chapter 10

I refuse!!!

Mugen looked at crocodile who refused without even listening.

Crocodile sat down on the sand and clutched his stomach, his gaze was dark and veins popped out on his forehead.

A few hairs fell down the side of his face, the blood at the corner of his mouth dripped onto his clothes.

Patience is one of Mugen's virtues and he just waited for crocodile to calm down a bit and breathe.

After panting a few more times, crocodile looked sideways at Mugen.

"Was that advanced haki?" 

"Pretty much, why do you ask."

Crocodile wiped his lips and tried to get up, but with the small movement he made he felt as if a knife pierced his organs, so he just sat up.

"I've heard of that kind of power before, though I've never experienced it in person, now I had that chance, I must say it's a kinky trick."

"I heard that only a handful of people know how to do it, and all of them are famous people in the world, that their name has been heard for a long time in the sea."

"You, who are you, I don't remember ever seeing or hearing about you?" Crocodile asked without reservation, he felt that Mugen had no desire to kill him.

Whether it was because of his supposed cooperation which he spoke of, though he refused, or for other reasons.

Someone who has that power came looking for him just to talk about a supposed cooperation, he couldn't believe anything he said. 

Mugen looked at crocodile, then up, looked at the sky for a few moments until the sun disturbed him. He was in no hurry to talk.

Although it was hot in the desert, very hot, the wind that blew was refreshing, it felt good, the only bad thing was that the sand gathered so quickly, that in a short time one could be buried.

Mugen pulled his hat down, looked to the sides in the distance, after a while he looked at crocodile.

The look in his eyes made crocodile a little uncomfortable, it was an emotionless look.

Crocodile felt that the man in front of him did not look at him as a person, he could not understand how someone unknown in the sea could have that look.

Mugen's black eyes didn't flicker with anything, he had a calmness about him that was unsettling.

Shaking his head, Mugen stood up, grabbed the katana at his side and started to walk away.

About wanting to cooperate with crocodile was something he said randomly, rather, a lie.

Why would he have to cooperate against someone who couldn't defend himself in his hands, weevil is stronger, at least weevil lasted a while against him in practice battles.

He didn't have the time or patience in taking care of someone else if he encountered danger one day. Having companions was something he didn't need at the moment.

If the person was of any use to him, he would keep them by his side and protect them until they were no longer of any use to him.

Crocodile is someone who does not follow the orders of others.

Mugen walked quietly through the desert, crocodile did not catch up with him.

There was no reason to do so.

Crocodile just sat there watching Mugen's back as he walked away.

He didn't ask why he didn't kill him.

He didn't ask why he knew about what he was looking for.

He didn't ask about this supposed cooperation.

He was not interested in anything, he only attacked when the other party named that weapon, which he was looking for.

His thoughts were simple.

He didn't want anyone to know what was going on in this country or his plans, only one person besides him knows about what he is looking for and the two are in a temporary cooperation.

If you talk about cooperating with someone else, that's not at all impossible.

Only the requirements of that is that the other person is someone who is easy to control and who is weaker than him.

Besides, Nico Robin is unique in the world, he knows where she comes from and who she is, and she has the necessary knowledge to get what he wants. 

Wait!

Thinking of something, crocodile's eyes opened and he looked for Mugen who was supposed to be only a few meters away.

However, Mugen had disappeared at some point while crocodile was not paying attention due to his thoughts.

"That fucker."

Crocodile thought of a possibility.

Mugen knew him and it was clear to him that he also knew his purpose, somehow the information leaked from somewhere, then, if he thinks about it carefully, he also knew that in his possession he had Nico Robin.

So, if his target is actually not me and from the beginning he went for her, why is he talking about cooperation.?

Crocodile's thoughts were jumbled and he could not understand precisely.

But of one thing he was sure, and that was.

Nico Robin can't fall into his hands, he still doesn't have what he's looking for.

His look was grim and the eyes looked like they wanted to eat someone alive, he got up from the ground and wasted no more time, he turned his body into sand and ran towards rainbase.

Although his body was still not recovering, and he felt a stabbing pain when he moved, he forced himself to grit his teeth and keep running.

He knew the other party was stronger than he was, but he had to do everything he could to avoid what he feared most.

At the mere thought of those black eyes that held not a hint of emotion, that disgusting gloomy aura and the smell of blood on his body, crocodile knew that this man was not normal.

Remembering the words that contained some madness and expectations about being chased and hunted by the white-bearded pirates.

As well as receiving their attacks without hiding, having a big smile.

That guy is crazy, his thoughts are not normal!

Crocodile thought of possibilities of why Mugen would want Nico Robin, though he wasn't entirely sure if his purpose was her.

He thought and thought, he remembered the whole process from the time he met that guy to the brief fight, he remembered everything from beginning to end, every detail. What struck him most about him was his strength, clothing, mannerisms.

But what struck her most and what was most remarkable about him was that voice.

A deep and hoarse voice, in very low tones when speaking, although his manners and speech are very polite like those of a nobleman, his personality is quite the opposite.

Nico Robin is known as a traitor, over the years she has worked with many people, but something always happens in the middle that makes people who are close to her die for some reason.

Crocodile thought of a possibility.

"It will be that he was someone Nico Robin worked with in the past, and then tried to kill him."

"No, no, that's impossible, that guy has that kind of strength, it would be unheard of for someone like her to do something like that."

Crocodile still had his mind clear and was slowly putting his thoughts in order.

Not for nothing is he the behind-the-scenes boss of "baroque works" If he couldn't plan or have a fixed thought for the future, a goal, he couldn't have built a huge organization from cero without even showing his face.

It was shown that although he would not show himself in person, just with his ideas and results that brought his thoughts, he was able to attract a large number of people from different walks of life to his command.

To do what he did required intelligence and being careful with his moves.

To act the hero and the villain at the same time.

It was a difficult job.

While crocodile was thinking while trying to catch up with Mugen, on another side another scene could be found where two people were resting after running far away from trouble.

"Mommy, mommy, where is my brother, why can't I find him, he's playing hide and seek."

Weevil looked from left to right, he had a finger to his lips with an innocent look on his face.

Mrs. Bakkin looked back to make sure no one was following her trail and let out a sigh of relief when she saw nothing.

She tapped her cane against the ground while thinking about something, she didn't listen to weevil's question and just stared at the ground, ignoring the huge face of weevil standing next to her who was looking at him with her small eyes.

Weevil looked at his mommy and noticed that she was looking at the floor, out of curiosity, he also looked and stayed like that.

A scene of mother and son staring together at the ground in the middle of nowhere went unnoticed by the world.

It wasn't until Weevil's stomach asked for food that the two looked at each other.

Weevil touched his stomach and said. "Mommy, I'm hungry, I saw those ants on the ground carrying food and I want to eat too, I want candy."

"Mommy where is my brother, I want him to give me candy."

Mrs. Bakkin tapped her cane on the floor and spoke. "Weevil your brother will no longer be with us."

"What.!" Weevil was surprised and cried out, his face showed sadness.

"But, but, why, now that I remember, mommy, why did my brother punish me, I did something wrong."

His huge body jumped from side to side, he bent down on his knees and looked at his mommy with his little eyes, his face was only inches away from her.

"Get away will you." Mrs. Bakkin pushed weevil away, she didn't know how to explain it.

Weevil suddenly seemed to have thought of something and his face brightened, then he became angry.

"Mommy, mommy, it must have been those bad boys, they were to blame."

"What, what, what are you talking about." Mrs. Bakkin looked at her stupid son, she sensed he would be talking nonsense again.

"Mommy, mommy, you know, it's those bad guys who made my brother do things he didn't want to do."

"He told me a story when you were sleeping, he told me there were these guys who were like wizards, who did magic that could control people with the power of their eyes."

Weevil bent down and with one finger pulled his eyelid down and looked at Mrs. Bakkin.

"He told me those people are bad and he killed his whole family, he is a villain, I bet he bullied my brother and that's why he beat me, he punished me because I didn't realize he wanted me to beat the bad guys."

"Mommy, mommy, you said that on this island were those red eyed bad guys, let's go find him and beat them, so my brother will come back and give me candy."

Mrs. Bakkin was surprised and raised her hand to stop weevil. "Wait, wait, stop, will you." 

She felt a headache, she no longer knew what Mugen had taught her stupid son, she learned new words and now every so often she says something inexplicable.

"I don't know what you are talking about, but I assure you that your brother is not being bullied by anyone, the bad guys already died when you were sleeping, he went somewhere because he had something to do, don't worry, he will be back soon."

Mrs. Bakkin made up a lie, so she could reassure her stupid son a little.

Weevil looked at his mommy and suddenly said something that surprised her.

"No.!"

Weevil spoke loud and clear.

"What did you say.!" Mrs. Bakkin was surprised.

"I said no. Mommy is lying, lying is bad, my brother said when mommy lies she gets smaller."

"Mommy, I don't want you to be smaller because then how can I hug you and kiss you."

"That fucker." Mrs. Bakkin clenched her fist, her hands were shaking, now that Mugen was gone, she felt she had relaxed a little and her blood pressure would go down, but she never imagined that everything would stay the same.

A little less, weevil just said what he learned and heard, he wondered what kind of nonsense else he had told his stupid son, and now he comes out with that crap.

"Listen to me weevil, now we have to get out of this place or else very bad people will want to get us and then they will take me away from your side, do you want that to happen."

"No. Mommy is lying, I know that because I know my mommy, but I love my brother too, he told me that..."

"Now it doesn't matter what your brother said." Mrs. Bakkin spoke angrily. "Now we just have to find a boat and go, listen weevil, your brother told me he would go with us later."

"No!" weevil still refused.

"Weevil boy, listen to me, we have to go."

"No. My brother is still missing."

"Weevil boy, just listen to me." Mrs. Bakkin didn't know what to do.

"No.!"

"Yes, we're leaving."

"No.!"

"Weevil boy."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Weevil boy."

"Mommy, I am Hokage.!"

"Weevil you'll be sorry.!"

Mrs. Bakkin touched her forehead, now she didn't understand anything, what the fuck are you talking about, stupid son, who is Hokage, why I don't understand anything you say.

She looked at weevil and he just looked at her with a determined look.

"Listen to me weevil boy." Mrs. Bakkin thought and then smiled and said. "Okay, okay, okay, to tell you the truth, now I was just testing you, I just wanted to know how much you love your brother."

Mrs. Bakkin nodded her head in approval. "Actually your brother, yes he is being controlled, they are bad guys, very bad guys, they bullied your brother and took him far away."

"What! Mommy, mommy, and where did they go, quick we have to go find them and teach them a lesson."

Weevil shouted and grabbed his bisento, his determined face was ready for battle, like a warrior, he snorted loudly and a hot air released from his nose.

Mrs. Bakkin's face lit up and she continued to say. "That's weevil my son, you have to catch those bad guys, those wizards, but as I had told you before, first you have to get a boat because they ran out to sea."

"Mommy, Mommy, then we have to go fast, come on, come on, before they run any further."

Weevil wasted no more time and took his mommy on his shoulders and ran.

Mrs. Bakkin wiped the sweat from her forehead and gave herself a thumbs up for the idea she had.

Buru buru buru buru buru buru.

The phone worm in her pocket started to ring, that brought her a surprise, not many people know the number of her phone worm, not more than 5 people.

Sitting on weevil's shoulders, she adjusted her posture and took the call.