Chapter 224

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"Lord Abel, there are two individuals outside claiming to be from Baroque Works who say they have business to discuss with you."

"Baroque Works?"

Abel's expression showed a bit of surprise; he didn't have any connection with them.

It was unclear whether the two small fries outside had come on their own accord or if they were sent by that 'Crocodile.'

If it was the former, no matter their purpose for coming here, they could be easily sent away.

But if it was the latter, it would probably mean more trouble.

"Bring them in to wait; I'll come by in a moment."

"Yes!"

After his subordinate respectfully withdrew, Abel continued his training.

It wasn't like any Tom, Dick, or Harry could come knocking, and he would have to drop everything immediately to greet them.

What would that make him look like?

Doesn't he have any pride?

Since they came to him on their own initiative, they should be prepared for this. It was also a good opportunity to probe their intentions.

An hour later, Abel put down the custom barbell, wiped off his sweat with a towel, and without asking anything about the two individuals, went directly to take a shower.

Inside a room in the manor.

A tall man and a petite woman were sitting on the couch, visibly impatient.

More than an hour had passed.

If it weren't for their mission, if the tea and pastries served hadn't been reasonably tasty, they would have blown their tops by now!

Finally, after taking his shower, Abel arrived, fashionably late, dressed in fresh clothes.

"So handsome!"

The petite woman had been set on giving Abel a piece of her mind, but the moment she laid eyes on him, she was smitten and couldn't help but show a dreamy expression.

The tall man next to her was instantly displeased, especially since this 'pretty boy' had ignored them completely, sitting down opposite them without a word. Then, to add insult to injury, a little maid came over and dutifully lit a cigarette for him, causing the man to feel an overwhelming sense of injustice!

"Miss Valentine, how long do you plan to keep up this disgraceful act?" the tall man rebuked his partner outright.

"Mr. 8, watch your language. How am I being disgraceful? If you don't want to be partners with me, we can apply to split up after we get back. There are other vacant positions to fill."

However, the petite woman was no pushover and shot back, leaving the man at a loss for words.

Members of Baroque Works do not use their real names during operations; they all go by code names instead.

Typically, teams consist of one male and one female, with the male going by "Mr." plus a number—where a smaller number indicates stronger ability—and the female going by "Miss" followed by a date or a holiday.

The number '8' indicated this pair belonged to the middle tier of the organization.

It's worth mentioning that although at this stage in the story Crocodile had already established Baroque Works and begun hunting pirates for profit, the members now are entirely different from those ten years later.

Over a decade, there's sufficient time for Baroque Works to change its members several times over.

Of course, the boss working behind the scenes wouldn't change; it's still that same Crocodile.

Snapping back to the present, even Abel hadn't expected these two to start bickering among themselves.

Of course, it was also possible that this quarrel was staged for his benefit.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's getting late. Let's get down to business."

Abel had no interest in wasting his time on small fry like them. If it weren't for Crocodile's sake, he wouldn't have agreed to meet them.

"So, who exactly is to blame for this delay?" Mr. 8 almost let these words slip out, but considering the instructions he had received this time, he held back his displeasure and spoke, "We are Mr. 8 and Miss Monday from Baroque Works. We came here because our investigation revealed that many 'rookie' pirates who recently entered the Grand Line have met their demise here, so we wanted to see if there was a new player in town."

"A new player? What exactly do you do?" Abel revealed an inscrutable smile.

"Baroque Works is a place that offers jobs to many bounty hunters; naturally, our business involves hunting pirates."

"Interesting. Do you have a wanted poster for me?"

At these words, there was a moment of silence.

But soon, Mr. 8 answered strongly, "Gustavus Abel, hailing from the North Blue, an officer of the Donquixote family, with a bounty of 50 million Berries."

"Well done, you've done your homework. So when do you plan to try and take me in for the bounty?"

Abel was still smiling, but Mr. 8 and Miss Monday could feel the temperature in the room dropping.

Quick to smooth things over, Miss Monday said, "You've misunderstood; we have no such intention. We actually came here to propose a partnership."

"A partnership? I'm listening."

"As long as you no longer pursue these 'rookie' pirates, all of our more than two thousand bounty hunters under Baroque Works will leave you alone."

Upon hearing this offer, Abel let out a snort of laughter.

They had never considered the business of hunting 'rookie' pirates significant, but Mr. Crocodile was, perhaps, too arrogant.

Abel was now certain that these two were acting under Crocodile's orders—as without his mandate, they would have neither the right nor the status to make such an offer. He even suspected that, following Crocodile's investigation which revealed the strength of the Donquixote family and the hefty 340 million Berries bounty on Doflamingo, Crocodile sent these two expendables to probe their stance.

But what did he take them for?

Beggars that could be easily dismissed?

"Over two thousand bounty hunters, that does sound quite frightening. Are you all hiding in Whisky Peak now?"

"Go back and tell your boss that the Donquixote family deals in bigger business and has no interest in his petty shenanigans, nor the scraps from his table."

"Tell him to worry more about his own affairs in Alabasta, and cut back on these pointless probes."

Mr. 8 and Miss Monday started sweating profusely.

Not only was their hiding place known, but their opponent even seemed aware of their secretive headquarters in Alabasta—something unknown to most within Baroque Works. Even more alarmingly, it seemed they had figured out who the real boss behind Baroque Works was, a secret unknown even within the organization.

The irony was almost laughable.

"Alright, we will certainly convey your message. It is late, so we'll take our leave now."

Forcing a smile, they then hastened to leave this daunting place.

She now realized that this mission was nowhere near as simple as they had imagined and felt like they had stumbled into a difficult predicament.

"A message from one person will suffice. Let the other pay the price for your boss's arrogance."

At Abel's words, the complexion of Mr. 8 and Miss Monday changed drastically!