The deep pit of quicksand spun madly, trying to drag Bege and Nico Robin into the earth. Not only that, but Crocodile commanded sand from other areas to converge into several raging rivers, which poured into the pit, threatening to bury them.
In an instant, the sand rivers filled the pit. With a vicious expression, Crocodile pressed his right hand down toward the now-level ground. The entire sandy area shuddered and sank, the once-loose sand becoming densely compacted.
His expression suddenly changed, growing even uglier. The next moment, the sunken ground exploded outward, sending countless grains of sand blasting in all directions. Crocodile's body dissolved into sand and dove deep into the ground.
Bege, carrying Nico Robin, shot out of the pit, looking completely at ease.
Crocodile launched a series of attacks and couldn't even touch him. Is this the power of an Emperor? Nico Robin thought, her face a mask of shock.
Bege scanned the area, his Observation Haki expanding outward.
"Trying to escape?" He casually drew his Fire Cloud Sword and stabbed it into the sand. A ferocious blast of sword energy, like the sharpest of blades, pierced deep into the ground, creating a small hole over a hundred meters deep.
Crocodile had turned to sand and burrowed deep underground, attempting to flee. But he was Bege's primary target, and Bege had no intention of letting him get away.
When the first strike missed, Bege unleashed a rapid flurry of slashes. Vicious blasts of sword energy tore through the earth, trying to force Crocodile to the surface. However, Crocodile knew full well he was no match for Bege and had no intention of emerging. He madly turned the rock into sand, moving through the earth like a fish through water. The sword blasts pierced his body, but they could only slow him down; as a Logia user, he was immune to physical attacks.
In an instant, Bege had fired dozens of sword blasts, tearing the ground apart. At the same time, his external space followed the path of the blades deep underground, transforming into an invisible hand that seized Crocodile's right leg, trapping him.
"Now you can't escape," Bege sneered. The invisible hand quickly spread up Crocodile's body, intending to drag him out.
Crocodile's right hand transformed into a sand blade, and he viciously slashed at the invisible hand, severing it along with his own right leg. His leg immediately regenerated. He then pressed both hands against the underground rock wall, and hundreds of meters of it instantly turned to sand. He commanded the massive volume of sand to erupt upward like a volcano, blasting through the surface, destroying everything within a hundred-meter radius. The sandstorm shot dozens of meters into the air before raining back down.
Bege, holding Nico Robin, hovered in the air. He tucked her into his internal castle and then dove straight into the sand pit. The moment he entered, the ground shook again, and an even more astonishing blast of yellow sand erupted, launching him back into the sky.
Bege split the sand blast with a single sword strike. The ferocious sword energy pierced a hundred meters into the ground, cleaving the sand in two, but there was no sign of Crocodile.
Bege's face turned ugly. His Observation Haki could no longer sense Crocodile's presence. He had escaped. In the Alabasta Kingdom, a desert nation, once Crocodile entered the vast desert, it would be impossible to find him.
"I suppose it wasn't his day to die," Bege snorted. His gaze fell on a figure in the sand—Mr. 1, who was hiding behind a collapsed building to avoid the sand blast.
Bege shot through the air in an instant. Mr. 1's face was a mask of horror. He immediately transformed both hands into blades, his fearful eyes still holding a flicker of fighting spirit as he watched Bege approach.
With a casual press of his hand, a terrifying force slammed Mr. 1 to the ground, knocking him unconscious. Crocodile's escape had put Bege in a foul mood, so he had been a bit rough. He grabbed Mr. 1, imprisoned him in a Sea-Prism Stone cell, and then pulled the other three unconscious members from beneath the sand.
Then, he vanished, leaving the scene quickly. He didn't want anyone to know he had been in Alabasta.
Several days later, Bege arrived in Alabasta's capital, Alubarna, with Nico Robin. He had come for the Poneglyph.
The Poneglyph was located in the Funerary Hall of the Royal Tomb. Bege easily dealt with the guards and slipped into the underground chamber. The Funerary Hall was massive, its style strikingly similar to an Egyptian pyramid. It was empty, but filled with powerful traps to deter intruders.
These traps were nothing to Bege. He easily reached the deepest part of the hall, where a Poneglyph stood.
Nico Robin rushed forward, her hands tracing the surface of the stone, tears welling in her eyes. Although she had seen Bege's two rubbings, it was nothing compared to the overwhelming emotion of seeing a Poneglyph in person.
Bege walked up to the stone, his own expression shifting. He knew this Poneglyph recorded the location of one of the three Ancient Weapons, Pluton, and he wanted it for himself.
The Ancient Weapon Pluton was known as the most fearsome warship ever built, said to be capable of destroying an entire island with a single shot. Its power was world-shattering. It now lay dormant somewhere in the world, its location likely known only to a few members of the Roger Pirates.
If he could possess Pluton, he would have the ultimate trump card. With the Sea King, Shirahoshi, also as his protégée and under his influence, he would command two of the Ancient Weapons. With that, he would have the power to rival the World Government.
Bege didn't disturb Robin as she read the Poneglyph. He lit a cigar and waited quietly. When her expression finally relaxed, he asked, "That stone records the location of the Ancient Weapon Pluton. Robin, can you tell me where it is?"
"How do you know it records the location of Pluton?" Robin asked softly, her brow furrowed.
"I know much more than you can imagine. Now, where is it?" Bege chuckled.
Robin hesitated for a few seconds before answering in a low voice, "It sleeps on Ohto Island."
"Ohto Island? Do you know where that is?" Bege's brow tightened.
"Ohto Island disappeared six hundred years ago," Robin said grimly. "If I remember correctly, it was swallowed by a colossal, island-eating sea beast and vanished from the world map."
"So you're saying Pluton is gone?" Bege's gaze sharpened, and he fixed it on Robin. A wave of Haki crashed down on her, the terrifying pressure forcing her to her knees, her eyes wide with terror.
"Yes. If we could find that island-eating beast, perhaps we could recover Pluton," Robin said through the pain.
Bege didn't know if she was lying. After all, in the original story, she had not told Crocodile the true location of Pluton. The ferocious Haki intensified, relentlessly battering her spirit, trying to force the truth from her.
Nico Robin's face grew paler. She collapsed to the floor, her eyes nearly losing their light, but she still refused to speak.