Chapter 167: Untitled

"Is this...?" Robin, standing to the side, looked shocked at the Devil Fruit in Daniel Davis's hand. Although Robin had never seen a Devil Fruit compendium, she could tell from its shape, color, and the earlier actions of Daniel, coupled with Crocodile's death, that this should be the Sand Sand Fruit.

"The Sand Sand Fruit of the Logia type," Daniel said directly, seeing Robin's shocked expression.

"Alright, now's not the time to discuss this. Let's talk about the information we need for the future," Daniel said, opening a golden portal and leading Robin back to the underground chamber of Rain Dinners.

"Who exactly are you?" Robin asked, staring intently at Daniel after returning to the basement.

"You'll find out who I am in due time. But rest assured, I mean you no harm. You've been living in a world of betrayal for many years. With me around, you won't have to endure such things anymore."

"You seem to know a lot about me?"

"Not too much, just the basics. Demon Child Robin, the survivor of Ohara, who was bounty-hunted for 79 million Berries from a young age, making you a target for many."

"Right, I mentioned before that I would tell you about the Poneglyphs. The Poneglyph of Alabasta is inside the royal tomb. If you want to go there, we can head there now."

"Really?" Mentioning the Poneglyphs made Robin immediately forget everything else.

"Of course," Daniel said, drawing a golden circle in the air, indicating for Robin to follow him. Since he had never been to Alabasta's capital, Alubarna, he could only choose the closest location he had visited before to transport them.

Afterward, Daniel and Robin used the desert's unique transportation to head toward the capital.

"This is the place." The royal tomb of Alabasta was famous, so it wasn't hard to find. Upon arrival, Daniel quickly led Robin through a space gate inside.

Once inside, Robin immediately disregarded Daniel as soon as she saw the Poneglyphs.

After a long while, Robin finally stopped her work.

"Alright, we should head back." Returning was simple; a single portal brought them back to the underground chamber of Rain Dinners.

"Now we can talk properly. If I want to replace Crocodile and become one of the Shichibukai, what are the requirements?"

"There aren't any specific requirements. The Navy doesn't care who becomes a Shichibukai; they care if you can fight against pirates."

"Just as I thought," Daniel said after a moment of silence. "So, if I want to become a Shichibukai, I need to show the Navy some results. Gather all of Crocodile's subordinates and publish his plans in the newspaper."

Revealing Crocodile's death would make him a hero, complicating Daniel's future actions in Alabasta. So he planned to expose Crocodile's schemes instead.

"What? That's impossible!" The king of Alabasta was too weak, perhaps due to his lack of strength. If not for the newspapers constantly glorifying Crocodile, he wouldn't have been hailed as a hero by the people.

However, today everything changed. The newspapers exposed Crocodile's conspiracy, including how he used the Sand Sand Fruit to sabotage the city's water supply and his ideal nation plan.

Naturally, Pluton wouldn't be revealed; otherwise, Alabasta would attract large-scale pirate invasions due to its island-destroying power, which many pirates would covet.

Some believed the newspaper stories, while others didn't. This led to disputes and even fights.

Soon after, demands arose for Crocodile to clarify matters, but he couldn't because he was dead, planting seeds of doubt in many minds.

As the news spread, the World Government and the Navy quickly sent investigators. A Shichibukai attempting to usurp a kingdom had significant implications.

"Princess Vivi, the rest is up to you." Princess Vivi, younger than when she met Luffy, had infiltrated the organization to save her country, earning Daniel's respect.

He contacted her in advance, asking her to expose Crocodile's plot. The rebel leader was her childhood friend.

For Vivi's words to have the desired effect, artificial rain was necessary. The lack of water resources was a pressing issue.

Without a rain-making technique, Daniel used artificial means. The small sky island was too far, so he turned to Dance Powder, a method banned by the World Government. Despite knowing it could save his country, King Cobra refused to use it.

In the original story, if not for Smoker's decisive use of Dance Powder, the battle would have continued even if Crocodile was defeated.

One of Crocodile's charges against King Cobra was using Dance Powder, so Baroque Works had a stockpile of it.

Daniel used the Dance Powder, causing rain to fall across Alabasta. The people, moved by the rain, were convinced of Crocodile's scheme.

With the rain's return, the people's anger subsided, believing Crocodile had prevented rain through his powers, reinforcing Daniel's plan.

In truth, Crocodile couldn't control rainfall. He had exploited Dance Powder's properties to cause Alabasta's drought.

"You want to become a Shichibukai?" The CP agents asked when they arrived to investigate.

"That's correct."

"Just like that, without any investigation?" Daniel shook his head, finding the ease of the process absurd, despite expecting it.

For the World Government, it was straightforward. First, Daniel had defeated Crocodile, proving his strength. Second, quickly appointing a new Shichibukai maintained the balance of the three great powers, preventing any unforeseen issues.

"Looks like everyone's here." With his new title, Daniel summoned all high and mid-level agents of Baroque Works.

Crocodile had organized his team into pairs, believing in the efficiency of mixed-gender teams.

"Some people won't show up," Daniel noted, disappointed that the Quick-Cut Fruit user, Daz Bones, hadn't come, though his partner did.

"Since you're here, you acknowledge me as the leader. Unlike Crocodile, I have no grand ideals. For now, your task is simple: hunt bounty pirates."

As a Shichibukai, hunting pirates for bounties was a privilege.

"Robin will handle the rest. You're more familiar with her than me." With that, Daniel left, having only taken over Baroque Works out of convenience.

Despite the departures, powerful figures remained, like the Bomb Bomb Fruit and Melt Melt Fruit users. These Devil Fruits had great potential, but their users had wasted them.

Especially the Melt Melt Fruit user, who ended up with Buggy.

The most intriguing to Daniel was the gun that had eaten the Dachshund Dog Fruit. Not a dog eating a gun fruit, but a gun eating a dog fruit.

Hoping to find the method behind inanimate objects eating Devil Fruits, Daniel was disappointed to learn the gun was found, not created.

Despite this, he took the gun for research, fascinated by its infinite ammo property.

Alongside the gun, he also found Miss Goldenweek, a tea-loving, painting young girl with special abilities. Her paint had different effects, unrelated to a Devil Fruit but rather her inherent power.

Curious, Daniel experimented with the paint, finding it had mystical properties linked to mental or psychic strength.

"Perhaps enhancing her abilities with a Mind Stone could create a Scarlet Witch-like character," he mused, though Miss Goldenweek seemed uninterested in power.

Regarding Devil Fruits, Daniel confirmed through killing three Zoan users that their abilities didn't necessarily reappear nearby, explaining the widespread presence of Devil Fruit users in the sea.

The random nature of this process meant luck played a big role, much like Ace acquiring the Flame Flame Fruit before reaching the East Blue.

"By now, Doflamingo and Caesar Clown should be synthesizing artificial Zoan fruits. I'd love to see their process, but I'm not strong enough to face Doflamingo or Kaido yet."

The materials for artificial Devil Fruits were scarce, even for Kaido, so there was no surplus to sell.

"Shichibukai has changed. Crocodile was defeated by a newcomer. Interesting." In the New World, Doflamingo smiled meaningfully upon receiving this news.

As Daniel continued his training and research, his new identity spread across the sea. As a Shichibukai, he attracted attention, but many pirates dismissed him as merely a government and Navy lackey, unworthy of further notice.

Only the weak paid him any mind. The Four Emperors and Navy headquarters remained indifferent to the Shichibukai's replacement, unperturbed by such changes.

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