"Do you know what Crocodile's true goal is?"
Shen Yuan swirled a wine glass in his hand, his gaze fixed on the moonlight reflecting off the jagged peaks of Whisky Peak.
Tombstones dotted the mountain slope, casting long shadows that darkened the already eerie island.
Rayleigh's brows arched slightly, his interest clearly piqued.
He looked over at the Baroque Works agents bound and unconscious nearby. After a thoughtful pause, he said nonchalantly, "Treasure?"
"Then why not head straight for Laugh Tale?" Shen Yuan asked with an unfathomable smile.
Rayleigh's eyes widened instantly.
How does he know about Laugh Tale?
How does he know the final island where the One Piece lies?
Rayleigh's expression shifted several times, torn between suspicion and awe, until he finally sighed.
"You know about the ancient weapons, don't you? Just like your nickname implies—'Hades.'"
Rayleigh nodded solemnly. Of course he did.
"Pluton—one of the three ancient weapons—said to be a super warship capable of wiping an island off the map with a single blast."
Shen Yuan's tone was calm, but his words were sharp.
"To maintain their oppressive rule, the World Government must ensure they either possess or suppress these ancient weapons."
Even Crocodile, formerly slouched and apathetic, now perked up with sharp interest. The haze in his eyes cleared instantly.
"Oi, brat… you know about Pluton?"
His voice carried a rare tremor of longing. He raised his head and looked at Shen Yuan with a burning gaze.
Shen Yuan didn't answer directly. He merely took a slow sip from his glass.
"The blueprints of Pluton aren't here. More precisely, they were never truly in Alabasta, that alluring desert kingdom."
Crocodile's body stiffened at those words, but instead of reacting with anger or panic, he listened in silence.
"Those blueprints are extremely confidential," Shen Yuan continued. "That's why even the Revolutionary Army and Cipher Pol would kill to locate them."
Rayleigh turned fully toward Shen Yuan, his face serious.
"You're not saying… you know where the blueprints are?"
Shen Yuan shook his head. "If I did, I would've launched an attack on Mary Geoise already and blown that celestial trash heap to smithereens."
In truth, Shen Yuan's system had already unlocked critical data on not just Pluton, but also Poseidon and even Uranus.
That revelation sent shockwaves through everyone present.
Pirates, ex-navy, even Smoker—everyone's jaw nearly hit the deck.
"Cough! Cough!"
Rayleigh choked on his wine, wiping his mouth as he stared intently at Shen Yuan.
"You... really hate the World Government, don't you?"
Shen Yuan didn't respond with words. He clenched his right hand—Haki surged outward in visible ripples of Armament, glinting against the starlight.
"Lao Sha," he said, using Crocodile's old nickname, "want to follow me? I'm going to cleanse this rotten world."
Crocodile blinked. The former Shichibukai was no longer skeptical or smug—only possessed.
"You're insane," he said with a crooked grin. "...Alright. I'll follow you and see what kind of world you plan to build."
Shen Yuan nodded.
"Then keep operating Baroque Works. It'll become my most efficient intelligence web across the Grand Line."
He casually tossed a Den Den Mushi from his coat. Crocodile, now freed from his bindings, caught it one-handed.
"Until next time."
Shen Yuan turned to leave.
"Don't forget our agreement," Crocodile called after him, lighting a cigar.
"Of course," Shen Yuan replied, not looking back.
In moments, he and his group disappeared into the night.
Smoker grunted, dragging five or six enormous boxes behind him—he was doing more labor than a sea-train donkey.
Crocodile dusted off his broken golden hook, turned to his battered subordinates, and said coldly:
"From now on, our target is intel—track the movements of every power in the underworld. Understood?"
The bruised agents nodded stiffly.
---
Back aboard their ship, Shen Yuan and his crew continued sailing.
Rayleigh hunched over a nautical chart, eyes scanning the route carefully.
"Where's the next stop?" Shen Yuan asked.
Rayleigh wiped wine from his mouth, tapped the map, and said, "Little Garden. Territory of the Giants."
"Giants…?" Shen Yuan muttered, intrigued. He glanced at Smoker, who looked dead inside after a night of carrying crates.
"Smoker, we're starting your Haki Awakening Path training tonight."
Smoker's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
"Of course. I don't lie."
That spark returned to Smoker's eyes—he felt it again: the drive to grow stronger.
Rayleigh quietly returned to his cabin. Outside, he heard Shen Yuan's angry shouts and Smoker's yelps of pain. The old man chuckled, laying down.
"You absolute moron! That's your horse stance?! How the hell did you become a Navy captain?!"
Smoker said nothing. He simply gritted his teeth and held the pose.
"Hold that position! Flat arms, bent knees! This is about mental focus!"
Time passed.
Shen Yuan reclined on a chair, silently observing. After thirty minutes, Smoker was drenched in sweat, legs trembling.
"One more hour. Break your limits. Evolve."
An hour and a half later, Smoker collapsed like a tree felled by an axe.
When he awoke, Shen Yuan's disdainful eyes stared down at him.
"Trash."
Smoker bit his lip and forced himself back up, returning to horse stance.
"Stand for a night. You'll find your former self has already died."
Shen Yuan left without another word.
---
By morning, the sun shone brightly over the ocean.
"Blu-blu-blu! Blu-blu-blu!"
The Den Den Mushi buzzed.
Shen Yuan groggily reached for the receiver.
"...Hello?"
"It's me, Crocodile," came the familiar voice. "Got some juicy intel."
Shen Yuan sat up instantly.
"Speak."
Crocodile laughed. "CP's youngest genius—Rob Lucci—is operating in the Drum Kingdom."
Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed. "What's his objective?"
"The Swallow-Swallow Fruit. No clue why, but he's just arrived."
Shen Yuan chuckled coldly. "Then that's where he'll die."
Crocodile burst into laughter.
"Guhahaha! Now that's what I like to hear!"
Shen Yuan ended the call.
Stepping out onto the deck, the first thing he saw was Smoker still maintaining horse stance, his body swaying but his spirit unbroken.
"Go sleep. You've earned it."
Smoker collapsed like a puppet with cut strings and crawled into the cabin.
Shen Yuan sat down for breakfast—Dashiqi had prepared a simple meal—but his mind was already racing.
"If I eliminate Rob Lucci in the Drum Kingdom, the World Government will scramble to find a replacement for their CP operations in Water 7. That'll destabilize the battle Luffy's destined to face."
"They might send another genius… or just another sacrificial pawn."
Either way, it would tilt the board in Shen Yuan's favor.
He wasn't interested in gathering cannon fodder—he needed real pieces—chess masters, not pawns.
Once the time came, he would unleash war upon this world without hesitation.