In the rear section of the palace, inside Princess Nefertari Vivi’s room, Nefertari Cobra, ever the doting father, was apologizing for his earlier outburst that had frightened her.
“Vivi, don’t be scared.
Everything is fine now.”
“Bastard Father, and Bastard Big Brother!” Vivi pouted before bursting into tears.
“Today is my fourteenth birthday!”
Both of the people she scolded froze.
They had completely forgotten.
Igaram stood to the side, looking awkward.
Even he had failed to remember.
No wonder Vivi had been so upset all day.
Still, with Crocodile visiting and Nair having just caused trouble earlier, there had been no suitable opportunity to hold a celebration.
Then suddenly, the entire palace shook violently.
A deep rumble echoed through the halls.
Cobra’s expression changed at once.
“What is happening?!”
A terrible thought crossed his mind.
Had Crocodile clashed with the Marines?
He exchanged a quick glance with Igaram.
After calming Vivi as much as they could, the two hurried out of the room and rushed toward the main hall.
Before long, Momonga led a group of Marines into the palace.
Protecting the royal family was their duty.
Momonga’s expression darkened as he advanced.
So Crocodile dared to attack the Alabasta royal family directly.
He had seen Crocodile enter the capital earlier, but as a Shichibukai, there had been no justification to act.
Now, everything had changed.
This alone was enough reason to arrest him.
Cobra arrived first, but the sight that greeted him left him stunned.
The grand hall had become a frozen domain.
Ice covered every surface, spreading across the intricate wall carvings and turning them into lifelike sculptures.
Figures stood trapped in ice, their expressions preserved forever.
Among them was Crocodile himself, along with the five subordinates he had brought.
All of them were completely immobilized.
The ground bore signs of violent destruction, yet even the raging sandstorms had been frozen in place, as if time itself had stopped.
The scene felt overwhelming, like witnessing the unstoppable force of nature.
Only then did Cobra notice Nair standing to the side, silent and expressionless.
Nearby, Pell remained equally quiet.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Their thoughts struggled to piece together what had happened.
Still, a vague answer formed in their minds.
Could it have been that man?
At that moment, Momonga and the Marines entered the hall.
When he saw Crocodile frozen solid, his expression shifted dramatically.
The righteous anger he had carried vanished instantly.
There was no doubt.
Only Aokiji possessed such power.
Although he had heard that Aokiji was in Alabasta, he had never expected him to act against Crocodile so directly.
Yet the Admiral himself was nowhere to be seen, which suggested he had no intention of leaving evidence behind.
Cobra, experienced as he was, quickly understood the situation.
He exchanged a subtle glance with Momonga, reaching a silent agreement before turning sharply toward Nair.
“You brat, where did you run off to cause trouble again?
Get back here immediately!”
He had no intention of letting Nair be involved in this matter, not even indirectly.
This was a conflict involving the Marines and a Shichibukai, a clash between an Admiral and Crocodile.
A child had no place in such a situation.
“Father, it was terrifying…” Nair spoke softly, as if he still wanted to explain.