Royal Palace
Nefertari Cobra, the king of Alabasta, was pinned to the wall by two iron spikes driven through his shoulder blades.
Blood streamed helplessly down the wall.
"Father!!"
Vivi's mind went blank as she tried to rush forward, but Chaka grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
"I'm sorry, Vivi… I wasted the opportunity you created for us."
King Cobra's face was filled with shame.
From above, Sir Crocodile looked down at Vivi with amusement in his eyes.
"Well now… is that all there is to a reunion between father and daughter after so long, Miss Wednesday?"
"Don't call me that name!"
Vivi reacted as if stung. Her clear sky-blue eyes burned with anger.
Crocodile paused for a moment, took a long drag from his cigar, and exhaled a stream of smoke.
"Let me make one thing clear first."
"I don't intend to let either of you live."
"The fall of a kingdom and the extinction of its royal family—those are perfectly natural phenomena."
"But before the throne changes hands…"
Step… step… step…
Crocodile walked slowly toward the king, his brown coat fluttering as a suffocating pressure filled the palace.
"Before that, there's something I need to ask you, King Cobra."
He stopped in front of him.
"…Tell me."
"Where is Pluton?"
The moment those words were spoken—
the entire hall fell silent.
Everyone stared at Crocodile.
Vivi's mind buzzed.
Pluton? What is he talking about?
King Cobra's eyes widened in shock.
"How… do you know that name?!"
"Oh?"
Seeing Cobra's reaction, Crocodile smiled.
"Judging from that expression… it seems I came to the right place."
"No. I don't know where it is."
Cobra spoke firmly.
"In fact, I'm not even sure whether it truly exists somewhere within this country."
"Hmm?"
Crocodile leaned in close, his cigar nearly touching Cobra's face.
He stared straight into the king's eyes.
Cobra met his gaze without fear.
After a long moment—
"—Hah."
Crocodile exhaled a cloud of smoke that engulfed Cobra, making him cough violently.
"Fine."
"If that's the case, I'll ask a different question."
"Where is the Poneglyph that records history?"
"You should at least remember where that is."
Vivi felt her heart tremble.
Even the Poneglyph… he knows about that too?
This man knew far too much about Alabasta.
Cobra remained silent.
His face darkened.
He clearly knew the answer—
but had no intention of speaking.
"Heh. Don't want to talk?"
"No problem."
Crocodile casually pulled a pocket watch from his coat.
"It's 3:40 now."
"According to my plan, the Rebel Army will reach the central square in about twenty minutes and begin fighting."
He spoke as if discussing something trivial.
The half-burned cigar was crushed between his fingers.
His voice grew cold.
"And thirty minutes after that… at 4:30 PM…"
"A powerful bomb will explode in that square."
"A… bomb?!"
Everyone froze in shock.
They hadn't expected Crocodile to be so insane.
"You bastard… are you serious?!"
Cobra was furious.
As a benevolent king, his people were like his own flesh and blood.
Crocodile's plan struck directly at his deepest weakness.
"It's a specially made bomb with a five-kilometer blast radius."
Crocodile grinned wildly.
Vivi's mind filled with a horrifying image—
A gigantic mushroom cloud rising over Alubarna.
Countless citizens screaming as they were reduced to ashes.
"The Rebel Army and the Royal Army will both be wiped out."
"But the war will end."
Crocodile smirked.
"Isn't that what you wanted, Vivi?"
"You wanted to stop the rebellion, didn't you?"
He deliberately provoked her emotions, clearly enjoying the helpless rage of the weak.
Vivi's face turned pale.
Her legs trembled as she staggered forward.
"What did those people ever do to you?!"
"What do you gain from this?!"
"Hehehe…"
Crocodile spread his arms.
A massive surge of sand erupted upward, forming the shape of a gigantic crocodile.
"In this world…"
"Weakness itself is a crime!"
"All of them…"
"…are simply sacrifices for my plan."
Everyone felt a suffocating pressure from his mere presence.
"If I tell you where it is…"
Cobra forced himself to speak.
"…will you spare the people?"
"Oh?"
Crocodile glanced at him calmly.
"You have less than fifty minutes left."
"…I…"
"…I'll take you there."
Cobra looked as if all his strength had drained away.
"Hahahahaha!"
"As expected of the wise King Cobra."
"A man who knows when to be sensible."
Outside the Palace
"Move! Move!"
Four burly men forced their way through the crowd and smashed open the palace gates with massive axes.
They were the elite of Alabasta—
the Royal Guard's Claw Squad.
"Stop!"
"Don't attack that man!"
Cobra shouted in panic.
One side was merely the kingdom's elite soldiers.
The other—
was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The difference in power was immeasurable.
"Your Majesty!"
"Protecting you with our lives is our duty!"
"We cannot stand by and watch you die!"
The four men shouted in unison.
Suddenly—
strange markings appeared across their bodies.
Their eyes became feral.
They had lost their reason.
Chaka's eyes widened in shock.
"They drank it…"
"The forbidden water—Hero Water!"
"It grants temporary strength at the cost of life!"
"They only have a few minutes left…"
"They're already beyond saving!"
Crocodile chuckled.
"There are always fools who can't see the gap in reality."
He glanced at the golden hook replacing his left hand.
For a moment, his expression darkened.
Once, he had been just as arrogant.
After sailing through the Grand Line's Paradise with ease, he had believed himself invincible.
Then he lost his hand—
and suffered humiliation.
"Lord Chaka… forgive our selfishness."
The four soldiers trembled as they gripped their weapons.
"But only this way…"
"…can we show him the anger of our country!"
They charged forward.
"We will make this man feel the wrath of Alabasta!"
"I didn't plan on wasting effort on fools."
"But you've reminded me of something unpleasant."
Crocodile's eyes turned cold.
"In your next life… try being a little more humble."
A violent sandstorm gathered in his palm.
Then he swung his arm.
A gigantic blade of sand shot forward.
In an instant—
the four men were sliced apart.
Their water, flesh, and bone were drained.
Their bodies crumbled into drifting sand.
Chaka's eyes widened in fury.
His entire body trembled with rage.
"You monster!"
With a roar, he transformed into a jackal.
Zoan-Type Devil Fruit — Dog-Dog Fruit, Jackal Model!
"Jackal Fang!!"
His attack struck Crocodile—
but only scattered sand.
"You want to die for others too?"
Crocodile remained expressionless.
The golden hook on his left arm gleamed ominously.
Meanwhile
Luffy walked through the city with Nami on his back, chatting casually.
"Seriously, Usopp is so unreliable."
"That Clima-Tact he made is basically a joke weapon!"
Luffy suddenly paused.
Funny… later that thing becomes one of Nami's strongest weapons.
"Maybe you just didn't read the instructions?" he said.
"Well…"
Nami looked embarrassed.
"That's Usopp's fault! Who told him to make it so complicated!"
"Sure, sure."
Luffy shrugged.
Then he glanced behind him.
"Your leg should be fine by now though… look at Zoro."
Behind them, Zoro followed slowly.
His body was covered in sword wounds.
"I refuse."
"I'm a girl, you know!"
To Luffy's surprise, Nami actually began acting spoiled on his back.
Her chest pressed tightly against his back.
"Alright, alright…"
Luffy smiled helplessly.
If Chopper was the crew's mascot—
then Nami was the crew's absolute ruler.
No one dared to provoke her.
Still…
she wasn't heavy at all.
Eventually they reached their desHination.
A massive clock tower rising high above the city.
It was the tallest structure in Alubarna, even taller than the royal palace.
CRACK!
Luffy stomped the ground.
Spider-web cracks spread across the stone.
BOOM!
His body shot upward like a rocket.
The cold wind swept through his black hair.
Freedom filled his eyes.
Suddenly—
his neck tightened.
He looked back.
Nami was clinging to him tightly, her face buried in his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist.
Her body trembled slightly.
She was terrified of the height.
"…Sigh."
Luffy sighed.
At least she wasn't screaming.
Soon they reached the level of the clock face.
The ticking clock echoed.
Luffy knew—
Crocodile's bomb was hidden here.
Without hesitation, he kicked forward.
BOOM!!
The giant clock hand shattered.
"W-What—?!"
The guards of the tower—
Mr. 7 and Miss Father's Day—
stared in shock.
A figure emerged from the smoke.
—WHOOSH!
Luffy moved like a blur.
His sandal slammed into Mr. 7's face.
Mr. 7 flew away instantly and collapsed unconscious.
Miss Father's Day immediately tried to escape.
But Luffy kicked again.
His sandal, coated in dark power, smashed into her head.
A massive lump formed instantly.
She fainted on the spot.
The sandal spun through the air—
and landed perfectly back on Luffy's foot.
"Okay."
"All done."
Luffy smiled.
"Alright, you can get down now."
He set Nami down.
Her legs were still shaky, but she could stand.
At the same time, Pell flew up in his falcon form.
After hearing Luffy's explanation—
"Pell, I'll leave the bomb to you."
Luffy shrugged.
"It's on a timer. There's still time."
Then Luffy jumped to the top of the tower.
Standing high above the city, he looked toward the royal palace.
He cracked his knuckles.
"Time to settle accounts…"
"…Sand Crocodile."