"I'm a survivor of Ohara. Didn't you know that?"
Robin quickly realized that the situation was not unfolding the way she had expected.
Faced with Robin's self-deprecating questions, Saint Roselith Seraphina found herself completely at a loss.
The truth was that she only knew Nico Robin's name.
As for Ohara, the title "Devil Child," or the tragedy Robin had endured, she knew almost nothing.
Ohara had been destroyed years ago during a Buster Call ordered by the World Government, and nearly all records related to it had vanished from public circulation.
For the first time in a long while, Seraphina felt genuinely embarrassed.
She suddenly realized how little she knew about the woman standing before her.
Robin was someone she recognized from fragmented memories that shouldn't even exist, yet beyond her name, those memories provided almost no useful information.
"Anyway, I know who you are."
Seraphina waved her hand dismissively.
"And that's all I'm saying about that."
Unable to answer Robin's questions, she decisively changed the subject.
Then she turned toward Crocodile.
"And Crocodile is easier to say than 'Sir Crocodile,' so I'll just call you Crocodile."
Her tone carried obvious irritation.
Being cornered by Robin's sharp intellect had put her in an unusually uncomfortable position, and Crocodile became the unfortunate target of her frustration.
The implication was clear.
Object if you want.
Just be prepared for the consequences.
"Call me whatever you want…"
Crocodile grumbled helplessly.
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. One day things would be different.
At least, that was what he told himself.
"The matter of desert reclamation is now your responsibility."
"I'm not asking for much."
"Just create an oasis covering ten thousand square kilometers."
"Take your time."
As she spoke, Seraphina casually patted Crocodile's shoulder.
Because of the considerable height difference between them, she actually had to stand on her toes slightly to reach him.
Why is everyone in this world so tall?
The thought flashed through her mind.
Then her expression changed instantly.
The cold Marine Rear Admiral disappeared.
In her place appeared a smiling and unusually friendly woman.
After all, Crocodile now had an important task.
If he developed resentment and deliberately slacked off, it would be troublesome.
So naturally, she had to maintain a good working relationship.
Meanwhile, Crocodile stood frozen.
Completely frozen.
Ten thousand square kilometers?
Had she lost her mind?
A ten-thousand-square-kilometer oasis could support well over a million people.
"If you're not objecting, I'll assume you agree."
"Don't worry. I won't assign anyone to supervise you."
"Just work hard and be diligent."
Seraphina patted him again.
Crocodile's face twitched.
"Isn't ten thousand square kilometers a little excessive?"
"Excessive?"
Seraphina blinked.
"How could it be excessive?"
"That's less than one-thirtieth of Alabasta."
"You ate the Suna Suna no Mi. Moving sand around should be easy for you, shouldn't it?"
Alabasta covered hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, the overwhelming majority of which was desert.
Only a fraction of the kingdom consisted of fertile and habitable land.
"This…"
"You…"
"I…"
For once, Crocodile was completely speechless.
Did she have any idea what she was asking?
The power of a Devil Fruit was not infinite.
It depended on stamina.
Physical strength.
Endurance.
At maximum efficiency, he could reclaim only a limited area before exhausting himself.
Even if he spent decades doing nothing but reshaping the desert, ten thousand square kilometers remained utterly impossible.
He suddenly felt as though the late Pirate King Gol D. Roger was waving farewell to him from the afterlife.
"Ten thousand square kilometers?"
Robin could not help laughing.
"Even a century might not be enough."
"Oh."
Seraphina blushed slightly.
She had genuinely thought the request was modest.
"Then…"
"How about a discount?"
She coughed awkwardly.
"Two thousand square kilometers?"
The room fell silent.
Crocodile stared at her.
Robin stared at her.
Neither knew whether to laugh or cry.
"You think we're negotiating vegetable prices?"
Crocodile finally snapped.
Then he coughed.
"Honestly…"
"One hundred square kilometers is already difficult."
He lowered the number as much as possible.
At his normal pace, even that represented years of work.
"One hundred?"
Seraphina immediately frowned.
"That's robbery."
"Even pirate taxation isn't that outrageous."
She folded her arms and shook her head.
"No."
"Five hundred."
She slammed down her final offer.
"Five hundred square kilometers."
Crocodile instinctively wanted to refuse.
Five hundred square kilometers would still require decades of effort under normal circumstances.
However, midway through his objection, a thought surfaced.
Why was he arguing so seriously?
He only needed to survive long enough to locate Pluton.
Once he obtained the Ancient Weapon, everything would change.
With sufficient power, promises could be ignored.
The future belonged to whoever held the strongest weapon.
"…Fine."
"Five hundred."
"I accept."
His agreement came so suddenly that Seraphina narrowed her eyes.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Why did he suddenly become cooperative?
Moments ago he had been bargaining desperately.
Now he was agreeing without resistance.
Suspicious.
Extremely suspicious.
Is he planning something?
Trying to buy time?
Plotting another scheme?
Seraphina considered the possibilities carefully.
Then she dismissed them.
Alabasta was already destined to become a major Marine stronghold.
By the time the Naval Academy was established and Marine forces expanded across the kingdom, there would likely be at least a Vice Admiral stationed here permanently.
Perhaps even an Admiral.
As for Crocodile?
Despite his strength, he still lacked mastery of Haki and could not threaten the Navy on that scale.
Most importantly
She herself was here.
Compared to theoretical future dangers, five hundred square kilometers of reclaimed land was a tangible benefit.
Such an oasis could support tens of thousands of people.
For Alabasta, every additional fertile region mattered.
The rest could be developed gradually by the kingdom itself.
"Since you agreed, you are not allowed to back out."
"Break your promise, and the Marines will hunt you down."
Seraphina pointed at Crocodile as she issued her final warning.
Then she turned and walked toward the exit.
Her objective had been achieved.
She had learned about Pluton.
She had uncovered Crocodile's involvement in Alabasta's drought crisis.
And somehow, she had secured a massive desert reclamation project.
Now there was only one remaining matter that interested her.
Nico Robin.
As the door slowly closed behind her, Seraphina's thoughts lingered on the mysterious survivor of Ohara.
There was clearly far more to Robin than she currently understood.
And for perhaps the first time since arriving in Alabasta, Saint Roselith Seraphina found herself genuinely curious.
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