Chapter 112: Chapter 111
As the people's animosity towards Nico Robin disappeared, it turned into sympathy.
On the side of the Marines,
Aokiji felt the same way. If Robin had truly succumbed to darkness and sought revenge against the world, then it would have been his fault for sparing her. But now it seemed she hadn't taken that path.
With that in mind, Aokiji temporarily put aside the idea of capturing Robin and bringing closure to this chapter of their history.
Considering that Robin had joined the Straw Hat Pirates, if that was her new home, then he could rest assured. He also had a duty to fulfill towards Saul.
Saul's final wish was for Robin to live a good life, and while fulfilling Saul's wish, Sengoku didn't want Robin to become a menace to the world. After twenty years, there was finally a resolution to this matter.
However, while Aokiji let go of his worries, the Five Elders did not. Although Robin hadn't revealed the whereabouts of Pluton to Crocodile, it made them realize that despite her ability, this instability was known throughout the world.
In order to prevent her from being used by ambitious individuals like Crocodile, the best course of action would be to control her or make her disappear altogether.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Grand Line, the Straw Hat Pirates learned about Robin's decision to join their crew.
"Is she our new crewmate?" Luffy asked excitedly, looking at his friends.
"But it seems like she's in a tough situation. There might be some big trouble ahead," Usopp scratched his head and said.
"Now that we know she's our crewmate, we can't just ignore it. Let's hurry to Alabasta and defeat that guy, Crocodile," Luffy exclaimed as his fists collided.
Upon hearing Luffy's words, no one objected. Since obtaining the power-up from the Body Modification Operation, their strengths had undergone tremendous growth.
This led to an increase in their confidence.
If it had been before, hearing the name of one of Shichibukai would have scared them. But now, with their greatly enhanced abilities and the knowledge that they would defeat Crocodile, the situation was practically a guaranteed victory. There was no reason to hesitate, they would charge ahead.
The crew immediately set their sights on defeating Crocodile as their goal and headed towards Alabasta.
Meanwhile, Luke's QnA continued.
"Now for the 9th question: Who gain the most because of the Alabasta incident?
Here are the four options:
A. Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates;
B. Monkey D. Dragon of the Revolutionary Army;
C. Spandam, the chief of CP9;
D. Smoker, the Marine Captain.
You have one minute, and the timer starts now."
Upon hearing this question, the viewers watching the livestream were somewhat puzzled.
"Gain? Does that mean who got the biggest advantage in the Alabasta incident? Can there be such a good thing?"
The crowd couldn't help but find it amusing. It seemed that after defeating Crocodile, the Straw Hat Pirates didn't reap any benefits, and someone else got to take advantage of the situation!
People began to contemplate the options presented.
The first option was Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. It didn't make sense for Luffy, who defeated Crocodile himself, to be considered as someone who 'Gain advantage'
So, Luffy was clearly not the answer.
That left three options: the Revolutionary Army, CP9, and the Marines. It was essentially a competition between these three factions.
In reality, it was a competition between two factions, as the Marines and CP9 were essentially working together under the World Government.
So, it came down to the Revolutionary Army and the World Government, which one of them 'Gain the most'
At Marineford, Sengoku's expression slightly changed. When it came to gaining the most, the first thing that came to his mind was the Poneglyph in Alabasta, which mentioned the location of Pluton.
Was this question implying who obtained Pluton?!
This thought not only crossed Sengoku's mind but also the minds of the Five Elders, Big Mom, Kaido, and many others in the world who harbored ambitions related to Pluton.
If that was the case, then this question would almost determine the future course of events.
If Pluton fell into the hands of the Revolutionary Army, they would gain tremendous power. They wouldn't be the secret Revolutionary Army that the World Government could openly attack at will anymore. The World Government would even have to be on guard against the Revolutionary Army launching a surprise attack.
On the other hand, if Pluton fell into the hands of the World Government, it would be extremely difficult for any other power outside of the World Government to challenge them. Those who were privy to some inside information knew that the three ancient weapons, including Pluton, were likely in the possession of the World Government. These weapons were the foundation of their rule. If Pluton were to fall into their hands, the World Government would have no enemies they couldn't eliminate.
Even if a young Whitebeard appeared at that time, the World Government wouldn't fear him.
Not only the pirates, but also the commoners, nobles, and royalty of the allied nations didn't want to see this scenario unfold. They were already powerless under the World Government's dominance, and if the World Government obtained such a powerful weapon, they wouldn't even dare to resist.
Pluton, which could sink an entire island with a single shot. If they dared to rebel, not to mention resistance, the entire country would be obliterated with a single shot.
In the future, the World Government would become more rampant, and the Tenryuubito would hold even greater contempt for the common people.
This was not good news for them.
In comparison, they would rather see Pluton fall into the hands of the Revolutionary Army. If the Revolutionary Army could overthrow the World Government, perhaps the world could develop in a different direction. Perhaps it could change the situation where the Tenryuubito held absolute authority.
With these thoughts in mind, many people became anxious.
Because this matter was different from the previous Summit War. The Summit War hadn't happened yet, it was still a future event, and Blackbeard's failed plan didn't have much impact on them.
However, the Crocodile incident was different.
Although Crocodile's plan failed, the Poneglyph containing information about Pluton was indeed in Alabasta.
Even if Crocodile couldn't obtain it, it didn't mean that others couldn't.
It was likely that the Marines, CP, pirates, and the Revolutionary Army were all rushing to Alabasta, each wanting to find the Poneglyph before the others.
At the same time, after the QnA livestream ended, they planned to locate Nico Robin and somehow extract the whereabouts of Pluton from her.
Then Pluton would be in their possession.
The world situation would also change as a result.
Although they didn't know who would become the biggest winner according to the question, if someone in reality became the biggest winner in this incident, it would inevitably affect the lives of everyone involved.
What would be the outcome of this matter?
Everyone was anxiously waiting.
At this moment, as the main characters in this question, Dragon, Spandam, and Smoker were also watching the livestream.
Dragon has already set sail to the seas of Alabasta. Fortunately, the screen can be seen everywhere, ensuring they don't miss the live broadcast during their journey
This matter is of great importance to the Revolutionary Army. It signifies how much they will have to sacrifice in order to successfully overthrow the World Government in the future...
Dragon pondered over the answer to the question while urging the crew to speed up the ship's pace. They must be the first to secure the Poneglyph and Nico Robin under the protection of the Revolutionary Army, before the World Government gets hold of them.
Meanwhile, on the way from Enies Lobby to Water 7, Spandam was also contemplating the same question. Greed and desire gleamed in his eyes, as he imagined himself as the victor in this contest.
If he emerged as the winner, he would no longer need to waste time in Water 7. He had already wasted eight years in pursuit of the blueprints for Pluton in that city, but still had nothing to show for it.
Now, the complete Pluton was right in front of him. If he managed to obtain it, he would be rewarded with riches and success, ascending to a high position within the World Government, surpassing even his father!
With these thoughts racing through his mind, Spandam grew impatient and urged the ship's crew to hurry to Water 7 and intercept CP9. He himself lacked combat ability and relied on them to secure the Poneglyph and Nico Robin.
In contrast to Dragon and Spandam's eagerness, Smoker found himself confused.
While he was indeed heading towards the Grand Line, his objective was not related to the Pluton.
His goal was to capture the Straw Hat Pirates.
Previously, when Luffy and his crew arrived in Loguetown, they caused quite a commotion in the square where Gold Roger was executed.
As the Branch Captain of Loguetown, Smoker couldn't let these guys off the hook. Moreover, Luffy's bounty had already exceeded one billion, and he had been explicitly instructed not to let the Straw Hat Pirates escape. So, Smoker naturally pursued them without hesitation.
Though Luffy and his crew had grown significantly in strength, they were helpless against Smoker's Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability. Just when he was about to capture them, another man appeared.
Dragon.
Dragon dispersed his smoke and let the Straw Hat Pirates escape. Frustrated, Smoker decided to pursue them and lead his team towards the Grand Line.
Upon hearing his name mentioned in the question, Smoker didn't care in the slightest. He had no interest in gaining advantage or any other distractions. His only goal was to apprehend the Straw Hat Pirates and bring them to justice.
However, this live broadcast provided him with a clue. The Straw Hat Pirates would be heading to Alabasta, and he didn't know the specific route they would take. Now he understood.
...
Upon hearing the question, Robin began to ponder earnestly over the answer.
She also assumed that the "Gain the most" referred to the Pluton.
However, among the options provided, if she truly knew the whereabouts of the Pluton, she wouldn't disclose it to any of them.
For what reason should she tell them?
Unless it was the Straw Hat Pirates, considering they had saved her life, it would be possible to share the information as a gesture of gratitude.
But since it was a "Gain the most" question, it was highly unlikely to be about the Straw Hat Pirates. That ruled out the Revolutionary Army, the Marines, and CP9 as well.
At that time, she was not familiar with both the Straw Hat Pirates and the Revolutionary Army. How could she entrust such a powerful weapon to these people? This thing was capable of destroying the world.
Although she resented the World Government, she never intended to destroy the world. It was impossible for her to give such a thing to people she didn't know.
She was unfamiliar with the Revolutionary Army; they were complete strangers. The risk would be too great to hand it over to them.
As for CP9's Spandam, just the mention of his name reminded her of the Spandine who was closely associated with the destruction of her homeland and the death of Professor Clover. Even if she had to die, she would never reveal the Pluton to him.
As for Vice-Admiral Smoker of the Marines, she hadn't even heard of him before, and he was aligned with the World Government. Similarly, she would rather die than disclose the information.
Upon considering all these factors, she realized that all four options were impossible. Moreover, she had joined the Straw Hat Pirates and become a part of their team.
Since Luffy had successfully reached the top of the war, she should be fine afterward.
If she was fine, why would she voluntarily disclose the whereabouts of the Pluton to anyone?
Robin couldn't make sense of this matter, but suddenly, an idea popped into her mind. What if this "Gain the most" didn't refer to the Pluton?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone