"Hmm. So, for the time being, Crocodile has made no suspicious moves?"
"Yes, sir. Usually, he doesn't even step out of Rain Dinners. We've only confirmed him leaving the premises when a pirate ship—which we secretly diverted from the nearby waters—docked at the port."
Inside the Alabasta Royal Palace in Alubarna, Krieg listened to Gin's report and sank into thought.
For now, let's put the matter of Vivi-chan's 'fiancé' aside.
Gin had been leading a small team on a mission to covertly track Crocodile's movements. Since arriving in Alubarna, he had been making the rounds through Alabasta's various towns, returning periodically to Krieg with updates.
Krieg synthesized the information, informed Gin that they would remain in Alabasta for a while longer, and told him to take a few days of shore leave before resuming the mission.
"Understood, Boss. Excuse me."
Watching Gin leave the room, Krieg began to organize his thoughts.
Let's do a quick review. In the original timeline, Crocodile's grand design was the "Utopia Plan." His ultimate goal was to establish an ideal military nation with himself as its King.
His means to that end were the seizure of the Ancient Weapon "Pluton," rumored to be sleeping within Alabasta, and the systematic downfall of the Nefertari Royal Family.
His specific tactics included using "Dance Powder"—a rain-inducing substance banned by the World Government—to trigger a synthetic drought and incite rebellion.
Furthermore, to locate Pluton, he needed to decode the Poneglyph hidden in the royal tomb, which meant he eventually needed Nico Robin, the only person capable of reading the ancient text.
Though Robin is currently in the West Blue, so that part is still a ways off.
To act as his hands and feet, he would eventually establish Baroque Works, a completely secret criminal organization.
However, looking at the current situation, there was no sign of Baroque Works yet; the organization likely hadn't been founded. Krieg had also searched for any whispers of Dance Powder trade, but that too came up empty.
If that's the case, my next move should be to track down the individuals who were known as 'Officer Agents' or 'Frontier Agents' in the original story.
I need to arrange for my own people to make names for themselves as bounty hunters so they can infiltrate the organization when it finally forms.
The problem was the personnel. Gin was already well-known as a member of the "Red Seagulls" and a Marine HQ Ensign.
As for others... There was Seaman Recruit Drake, who recently joined the unit, but it was too soon to send him out before his training was complete.
...It can't be helped. Since the organization doesn't exist yet, I'll put infiltration on the back burner.
Instead, he decided to allocate resources toward locating the individuals destined to become the core members of Baroque Works.
The organization was famous for its absolute secrecy; employees didn't know the President's identity, nor did they know the backgrounds of their peers, using code names for everything.
Because of this, even the World Government and the Marines failed to grasp the organization's existence.
The core of the group consisted of the Officer Agents, twelve men (and one animal) paired with female agents. Most were Devil Fruit users—eccentric, dangerous, and far from easy to handle.
Krieg began scribbling down everything he could recall from his original knowledge about the Baroque Works leadership on a separate sheet of paper.
The advantage of knowing the 'future' really is massive, he thought as he compiled the documents.
Suddenly, the window facing the courtyard slammed open with a loud BANG!
"Gorilla-san! Teach me how to fight!!"
A blue-haired girl came tumbling into the room with a shout.
Information Gathering:
The Den Den Mushi sat on the desk in Krieg's private quarters within the Alabasta palace, its eyes half-lidded as it relayed reports from his contacts in Marineford and the Intelligence Division.
『...And that covers the latest Warlord appointment. The Emperor of Amazon Lily, Boa Hancock, has officially joined the Seven Warlords. Her bounty was set at 80 million after just a single campaign, and the Government extended the offer immediately after.』
"Hmph. The Kuja Pirates are out of our jurisdiction for now, then. As long as she wears the Warlord mantle, we leave them be. What else?"
『Information from the West Blue: Gekko Moriah has been defeated in a power struggle in Wano. He fled back to the West Blue, and reports say the island he was using as a base has vanished overnight.』
"Vanished? In the West Blue?"
『Yes, sir. Several massive sounds were heard, and by dawn, the island was gone. We've confirmed that Moriah fled there after his defeat by Kaido, one of the Three Great Pirates. We're still investigating the cause of the island's disappearance.』
So, he's begun the construction of Thriller Bark, Krieg thought. Using a giant island-ship to hide from the world while he regrows his shadow army.
"Understood. Keep tracking him. Anything else?"
『Also from the West Blue: The bounty head Nico Robin has been spotted several times. Shall we dispatch a pursuit team?』
"No. There are no direct orders from the top, so leave her. Personally, I've never been convinced of the charges against an eight-year-old—now a young woman—anyway."
『I understand your sentiment, sir. It is hard to believe. Moving on... in the East Blue, Germa 66 crossed the Red Line from the North Blue and invaded the Kingdom of Cozia.
Cozia has fallen. However, since they are not a World Government member, the Marines have no standing to intervene.』
"Just keep an eye on their movements. Speaking of the East Blue, what about the Red-Haired Pirates?"
『They are still anchored at the Goa Kingdom. They head out to sea occasionally but always return to the same port. They seem to have settled in for the long haul.』
"No movement there, then. Now, what about the individuals I asked you to find?"
『We've successfully located three. First, in the West Blue, the bounty hunter and assassin known as Daz Bonez.
Second: a woman named Mikita, who is gaining a minor reputation as a courier. Third: a loan shark in the South Blue named Galdino. My apologies, but the others remain elusive. We will continue the search.』
"Good work. Finding them based on descriptions alone is no small feat."
Mr. 1, Ms. Valentine, and Mr. 3, Krieg noted. The future core of Baroque Works. I need to keep tabs on them before Crocodile makes his move.
『One more thing, sir. The Devil Fruit you were looking for has surfaced in the North Blue.』
"Oh? Is it being moved?"
『It appears it's up for sale. For that specific fruit, the asking price is well over 200 million Berries. It's an astronomical sum.』
"Prioritize that fruit's location above all else. I'll be returning to headquarters soon; inform the Shipbuilding and Tech divisions. I'll need a full refit."
『Understood. It's been a year since you left Mary Geoise. Time flies.』
"A year of patrol that resulted in ten thousand illegal pirate arrests. You think the numbers will drop?"
『With the 'Red Seagulls' dominating the headlines, the smart ones are staying in the four seas. But the reckless ones... well, they'll keep coming. I'll continue the intelligence sweep. Safe travels, Rear Admiral.』
The Den Den Mushi went silent.
Krieg sighed, rubbing his temples. A year in the desert was enough. It was time to say goodbye to King Cobra. The real issue, however, was Vivi.
He had been training her in basic combat and physical conditioning for over six months now. Leaving now would leave her education half-finished.
I'll leave a few instructors behind as liaisons, Krieg decided. They can continue her training and keep an eye on Crocodile's 'Hero' act while I'm gone.
He began flipping through his personnel files, looking for the right Marines to leave in the Kingdom of Sand.
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