One Piece: Transmigrated as Crocodile

"Nico Robin, I'm going to say something now. Whether you believe it or not, after hearing this, you'll face two choices." Rosen pondered for a moment. Although he knew that Robin's vast knowledge was essential to him, if she kept thinking of ways to kill him, there was no way he could bring her along.

That's right. Rosen was about to leave Alabasta, set sail for the New World, and become stronger. He couldn't afford to stay weak in this world. His identity was such that if he remained weak, not only would pirates try to kill him, but even the Marines might erase him, replacing him with someone stronger to take his place as a Shichibukai.

Rosen had considered using Alabasta's existing resources to develop steadily, but deep down, he longed to explore the vast world outside. Alabasta, with its rich historical legacy, was indeed a great country, but at this point, its problems were far too complicated for him to fix. And since he had just arrived in this world, Rosen couldn't wait to see the oceans. So, he chose to set sail.

"Ah, so what's left for the boss to say?" Robin smiled. By now, she deeply understood that even without her, Crocodile would find the historical text. Her role was now probably just to translate it. But now, with things turning this way, did Crocodile still expect her to help him? In truth, that was never really possible from the start.

"The historical text? The one in Alabasta records the information about the ancient weapon Pluton, not a history of the world. I don't think you'd be interested in it, and I'm not interested either." Rosen shook his head.

"Have you seen it?" Robin asked, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. Did Crocodile not only find the historical text but also translate it? Otherwise, how could he be so certain that it contained information about Pluton? From the way Rosen spoke, he sounded absolutely sure, with no hint of doubt.

"Well, I've seen it to some extent. Anyway, back to the point—today marks the end of all Baroque Works operations. We'll be changing direction and heading to the New World."

"If you're willing to sail with me, as far as I know, the historical text is scattered across several places: one in Skypiea, another in Fish-Man Island, one with the Four Emperors Big Mom, and the one in the Alabasta Royal Mausoleum. I can take you to all of them." 

Rosen knew that saying all this was childish, even laughable, and hard to believe, but he also knew it was necessary to plant a seed of change in Robin's mind. If they were to continue working together in the future, planting that seed now would help her not to think of irrational actions or even plan to kill him later. Whether she believed it or not didn't matter. As long as it left an impression, his purpose would be achieved.

Rosen continued, "If you don't want to, I won't force you. Perhaps the Straw Hat Pirates would be a great choice for you. Though, I'm not entirely sure about that yet."

Rosen thought for a moment. Since he had taken over Crocodile's body, the course of events had already deviated from the original timeline. The plot might have inertia, but reality didn't. What happened, happened. What didn't, didn't. Given Robin's personality, it would be difficult for her to trust anyone. In the original story, she joined the Straw Hats only because she had nowhere else to go, and later, she was touched by their actions. But now, the plot was gone, leaving only reality to deal with.

Unless Rosen was willing to play along with Luffy and follow the original story exactly, which seemed impossible. Impel Down was not a place anyone should want to be. While some minor plots did involve rescue attempts, would that still happen now? The risks were too great. Besides, Rosen wasn't a saint. His own survival came first. At this point, Robin, having been on the run for so many years, was clearly exhausted. Otherwise, she wouldn't have thought of letting herself be buried in the mausoleum back then.

Rosen honestly didn't want to see someone like Robin, who had endured so much darkness, suffer any more. So, even though he knew Robin still carried a certain danger, he also believed that the benefits of keeping her around outweighed the risks. 

Thus, Rosen painted a few enticing pictures for Robin. 

"Skypiea, Fish-Man Island, the Four Emperors..." Robin's eyes lit up more with each name she heard.

"Yes, I have some interest in those things. Of course, I'm more interested in the Void Century. If you come across any information about the ancient weapons, feel free to keep it to yourself." Rosen's voice softened. He knew that, for now, Robin wouldn't reveal anything about the ancient weapons to anyone.

"Why?" Robin couldn't understand this version of Crocodile. In her mind, Crocodile was a boastful, egocentric person who would eliminate anyone who even showed the slightest hint of rebellion. Yet now, this same person was speaking these words. And he wasn't even going to hold the earlier attempt on his life against her?

Was he crazy? Or was she the one who had lost her mind? For the first time, Nico Robin realized how difficult it was to truly understand a person. Crocodile had spent years creating this elaborate façade, convincing nearly everyone in Alabasta that he was a hero who was eradicating evil. And now, with just one simple statement, he was abandoning it all?

The truth was easy to discern—if Crocodile really left Alabasta at this critical moment, it would confirm that he had completely given up on his operations here.

"You can go to the Royal Mausoleum. There aren't many guards, and you know where it is. With your skills, you should be able to find it easily," Rosen said again.

"Really? You're just going to let me leave now?" Robin asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. She still couldn't quite believe that Crocodile would just let her go like this. But by asking about the mausoleum, she was indirectly agreeing to follow him. If what Rosen said was true, she couldn't refuse the invitation.

"Of course. If you want to leave, you can anytime. But before you go, I need you to contact someone—Mr. 1. Have him meet me. Also, take care of the preparations for the ship. These two things, can you manage them?" Rosen thought for a moment before adding.

Rosen didn't plan on punishing Robin for trying to kill Crocodile. After all, it was Crocodile she had tried to kill, not him. Given their relationship, Rosen understood that. 

"This is a small task," Robin said with a faint smile.

At first, Rosen had thought of bringing more of the Baroque Works executives along. But after considering it, aside from Mr. 1, who was loyal and reliable, most of the senior agents either lacked loyalty or were too eccentric. Even loyal people like Mr. 2, Bon Clay, or others wouldn't be much use to him. As for strength, they were far too weak. 

Mr. 1 was different. In the original story, Crocodile's commands were like laws to him, and his abilities with the Slicing-Slicing Fruit had great potential. He had even once dominated Zoro, Luffy, and the other Straw Hat mainstays.

Others like the Candle Man or Thorn Man weren't worth bringing. It wasn't that they lacked value, but they didn't hold enough of it to justify their place. Among all the agents, the only two Rosen truly valued were Robin and MR.1—both were the top-tier agents in Baroque Works.

"You go ahead. By the way, gather the Baroque Works' funds and get a good ship ready. As for the ship's crew, do you have anyone in mind?" Rosen had already assumed that Robin would agree to follow him.

Indeed, although he still thought highly of the Straw Hats, that was where it ended. Since Robin was so tempted by the historical texts he had mentioned, there was little doubt she would follow him instead.

"Should we pick from the senior agents?" Robin asked.

"No. Most of them have dirty hands. I don't have the time to do any ideological work with them, and I don't want to be constantly on guard. Plus, they're too weak. Let's just hire a few regular sailors. But, wait, call Mr. 5 too. His techniques are a bit unpleasant, but they might help us test some ideas…" Rosen thought for a moment and added.

At first, Rosen had refused, but after thinking about it, he realized that the Bomb-Bomb Fruit had some untapped potential. Maybe keeping Mr. 5 around could bring some good results. After all, a few subordinates were needed. As a Shichibukai, he couldn't do everything himself. That would be exhausting.

"No problem, boss," Robin said with confidence.

And so, things were set into motion.

(End of Chapter 3)