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While Sabo was locked in battle with Crocodile, Ikki had already escorted King Cobra and Nico Robin across the Sandora River, arriving at the outskirts of Rainbase.
The reason for bringing Cobra and Robin to Rainbase was simple: to reunite Cobra with his daughter, Vivi, and ensure their safety.
At this time, the Revolutionary Army remained stationed outside Alubarna and had not yet launched an attack. Their hesitation was due to the large number of civilians fleeing toward Rainbase. Koza, unsure of the exact situation in Rainbase, decided to send scouts to investigate before taking any action.
When Ikki, Cobra, and Robin appeared in front of Vivi and her group, Vivi stared at her father in disbelief.
"Ikki... why did you bring my father here?" she asked, her voice trembling with a mix of confusion and concern.
As she spoke, her eyes fell on the bloodied wound on Cobra's shoulder. Her face paled.
"Father, you're injured!" she cried.
Cobra, however, smiled warmly at his daughter, his heart lifted by the sight of her after such turmoil.
On the way to Rainbase, Ikki had explained to Cobra that he was one of Vivi's allies. Initially, Cobra had been skeptical. The idea that this mysterious young man—who could seemingly fly—was genuinely trying to help seemed far-fetched. Cobra suspected Ikki was just another opportunist, seeking information about Pluton like Crocodile.
But now, seeing Vivi safe and sound, Cobra finally began to trust Ikki.
Meanwhile, Nico Robin observed the scene with quiet interest. She wasn't afraid of being captured by Ikki. Instead, she watched him carefully, intrigued.
In Robin's view, the Straw Hat Pirates were far too small a crew to pose a genuine threat to someone like Crocodile. Yet, the fact that they had dared to challenge him, especially for the sake of protecting Princess Vivi, had caught her attention.
Watching Vivi now, Robin thought back to her own lonely childhood. If she had met companions like the Straw Hats, maybe her life would have been different. Maybe she wouldn't have spent all these years being hunted. Her thoughts drifted to what Jaguar D. Saul had told her in Ohara:
"Even if you're alone now, you'll meet companions someday. The sea is vast, and one day, someone will protect you."
"What are you thinking about?"
Ikki's voice brought Robin out of her thoughts. He stood beside her, smiling.
Robin chuckled lightly. "I was just wondering... what do you plan to do with me, Crocodile's second-in-command?"
Her words caught Cobra's attention. Leaving his conversation with Vivi, he approached Robin with a serious expression.
"Nico Robin, I understand your desire to uncover the truth," Cobra began, his tone firm but not unkind. "But I cannot allow you to unleash disaster upon the world."
His statement left most of those present puzzled. Only Ikki and Robin understood the full weight of his words.
Cobra was referring to the Poneglyphs. He knew Robin sought to uncover the truths hidden in the Void Century. While he didn't oppose her quest for knowledge, he feared the consequences of revealing the location of Pluton—a weapon capable of catastrophic destruction.
Just as Cobra finished speaking, a voice echoed in his and Nico Robin's minds:
"Will it bring disaster? That depends on who holds the power to create it."
Mewtwo Sabo's figure appeared in mid-air.
Sabo prided himself on his speed, but even he hadn't anticipated Ikki's arrival ahead of him. He had just reached the scene when Cobra's words caught his attention.
From Cobra's statement, Sabo pieced together Crocodile's true goal.
What kind of object could bring disaster to the world? It could only be a weapon of unimaginable power. And what sort of weapon could Nico Robin, capable of deciphering the ancient Poneglyphs, possibly reveal? The answer was clear: one of the three Ancient Weapons.
In truth, the Revolutionary Army had its own interest in the Ancient Weapons and had sought Nico Robin for years. If they could uncover the location of these legendary tools, the Revolutionary Army's cause would ascend to an entirely new level.
Hearing the voice, Cobra and Nico Robin instinctively looked up toward the sky. Their synchronized reactions gave the others pause, and they, too, followed the gaze of the king and the archaeologist.
From the air, Mewtwo Sabo descended gracefully, landing lightly on the ground. He straightened and gave Cobra a respectful bow.
"I am Sabo of the Revolutionary Army," he announced with dignity.
His telepathic words still lingered in their minds, and Nico Robin's eyes widened slightly in recognition. She realized the mysterious being before her, the one capable of stopping Crocodile's assault, was none other than the Sabo she had briefly encountered before.
What none of them knew, however, was that Sabo hadn't just stopped Crocodile—he had utterly defeated him.
Cobra stumbled back a step, his hand trembling as he pointed at Sabo.
"You… are you truly a member of the Revolutionary Army?"
Sabo nodded, his gaze steady. "Yes. And I believe the disaster you fear must be tied to one of the Ancient Weapons—am I correct?"
Cobra's face darkened at the question. Taking a deep breath, he finally nodded. "Yes… the weapon I speak of is Pluton, the cursed battleship, one of the three Ancient Weapons. However, I'm not entirely certain if the Poneglyph here actually reveals its location. This knowledge has been passed down through generations, and all I know is that the information should be safeguarded until it is truly needed."
The king paused before continuing. "But now that the Revolutionary Army knows of Pluton's existence, I doubt you'll simply walk away."
Cobra spoke reluctantly, knowing there was little he could do to keep the truth hidden. Nico Robin was present, after all, and she likely already knew Crocodile's objective. Concealing the weapon's existence any longer seemed futile.
His only hope was that the Revolutionary Army would show restraint and spare Alabasta's people from any further suffering.
Sabo, as though reading Cobra's thoughts, offered a reassuring smile.
"Rest easy, King Cobra. The Revolutionary Army will not harm Alabasta, nor will we disclose the existence of Pluton to anyone else," he said calmly. "We're not ready to pursue something like Pluton, not yet. Our priority is to grow and prepare for the day we can stand against the World Government."
His tone was firm, leaving no room for doubt. "Until then, Pluton will remain untouched. If we were to bring it into the world now, we'd only invite destruction upon ourselves and countless innocents. That's not the Revolutionary Army's way."
Sabo's words provided some relief to Cobra, but the king still harbored concerns. He could only hope the Revolutionary Army's restraint would hold.
Meanwhile, Sabo's real goal was beginning to take shape. He had already set his sights on recruiting Nico Robin into the Revolutionary Army. With her knowledge, they could one day uncover not just Pluton, but potentially Uranus and Poseidon as well. The Revolutionary Army's ambitions were vast, and Sabo knew Nico Robin could play a pivotal role in achieving them.
While Sabo and Cobra continued their conversation, Ikki observed from the side, picking up bits and pieces of their discussion. Though he didn't hear everything, the mention of Pluton intrigued him.
Was he interested in the Ancient Weapon? Absolutely. Ikki was curious to see what the legendary warship, said to have the power to destroy entire islands with a single blast, truly looked like. The stories compared its destructive force to that of a nuclear bomb—a power both terrifying and fascinating.
As the conversation came to an end, Ikki approached Sabo, his expression serious.
"Sabo, I have to ask… why do you look like Mewtwo?"