Chapter 359: The Wanted Order Is Withdrawn

Chapter 359: Chapter 359: The Wanted Order Is Withdrawn

Chapter 359: The Wanted Order Is Withdrawn

Axel listened quietly.

There was no surprise on his face.

The future was never fixed, especially after everything he had already changed. History had long since begun drifting away from the path he remembered, so an unexpected event like this was hardly impossible.

Hina continued.

"About two weeks ago, Dressrosa was attacked."

"The attacker was the wanted criminal known as the God Slayer, Issho."

Axel interrupted her.

"God Slayer?"

Hina frowned.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Axel shook his head, but inwardly he was speechless.

That title is ridiculously flashy.

Then again, considering the Celestial Dragons openly called themselves gods, the title made a strange kind of sense.

Hina seemed irritated at being interrupted, but continued with her report.

"The Marines had no warning that Dressrosa would be attacked. By the time we received reliable information and could respond, the battle had already been decided."

"Doflamingo was defeated."

Axel glanced toward the unconscious Crocodile.

"Then replace him."

Hina looked at him.

"Doflamingo, I mean."

Axel shrugged.

"To the World Government, the Seven Warlords are tools. If one breaks, find another pirate with enough reputation to fill the seat."

This time, Hina did not object.

Because that was exactly the problem she was about to explain.

The defeat of a single Warlord was troublesome, but not enough to destabilize the seas by itself.

The Seven Warlords existed because the World Government had legalized the presence of certain powerful pirates in exchange for their cooperation.

They were allowed to continue operating, within limits, while lending their strength and reputation to the balance of power at sea.

In many situations, a Warlord was even more convenient than a Marine Vice Admiral. Marines still had rules, procedures, and restrictions to follow.

Pirates did not.

As far as the World Government was concerned, the individual sitting in a Warlord seat mattered less than whether that person possessed enough strength and reputation to make the title useful.

Hina crossed her arms.

"Hina understands what you mean."

"But Doflamingo’s defeat isn’t the real problem."

Axel waited.

"His activities in Dressrosa were exposed."

Hina’s expression became serious.

"He seized control of the country through force and manipulation."

"And more importantly..."

"He had established dealings with one of the Four Emperors."

Axel understood immediately.

A pirate dealing with another pirate meant nothing.

Even a Warlord maintaining connections in the Underworld was hardly shocking.

But a member of the Seven Warlords becoming deeply entangled with a Yonko was another matter entirely.

The Warlord system existed partly to stabilize the balance of power.

If one of those supposed balancing pieces was secretly supporting one of the Four Emperors, both the World Government officials who backed the system and the Marines who distrusted it would have reason to panic.

Axel shrugged.

"Still doesn’t have anything to do with me."

Hina did not argue.

Technically, he was right.

This was a Marine and World Government problem.

Axel was a wanted criminal.

She had no authority to order him to care about their strategic difficulties.

She continued.

"The ship transporting Doflamingo after his defeat was attacked."

"By Kaido’s fleet."

Axel’s expression sharpened slightly.

"Vice Admiral Tsuru’s fleet intercepted the attack," Hina said. "But considering Kaido’s personality, no one believes that will be the end of it."

"A direct clash between the Marines and Kaido is becoming increasingly likely."

Axel tilted his head.

"So?"

Hina’s eye twitched.

"What does that have to do with me?"

Axel repeated.

"I understand the Marines are standing in the middle of a storm right now."

"But it’s your storm."

The situation was obvious enough.

With a possible confrontation against one of the Four Emperors approaching, the Marines could not afford to casually lose major combat assets.

They also had no guarantee that other Yonko would remain passive if Kaido and the Marines started tearing each other apart.

And at exactly this moment, the Seven Warlords system was already under pressure because of Doflamingo.

If Axel killed Crocodile here, another Warlord would disappear.

Worse, Crocodile’s death would be difficult to explain.

If the World Government publicly admitted that Axel had killed him, pirates across the sea might begin questioning the strength and prestige of the Seven Warlords.

Most people knew little about Axel’s true abilities.

To them, hearing that a white-haired teenager had killed one of the Warlords could easily be interpreted as proof that the title itself was losing meaning.

If the Marines instead claimed responsibility for Crocodile’s death, that would create another problem.

Arresting a Warlord for crimes was one thing.

Killing one outright was another.

The remaining Warlords would immediately become wary of the World Government.

At a time when the seas were already unstable, that was exactly what the Marines wanted to avoid.

Hina had expected Axel’s indifference.

So had Vice Admiral Tsuru.

That was why Hina had been given something else to offer.

"If you agree to stop here..."

She hesitated briefly before saying the next words.

"The World Government is willing to offer you a position among the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

Disgust flashed across Hina’s face as she said it.

She had never liked the system.

Axel stared at her.

Then scoffed.

"A Warlord?"

He looked genuinely uninterested.

"No thanks."

Hina had not expected the rejection to come that quickly.

Axel continued,

"I’ll admit it would reduce some trouble."

"But joining the Seven Warlords right when the entire system is becoming a target?"

He shook his head.

"That sounds like volunteering to get punched from every direction."

"Besides, I don’t want the position."

The current Warlords all had reasons for accepting the title.

Jinbe had his own goals.

Boa Hancock had Amazon Lily.

Doflamingo had used the position to expand his influence.

Gecko Moria sought protection and freedom to operate.

Kuma’s reasons were tied to the Revolutionary Army.

Mihawk seemed mostly interested in being left alone so he could live and fight as he pleased.

Axel had nothing he wanted from the title.

"Anything more useful?"

Hina went quiet for a moment.

Then gave him the second condition Tsuru had instructed her to deliver regardless of his answer to the first.

"What if your wanted status is withdrawn?"

Axel stopped.

That was different.

He remained silent for several seconds.

Then asked,

"Vegapunk returned to the Marines?"

Hina blinked.

"Vegapunk?"

"Who is that?"

Axel studied her face.

Genuine confusion.

She knew nothing.

He did not pursue the subject.

Still, the possibility made sense.

The World Government had originally maintained an unusual insistence on capturing Axel alive.

Vegapunk was closely connected to that interest.

If Vegapunk had returned, or if the World Government had otherwise recovered what it needed from him, keeping Axel as an enemy might no longer be worth the trouble.

Especially now.

Axel was powerful, but unlike most pirates with comparable bounties, he did not raid towns, massacre civilians, or seek territory.

He did not command a pirate fleet.

He was troublesome and unpredictable, but he was not actively trying to overthrow the World Government.

At a time when the Marines could soon be fighting Kaido, creating another powerful enemy made little strategic sense.

It was similar to the way the World Government sometimes treated retired monsters from the previous era.

If you disappeared quietly and stopped creating problems, they might decide that chasing you was not worth the price.

Axel nodded.

"Fine."

"I’ll accept that condition."

He stepped farther away from Crocodile.

The gesture was enough.

Hina visibly relaxed.

She immediately approached Crocodile and pulled out a pair of Sea Stone handcuffs.

Click.

The cuffs locked around his wrists.

Only after confirming that the Sea Stone was secure did Hina kneel and examine him.

Crocodile looked terrible.

A deep depression marked his chest.

Cuts and bruises covered his body.

His breathing was slow but steady.

For an ordinary person, several of those injuries would already have been fatal.

Crocodile’s physical resilience was the only reason he remained alive.

Hina glanced toward Axel.

This brat really doesn’t hold back.

She stood.

"Hina needs to take Crocodile for treatment."

Then she paused.

"And one more thing."

Axel already looked tired of the conversation.

"Instructor Zephyr still hopes you’ll return."

"I already answered that."

Axel’s voice softened slightly.

"You people really don’t give up, do you?"

Hina sighed.

She did not try again.

She turned to leave.

"Wait."

Hina stopped.

Then slowly turned around.

"What?"

Her tone was unfriendly.

"Does Tina need to stay and entertain you now?"

Axel raised a finger and pointed toward the outskirts of Rainbase.

Hina followed the direction.

The Rebel Army.

They had not yet flooded into the city because Rainbase had been protected by Crocodile’s reputation.

But once word spread that Rain Dinners had collapsed and Crocodile had been defeated, that hesitation would not last.

Hundreds of thousands of rebels were nearby.

And Axel had deliberately brought them here.

Hina’s expression tightened.

"You mean the Rebel Army."

"Yes."

Axel nodded.

"You’re a Marine."

"Aren’t you supposed to protect peace or something?"

Hina fell silent.

She could investigate the rebellion.

She could arrest criminals.

What she could not do was personally solve a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of armed citizens.

She lacked both the authority and the manpower.

Axel noticed her expression.

"Relax."

"I’m not asking the Marines to fight them."

"Actually, you barely need to do anything."

Hina frowned.

"Then what?"

"Publish a report."

"A report?"

Axel nodded.

There was one institution in Alabasta whose credibility could rival, and in many places exceed, Crocodile’s carefully cultivated image.

The Marines.

And behind them, the World Government.

For all its flaws, in countries where the World Government had not directly persecuted the population, its official statements still carried enormous weight.

Crocodile’s public image had depended on years of careful manipulation.

Now Crocodile was defeated.

No one would be maintaining that image anymore.

Baroque Works was exposed.

Pieces of the truth were already circulating.

One official report could tip everything over.

Hina asked,

"What exactly do you want the report to say?"

Axel answered without hesitation.

"Tell Alabasta the truth."

"That Crocodile is the leader of Baroque Works."

"That he manipulated the Dance Powder incident to frame King Cobra."

"And that Baroque Works deliberately created the conflict in order to overthrow the Kingdom of Alabasta."

Hina stared at him.

Then something clicked.

Her eyes narrowed.

"You expected the Marines to come here."

Axel smiled slightly.

"More or less."

"You brought the Rebel Army toward Rainbase because you planned to use us to settle the situation afterward."

"Roughly."

Axel shrugged.

"I didn’t know why the Marines were moving or what information you were hiding."

"And I definitely wasn’t expecting the Doflamingo situation."

He gave her an almost modest look.

"That part was a pleasant surprise."

Hina stared at him for another moment.

Then considered something worse.

"Some of the intelligence the Marines received so quickly..."

Her expression darkened.

"Was that from you too?"

Axel nodded.

"Baroque Works has a useful intelligence network."

"When I noticed Marine activity around them, I made sure certain information passed through places you were already watching."

Hina’s face stiffened.

So that was it.

Axel had not contacted the Marines directly.

He had simply manipulated Baroque Works’ information flow knowing Marine intelligence was monitoring the organization.

That explained how Tsuru had learned of several developments unusually quickly.

Hina finally understood why Tsuru had looked so grim after reviewing the reports.

And why she had been willing to offer Axel terms that sounded disturbingly close to concessions.

"You’re terrifying."

Hina spoke sincerely.

"Hina really wants to put you in iron restraints and throw you into Impel Down."

Axel smiled.

"You can try."

Hina’s eye twitched.

Neither continued.

They both stepped away, heading in opposite directions.

After several paces, Axel stopped.

"Finished watching?"

Silence.

He looked toward the side of a nearby building.

Robin stepped out.

She had witnessed the entire negotiation.

And for once, she had been genuinely surprised.

The Marines had just agreed to withdraw Axel’s wanted status.

Then her familiar smile returned.

A carefully practiced expression that revealed almost nothing beneath it.

"Congratulations."

She approached leisurely.

"You’re no longer wanted."

"I’m afraid I don’t have that luxury."

Robin smiled.

"Whenever I see Marines, hiding is still the safest option."

"Is that so?"

Axel did not pursue the subject.

Robin studied him.

"You said earlier that you needed my help."

Her curiosity had only grown since then.

After watching him fight Crocodile and manipulate an entire situation involving the Marines and the Rebel Army, she genuinely struggled to imagine what he could possibly need from her.

"What is it?"

Axel looked at her.

"I need a translator."

Robin’s eyes shifted.

"A translator?"

She already suspected the answer.

Still, she asked,

"For what?"

Axel answered simply.

"Poneglyphs."

Robin became silent.

Even though she had expected it, hearing him say the word directly still surprised her.

She did not immediately accept.

Instead, she asked,

"Why?"

Axel looked at her.

"Why what?"

"Why pursue the Poneglyphs?"

Robin’s voice became more serious.

"You have no obvious reason to study the Void Century."

"Your wanted status has just been withdrawn."

"If you begin searching for forbidden history, the World Government will come after you again."

She knew that better than anyone.

The World Government did not tolerate research into the forbidden past.

Ohara had proven that.

If Axel chose to walk that path beside her, whatever temporary peace he had just negotiated could disappear immediately.

Axel looked down at the crude wooden blade still in his hand.

Then tossed it aside.

It landed in the sand.

"I don’t know."

Robin blinked.

Axel looked toward the ruined streets of Rainbase.

"People want things."

"They give those desires names."

"Ambition."

"Purpose."

"Dreams."

He paused.

"But I haven’t found anything like that for myself."

His voice remained calm.

"If living means finding something worth pursuing, maybe I’m still looking."

He thought for a moment.

"So for now..."

"Let’s just say I think it sounds interesting."

Robin stared at him.

The answer was strangely simple.

Yet it stirred something familiar.

Why did she pursue the Poneglyphs?

Duty?

The responsibility inherited from Ohara?

A scholar’s desire for truth?

Revenge against the World Government?

Perhaps all of those things mattered.

Perhaps none of them fully explained it.

At some point, learning the True History had simply become her dream.

Not every dream needed a perfectly rational beginning.

Robin’s smile changed slightly.

This time, it was not entirely the practiced mask she normally wore.

She gave a small, graceful bow.

"I would be delighted."

....

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