By the next morning…
Curious citizens from the capital gathered at the site where the thunderous battle had raged the night before. When they gazed upon the land, their hearts trembled.
For miles in every direction, the ground had been turned into lifeless desert—jagged pits, sand-blasted craters, withered earth—a battlefield so utterly ravaged that it left them speechless.
It was terrifying. Was this really the work of humans?
Inside the palace medical ward, Crocodile's eyes flickered open. Pain surged through his battered body. He shuddered involuntarily.
A groan escaped his lips as he tried to sit up, discovering his body wrapped head to toe in bandages.
"I'm... not dead?" he muttered, dazed.
"No, not yet," came a relaxed voice.
Crocodile turned his head, and there he was—Jin, seated casually in a wooden chair, newspaper in hand.
He folded the paper down and smiled. "Want to talk?"
Crocodile snorted coldly. "There's nothing to talk about. If you want to kill me, do it now. Otherwise…"
"Easy, easy," Jin said, still smiling. "Why so uptight? Don't you want to hear my offer first?"
Crocodile fell silent.
Jin spoke again, his voice slow and deliberate. "Pluton."
Crocodile's eyes sharpened. He scoffed. "Let me guess. That traitorous woman, the so-called Devil's Child, Nico Robin, told you? She's always had a taste for betrayal."
Jin didn't answer. Instead, he said lightly, "I know where it is."
"What?!"
Crocodile's pupils dilated. His facial muscles twitched, the scar across his face trembling.
He let out a sharp cry, a mix of pain and disbelief. "You… know?! That's impossible!"
"Why not?" Jin asked. "It's just an ancient weapon, after all. And do you even know who I am?"
Who was he?
Could he truly have some terrifying background?
That would explain a lot. After all, how could a no-name, bastard child of a dethroned king be this strong—and even wield Conqueror's Haki?
That was the mark of a true king. An innate quality that couldn't be learned or trained.
Crocodile was sure—that last blow, the one that knocked him unconscious, carried the signature of Conqueror's Haki.
In this sea, if you didn't have bloodline, lineage, or background… you were nothing.
Especially in the New World—where monsters roamed.
As he mulled over these thoughts, Crocodile couldn't help himself. "…Where is it?" he asked, voice low.
Jin leaned back in his chair. "Not telling you."
"Are you playing with me?!" Crocodile flared.
Jin shrugged. "Bingo. I am playing with you. Fun, isn't it?"
"…"
Crocodile nearly choked.
If he weren't so badly injured, he'd have tried to punch Jin right then and there. He coughed violently, his chest trembling from rage.
Damn it… taking advantage of a man's weakness!
Jin tilted his head. "See? You're all riled up again."
"Alright, fine. You want it that badly? Pluton… is buried beneath Wano Country. Deep in the territory ruled by Kaido—one of the Four Emperors."
"Think you're brave enough to go dig it up?"
Crocodile's entire body went rigid.
The pain vanished, replaced by a jolt of pure adrenaline.
"Are you serious?!"
Twenty years… He had searched for twenty years!
How many twenty-year spans did a man get in a lifetime?
Jin chuckled. "You really want to go dig up Pluton in Kaido's backyard? Wano isn't like Alabasta. You might walk in, sure… But walking out? You'd be crushed. You'd die and not even leave behind a grave."
Crocodile narrowed his eyes. "Kaido doesn't know Pluton's there?"
"If he did," Jin said casually, "the New World wouldn't be what it is now. The balance would've already been shattered."
"…I see."
Crocodile was slowly regaining his composure. His intellect returned with his breath.
"Then why tell me this?" he asked. "What do you want?"
"I want everything you own, Crocodile," Jin said bluntly. "And one day… I'll help you get Pluton."
Crocodile's eyes flickered. "You don't want Pluton for yourself?"
Jin smiled again, this time with a king's pride. "You want Pluton to become Pirate King. But I—I'm already a king."
"Pirate King? Not interested."
"But I don't mind helping you become one."
"So? Think about it. Team up with me."
Crocodile sank into thought.
Everything he had built, his empire, his organization—it was all for the singular goal of finding Pluton.
But now… Jin had just handed him the location.
So what was the point of all the rest?
None of it mattered anymore.
The question now was—how to get into Wano.
And how to dig out Pluton from beneath Kaido's fortress. And more importantly—how to survive that.
Kaido—known as one of the world's strongest creature—a monster on par with Whitebeard and Big Mom.
Red-Haired Shanks? That guy only just became a Yonko. Crocodile scoffed. He didn't even count him.
But Kaido?
Facing him… with my current strength? Impossible.
But Jin…
A young man who wielded all three types of Haki. Who had already crushed two Warlords. And had a mysterious past, power, and presence.
"…Swear it."
Crocodile's voice was rough, defiant.
It was the last scrap of pride he clung to.
Jin raised his hand and solemnly said, "Fine. I swear. I'll help you get Pluton. And if you still want it—help you chase the Pirate King's crown."
Crocodile exhaled, relieved.
Then snarled, "Now, seriously—do you have a decent doctor? I'm in agony over here!"
Jin chuckled. "Of course."
He raised his hand and drew a circle in the air.
A three-meter-wide portal opened above Crocodile's head.
"What the—Devil's Dream Fruit?!"
Crocodile blinked in shock.
Without ceremony, Jin stepped forward, grabbed Crocodile by the collar, and hurled him into the hole.
On the other side—inside Jin's Carrier, a professional surgical team waited. If anyone could patch him up, it was them.
Whoosh! Pell landed outside the room and retracted his wings. He knocked, then entered—only to freeze in shock.
"Crocodile… is gone?!"
Jin smiled faintly. "Old Croc said he had some business. Left early. You needed something, Pell?"
The royal falcon vice-captain didn't dare question further. He bowed deeply. "King Jin—His Majesty Cobra invites you to the palace."
"Very well."
…
In the Royal Palace.
King Cobra once again hosted a grand feast for Jin.
This time, however—Captain Igaram, both vice-captains Pell and Chaka, and several elite guards stood at attention behind him.
After the events of last night…
Jin was no longer just a foreign king in their eyes. He was a threat.
A dangerous one.
A super-dangerous one.
King Cobra thought they were being overly cautious, but they were simply fulfilling their duty—to protect their ruler.
Jin understood. Loyal guards were worth respecting.
"Now then, King Cobra," Jin said after sipping his wine. "What's your decision?"
Cobra set his utensils down and nodded solemnly.
"I agree."
"We'll need a large amount of Ice Mushrooms to help with the drought," he explained. "Even if it's only enough to stabilize a few regions first. But the kingdom has no money."
"So we'll proceed with the trade you proposed—barter."
"What would you like in return?"
"Perfumes from Nanohana? Seafood from the Sandora River? Name it—we'll try our best."
Jin smiled. "Ore. Preferably iron—lots of it. If you've got gold or silver, I'll take that too."
Cobra unrolled a map and laid it out on the table.
"This is the current map of Alabasta's known mineral reserves. In the past, the main mining zone was in the northeast—mountains and hills near the old mining town of Orutia. But that area has completely turned to desert. It's a dead zone now. Mining there would be extremely costly."
"There are some scattered deposits near Katorea, Yuba, Rainbase, and the capital. You can inspect those."
Jin glanced over it. "Mind if I go personally?"
"I'd like to tour Alabasta a bit—take in the local culture."
In truth, he was scouting for upgrade materials. Besides steel, he needed rare earth elements—and those could only be accurately detected by Little Ai.
Cobra hesitated. "Well… I have to stay in the capital."
Jin replied, "If you're worried, the princess can accompany me."
"No, no—you misunderstand," Cobra said quickly. "I'm not worried about you. I'm worried about something happening to you."
"I don't want you getting hurt."
"I'll go, Father!"
Princess Vivi volunteered eagerly.
She was thoughtful, mature, and eager to contribute.
Cobra looked at her for a long moment.
"…Alright then."
Soon, a full expedition team set out from the capital—mounted atop a flock of Super Spot-Billed Ducks.
The team included:
Jin. Vivi. Maya. Robin. Pell. Chaka. And the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squadron
From the capital to Rainbase, Yuba, Eluma, and Katorea—they visited every town and outpost. It was like unlocking fog-covered regions in a strategy game.
By now, Little Ai had already generated a highly detailed 3D map of the kingdom.
Along the way, they encountered many exotic species: Sea Cats, Deception Birds, Kung-Fu Dugongs, Moving Crabs—all creatures native to the land around Sandy Island.
Among them was a rare Maska Cactus, which, when used properly, could induce hallucinations and intense stimulation.
Jin made a mental note. Perhaps he could integrate it into the next version of Dreamcap, creating a more potent Dreamcap 2.0 to corrupt those government worms from the inside.
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