, terrifying level.
"Tsk," he suddenly said, stroking his chin. "Such a good thing. How come no one has ever used it for its proper purpose before?"
Putting training aside for a moment.
Those strange Devil Fruit users, if they were to combine their abilities with the Poneglyph, there should be a lot of room for creativity in battle.
Perhaps they couldn't cut it, but to manipulate it and use it as a weapon would be very powerful.
Like Shiki, for example. If he had a few Poneglyphs floating around him, that would be the ultimate armor. What attack could get through that?
So what if Garp and Sengoku teamed up and punched him a few more times? Could they break through his defense?
Shane thought for a moment.
If, in the future, his strength improved to the point where he could leave a dent in it for him to grab on to, it would be pretty awesome to swing it around like a flail.
But that was for later.
For now, the most important thing was to get this thing back to The Curtain Call.
He crouched down, his hands gripping the bottom of the stone slab, his muscles bulging.
"UP!"
With a low cry, the entire massive Poneglyph was lifted from its base, and he easily hoisted it onto his shoulder.
Mmm, it's not that heavy. At least not as heavy as Hanafuda.
From the royal capital to the riverbank, although it was a long way, over a hundred kilometers, with his stamina, he should have no problem carrying it all the way.
"Let's go, Robin!"
Robin looked at Shane's back as he carried the stone slab, then looked back at the empty stone chamber and shook her head with a small smile.
When Shane had invited her to join the crew on the turtle's back, he had said that he was also very interested in the Poneglyphs, and that their goals were the same.
She had thought it was just a lie to comfort her.
Who would have thought that it was actually true?
But…
Shane's interest in the Poneglyph was a little absurd, and just a little bit different from her own.
......
The next morning, The Curtain Call, under the personal escort of Cobra, left the interior of the kingdom and sailed south, toward the mouth of the river.
The people on both sides waved goodbye. Vivi and Nami were the most heartbroken, waving their hands until their small faces were stained with tears.
"Nami! Remember to call!"
"I will! You take care of yourself too!"
The two little girls shouted to each other across the river, their voices lingering in the morning breeze.
Shane looked over.
The two of them had slept together last night and had talked about who knows what, but they seemed to have really hit it off.
In less than two days, they had become best friends and had even exchanged numbers, promising to keep in touch.
And Shane, the idol who had been pestered by her just yesterday, was now completely forgotten in a corner.
But he was perfectly happy with that. Before the goodbyes were even over, he had cheerfully taken a cup of coffee personally brewed by Robin and disappeared into the training room.
