On the path leading from Rainbase to Yuba, two figures stood against the vast expanse of the desert.
"So, today's the day your grand plan is supposed to unfold, and yet, here you are, still working hard to stir up trouble..."
"Crocodile, just how dedicated are you to your job?"
Smoker, puffing on two cigars, cast a mocking glance at Crocodile, who held a single cigar between his lips.
"Marine Headquarters... Rear Admiral Smoker!"
Though Smoker wasn't wearing his "Justice" coat, Crocodile was clearly no stranger to this Logia-wielding Marine.
"A Marine daring to take on me, a Warlord of the Sea... who gave you the authority?!"
"Authority? Obviously, my direct superior... As for proof, you can take it up with him yourself."
"I've been given a single order—stop you from reaching Alubarna and take you into custody!"
"Direct superior... Marine Headquarters Admiral Candidate, 'Orange Horse' Wright!"
Crocodile gritted his teeth. "I see now... That old man Cobra must have caught on to my plan and secretly requested his assistance!"
"But... do you really think you can stop me?!"
"Why don't we find out? I've been looking forward to this day for a long time!"
Smoker's lips curled into a smirk. "A battle between Logia users... now that gets the blood pumping!"
A vein throbbed on Crocodile's forehead—normally, he was a man of deep schemes, composed and elegant, his emotions rarely betraying him.
But now, his meticulously crafted plan, a decade in the making, had been thrown into utter chaos by an overwhelming force beyond his control. A burning rage clouded his rationality.
Crocodile knew full well what would happen now that the Marines had uncovered his scheme!
With Smoker standing in his way, his entire plan was practically in ruins.
At this moment, all he wanted was a good fight against this damn Marine—even if he lost, capturing him wouldn't be that easy!
"Desert Spada!"
A massive blade of sand slashed through the desert, hurtling toward Smoker!
"You really have been away from the New World for too long..."
Smoker swung his massive jitte, "White Jitte," intercepting the sand blade. Thick plumes of white smoke billowed into the air, clashing with the swirling sands beneath Crocodile's feet.
"Let me help you remember what real battles in the New World are like!"
...
Outside Alubarna, the Alabasta Royal Capital.
Hina lit a slim cigarette, exhaling a thin stream of smoke.
"That smoke-loving idiot should have intercepted Crocodile by now."
She glanced at the numerous high-ranking Baroque Works agents, all locked tightly behind iron bars, unconscious and completely subdued. Shaking her head, she muttered:
"Hina is disappointed... A bunch of weaklings who have never faced the brutal reality of the New World. Even the Devil Fruit users among them only know how to rely on their abilities."
"And with this pathetic crew, you thought you could take over an entire country? Petty conspiracies and cheap tricks... Once exposed, this is what happens."
Lying sprawled across the desert sands were Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, and the other agents ranked below them.
Hina had single-handedly taken them all down!
Against a Marine Headquarters elite captain who had battled forces under the Four Emperors, they didn't stand a chance!
Moments later, a squad of Alabasta Royal Guards, led by "Jackal" Chaka, arrived.
"Captain Hina, you've done us a great service!"
Chaka ordered his men to restrain the captured agents further, locking them in Seastone cuffs before bowing slightly in gratitude.
"Hina is unbothered—these guys weren't even worth the effort."
She waved a hand dismissively. "Now it's up to you to handle the rest... How is the effort to calm the citizens going?"
"Rest assured, the Royal Guard's 'Birdclaw Squad' is overseeing the process. The impact of today's events will be minimized as much as possible."
"His Majesty Cobra wishes for this incident to cause as little disruption to the people as possible. Defending our land is our duty—we must not drag the civilians into it."
"King Cobra truly is a great ruler..."
Hina nodded approvingly. "Then, I will proceed as planned—to relieve Commander Pell and take over Princess Vivi's protection."
"Commander Pell still has matters to attend to."
"Thank you for your assistance!"
"You should thank the Vice Admiral..."
...
Alabasta Royal Palace Courtyard.
Captain T Bone watched as Miss Goldenweek frantically displayed her various colors, attempting to manipulate his emotions.
He simply shook his head.
"It's useless... The justice I uphold isn't something mere colors can sway!"
Miss Goldenweek's partner, Mr. 3, gulped nervously, staring at T Bone's terrifying expression and the shredded remnants of his wax duplicates and wax walls.
"Impossible... How did you see through my real body?!"
If he hadn't reacted in time and used "Wax Wall" to defend himself, he would have been cleaved in half like his wax clones!
"Scheming cowards like you..."
T Bone gripped his sword. "I despise anything that lacks honor—including cheap tricks like yours!"
"I owe it all to Vice Admiral Wright's special training—awakening Observation Haki... Your wax figures are useless against it!"
"Observation... Haki? What is that..."
Mr. 3 was puzzled, but now wasn't the time to ask.
"Miss Goldenweek, assist me!"
"If the Marines catch us, we're finished! Not even the boss can save us!"
"Candle Champion!"
A massive suit of wax armor, resembling a giant mech, formed instantly. Miss Goldenweek quickly painted it, enhancing its power.
"This is the royal palace courtyard! But instead of guards and maids, we're facing a Marine Captain!"
Mr. 3's heart pounded—his strategist's mind piecing it all together.
This entire plan... had been countered completely by King Cobra!
The palace was a trap!
"Damn it! Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas should have opened the underground tunnel by now and taken Miss All Sunday to the throne room..."
"We can only hope they capture Cobra!"
Meanwhile, the duo that Mr. 3 had placed his hopes on—Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas—lay unconscious in the palace's rear courtyard.
They had been only one hallway away from the king's audience chamber.
However, before they could even see their enemy's face, a single devastating kick had sent them sprawling, leaving them paralyzed and insensate.
Moments later, the royal guards arrived, restraining them with Seastone cuffs and dragging them away.
...
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
"..."
Wright held up "Dog Gun" Lassoo—a firearm that had consumed the Inu Inu no Mi, Dachshund Model—watching as the weapon struggled in his grasp.
Flicking its head, he chuckled.
"Bonk!"
"Yelp!"
Lasso whimpered, clutching its head with tiny paws, quickly recognizing who was in charge.
"You little guy, how did you escape from Dr. Vegapunk's lab?"
Wright chuckled. "Or did the good doctor misplace another dangerous creation while moving labs?"
Cobra, visibly astonished, ran his hand over Lassoo's gun barrel and gave the creature's swaying tail a gentle tug.
"This… even inanimate objects can eat Devil Fruits? How is that possible?!"
"This is one of Dr. Vegapunk's creations. But as far as I know, this project has been put on hold—according to the doctor, at best, all it does is create a pet. He figured it was better to have soldiers eat the fruit instead.
"I think so too. Objects can't fully utilize a Devil Fruit's potential. They might look impressive, but in the face of true powerhouses, they don't amount to much."
Wright couldn't help but laugh as he thought of the alpaca cannon that Instructor Shuzo practically treated like his own son. "I'll take you to find your brother later—you two haven't seen each other in a while, have you?"
"Vice Admiral Wright, this woman…"
Cobra turned his head, his gaze falling on the woman seated before them—treated far differently from the two outside.
Miss All-Sunday.
"Hmm… looks like we need to have a proper talk, Nico Robin!"
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