Alubarna, Capital of Alabasta
One green figure and one black figure dashed through Alubarna Palace Square, moving like war gods.
Sanji walked with his hands in his pockets, his long legs slicing through the air. Every kick he delivered sent another fighter crashing to the ground.
Zoro gripped his two swords in reverse and charged like a raging bull. Countless citizens were knocked flying wherever he passed.
The two of them had chosen the most primitive method to stop the war.
Knock out everyone on both sides.
But...
There were simply too many people.
A war involving hundreds of thousands could not possibly be stopped by just the two of them.
High atop the Alubarna Clock Tower, Usopp fully used his advantage as a sniper. His eyes constantly swept across the battlefield, searching for the undercover Baroque Works agents secretly fueling the war.
"Zoro! Thirty meters northeast of you—there's a Baroque Works agent!"
Usopp's voice came through the wireless earpiece.
"Got it! Northeast, right?!"
Holding his swords, Zoro looked left and right before charging forward purely on instinct.
"Hmm?!"
Sanji watched Zoro running around aimlessly and sighed in exasperation.
He suddenly launched himself forward like an arrow released from a bow, skimming across the ground.
BANG!!
A black leather shoe slammed squarely into the undercover agent's face.
Sanji clenched his cigarette between his teeth and raised an eyebrow mockingly.
"You owe me one, you moss-headed directionally challenged idiot."
Suddenly—
"Damn it! You're one of the rebels, aren't you?!"
A blood-soaked Royal Army soldier pointed his sword at Sanji.
CLANG!
A blade blocked the strike.
Zoro twisted his sword and smashed the soldier's chest with the hilt, sending him flying backward.
"We're even now!"
Zoro grinned fiercely.
"Tch. Even without you, that guy couldn't touch me."
Sanji shot back with disdain.
"You stupid moss-head!"
"You curly-browed love-cook!"
The two pressed their foreheads together, sparks practically flying between them.
The unfortunate people around them suffered the consequences of their escalating argument.
Meanwhile, Tony Tony Chopper was treating the injured Koza.
"No problem. In about half an hour, you should be able to move normally again."
Chopper carefully applied herbal medicine across Koza's chest before wrapping it in bandages with practiced precision.
"Is there really no way to stop this...?"
Princess Nefertari Vivi looked up at the sand-filled sky, her beautiful face filled with worry.
On the Road to the Royal Tomb
Nico Robin escorted King Cobra through a street leading toward the Royal Tomb.
"Nico Robin... is that your real name?"
The silent Cobra finally spoke.
Robin's dark blue eyes flickered slightly as she glanced at him.
"So what if it is? That has nothing to do with you."
"Twenty years ago, that name shook the entire world. Why would that girl appear here?"
Cobra voiced the doubt in his heart.
"You only need to lead the way," Robin replied coldly.
"Take me to the Poneglyph."
Her calm, mature voice carried obvious impatience.
Suddenly, both of them stopped.
Tashigi, leading a group of Marines, blocked the road ahead.
Robin lifted her head.
Her gaze sharpened as a chill entered her voice.
"Could you step aside, Marines?"
"That's impossible."
Tashigi pointed at Cobra.
"I already heard everything from the injured Marines in Alubarna. Do you even know who he is?"
"Who knows?"
Robin's voice was indifferent.
"It doesn't matter who he is."
"I hate government people the most."
"If you insist on blocking my way..."
"We have no intention of moving!"
Tashigi stubbornly placed her hand on her famed sword, Shigure.
The atmosphere instantly turned tense.
"Then I'll just have to kill you."
A cold light flashed in Robin's eyes.
She crossed her arms.
"Treinta Fleur!"
In an instant, countless arms sprouted from the Marines' shoulders, tightly gripping their necks.
"A Devil Fruit user?!"
Tashigi gasped, cold sweat forming on her forehead.
"Didn't I say I'm in a hurry?"
Robin's voice was cold.
"Don't make me angry."
As she tightened her grip, the soldiers began to suffocate. Their faces turned purple before they collapsed to the ground.
At that moment, an elderly Marine who had barely avoided the attack hurried toward Tashigi.
"Chief Petty Officer! That woman is Nico Robin!"
"Twenty years ago, she sank six Marine warships!"
"The Government classified her as a top-level threat!"
"Her bounty is seventy-nine million Berries!"
"Seventy-nine million?!"
Tashigi's head rang.
This was the first time she had ever faced a criminal with such a terrifying bounty.
But her sense of justice refused to let her retreat.
SHING!
Shigure left its sheath and pointed straight at Robin.
"Hurry... hand over King Cobra!"
Tashigi charged forward with both hands gripping her sword.
"Heh... how reckless."
Robin's cold eyes filled with contempt as she crossed her arms again.
In an instant, multiple arms sprouted across Tashigi's body, restraining her completely.
"Honestly... you've wasted several minutes of my time."
Under Tashigi's furious yet unwilling gaze, Robin escorted Cobra away.
Alabasta Desert
Behind Sir Crocodile, the desert sand surged wildly, forming a gigantic sand crocodile nearly ten meters tall.
"Take this, brat!"
"Sandstorm: Desert Spada!"
The massive sand crocodile roared and lunged forward, opening its enormous jaws.
"Damn...!"
The huge shadow swallowed Monkey D. Luffy.
His face darkened as his hands trembled.
Luffy took a deep breath.
Crack.
His fists clenched tightly as Armament Haki coated them.
"Gum-Gum Gatling!"
His fists rained down like a storm, blasting the massive sand beast with explosive force.
BOOM!!
Moments later, a huge hole exploded through the sandstorm.
Luffy shot out at incredible speed toward Crocodile.
"What?!"
Crocodile was stunned.
He actually broke through that?!
BAM!!
Luffy's sandal smashed directly into Crocodile's face.
Then Crocodile's body flew away like a kite with its string cut.
"Ha... ha..."
Luffy stood in the desert, completely exhausted.
Blood poured from his wounds, dripping into the sand.
"Damn brat..."
Not far away, Crocodile slowly stood up.
On his twisted face was a fresh red mark.
It was—
Luffy's sandal print.
"Crocodile... that mark actually suits you pretty well!"
Even as his consciousness blurred, Luffy still could not stop talking.
Those words caused Crocodile's eyes to turn blood-red with killing intent.
"Go... die!!"
He raised his hand, forming a massive sand blade that shot toward Luffy.
Luffy's nerves jolted as Armament Haki instantly coated his chest.
CLANG!!
The sand blade collided with him like metal striking metal.
But only for a moment.
The blade shattered through the Haki and slashed across Luffy's chest, sending blood spraying into the air.
"End of the line, brat!"
Crocodile compressed the swirling sand in his palm into a miniature storm and hurled it forward.
As it traveled, the compressed sand rapidly expanded.
In the blink of an eye, it became a colossal sand tornado stretching from earth to sky, roaring toward the airborne Luffy.
Gradually, the sand tornado disappeared into the distance.
Crocodile lit a bloodstained cigar and began walking back toward Alubarna.
In his mind, Luffy was already dead beyond any doubt.
Time passed.
Luffy's battered body lay in the desert beneath the blazing sun.
He slowly raised his mangled hand.
"I... did everything I could..."
"He's just... too strong..."
Yet why...
Did he feel so unwilling to accept defeat?
Luffy's consciousness began fading, but the memories in his mind became clearer.
The first time he met Vivi.
The many times he had watched Vivi cry aboard the ship.
All the joyful moments they had shared along the journey.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Luffy's heart suddenly began beating violently.
At the same time, a warm current surged through his entire body.
Gradually...
He felt like he could control his body again.
Constitution +0.1Constitution +0.1Constitution +0.1...
Armament Haki +1Armament Haki +1Armament Haki +1...
Observation Haki +0.3Observation Haki +0.3Observation Haki +0.3...
At that moment—
A white bird flew across the sky above him.