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The Fall Massacre I
🕑 Added 2022-11-02 14:11:01 +0000 UTC.................
Chapter 68: The Fall Massacre I
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The Strangers found themselves in Rainbase again, this time they were welcomed by Crocodile to his personal casino.
The trio were seated around a large table in a relatively isolated room though Nico Robin was standing not too far from them, apparently making sure all of their needs are met.
Of course she was just listening to their talk, but they didn't seem to care. Yovan at least didn't. He found her to be irrelevant to everything, especially since his mind was very much occupied by his plans.
"Go to Drum Island with Laffitte. Let your doctors learn under Kureha and only start acting when everything is done." Yovan instructed as he took a gulp of orange juice.
"I'll be taking Seizon No Hono with me, so find yourself another Ship." He further added. The Ship was pretty much empty by now, everything within it already kept in Bege's fortress minus a few important things, vital to Yovan's plans.
Bege nodded, not questioning Yovan at all. He didn't need to. He knows more about the plan than even a Yovan that needs a memory refresh.
"By the way, Laffitte. I'll need you to make me another Cape. This one might not survive what's to come." Yovan said.
"Huh? Then take it off?" Laffitte suggested.
"Nah," Yovan shook his head, "I feel like I want it to come along... To see if it can survive."
"I might do some things when you're gone," Laffitte said with a peculiar look without much explaining, but Yovan understood clearly.
"Do what you wish... Whatever you want." Yovan shrugged, not really interested in stopping the wildness he can see in Laffitte's eyes. He seems like he really needs to vent.
"The news guy will deliver some papers to you... Start acting then, and follow the instructions unless you found yourselves having to adapt."
Yovan stood up as he added, "I expected things to go very differently, to keep everything secret, but things went beyond my expectations, so good luck!"
"We always survive, huh?" Bege remarked as he stood up along with Laffitte.
"We always survive." Yovan nodded with a gentle smile.
"We always survive." Laffitte took a deep breath as he murmured.
"But remember, work smarter and harder than everyone else... Do not disappoint!" Those were Yovan's last words to them before they went on their way.
Yovan watched them walk away for a while, and he kept watching even after they vanished into the horizon. Only he knows what he was thinking.
"What were you all talking about." In fairness, it took Robin a while before curiosity got the better of her.
"About the future... About what a Captain should truly do." Yovan murmured before taking a seat again and taking a sip of orange juice.
"Is that really what a Captain is about?" Robin asked with confusion as she found herself at ease enough to also take a seat next to him.
"That's the Captain I want to be for now... To each their own I guess." Yovan responded.
There are many types of Pirate Captains in the world of piracy. Some just want adventures. Some want answers. Some want riches. Some want the title of the Pirate King. Some want everything.
Yovan wants to paint his history while having fun along the way. Many things pirates want are merely means to an end to him... He wants something different.
"I didn't say it, but I don't believe in them," Yovan murmured, a glint of anticipation passing in his eyes.
"Huh?" Robin was even more confused.
"I don't believe that they can survive. They aren't ready just, so it's my responsibility as the Captain to take the burden until then... Hope they don't disappoint." Yovan let out a chuckle, anticipation truly burning in his eyes.
Robin didn't say anything, but remained silent for a while before asking what she really wanted to ask, "What was your deal with Crocodile?"
"Something about the future... I think?" Yovan answered absent-mindedly, drawing confusion out of Robin.
"Specifics?" She asked.
"I don't remember..." Perhaps he really doesn't remember, or perhaps he was too focused on his Observation Haki as it was literally enveloping the entirety of Rainbase, an entire town.
His observation Haki will be very important in what will happen next, so he focused on it the most. It might just save him from certain death.
[Willpower: 986/∞]
[Mind: 654/∞]
[Observation Haki (Presence, Strength. Intent): 675/∞]
Both his Mind and Willpower seem to contribute to the domain of his Observation Haki as well as its details.
The way he sees and hears things in his Observation domain seems to be constantly changing, becoming more detailed.
Well, he doesn't exactly hear things, but that is the way Observation Haki works. It's like he hears voices in his mind that translate into certain shapes, presences, and so on.
The more he pushed himself, the clearer the voice become to the point Yovan could faintly see even the structures of the buildings.
He could even see the facial expressions of people.
It was, however, very faint to the point of irrelevance. He still has a long way to do.
"Come to think of it, aren't you the Devil?" Yovan asked, still seeming dazed.
"What?" Robin was having a hard time following.
"I mean, aren't you the Devil... Whatever your title was? Why were you titled that way?" He asked.
"Because I bring misfortune to all those around me." Robin strangely answered with a smile.
"Misfortune?" Yovan sized her up as he picked up a cookie and took a bite, "I don't see it?" He felt like has an eye for misfortune, and he really didn't see a lot of misfortune in her, in comparison to him of course.
"What do you know about me?" His words seemed to have hurt her feelings as her smile slipped away, a clear sign that she truly went through a lot of misfortune.
"Hmm, Interesting," Yovan remarked before taking another bite, "Tastes good. Who makes these?"
"The cooks?" She responded.
"So good. Why are Bege's chefs so bad in comparison? My crew needs a chef." He contemplated who would fit such a role, but no one came to mind, so he opened his notebook.
"What language is that?" Robin asked as she eyed the notebook. It wasn't a strange language, nothing she had heard of, and that says a lot coming from her.
"My language. I created it to make it easy for me to refresh my memory." Yovan responded, "It's kind of complicated, but I won't explain anymore."
That notebook is very valuable. It has so much precious information and memories that no one but him can understand.
Considering its value, Yovan had many notebooks, just about a dozen notebooks just in case one gets destroyed.
"Hmm, so no one that won't mind my methods. I will think about it after I come." Yovan murmured.
"Come back from where?" It became very obvious that she was basically interrogating him, and she wasn't too sneaky about it.
"To fly back from the edge of death." Yovan took another bite. Those cookies were delicious.
And well, Robin was starting to get annoyed. She felt like she learned nothing from him at all. How can someone say so much yet so little at the same time?
So she got straight to the point, "Do you trust Crocodile? How can two people like you two have a deal and trust each other? Isn't that a recipe for betrayal?"
She... Perhaps she realized that only if she pushed this hard will she receive answers. Perhaps she wanted to use Yovan against Crocodile, manipulate him or turn him against her boss.
"Hm?" Yovan eyed her strangely, trying to remember something, but all he ends up seeing is an error 404... His brain wasn't working right, 'Is it because of the cold orange juice? My memory got better after all.'
He didn't feel like opening his notebook, so he said, "If something happens, something else will happen. If nothing happens, then nothing will happen. That's how I'm certain nothing will happen."
Yovan stood up as he finished his cookie, not seeming bothered by what she said. In fact, he had a smile on his face as he started ruffling her dark hair, "Work Hard."
He then went to have a last business talk with Crocodile before heading out... Out of Arabasta.
Everything was set in motion, but there was still a little bit more than a month left before the end of the Countdown, and it just happened to coincide with a special event, an Auction.
