That sky piercing roar was so explosive it even made the blood soaked battlefield freeze for a beat.
Everyone stared in a daze at the figure who had burst out from underground, drenched head to toe in blood, shouting to the heavens with his mouth wide open.
The Straw Hat crew heard Luffy's roar too.
Zoro and Sanji both went green on the spot. They did not even realize Crocodile had already been defeated.
"What the hell is wrong with Luffy?!"
"That idiot… what nonsense is he yelling now?!"
The battlefield did not stop just because Monkey D. Luffy had appeared. It was still loud, still chaotic, still full of fighting.
But Vivi's heart turned ice cold.
Seriously, Luffy…
I was this close to succeeding, and then you come out with something that disrespectful.
Do you want Alabasta to trade one disaster for an even worse one?!?!
"Th that… Lord Ozz…"
Vivi wanted to patch things up, to say something, anything, but Ozz only waved a hand, expression calm.
"I've seen it. About their attitude toward me, you can pass this message along."
"I'll be waiting for them on the sea, on their journey."
Then he glanced toward the unconscious Crocodile, sent flying with his eyes rolled back, the chaotic battlefield, and the Straw Hats who were already running on fumes.
"Interesting. Consider it a reward for clearing a minor stage."
"Seagull King."
Hearing Ozz's quiet murmur, the Seagull King tilted its head and answered, then spread its wings and shot up into the sky.
"Lord Ozz!!!"
Vivi did not know what to do. Gratitude shone in her eyes as she stared at him.
"Don't look at me like that. This isn't over yet."
Ozz lifted his head toward the sky. Thunder rumbled. Dark storm clouds were dragged in by the wind, piling up in a vast mass.
His black hair danced wildly. A crimson glow flared in his eyes.
"Still… Alabasta's whole situation is basically a farce to me. It's interesting, isn't it?"
Vivi could not speak. Fear and gratitude flashed back and forth in her eyes.
A war involving over a million people, refugees, slaughter, a nation thrown into chaos by Crocodile…
And in this man's eyes, it was just a farce.
Or rather…
A game?
How could something this outrageous exist in the world?!?!
As the storm swept in, the enormous silhouette of a majestic bird rolled through the clouds, appearing and vanishing between lightning and shadow.
Everyone stared at the suddenly darkened weather, and at that "divine bird" that seemed to summon wind and rain.
Drip. Drip.
A few raindrops fell.
Then, the sky opened.
Sheets of rain poured down.
The rain that symbolized hope splashed onto every person in Alabasta. People cheered, ecstatic, forgetting the war entirely.
Only Vivi felt that rain like ice.
She fell to her knees, face drained.
Ozz turned back, patted her shoulder, and leaned closer.
"Then do your best, Your Majesty, the future Queen of Alabasta."
Looking at that face, almost identical to Lili's, Ozz smiled and walked away.
The crowd erupted in celebration. The Straw Hats finally exhaled.
But when some people still seemed concerned about the culprit, Crocodile, Usopp, wrapped up like a mummy, immediately tried to explode in anger. Sanji stopped him.
Among them, only Zoro remained calm.
As if guided by instinct, he looked toward the high tower where Vivi had been.
And there, beside her, he saw a familiar tall back.
Slowly walking away.
Disappearing.
"That…?"
Zoro's eyes widened in disbelief. Cold sweat broke out instantly.
He wanted to go see for himself, but the chaos below pinned him in place.
Igaram arrived in the crowd carrying a child.
The child explained how he had discovered Mr. 2 impersonating the King, and the revelation triggered an uproar. Even the rebel leader accepted it.
Weapons lowered.
The war ended.
Elsewhere, the Straw Hats rushed toward the underground chamber to check on Luffy. On the way, they ran into Cobra carrying Luffy out.
They spoke as they walked, but Zoro seemed distracted, frowning and thinking.
A few minutes later, Princess Vivi hurried over as well, her face stiff.
Cobra immediately said he wanted to properly thank the Straw Hats, but Sanji and the others refused.
"At a time like this, your people need you more."
Cobra and Vivi fell silent for a moment.
Cobra went to address the citizens.
Vivi stayed behind, her expression complicated.
Zoro glanced at her, sat down against a wall, and spoke evenly.
"You've got something to say, Vivi."
He had seen it.
Back on that tower, Vivi had been standing right beside that man.
"…Yes. It's about something big. Something that concerns the Straw Hat Pirates' future…"
…
"Seven Warlords of the Sea Crocodile has, with undeniable evidence, conspired to harm a World Government affiliated nation, Alabasta!!!"
Marine soldiers surrounded Crocodile in a tight ring. Tashigi stood in front of him.
Smoker, under the gaze of civilians and Marines alike, held a Den Den Mushi and spoke into it.
"Smoker, you should understand what the Seven Warlords of the Sea represent!!!"
A cold voice came from the other side.
Standing nearby, a woman in a red suit and a Marine cloak, Hina, frowned at Smoker.
"Smoker, there's no choice. World Government orders can't be disobeyed."
Hina hated evil too, but compared to Smoker, she was more rational.
Smoker, however, could not swallow this.
He stared at Crocodile lying unconscious on the ground. His face twisted ugly, veins of bloodshot rage in his eyes.
Under the stunned stares of everyone present, he roared into the Den Den Mushi.
"Hey, you bastards…"
"You're just scared of Black Spear's power and deterrence, aren't you?!"
"Just because of that, you're going to give up arresting a pirate who's committed atrocities?!!"
That fearless outburst, ripping off the last layer of hypocrisy, instantly pushed the people on the other end into furious embarrassment.
"Smoker, you bastard…"
"Go to hell!!!"
Smoker did not even let them finish.
He slammed the call shut.
His eyes were full of red. He bit clean through his cigar.
Demotion, punishment, whatever.
He was that kind of thorn, a man who could not tolerate sand in his eyes.
But then he noticed something.
The area around him had gone strangely quiet.
Everyone was staring past him, faces pale with fear.
By where Crocodile lay, a tall figure had appeared at some point, standing there like he had always been there.
A low voice drifted over.
"Bold words, Marine."
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