Igaram let out a heavy sigh before speaking.
“I only deceived you to ensure you left Alabasta safely, and it was done under His Majesty’s orders.
The enemy we are facing is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile.
The gap in power is simply too great.
If he truly decides to eliminate the royal family, then Alabasta will face complete ruin.”
Vivi’s face flushed with anger, but she was not unreasonable.
She held herself back, forcing her emotions down before asking,
“Then my brother and my father, are they in danger now?”
“They are in extreme danger,” Igaram replied seriously.
“The prince and His Majesty have already neutralized the Rebel Army that Crocodile incited.
That alone has disrupted his plans.
There is no way he will let that go easily.
Princess, our priority now is to gather evidence of Crocodile’s crimes and hand it over for judgment.”
“I understand,” Vivi said softly, taking a steady breath before nodding.
In truth, Igaram overlooked an important point.
If they truly managed to gather enough evidence, seeking out the Marines would be the most reliable choice.
There were still those within the Marines who upheld justice.
Turning directly to the World Government, on the other hand, could easily lead them into deeper trouble.
…
To Nair’s surprise, Crocodile remained completely inactive even after several months had passed.
It was possible that the incident involving Admiral Aokiji had genuinely intimidated him.
The moment he arrived in Rainbase, Crocodile’s subordinates had already identified him.
It was puzzling how they recognized him so quickly, especially when he had taken precautions to conceal his identity.
However, from Crocodile’s perspective, that encounter had served as a silent warning.
First, he had been defeated, and then his opponent appeared directly at his base.
To Crocodile, it felt like deliberate pressure, as if he were being watched and cornered.
That fear forced him into inaction.
He even began to suspect that Aokiji already knew something, and that the visit had been a test, waiting for him to make a mistake.
As a result, Crocodile chose to remain completely still, doing nothing that might expose him until Aokiji eventually left the country.
Crocodile could endure.
He had already waited twenty years.
Waiting a little longer meant nothing to him.
For now, he allowed Nair and the others to proceed with their plans.
But in his mind, once their so called grand project was completed, he would destroy it without hesitation.
He would send his agents to plunge the country back into chaos, creating the perfect opportunity to seize Pluton.
And once he obtained Pluton, even someone like Aokiji would no longer be a threat.
At the same time, Crocodile ordered his agents to withdraw those responsible for using Dance Powder in the capital.
In truth, even without that order, Nair’s strict investigations had already made it nearly impossible for such activities to continue near the capital.
However, nature itself showed no mercy.
Alabasta was still deep within a drought season. Get faster updates on g.com.
Even after the use of Dance Powder stopped, rainfall across most regions remained scarce.
Fortunately, some rain did fall, slightly easing the kingdom’s financial burden.
The original estimated cost of the River of Life Project had been one hundred billion Berries.
With the improved conditions, the initial construction phase required only around sixty billion.
However, Nair insisted on launching construction across multiple locations at once to accelerate progress, and when future maintenance costs were factored in, the total expenditure once again exceeded one hundred billion Berries.
In a peaceful world, such a project would have drawn global admiration.
But in the era of pirates, even a massive undertaking like this failed to attract as much attention as one of Big Mom’s tea parties.
…
Once construction officially began, the entire kingdom seemed to awaken with renewed energy.
Three hundred thousand workers poured their effort into the project day and night, their sweat and determination transforming the barren land.
Along the banks of the Sandora River, countless torches burned through the night.
From a distance, they resembled a sky full of stars scattered across the desert.
The air was filled with shouts and the sound of labor.
It was a sight Alabasta had never witnessed in its long history.
Even the giant catfish that lurked within the Sandora River, creatures known for preying on humans, were driven into hiding.
Faced with such overwhelming numbers, they retreated to the depths, unwilling to surface.
The sheer scale of three hundred thousand people working together was something even they could not confront.
“Heave!”
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