"I have a bad feeling... something is approaching," Luffy muttered, his expression one of pure terror.
Evan looked at him skeptically, letting out a groan of complaint. "How can you have a feeling if you haven't even started mastering Observation Haki? What exactly are you sensing?"
To clear his doubts, Evan released his own perception, expanding his awareness of the surroundings. A second later, his face also darkened, taking on a gloomy hue.
"So that's it... There really is some kind of blood induction in the Monkey family, isn't there?" Evan grumbled, pressing a hand to his face in frustration. "Or is it that the hellish training you went through as a kid burned this survival instinct into you?"
Luffy, oblivious to his companion's teasing, rubbed his arms vigorously, feeling his skin crawl. "What do you mean?! This ominous feeling is getting stronger and stronger!"
"Garp is here," Evan stated, revealing the mystery directly.
That name was enough. Luffy went into an instant panic knowing that his grandfather, the "Hero of the Marines," was in the vicinity. "What?! Grandpa?! Everyone, retreat!" the captain shouted, ordering a getaway before they even spotted a single cloak of Justice on the horizon.
Evan didn't object. It wasn't that he feared Garp in a strict sense; after all, his strength had increased considerably, and he was no longer the same man who faced CP9 agents or other high-level enemies. However, fighting Garp was an exhausting task.
The old man was the typical character with absurd stamina and massive attack damage—a tank that hit like a freight train.
Evan knew he could hold his own, but taking a punch from Garp meant being sore for the entire day. Besides, being Luffy's grandfather, he wasn't an enemy Evan wanted to annihilate, which made a serious fight even more tedious. "Unless I reach a level of power that absolutely crushes him, I'd rather avoid the fatigue," he thought as he followed his companions in their escape.
While the Straw Hats scrambled to flee, Isuka tried to give chase. "Wait, Evan, you bastard! Don't think you're getting away!"
But before she could take three steps, Nami acted again. With a simple gesture, she activated the power of the Sube Sube no Mi. The ground beneath Isuka's feet instantly lost all friction. It was like stepping on the most treacherous banana peel in a racing game; Isuka lost her balance and fell flat on her back, sliding uncontrollably.
Taking advantage of the confusion, the group managed to take refuge in the royal palace, a territory where the Navy could not easily enter without causing a diplomatic incident.
"The shopping trip was a total failure," Evan complained once they were safe. "Who would have thought they'd be waiting for us right outside?"
Although Evan could have used his Haki combined with the powers of the Thunderbird to monitor the entire island—much like Enel did in Skypiea—he preferred not to. Maintaining that level of constant surveillance was a mental torture. Picking up the thoughts, movements, and lives of thousands of citizens in Alabasta was not only an invasion of privacy that he detested, but an unbearable psychic burden. He only opened his senses when it was strictly necessary for combat.
Inside the palace, the atmosphere was a mix of relief and recrimination.
"You, moss-head, are truly pathetic," Sanji mocked, even though his own face was a tapestry of bruises and his nose was swollen like a tomato. "You were taken down in seconds by a single sword strike."
Zoro, pressing his waist with winces of pain while Chopper tended to him, flashed an icy glare. "I was caught off guard, that's all. I didn't use Soru, how was I supposed to know she'd attack from that angle?"
"Zoro, stay still," Chopper scolded while applying disinfectant.
"It was just a scratch! I could have kept fighting," the swordsman insisted, making excuses. "The battle wasn't over. I'll definitely get her back next time."
"And look at you, you third-rate cook," Zoro shot back, pointing at Sanji's face. "Look at yourself, you look like a beaten pig."
Sanji, despite his injuries, let out a dreamy sigh and an idiotic grin. "The operation was clearly directed at me... They were all beautiful young ladies. How was I supposed to defend myself? It was... an attack of happiness." A small pink heart appeared floating above his head.
Evan watched the scene with a long sigh of resignation. Then, he looked at Nami and gave her a thumbs up. "Good job, Nami. With that control, you don't have to fear hand-to-hand combat anymore."
Unconsciously, Evan began to drift mentally, and his thoughts were reflected on the pages of the diary:
[Controlling friction to make the enemy slip and fall... it's a perfect technique for my wife Nami. After all, for a weak woman like her, head-on combat is too much suffering.]
[Wait... weak woman? That's debatable. After all, she's the only person capable of knocking out Luffy with one punch. She's probably the most powerful being aboard this ship.]
Evan stroked his chin as he looked at Nami, but she was already reading the diary.
"If you're thinking of acting up in the future, you'd better weigh my combat strength first," Nami said, clenching her fist and flashing a smile that, while sweet, sent a chill down Evan's spine.
"I didn't expect Garp to show up here," Robin commented, calmly analyzing the situation. "With him present, it's unlikely Crocodile will dare to make a direct move. Right now, what the Shichibukai wants most is in this palace, but his forces are decimated and we are a major obstacle."
Crocodile was trapped. His subordinates had been defeated or had surrendered, leaving only Mr. 1 by his side. With Evan on the opposing side and Garp roaming the area, the most logical thing for a calculating man like him would be to retreat and wait for another opportunity years later.
"Heh," Evan let out a cold smile. "I only need a small trick to force him to move. He won't be able to resist."
Evan already had a plan in mind to draw the snake out of its hole. A scheme that Crocodile, with his ambition and pride, would undoubtedly bite.