Chương 25: One minute they were elites, the next they betrayed us?

For the six years that Yang Cheng was away from Cocoyasi Island, he worked as a bounty hunter on the high seas.

But as the saying goes, when you're at sea, you're bound to get hurt.

During a chase after a bounty-bearing pirate, Yang Cheng was injured due to the pirate's unusual Devil Fruit ability, which caused him to be careless at the time.

In the One-Punch Man universe, the monster Yang Cheng's rapid healing ability can heal his injuries, but it cannot cure toxins.

It was for this reason that Yang Cheng, who was poisoned, sailed the ship to the nearest island and, despite his poisoning, eventually collapsed from exhaustion after arriving at a town.

The island that Yang Cheng arrived at was Alabasta.

When he awoke from his coma, the doctor who saved him told Yang Cheng that Princess Vivi had sent someone to save him.

Based on the timeline, Vivi should have been around ten years old at the time.

At that time, Weiwei and Yang Cheng were complete strangers.

However, she happened to be traveling in Joba when she saw Yang Cheng lying unconscious on the road. She had her guards rescue him and find a doctor to treat the poison in his body.

Because Yang Cheng's attire didn't resemble that of someone from Alabasta, the guards, for Weiwei's safety, didn't allow her to have much contact with Yang Cheng.

Several years have passed, and for Weiwei at the time, she probably just thought she had saved a stranger and didn't care much about it.

Therefore, it is quite normal that he did not recognize Yang Cheng at this moment.

But now that Yang Cheng has brought up this past event, corresponding memory fragments naturally flash through Weiwei's mind.

Then, a look of surprise appeared on his face as he asked, "Are you the one who collapsed unconscious on the ground in Joba?"

"It seems Princess Vivi has remembered."

Hearing their conversation, Mr. Valentine and Icarus were also stunned.

After all, they never expected that Yang Cheng and Weiwei had such a connection.

"Yang Cheng, so you joined Baroque Works from the very beginning just for Princess Vivi?"

After learning that Princess Vivi had once saved Yang Cheng, Mr. Valentine asked the question that had been nagging at him.

Mr. Valentine has always been puzzled by Yang Cheng's strength and potential. Even if he goes solo or goes to the New World, he can still make great strides.

But he ended up joining Baroque Studio, and like a salted fish, he had absolutely no ambition and was content to remain in the position of Mr. 5.

"That's part of the reason, after all, even if I don't do anything, Alabasta will eventually be saved by someone else."

"Who? Who can save Alabasta? Please tell me!"

Alabasta has not seen rain for a year and is also beset by internal rebellions, facing both external and internal troubles.

Vivi deeply loves this country and its people, so when she heard Yang Cheng say that someone could save the country, she asked him with a pleading look.

"They're a pretty interesting bunch, but I doubt they've set sail yet."

As soon as Yang Cheng finished speaking, Weiwei's excited expression instantly turned to disappointment, because she felt that Yang Cheng was just trying to comfort her.

The other party is neither a fortune teller nor a prophet; who can predict the future?

And how long after that? A few years? Or more than ten years?

Can Alabasta really hold out until then?

"The mastermind behind Baroque Works is actually Crocodile. He first drove away the pirates who landed in the country as a 'hero' and gained the trust of the people."

Then, the use of the banned substance "dancing powder" caused a severe drought in Alabasta.

He then shifted the blame to his father, Cobra, stirring up public discontent and escalating the conflict between the rebels and the royal family, ultimately profiting from the situation.

While his stated purpose in doing all this was to seize the kingdom of Alabasta, that is not entirely accurate.

He was interested in Alabasta not because it was a superpower, but because of something hidden within the country.

After Yang Cheng's revelations, not only were Vivi and Icarus stunned, but even Mr. Valentine was dumbfounded.

As one of the chief commanders, although she knew that their mastermind was Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, she knew far less than Yang Cheng had said.

After all, Crocodile is an extremely self-centered person who doesn't trust anyone.

To him, the people of Baroque Works were merely tools. Extremely confident in his own power, he once boasted that he didn't need any subordinates; he himself was enough.

"Crocodile, you dancing fan, if you know this, we can ask the Navy for help..."

"Do you want the Navy to step in and help solve the Alabasta problem?"

If you have this idea, I advise you to give it up as soon as possible.

Crocodile is no ordinary pirate; he is one of the "Seven Warlords of the Sea," recognized by the World Government.

Pirates recognized by the World Government, plotting to seize Alabasta? If they admit to such a thing, what's the difference between that and slapping themselves in the face?

Furthermore, to think you can trip up Crocodile based on your one-sided account is a gross underestimation of his importance.

"Believe it or not, you'll be on Baroque Works' kill list the moment you arrive at the Navy."

In three to five days, it might just be caught and fed to crocodiles?

Did Old Sha not know about Princess Vivi's infiltration of the Baroque Organization? He simply didn't care about little Karami like Vivi and her group.

After all, in Old Sha's view, the only person who could know the location of the ancient weapon "Pluto" was Cobra, who was also the king.

As for Princess Vivi, she was just a little brat playing "hero games," and he didn't take her seriously at all.

"Wait, Yang Cheng, you just said that Princess Weiwei has been under the boss's surveillance. Does that mean we were just...?"

Mr. Valentine noticed the key point in Yang Cheng's words, and when she realized it, she saw a sea otter in the distance displaying a portrait of her and Yang Cheng before jumping onto a vulture and running away.

Mr. 13 and Mr. Friday, known as the "Unlucky Duo," are primarily responsible for being the punishers and intelligence messengers for Baroque Works.

"Mr. Valentine's Day, it's a shame you're on the organization's blacklist along with me."

"But you can't really blame me. I didn't want to involve you, but you were so curious about Princess Vivi."