One Piece: Ulquiorra Template

Chapter 19: Crocodile's Scheming

"My objective is complete. Time to return, wouldn't you say?" Gion addressed Ian, who was still standing on the deck of Thriller Bark. It was said that swordsmen possessed an innate connection with their destined blades. And over two decades ago, after Moria's defeat at the hands of Kaido, the Beast Pirate Yonko...

He had plundered the tomb of Ryuma, the legendary samurai who had slain a dragon, stealing the famed Shusui. While ordinary pirates might be unaware of this, those in their circles knew the truth. Perhaps Ian had learned of this as well.

At least in the eyes of the weaker pirates in the first half of the Grand Line, lacking the strength to challenge Moria, a single renowned sword held little significance. However, in the latter half of the Grand Line, the New World...

Powerful swordsmen could even forge a regular blade into a Black Blade through rigorous training and imbuing it with their Haki.

"What's that...?" Gion, hovering high in the air, spotted a ship approaching Thriller Bark from the distant blue horizon.

As she identified the figures on board and realized they had also noticed her presence, she faintly overheard their conversation. The content was startling.

"Crocodile, you're a Warlord of the Sea as well. Why are you here in Moria's territory? Are you plotting something?"

Having confirmed their identity, Gion wasted no time. She swiftly descended towards the ship, utilizing Geppo.

"Boss, that's Moria's territory up ahead. Are we really going to propose an alliance with him?" On board a smaller vessel, Daz Bones, the imposing user of the Dice-Dice Fruit, addressed Crocodile.

"Of course. We're talking about an entire kingdom. Overthrowing it with our own forces would take far too long. The legendary Pluton, one of the three Ancient Weapons capable of destroying entire islands with a single blast... I doubt he'll refuse such an offer. With his help, world domination will be within our grasp!"

The speaker was Crocodile, a tall, imposing figure with slicked-back black hair, a long scar across his face, a golden hook replacing his left hand, and a cigar clenched between his teeth. He, like Moria, was...

A remnant of the previous era, a contender for the title of Pirate King who had ultimately failed. Moria had challenged Kaido, while Crocodile had clashed with Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, and Shiki, the "Golden Lion," two of the three legendary pirates alongside Whitebeard.

Each of those pirates possessed power comparable to an Ancient Weapon, capable of wreaking havoc on a global scale. Crocodile's solution was to acquire an Ancient Weapon of his own and challenge them on equal footing. If that failed, he would seek external assistance.

Unfortunately for him, his plan was destined to fail. In the original story, the alliance never materialized. He had underestimated the psychological trauma Kaido had inflicted upon Moria, having decimated his crew. That was why Moria had retreated to the relatively safe waters of the first half of the Grand Line, obsessively creating zombies and isolating himself from the world.

The Nefertari family was one of the twenty royal families who had founded the World Government eight hundred years ago but had chosen not to relocate to Mary Geoise and become Celestial Dragons. Instead, they ruled the Alabasta Kingdom, safeguarding the location of Pluton, one of the Ancient Weapons.

"Nico Robin, are you certain Alabasta possesses information on Pluton?" Crocodile addressed another figure on board, a woman with tanned skin and a strikingly attractive physique.

"At least, that's what the Poneglyphs in Ohara indicated. And I need your protection, so I wouldn't lie." Robin replied. Crocodile was a peculiar individual.