Chapter 116: The Meeting to Divide the Spoils

The next day.

The meeting place agreed upon by Crocodile and Garen was neither Crocodile’s office in the Rain Banquet Casino nor the luxurious hotel where Garen was staying. Instead, it was a scenic villa situated on the outskirts of the city.

Upon arriving at the villa, Garen immediately sensed Crocodile’s intention:

The villa stood right at the edge of the Oasis of Rain, far from the abundant waters within the riverside city, yet stretching a hand could encompass the vast, majestic desert landscape.

In other words, this was the most advantageous battleground for Crocodile, the user of the Sand Sand Fruit.

“Is this really necessary?” Garen murmured with a faint smile. “Do I really need this much caution?”

Beside him, Princess Vivi’s face was etched with worry, and she instinctively drew closer to Garen.

“Garen, are we really going in? What if it’s a trap?”

“Don’t worry. I have a way to ensure our safety,” Garen replied earnestly.

Although no trace of fear showed on Garen’s face, and his towering figure, standing like a mighty oak, exuded a sense of security, Vivi, who had mustered the courage to accompany him here, was still visibly unsettled.

Previously, Vivi’s understanding of the title “Shichibukai” had been vague:

She knew the Shichibukai were formidable, but not to what extent—perhaps still within reach to resist.

However, after witnessing firsthand the terrifying prowess of another Shichibukai, Hawk-Eye Mihawk, Vivi immediately formed a vivid and profound impression of the Shichibukai’s true level of power. Inevitably, she made a flawed equation in her mind: Hawk-Eye equals Shichibukai equals Crocodile.

Since Hawk-Eye had expressed disinterest in grinding low-level quests since yesterday, Vivi remained shrouded in the shadow of those three ominous words, “Shichibukai.”

Not only did she harbor deep doubts about her plan to save her country, but she was also gravely concerned, urging Garen and Nami to leave Alabasta promptly and not to risk their lives on her behalf.

Garen, well aware of Crocodile’s true level, naturally had no intention of fleeing at the last moment.

Nami, in fact, was far braver than Garen. Like Vivi, she felt a genuine fear of Crocodile, but unlike Vivi, who had just become a friend, she showed no sign of retreat.

Yet Vivi could not help but feel uneasy, growing more anxious as they neared the enemy’s lair.

Garen merely smiled at Vivi’s concern and knocked on the villa’s door.

The door suddenly opened, but no one stood behind it.

Only a slender, pale arm slowly slipped into the wall beside the door and vanished completely.

This eerie sight startled Vivi even more, causing her to instinctively clutch Garen’s arm tightly. The faint scent lingering on the blue-haired girl wafted faintly toward him.

Garen suddenly felt as if he were walking through a haunted house on Earth with a girlfriend, though he had none.

“Please come in.”

A cool, distant female voice echoed.

At the far end of the empty foyer, a figure finally appeared:

Beneath a wide-brimmed, desert-style cowboy hat hung sleek black hair. A pristine white, tailored women’s suit outlined her graceful figure, with the jacket’s neckline opened just enough to reveal a dazzling patch of smooth, pale skin.

Unlike the still youthful Nami and Vivi, this woman radiated the intelligence and composure of a mature lady—a perfect blend of poise and sensuality, sophistication and feeling.

Facing Garen, still an adversary, her meticulously maintained, formal smile somehow conveyed warmth and approachability, neither neglectful nor overly distant.

From a professional secretary’s perspective, this woman was exceedingly competent; compared to her, Garen’s secretary, Miss Vivi, seemed somewhat inexperienced.

The moment Vivi saw her, her face immediately turned pale and fearful.

“Miss All Sunday?”

Vivi did not know this woman’s real name, only her codename within the Baroque Works organization.

Crocodile was extremely cautious, never appearing publicly within the organization. All orders were relayed through his secretary, Robin.

Having only recently infiltrated Baroque Works, Vivi had yet to uncover the identity of the true mastermind. The information that the enemy was Crocodile had come from Garen, an outsider.

Now, the appearance of Robin, the second-in-command of Baroque Works, fully confirmed Garen’s intelligence. The enemy they faced was indeed a terrifying Shichibukai.

“You brought her with you too?”

Robin did not respond to Vivi’s startled exclamation. Instead, a slightly displeased voice came from the living room behind her.

Following Robin, Garen and Vivi entered the villa’s reception room and saw Crocodile seated on the sofa, exhaling smoke in languid clouds.

Crocodile’s expression was grim. His cold, bloodthirsty eyes, resembling those of a crocodile, fixed intently on Princess Vivi’s somewhat pale face.

Compared to the formidable warlord Crocodile, the sheltered Princess Vivi naturally appeared lacking in presence.

His malevolent gaze unnerved Vivi, causing her to grip Garen’s arm tighter still. The warmth radiating from her made Garen’s cold armored arm grow warm to the touch.

“Why did you bring her here?”

Crocodile finally withdrew his piercing stare from Vivi and spoke to Garen with evident displeasure.

“You know why I summoned you today.”

He had called Garen to negotiate a certain degree of mutual benefit and political compromise between two rival usurpers.

In other words, it was a division of spoils between thieves.

What business did a victim have attending this spoils-sharing meeting?

Yet Garen had no intention of conspiring with Crocodile to seize the kingdom. He casually replied,

“Since this is Vivi’s country, she has every right to hear what we discuss.”

“You…”

Crocodile narrowed his eyes, then suddenly burst into loud laughter.

“Hahaha!”

“You truly are an ambitious man, no less than myself!”

Once his laughter subsided, Crocodile cast a disdainful glance at the slightly uneasy Vivi beside him.

“Well…”

“When discussing such matters, why bother avoiding the weak and easily intimidated host?”

“The terms we agree on today, Princess, all you need to do is remember well and cooperate obediently!”

“Uh…”

Garen hesitated.

Vivi’s presence was actually at her own request.

Though she was small and fearful of the Shichibukai’s dread reputation, when it came to matters of state, she bravely overcame her fear and stood at the forefront.

Since Garen had a way to guarantee their safety, he honored this resolute young woman’s wishes.

But Crocodile regarded Vivi, who seemed entirely harmless, as nothing more than a puppet—a human stamp dragged along by the ambitious Garen to witness the partitioning of power and the signing of a treacherous treaty.

Crocodile couldn’t help but think:

A schemer like himself, who stealthily undermined the throne from behind the scenes, was widely despised.

Even if he successfully seized control of Alabasta, discerning eyes would see through his façade as the so-called “hero of Alabasta.”

But a bold figure like Garen, who made no secret of his designs and openly carved up the kingdom in front of the feeble royal family—forcing them to accept unequal treaties—the outcome was entirely different:

Though it was essentially robbery, the posture was assertive and carried a certain semblance of legitimacy.

If he shamelessly played the part, he could even mimic rogue powers, claiming to bring freedom and democracy to the oppressed people of Alabasta suffering under feudal tyranny.

After all, might makes right. With the two strong forces united, the Alabasta royal family could do nothing to resist.

“Professionalism!” Crocodile thought, feeling a certain kinship with this fellow conspirator.