Crocodile's Plans #159

As Daz Bones prepared to take on my headbutt with his steel forehead, I could feel the weight of the impending collision. With a resounding thud, our foreheads met, and I immediately released his hands, allowing him to go flying with blood spurting from his nose. The impact was powerful, and Daz Bones crashed into a nearby wall, toppling it over with the force of the blow.

I took a step back to dodge as Babe charged me, his metallic baseball bat swinging downward with deadly intent. Thinking quickly, I spun my trident and thrust its butt into Babe's chubby gut, sending his body flying upward.

Before I could follow up on the attack, Dorothy, who had safely landed some distance away, brandished Lasso, a unique dog-like gun that had consumed a devil fruit. Lasso had a sandy-brown color, resembling a bazooka, with handles on the sides and a contoured barrel that gave it an unusual appearance, like it had a runny nose.

To my surprise, Lasso began to cough, each cough releasing an explosive baseball. The explosive projectiles hurtled towards me, and I had to react swiftly to avoid getting caught in the blast radius.

With my observation haki guiding my movements, I deftly dodged the incoming baseballs, each one exploding upon impact with the ground. The sand and debris kicked up by the explosions added to the chaos of the battle, making it challenging to keep track of my opponents.

Dodging the explosive baseballs, I had no time to rest as Galdino sent a wave of melted wax flying toward me. With quick reflexes, I leaped into the air, avoiding the molten attack. I turned to Galdino with a bemused look, and he immediately reacted by erecting a solid wax fort over himself for protection.

Chuckling at his defensive move, I gestured toward the wax fort and unleashed a wave of searing flames from my devil fruit powers. The intense heat melted the wax with ease, leaving Galdino exposed. Not one to waste an opportunity, I used Geppo to close the distance between us and swiftly knocked Galdino out with a well-aimed kick to the head.

As the other Baroque Works agents slowly recovered from the chaos, Gem came flying toward me, utilizing the explosions generated by his devil fruit powers to propel himself through the air. His determined charge didn't go unnoticed, and I grinned, deciding to meet him head-on.

Our fists collided with a powerful force, resulting in an explosion of flames, heat, and smoke that briefly engulfed us.

As the smoke cleared, Gem's unconscious form was revealed, knocked out by the impact of our clash. Meanwhile, I stood unscathed except for a few bloody scratches on my hand, injuries that were already healing rapidly.

The Spiders Cafe was now a battleground in every sense of the word. The agents of the Baroque Works had given it their all, and I had responded in kind. The once peaceful cafe now bore the scars of our battle, with debris scattered everywhere and walls reduced to rubble. But it was time to end it.

Watching the Baroque Works agents slowly picking themselves up from the ground, I couldn't help but feel a mix of both amusement and impatience. With a nonchalant sigh, I spoke up, "Well, it's been fun, but I don't have all day."

As the words left my lips, I activated my devil fruit powers, transforming into my hybrid Heavenly Ape form. Flames wrapped around my trident as I spun it above my head, channeling my energy. With a determined grin, I brought the trident down, smacking the ground with its butt.

The impact unleashed an omnidirectional wave of scorching flames that spread out in all directions. The intense heat and force of the attack were enough to subdue the remaining Baroque Works agents, knocking them out and ending the battle in an instant.

With the Baroque works agents taken care of, I turned to the ear sticking out of the rubble. It's been there since the start of the battle -- a clear sign that a certain someone had been eavesdropping on the battle from the shadows. With a playful smirk, I called out to the unseen observer, "I know you're watching this and listening! Tell your boss to stop being a bitch and come out!"

My words echoed through the now quiet and smoky scene, and I could almost sense the tension in the air. I decided to make my intentions crystal clear, reverting to my human form.

"Unless he's willing to lose all his underlings, that is! If he's too much of a bitch to show up, I'll go to him myself," I declared confidently. My eyes gleamed with determination, and I knew I could take on anyone who dared to challenge me.

My grin widened as I issued a challenge, "I'll wait here for him... three hours, not one minute more or less."

As I watched the ear disintegrate into pink flower petals, I knew my message had been received. Nico Robin had gotten the memo, and now I only had to wait for her to deliver it.

After the intense battle, Princess Vivi and Igaram emerged from their hiding spot on the distant sand dune. They approached me, and I greeted them with a nonchalant smile, quipping, "I hope you enjoyed the show."

Vivi smiled back, but her expression carried a hint of weariness as she replied, "It was quite the show, alright..." Her curiosity piqued, she added, "By the way, who were you talking to? I didn't see anyone else here..."

I chuckled, not revealing too much, and simply replied, "Just Mr. 0's partner."

Vivi's eyes narrowed slightly, intrigued but respecting my decision not to share all the details. "So, you haven't figured out the identity of the mastermind behind the Baroque Works yet?" she asked, her concern evident.

I nodded, my grin widening. "Oh, I know who he is, alright. Unfortunately, I don't have concrete evidence to bring him down just yet," I explained. But my confidence remained unwavering as I added, "Just leave it to me and be patient... good things come to those who wait, Princess."

As we stood there in the aftermath of the battle, the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the desert landscape. The air was still charged with the energy of the fight, but there was also a sense of anticipation.

...

One hour later, Robin found herself inside Rain Dinners, Crocodile's casino and headquarters in Rainbase. She approached him as he stood in his usual spot, looking down on the bustling casino's customers. With a sense of urgency, she recounted the events that transpired at Spiders Cafe and Cedric's bold challenge.

Crocodile's face contorted into a frown, clearly displeased by this unexpected turn of events. He listened to Robin's report attentively, but his mind was already calculating the consequences. While losing so many of his agents would undoubtedly be a significant blow to his plans, he refused to be lured into a direct confrontation with Cedric, even if he desired it deep down.

"You expect me to go meet him, Miss All Sunday?" Crocodile's voice was tinged with annoyance. "Exposing my secret identity for a mere show of force? It's not worth it. I'll rebuild the Baroque Works from scratch if I have to. I can't let him dictate my actions."

Robin nodded, understanding his position but still cautioned about the impact of ignoring Cedric's challenge. "It won't be easy to rebuild everything," she warned, "and it'll cost us time."

Crocodile's pride was evident in his response. "I don't care about the time it takes. I won't fall into his trap and risk everything just to prove a point," he declared, refusing to let Cedric's challenge dictate his actions.

His decision was unwavering, despite the potential consequences of leaving Cedric's challenge unanswered. Crocodile was too proud to be manipulated into an obvious trap. He would find another way to deal with Cedric and protect his secret identity, no matter how long it took or how many setbacks he faced.

Robin raised an eyebrow at Crocodile's dismissive response. "He said he'll come to you if you don't go... seemed quite confident too," she remarked, her tone serious. "Are you sure you want to take that risk?"

Crocodile chuckled, the sound filled with arrogance. "That damned brat is just bluffing," he replied, his confidence unshaken. "There's zero chance of him knowing my identity, never mind my whereabouts. He's probably trying to rattle us, make us second-guess ourselves."

"I'll deal with him in my own time," Crocodile declared, his gaze never leaving the bustling gamblers below. "For now, let him play his little games. It won't change anything."

With that, Crocodile dismissed Robin and allowed his thoughts to consume him once more. He was a master strategist, and he knew that rushing into a confrontation with Cedric would be ill-advised. He needed to gather more information, bide his time, and strike when the moment was right.

Or so he thought...

...

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