One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 104 Multi-Party Game

Capone Becky, a true ambitious man and speculator.

They always surrender to an organization first, and then quickly seize a high position in the organization with their intelligence and strength. This means that the original leader of the organization is already doomed.

To date, his assassination plans have all gone flawlessly.

Knowing that such a person existed in Black Heart, Roman knew how to stir up trouble.

If he wasn't mistaken, Becky was also looking for allies. And he, the seemingly "helpless" Iron Man, was a good partner.

Therefore, Roman had Bucky directly point out Capone Becky's ambitions.

Even if that mob boss didn't send Becky this time, Roman would still have Bucky come to him on his own initiative.

Although surprised by Iron Man's sharpness, Becky was also a force to be reckoned with, and immediately drew her gun.

Although he was drenched in sweat under the mask, Bucky still mustered up the courage to speak the words Roman had given him.

"I intend to form an alliance with you to pursue my own greatest interests. I value your intelligence."

This statement caused Becky to react slightly.

It's not a smart thing to provoke someone who's obviously not someone to mess with. My target is Blackheart, not the whole unknown guy. Although I still have some trump cards, now is not the time to play them.

In the world of pirates, alliances mean betrayal and have no credibility whatsoever.

The same applies to gangs.

As soon as the other side shows even the slightest sign of weakness, the mutual attrition has already begun.

Therefore, the only thing that can deter the other party is one's own irreplaceability, that is, one's own value.

This value might lie in superior physical strength, or perhaps in an exceptional mind. The other party also seems to value my intelligence.

"I just want money. You can do whatever you want with that Black Heart." The other party didn't seem to have any intention of taking over their forces.

If this Iron Man is not lying and his motives are relatively simple, then there is indeed a basis for cooperation.

The opponent's strength was enough to make him wary, and his understanding of Black Heart was unmatched by anyone else.

Then, it's worth a try.

……

"Why don't you just raid that black market? With your strength, it would be easy for you to do that. Why bother cooperating with that guy? He looks like he might betray you at any moment." Bucky didn't have a good impression of Becky, after all, the other guy had already pointed a gun at his head.

"Have you forgotten that I'm in the navy? I can't directly interfere in matters concerning the underworld, as it's an internal affair of the kingdom. If it causes any national problems, I'll be held accountable," Roman said calmly.

Bucky's idea is indeed good and a very feasible method, but it is not suitable to implement it now.

If her hunch was correct, Kuzan was probably rushing here. Judging by his speed, he could likely arrive in the country within the next few days.

Roman had actually thought about it carefully. Why was Kuzan able to protect Robin for so long? After all, Robin's identity was sensitive. Even if Kuzan wanted to use the Navy's intelligence system to investigate, it would be troublesome to cover up the traces afterwards. Compared to that, making a Vivre Card would be much simpler.

He not only knows the other person's location, but also their life status. Whenever Kuzan skips work, besides laziness, it's also because he regularly visits Robin.

So Robin has her own Vivre Card, a fact she probably doesn't even know herself.

Even when life cards are divided into countless small parts, they will still attract each other.

Robin's body was covered with scars of all sizes from his long life on the run.

You can use a wound to hide something, if the thing is very small.

This is troublesome for Roman.

With the Vivre Card in hand, even if he had considered taking Robin to a safer place, he couldn't hide it from Kuzan. And as long as Robin's bounty remained, she was destined to have nowhere to go.

No, even if we remove Robin's Vivre Card now, it's not the optimal solution.

Without Kuzan's protection, it's questionable whether Robin could even survive to adulthood. Moreover, the removal now is far too obvious; Kuzan doesn't even need to think to know it was him who did it.

That's where the problem arises: if it can't be removed, Kuzan will definitely find its way here.

If Kuzan finds out she robbed the black market, aside from everything else, the whereabouts of the money will be necessary, right? How will she answer?

I used up all my money on books? And they were all written by someone who seems to be a pirate? And I still want to give them to Nico Robin, the devil's child wanted by the Navy?

That's outrageous!

So no.

Kuzan is a good-natured person, but if Roman treats him like an incorrigible pushover, she's asking for trouble. She's not stubborn, especially when this person is going to be your future boss.

The three future admirals are all survivors who crawled out of piles of corpses. Although Kuzan and Borsalino may not seem very serious, they are absolutely ruthless when it comes to taking action.

Although Kuzan spared Saul's life instead of killing him, this does not change the fundamental nature of the matter.

Before his time in Ohara, Kuzan was a passionate and energetic young man, but he was definitely not a good-tempered person. His youthful achievements filled him with arrogance. Although he was a subordinate in front of Garp, others did not receive such treatment. He would also severely reprimand or even get angry for his subordinates' mistakes. His tolerant and lazy attitude only developed in the last few years.

Now that he was already involved with Robin, it was really inappropriate for him to cross Kuzan's line. Perhaps Kuzan would be willing to forgive her, or even tolerate her unconventional behavior, but Roman didn't want to gamble on that possibility.

Therefore, she needs a more suitable reason, a way that everyone will find appealing and acceptable, to participate in this matter.

Therefore, this Iron Man is needed as a buffer zone.

This could turn her mistake into a success.

That depends on her methods.

"If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten you were in the Navy. Judging from your behavior, I think..." Bucky, unaware of the truth, continued to ramble on.

Bucky, who was initially careful to read Roman's expressions, has now become completely familiar with him.

Having a shared secret, a shared goal, and shared interests makes it easy for people to become familiar with each other.

"But Robin doesn't know you're a Marine yet, right? Are you planning to keep it a secret from her forever? I think she still relies on you a lot, but if she finds out that there are Marines around her all the time, she might be shocked."

"It probably won't be able to be hidden for long. When she finds out, it will be the time for us to go our separate ways."

Once Kuzan arrives on the island, her identity will definitely be exposed, so let's allow this beautiful moment to linger a little longer.

"So before it ends, I hope I can give her what she wants."

"what about me?"

"Of course, I will also give you what you want."

"What is it?" Bucky's eyes lit up immediately.

"Don't worry, you'll be absolutely satisfied." It all depends on whether you can handle it. Roman couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Buggy later became one of the Four Emperors, so she certainly couldn't let Buggy lose face. Hopefully, this time you won't be burdened by your reputation.