Rainy grounds.
Towards Yuba, outside the city, a crowd had gathered, summoned by Robin the night before.
These were now all the members of Baroque Works in Alabasta.
Among them, most looked ordinary, with only a few tall and fierce individuals. In truth, the majority were ordinary people, but they were fiercer and understood how to wield weapons better than most.
Now, they all stared with excitement at the figures standing on the sand dunes outside, especially the tall one with the cigar.
They never would have imagined their company boss was a Shichibukai.
Upon learning their boss was Crocodile, they felt no worry, but instead, a surge of excitement for the company and the future.
They couldn't care less if their boss was a pirate!
All they knew was that their leader was a strong individual, a world-renowned powerhouse, and a pirate specifically permitted by the World Government to plunder without consequence.
That was enough.
In the crowd, a girl with a high ponytail, water-blue hair, and a long grey robe, stared in disbelief at Crocodile's retreating back.
The girl was Princess Nefertari Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom. Having recently joined Baroque Works, she was still posing as a low-ranking operative in Alabasta.
Beside Vivi stood a tall man, also clad in a grey robe, with peculiar curly hair.
The man was Captain Igaram of the Alabasta Kingdom's Royal Guard. He had infiltrated Baroque Works with Princess Vivi as a spy to protect her and uncover the organization's secrets.
Igaram also stared at Crocodile with disbelief.
Their primary objective in joining Baroque Works was to discover its connection to the Dance Powder. However, they never expected the ultimate boss of Baroque Works to be Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, known as a hero in Alabasta.
This man, while enjoying the praise and admiration of the common people, was leading the country to ruin.
He was deceiving this nation, deceiving the countless citizens who trusted him.
Vivi and Igaram's hearts filled with anger.
"Crocodile, Crocodile, Crocodile..."
Vivi stared at Crocodile, trembling, her eyes bloodshot. She repeatedly called out Crocodile's name, her voice filled with fury.
"Vivi."
Igaram snapped back to reality, turning to look at Vivi. He sensed something was wrong and quickly reached out to grab her.
But he realized too late and was not fast enough, so he failed to catch her.
The moment Igaram turned, Vivi pushed through the crowd and charged towards Crocodile.
"Crocodile."
Vivi's angry voice drowned out the surrounding whispers, echoing across the land.
"This is bad!"
Igaram retracted his hand and quickly chased after Vivi, his eyes filled with worry.
At his age, he lacked the innocence and impulsiveness of a teenage girl like Vivi. While discovering the mastermind of Baroque Works today should have been cause for celebration, Vivi's inability to control her anger and her rush forward could turn this good news into a tragedy.
"Eh!"
Crocodile heard the commotion and turned, calmly watching Vivi rush towards him.
He smoked his cigar, gazing at Vivi's face, a thoughtful expression on his features.
"Foolish!"
Robin also turned around.
She saw Vivi's face and was momentarily stunned. At this moment, only one thought echoed in her mind.
"Truly foolish!"
Indeed, for Vivi's age and her upbringing in the peaceful Alabasta, seeing the person who wished to destroy Alabasta and acting impulsively was understandable.
However, no matter how understandable, it was still foolish.
She was foolish enough to foolishly try to confront Crocodile. She was foolish enough to misread the situation, and even more foolish to fail to see the vast gap between herself and Crocodile.
She hadn't considered that the price of her impulsive act might be her life, followed by Igaram's, and then the life of a duck hidden in a similar grey robe behind Igaram.
Robin returned to her senses, glanced at Crocodile, who was lost in thought, pursed her lips, and shook her head.
"Those who sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind."
Since Crocodile intended to seize the country, how could he not recognize the true ruler of this nation?
In fact, Robin had known about Vivi and Igaram's presence shortly after they joined Baroque Works.
If she hadn't intercepted their messages, Crocodile would have known much sooner.
Did they really think anyone could infiltrate Baroque Works, a criminal organization, and act as a spy?
Even if ordinary agents didn't recognize Vivi, it was impossible for no one in Baroque Works to know her.
It was she who secretly dealt with those who sent messages and altered Vivi and Igaram's files, allowing them to remain undetected in Baroque Works until now.
"Well!"
Crocodile watched Vivi approaching and finally remembered who she was. He had seen this girl more than once; how could he forget her?
"Guk, hahahahaha!"
"Isn't this our Princess Vivi? Why aren't you staying in the palace, and what brings you here?"
"Crocodile..."
As Vivi neared Crocodile, she tore off her robe, revealing a dark green jacket and t-shirt, and short shorts underneath.
Her eyes fixed on Crocodile. As she ran, she pulled two rings from her sleeves and put them on her little fingers.
These were her weapons, the "Peacock Chain." They were mobile blades controlled by fine threads attached to rings on her little fingers, resembling the feathers of a peacock's tail.
They were usually hidden in her sleeves for easy access.
The feathers on her weapons were extracted from the most precious peacocks. They could extend at will to form various techniques, and the feathers could regenerate.
With her hands positioned at her sides, the peacock chain links spun. Upon reaching Crocodile, she crossed her hands outwards, then crossed them inwards, swinging them towards Crocodile's neck.
"Peacock Chain Saw!"
*Swoosh—!*
Two rotating peacock feathers, resembling gears, swiftly sliced through Crocodile's neck, severing it instantly. His head hung suspended in the air.
"Did I get him?"
Vivi stared at Crocodile, a flicker of joy crossing her face.
"No, not a drop of blood, and no sensation of cutting."
Before her joy could last, she felt something was wrong, and the joy on her face vanished.
The several high-ranking agents around them hadn't moved. They stared at Vivi, a slight smirk on their lips, their faces filled with mockery.
If Crocodile could be defeated so easily by a young girl, he wouldn't be worthy of being a Shichibukai, nor would he be worthy of being their boss.