423. Attack Plan

Leo stays in Katorea and helps the rebels make a strategy to attack Baroque Works. Robin also stays there and she has blended with the people already. They are preparing an attack that will surprise Baroque Works and end this immediately.

Their plan now is to attack Rainbase and support the Straw Hat Pirates. Leo actually planned for the Straw Hat Pirates to go directly to Alubarna, the Royal Capital first. But Luffy being Luffy, he wanted to attack Crocodile immediately.

Knowing Luffy's stubbornness, Leo decided to make a strategy to attack Rainbase. It is Crocodile's base, so there must be many Baroque Works agents there. But there will be civilians too, so they need to be careful.

After thorough planning, the Rebel Army goes to Rainbase immediately. They are using a ship that can sail on the desert as if it were a sea. Of course, Leo is very surprised by this, and his curiosity takes over his mind.

He is really Buggy's son because he immediately wants to know how this ship can sail on the sand. But still, he is not that knowledgeable about ships or techs, so the explanations only make his head ache. At least he understands that it can sail because the wind is strong here.

The group finally arrives in Rainbase, but they can't find the Straw Hat Pirates. They only find a destroyed casino yard that became the main attraction in Rainbase. A lot of marines arrive and they point their weapons at Leo.

"It seems we are too late. They must've arrived faster than we thought and Luffy couldn't wait for too long."

Leo is ignoring the marines and keeps looking at the destroyed casino yard. The marine woman who looks like Kuina, Tashigi comes forward and points her sword at Leo.

"You are a member of Straw Hat Pirates, what are you doing here?"

"Hey, marines, do you know where my crewmates are? You were chasing us, right? So you should know where they go now."

"Why should I tell- !?"

Tashigi can't finish her sentence because Smoker suddenly taps her shoulder.

"They are chasing Crocodile to Alubarna. We will also chase them there."

Leo looks at Smoker intensely for a while because he won't believe information from a Marine about pirates easily. Then, a piece of mouth appears behind his head. Robin made it and she whispers that the crew really goes to Alubarna.

"I don't know why you tell it to me, but I will say my gratitude anyway. Thanks for the information, now excuse me, people. I have a ship to catch."

Leo suddenly shoots himself into the air to go out of town. The rebels have returned to the ship since the Marines surrounded Leo. Then after Leo returned, they control the ship to sail immediately and go to Alubarna.

On the ship, Robin tells Leo what happened in Rainbase. It wasn't really the crew's fault, Crocodile knew about their plan to go to Alubarna. He predicted it after knowing about the Straw Hat Pirates' & Vivi's arrival in Alabasta.

So he planned a trap for them and the crew fell into it. They almost got sunk when Crocodile held them in the casino's basement and filled it with water. Smoker also got captured, but Zoro saved him because of Luffy's order, that's why Smoker helped Leo.

Leo doesn't think much about it though and asks Robin about the information she got about Baroque Works. She tells him the organization's structure and the main agents' power including Crocodile. Leo is quite surprised that Crocodile is a Sand Logia.

Devil fruit abilities were very rare in East Blue, but they became common in Grandline. Logia was supposed to be even rarer among all devil fruits. But Leo already knows 4 logia devil fruits including his since he started sailing as a pirate.

"Grandline is very different, huh? If this world is a drama location, then Grandline is like the main stage. Sigh, alright, what about the main agents?"

Robin explains the main agents that support Crocodile. She explains their power and known characters so that Leo can make a strategy.

"Well, there's no need to make a thorough strategy in this war, you know. Luffy won't listen and I know the others want to have their own battles. A strategy is meaningless for the crew."

"So we will just let them do what they want?"

"Not really. We will plan who they'll fight and make sure they fight those opponents. My dad always said that battles are the best way to make us grow as fighters. Our enemies will get stronger as we go, so we need to get stronger too. Even my sister will need to get stronger because I can't protect her all the time."

"What if things don't go as we planned?"

"We need to make sure that everything goes well, and if it doesn't, then that's it. If we can't even pass this stage, then we will fail in the next stages. Better fail now than later so that we can learn and improve ourselves. But to do that, we need to make sure everyone survives. Robin, that's the task I want to give you, making sure the crew survives even if they are beaten to pulps."

"I don't need to fight?"

"Not now. I know you are actually stronger than any one of us, so fighting an agent is hardly a challenge for you."

Robin just smiles because Leo knows she is stronger than any of the Straw Hat Pirates.

"But I still can't defeat Crocodile."

"That's because you don't know how to touch his logia body. But if you can, then Crocodile might lose."

"Fufufu, you are funny. Let me tell you, I am not stronger than you guys, at least I am weaker than your Captain, the 3-styled swordsman, the cook, and you. But I am more skillful than any of you, far more skillful. I am physically weaker than you boys, but I have much better skills. If we fight, then I can defeat all of you just by using my skills. Crocodile on the other hand is stronger, more skillful, and has more experience than any of us. Fighting him will truly be a challenge for all of you, especially with his sand body."

"I know, that's why I am thinking of a way to negate that intangible sand body. You know, my dad and mom could always beat me even though I have this fire body. They could touch me using a mysterious power that they never told me. My dad only told me that there are 2 ways to touch logia or paramecia users who get their bodies transformed by their devil fruits. The 1st one is the mysterious power he used, the 2nd one is using the abilities' weaknesses. Just like how Luffy's rubber body is weak to sharp weapons and my fire is weak to water, Crocodile's sand must be weak to something too."

Robin nods because she also knows it and she also knows what that mysterious power is. But she doesn't tell Leo about that power because he is very focused right now. She doesn't want to disturb him.

'I will tell him about haki later. But if his father can use haki, then maybe he is a New World pirate. Mr. Gaban said that haki is very rare in Paradise, but it's very common in New World. If Leo's father is a New World pirate, then he must be very strong. Now that I think about it, I never asked who his father is.'

"Hey, Leo, can I-"

*BRAK* Someone falls on the deck, taking everyone's attention.

"OI! BE CAREFUL! YOU ARE SPILLING OUR PRECIOUS WATER. WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH WATER HERE."

The man who fell hit a water barrel and spill some of the water. Luckily, someone saves the water barrel fast, so they don't lose too much water. Leo who sees it widens his eyes before grinning widely.

"Well, I never expected that Sir Crocodile has the same weakness as me."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You see that? The water splashed on some sand that get on the ship. Now the sand turns into mud and the wind can't scatter it anymore."

"Ooh, you're right. But if I recall correctly, Crocodile has the ability to absorb water because people saw him absorb water from his enemies' bodies and dried them."

"Then he must have turned some parts of his body into mud and dried them later. If he uses his left hand, then it will be vulnerable to attacks for a moment. Losing bodily liquid will make people weak, right? So his enemies couldn't fight him at that state, that's why he doesn't need to worry about being hit."

Robin smiles because Leo is actually very smart in battle & music-related things. Although he is very dumb at many common things that she doubts he has any common sense. Well, she has seen many people who are like that, so she isn't surprised.

Leo, Robin, and the rebels almost reach Alubarna when they suddenly encounter Baroque Works agents. Koza asks Leo what they should do and Leo tells Koza that it's better to fight the agents outside the city to minimize damage.

"I will help you fight them. Koza, you were friends with the princess, right? Then I need you to go to the city and ask for reinforcement."

"Huh? Are you crazy? Do you think they'll accept a rebel like me?"

"Maybe, if you apologize. You are the leader here, right? Then do you want your comrades to die? Those agents have better weapons and more personnel. We will lose a lot of people without the soldiers' help. Do you care about your pride more than their lives?"

Leo & Robin are pushing Koza through words until Koza finally agrees. Then after they are ready, the rebels attack the agents who try to talk to them because the agents still think the rebels are on their side. The war has finally started with this attack.

________________________________________

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