Chapter 82: Movements from All Sides (Please recommend, please vote for the monthly ticket)

But how could Crocodile possibly believe it? He took the cigar from his mouth and, with a slightly heavier tone, asked, “With so many islands and nations along the Grand Line, why did you choose Alabasta in particular?”

Buffon, without thinking, replied with absolute honesty, “Because before I came here, I only had a permanent pointer for Alabasta!”

His tone was calm, but those words pierced Crocodile like thorns.

“Is it really that random?” Crocodile mused inwardly, then continued aloud, “Doctor Buffon, what does your ideal land look like?”

Faced with such an abrupt question, Buffon pondered for a moment. He certainly understood what Crocodile meant by “ideal land,” but he did not agree with it.

He picked up a napkin from the table, gently crushed it in his hand, and instantly a handful of torn paper petals appeared in his palm.

“To some, their ideal land might look like this.”

After speaking, Buffon tossed the paper petals into the air. Between his fingers, several sewing needles threaded with silk flashed like swords. With a flick of his fingers, in the blink of an eye, the scattered petals were stitched back together, returning to their original napkin form.

Buffon raised the freshly mended napkin before everyone, speaking earnestly, “But in my eyes, the ideal land should be like this.”

He then placed the napkin in Crocodile’s hand and continued, “Just like the scar on your face—if it could be mended anew, it would resemble the ideal land I envision!”

Everyone present—including Crocodile, who held the napkin—was struck dumb. They were not only stunned by Buffon’s “magic,” but also by the profound words he had just spoken.

“Is he hinting that a nation must be whole, not fragmented? As I suspected, Captain Buffon is truly a kind-hearted doctor!” Vivi silently repeated in her heart, and the flame of hope within her grew ever brighter.

Crocodile, shaken from his reverie, unfolded the napkin and examined it, unable to suppress his admiration. “Such extraordinary skill… But alas—”

He pressed his burning cigar against the napkin. What happened next was unforgettable: instead of the expected burn mark, the fire consumed the napkin, but Buffon’s stitching remained intact.

Vivi, seeing the delicate web of stitches, suddenly felt a surge of emotion.

“Captain Buffon, you understand me so well. The Alabasta in my heart is just like this mended napkin—even if everything is consumed by the flames of war, the hearts of the people remain tightly woven together!”

Resolved, Vivi decided that once Crocodile departed, she would ask Buffon to sew a napkin for her as well, and share its story with every citizen of Alabasta.

Crocodile then rose and left the VIP suite, his voice echoing behind him, “I hope Doctor Buffon will remain at Rain Dinners these next few days, tending to the ailments of all the civilians in Rainbase.”

As the VIP suite door closed, Crocodile vented all the frustration from their conversation onto the napkin, now burned to nothing but its seams. Yet, no matter how forcefully he tried, he could not tear a single thread.

…

Seventeen hours remained before the start of the entire Ideal Land operation.

Besides the Baroque Works, Alabasta’s royal army and the rebel forces were also preparing to move.

The royal army, upon receiving intelligence from Karoo, saw Vivi’s father resolved to attack Crocodile in Rainbase at all costs.

But this decision drew fierce opposition from the royal guard’s deputy, “Hawk” Pell: “Please wait, Your Majesty! Though we now know the enemy’s true identity, Rainbase is far away, and the Sand Croc has won the support of the populace. If he has no intention of fighting, our expedition will be at a disadvantage!”

Seeing King Cobra silent, Pell pressed on, “Given the current situation, going to war with Sand Croc is like pouring oil on the flames. If the rebels seize the opportunity to march on the palace while we attack Rainbase—”

Before Pell could finish, Cobra interrupted, “What if the palace falls? Haven’t I always said the most important thing is the people! Even if the royal army is wiped out, as long as Sand Croc is defeated, the citizens will rebuild the nation.

But if we direct our weapons against the rebels, then regardless of victory or defeat, Sand Croc will be the one who laughs last!”

Pell and Chaka froze, astonished at Cobra’s far-sightedness and his unwavering concern for his people.

“Pell, go ahead and scout the enemy! Chaka, gather all officers for a pre-battle meeting. Tomorrow morning, the army marches to Rainbase!”

With the command given, Pell, empowered by the Bird-Bird Fruit, nodded and transformed into an eagle, soaring toward Rainbase.

…

At the rebel headquarters in Cattleya, leader Kosha was organizing his officers to inventory their weapons.

But the reports troubled him: “Kosha, we’re facing a severe shortage of arms. We’ve done our best to collect them, but even the weapons shops have been stripped bare by the royal army.”

Upon hearing this, Kosha slammed the operations map and roared, “Time waits for no one. If we delay any longer, more citizens will die of thirst. Equip everyone with whatever weapons we have, and launch an attack on the capital immediately!”

…

Back in the underground chamber, Crocodile was contemplating how to deal with the problem of Buffon.

From all the gathered intelligence, and from Buffon's display just now, this man’s personal strength seemed to match his own.

As for the others, leaving aside Reiju, whom he preferred not to oppose, the zombie with the red-haired arm was also a significant issue.

Now, only Miss Allsunday remained useful. If a direct conflict with Buffon’s group broke out, the rest of his scattered underlings would be of no help.

Thus, eliminating Buffon entirely was unrealistic. But as long as Buffon didn’t meddle, the scales of victory would still tip in Crocodile’s favor.

And then there was the “missing” Vivi, another cause for concern.

Just then, Robin entered and reported, “Mr. 0, a group of Marines have just entered the city, led by Smoker!”

Crocodile’s brow furrowed even deeper. “Do we know their purpose?”

“According to our intelligence, he fought Buffon at Canola Harbor, then clashed with the Straw Hat crew there, only for Fire Fist Ace to intervene.

After that, they rode a land tortoise straight to Rainbase; I suspect they’re here to hunt the Straw Hats.”

At this, Crocodile finally allowed a smile.

“If that’s the case, let him run wild. If he manages to capture the Straw Hats, it’ll save us a lot of trouble.”

“Aren’t you afraid the Straw Hats will tell the Marines about your plans?” Robin asked with a smile.

“If the Ideal Land plan succeeds and I obtain that item, what do I care if the World Government strips me of my Shichibukai title?” Crocodile’s tone had regained its usual confidence.

Robin pressed, “And what about Buffon?”

“Let him heal the sick as he pleases, but the moment he leaves the casino, keep a close watch on him. If he shows any sign of interfering with our plans, I’ll deal with him myself.”

With that, Crocodile ground his cigar out in the ashtray with savage force.