<h4>Chapter 129: Chapter 129 It''s Terrible That You Have No Culture</h4>
Rainbase, an oasis city in basta, is part of and where every city is centered around an oasis. Building a city in the desert without such a water source would mean certain death.
In udius''s memory, Rainbase wouldter be transformed by Crocodile into one of the most prosperous cities in basta. It would be famous, in particr, for hosting the most impressive casino in the first half of the Grand Line. But right now, Rainbase was still just a modest town with a small poption.
Crocodile, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, had entered basta and swiftly dealt with some of the pirate threats. His power and decisive actions earned him the status of a noble—a knight—bestowed upon him by King Nefertari Cobra. The fief he was granted was none other than the city of Rainbase.
Although basta''s civilization was advanced in many respects, its governance still held onto some archaic traditions. Nobles here, even new ones like Crocodile, wielded significant power within their domains.
At this time, udius and his group were guests in Crocodile''s newly acquired mansion in Rainbase. Crocodile had recovered from the effects of udius''s "Death of Winter" technique, but he was still trying to understand how he had been caught off-guard. What kind of ability was that?
He wasn''t the only one curious. The rest of udius''s party looked just as puzzled.
"Why are you all staring at me like that? Do I look strange?" udius asked, lounging on a sofa with a ss of wine in hand.
After a pause, Crocodile frowned and said, "I may not know a lot about your abilities, but I have to ask, what exactly happened back there?"
"Yeah, what was that? Did you make Crocodile drunk with some kind of drink?" Enel added, his curiosity piqued.
Even little Robin, who had been quietly holding a book, was now eyeing udius with interest.
udius chuckled. "Ah, this is the power of science. You see, ''Death of Winter'' is all about deception. It looks imposing and dramatic, but the real trick is in the ''intoxication.''"
Crocodile had suspected that the move was all show, but it still left him baffled. How could something that looked so grand fail to touch him physically yet still take him down?
"Arge amount of liquid nitrogen rapidly vaporizes, increasing the nitrogen concentration in the surrounding area. This process is nearly imperceptible. You don''t feel any difficulty breathing, and for a few seconds, there are no adverse reactions. But by the time you notice it, it''s toote. You''re already in a state of what I like to call ''nitrogen intoxication,'' much stronger than any alcohol. Once that kicks in, any effective response is pretty much impossible," udius exined with a grin.
The room fell silent as everyone tried to digest what he had just said. Though the words made sense individually, they seemed foreign when strung together in this context.
Crocodile and the others looked utterly perplexed.
udius sighed and waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, it''s terrible when there''s ack of culture. Forget it. Just think of it as a really powerful move."
Not wanting to seem ignorant, Crocodile took a sip from his ss, choosing not to press further. He then shifted his gaze to Enel. "I heard you won''t be heading back to Mariejois after this?"
"That''s right. I''m nning to roam the seas as a pirate and aim to be one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, like you," Enel replied confidently.
"With your Thunder Fruit powers, that should be achievable. I''ll admit, I''m a bit envious of such a powerful ability," Crocodile said, his tone genuine.
After exchanging a few more words with Enel, Crocodile turned back to udius. "I''ve already finalized an arrangement with Domingo. He''ll be providing the contraband—Dance powder."
udius nodded approvingly. "Good. So, what''s your n for basta?"
"The Nefertari family holds significant influence in basta. They are revered and trusted by the people. The first step is to erode that trust, to sow the seeds of doubt and internal strife," Crocodile said calmly, as if he were discussing the weather.
"So, you''ll be aiding the rebels to undermine the royal family?" udius inquired, a slight smirk on his lips.
"Not exactly. That approach is too blunt. I aim to position myself as the hero of this nation. Once the rebels topple the royal family, I''ll step in to quell the rebellion and restore order. With that move, I''ll be seen as the savior of basta and gain control of the country," Crocodile exined.
"Sounds like a solid n, but building that kind of reputation will take time," udius said.
Crocodile nodded in agreement. "Exactly. umting that level of prestige is a gradual process."
udius took a thoughtful sip from his ss. "Stick to your n. I won''t interfere."
Crocodile seemed satisfied with that response. After a moment''s pause, he added, "There are rumors of Poneglyphs in basta. Are you interested in those? Should I obtain one for you?"
At this, Robin''s eyes lit up with sudden interest. She stared at both men, anticipation flickering in her gaze.
udius chuckled. "The Poneglyphs, huh? They''re just icing on the cake. I''m not particrly concerned about them."
There was a time when udius would have been intrigued by the mysteries of the Void Century and the secrets hidden in the Poneglyphs. But he had since realized something: historical revtions might shake the world, but they were only catalysts. True change was brought about by power.
An ordinary man could uncover the greatest of secrets and broadcast them to the world, but what would that achieve? He would remain a nobody, easily swept away by the tides of history. The real yers the ones who stood to gain would always be those in power.
So udius didn''t care much about the Poneglyphs anymore. Whether someone exposed their secrets or not, he was more focused on consolidating his strength. That was what really mattered.
"Just icing on the cake, huh?" Crocodile echoed, a smile ying on his lips. "You might be right."
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