The advance force of the Rebel Army, galloping at full speed, spotted Alubarna ahead.
The moment of battle was finally at hand. Naturally, not the entire army had made it in time due to the long distance, but no one could stop their advance now. The soldiers were steeled with the resolve that once the fighting began, they would not stop until victory was theirs.
Riding at the front, Kohza stared at Alubarna, his brow furrowed.
Was it wrong to think, it's actually going to happen, at this late stage?
As a leader, he understood he couldn't stop it. But even he didn't know what the right answer was anymore.
When the coming battle ended, what would become of this country? What would become of the Kingdom of Alabasta? Seeing the nostalgic town made him think about it.
This war was born from his love for the land where he grew up. That love had forced him to clash with opposing views.
Was what they were doing right? Was it still right? He no longer knew. Now, he was running simply because he couldn't stop.
Hesitating, Kohza looked down, hallucinating his childhood days.
Though he knew the past would never return, he couldn't help but wish he could go back to that time.
Perhaps noticing his mood, the childhood friend riding next to him called out.
Kohza lifted his head and looked at Alubarna again.
There was no time for doubt. That was the reality.
"We're almost at Alubarna. We're charging straight in."
"Yeah... let's end this."
The countless hooves thundering together created a terrifying roar. A little closer, and the people of Alubarna would be forced to notice them.
Once that happened, there would be nothing left but to charge with all their might.
Beneath his sunglasses, Kohza's eyes lit with a dangerous glint.
"Steel yourselves, everyone! Today! We came to win!"
"Yeahhh!"
"We will purge the corrupt ideology, annihilate them, and change this country! You should be ready by now!"
"Yeahhh!"
"Today, I take Cobra's head! Those who share my will, follow me prepared for death!"
"Uoooooh—!"
Not a single soldier failed to raise their voice. Their shouts echoed across the desert.
"Liberate our homeland! Liberate Alabasta! Let's go!!"
"Oooooooh!!"
Their momentum increased as they closed in on Alubarna.
The destination was getting closer, growing larger in their vision.
When they reached a point perhaps a kilometer away in a straight line, quite a few noticed that something was wrong with Alubarna. But their momentum was too great to stop for mere suspicion.
They continued their advance.
Then, suddenly, a voice called out to them.
It was a massive voice, amplified by a Den Den Mushi connected to a loudspeaker, booming across the vast desert.
A voice they had never heard before addressed the Rebel Army.
"Stop right there! Rebel Army!!"
Startled, Kohza instinctively raised his hand.
Led by Kohza at the front, the Rebel Army desperately tried to kill their momentum. They slid forward significantly before finally coming to a halt. They were several hundred meters from the stairs leading into Alubarna—a grand army lined up just outside cannon range.
While many were undoubtedly dissatisfied, the vanguard likely realized the reason.
What Kohza saw were white flags raised high. Flags of surrender. They were lined up along the gate meant to protect Alubarna from invaders.
What on earth did this mean? Confusion spread through the ranks.
Seeing that they had stopped, the man holding the receiver began to speak again.
Standing at the gate near the stairs was Usopp.
A Den Den Mushi sat on the back of Kentauros, one of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad that had come to pick him up.
This Den Den Mushi appeared to be connected to the loudspeaker system normally used for town events.
As Usopp spoke into the receiver, his voice began to blare from speakers placed all over town, and crucially, from several placed at the gate, reaching out into the desert.
"Listen weeeell, Rebel Army! You are being deceived! This entire rebellion you've been fighting... was set up from the very beginning!"
"What is this... who is speaking?"
"Is this a trap by the Royal Army?"
"Everyone has been tricked! The King, you guys, the people in the destroyed towns, and the citizens living normally right now—everyone! If you fight the Royal Army like this, the only one who'll be happy is the mastermind who tricked you!"
There was no guarantee they would believe him. They might laugh it off and charge.
To prevent that, Usopp screamed with desperate intensity.
Kiri had anticipated this situation from the start. It will probably come to this, he had said. He had entrusted everything to Usopp for this moment, asking him to persuade them.
Taking the place of Kiri, who had "more important business," it was a major role left to Usopp alone.
Even as he spoke, his hands were trembling. His knees were knocking. But running away was not an option.
This was no longer a mission just to save his own skin. It was a critical moment that would determine whether a country fell or stood, whether Vivi's efforts would be rewarded or wasted.
Staring at the massive Rebel Army, currently paused and motionless, Usopp spoke.
Tell them everything. Make them believe. Only Usopp could do this.
"I'm going to tell you the truth right here! But before that, let me say this first: there are traitors hiding among you! Agents who joined the Rebel Army openly years ago! You might not realize it yourselves, but they are definitely there! This isn't a lie!"
"Who is saying this? What is happening...!"
"Wait. Listen a little longer."
Kohza restrained his irritated comrades and listened intently. Only he looked at the gate with serious eyes.
It was still too far to see who was speaking. He took a pair of binoculars from a subordinate and peered through them, searching for the speaker.
"The organization that tried to frame you is called Baroque Works! It's a secretive criminal syndicate wrapped in mystery! It's no wonder you don't know them! In fact, I wouldn't know they existed either if a friend who used to work for them hadn't told me!"
"Frame us...? Set up?"
"Bullshit! It has to be a Royal Army strategy!"
"They intend to make the Royal Army and Rebel Army clash, and then take over the country when you're both exhausted! If you advance now, you're playing right into their hands! Listen to me, don't move a single step from there!"
"Oi Kohza, enough of this! Order the advance! We'll kill everyone, including him and the Royal Army!"
"Wait. Just a little more..."
Through the binoculars, Kohza found the owner of the voice. A long-nosed man he didn't recognize. But there was no forgetting the Spot-Billed Duck standing quietly next to him.
For the first time, hesitation was born.
There was too little information to make a judgment. Was it a Royal Army ploy, or was there really trouble? However, he had already confirmed that the town looked unnaturally damaged.
To judge, he needed to hear this man out.
Lowering the binoculars, Kohza waved his hand to his comrades, signaling them to wait.
"Your enemy is the man controlling Baroque Works, the Warlord of the Sea, Sir Crocodile!"
The moment that name was spoken, a stir ran through the entire Rebel Army.
To accuse the hero who had protected the port towns from pirates countless times of being the mastermind... Angry shouts rose up, calling it an insult, and hostility seemed to surge.
"Lies! They're telling despicable lies!"
"That's right! Why would the Hero of the Desert do such a thing! It's nothing but baseless slander!"
"We should kill him right now! Kohza, order the advance!"
"Look closely at this town!"
At Usopp's shout, Kohza looked through the binoculars again.
Just as pointed out, the scorch marks on the buildings and the destroyed houses felt unnatural.
Whether his story was a lie or the truth, there was no doubt that something had happened in Alubarna.
"The town was already in this state when we got here! This town was attacked and destroyed by Baroque Works! If you look at this, you should realize my story isn't a lie!"
"Kohza, you're not actually believing him, are you?"
"Who is that guy anyway? Isn't he a Royal Army soldier?"
"How long do you plan to stop? Let us advance!"
Numerous voices pressed him, but Kohza tried to judge calmly. Perhaps his hesitation about the battle drove him to do so.
After showing a moment of struggle, he turned to his comrades and spoke.
"Do we have a loudspeaker? Bring it..."
"Kohza!"
"Are you sane!? Doing this won't change—!"
"I said bring it!!"
His comrades flinched at the sudden roar. Reluctantly, one of them brought a loudspeaker as instructed.
Kohza took it, stepped forward alone, and addressed Alubarna.
"Long-nosed man. I have a question for you."
"W-What is it?"
Usopp was surprised, but judged that an unexpected reaction wasn't necessarily bad.
They were willing to talk.
Steeling himself that this was the most critical moment, he stared at Kohza, who had stepped forward alone.
"First, who are you? I can hardly trust you if I don't know that."
"I am... Vivi's nakama (comrade)."
"Vivi...? Are you talking about Nefertari Vivi?"
"Who else would it be! We came to this island with Vivi!"
Kohza's calm voice made Usopp nervous.
He seemed easy to talk to, but that composed demeanor meant he couldn't let his guard down. This type was deep.
"Princess Vivi is said to be missing. And you say she was with you?"
"Yeah! Vivi and the old man Igaram infiltrated Baroque Works to stop this operation! If you doubt it, she's in this town right now, you can confirm it yourself!"
"That's a hard story to believe. If that's true, call the Princess. I want to speak with her."
Usopp grimaced at Kohza's demand.
"I can't do that... Vivi is fighting Baroque Works right now with my friends. The battle started long before you guys arrived."
"Then let me confirm it with my own eyes. If that's true, it would mean we don't need to fight. We don't actually want war either. I swear we won't lay a hand on anyone. Just a few of us entering the town is fine. Guide us."
"I can't do that! Like I said before, agents have been infiltrating the Rebel Army for years, and they've probably bought your trust. If those guys do whatever they want, you'll end up clashing with the Royal Army again!"
"Evidence? Why can you say that with such confidence?"
"I have a list! My friend was originally a member of Baroque Works! In fact, he's largely responsible for infiltrating them into the Rebel Army!"
Usopp pulled several sheets of paper from his bag and held them up.
Listed there were the names of every agent infiltrated into the Rebel Army that Kiri knew of, written down beforehand. It was a huge number, and he had prepared duplicates in case these were burned.
They had to stop the Rebel Army, whatever the cost.
Mentioning Kiri made Usopp realize something.
He recalled the name of the man who had stepped forward. He had been told during the preparations, in a conversation with Kiri.
"Are you the guy called Kohza!?"
"That's right."
"Then you should know! The name of a man called Kiri!"
The moment those words were spoken, the color drained from Kohza's face.
Realizing something, he couldn't respond immediately.
Almost unconsciously, he lowered the loudspeaker, staring in the direction of Alubarna with a stunned expression.
"Everything I've said so far, Kiri told me! And you still can't trust me!?"
Kohza seemed unable to speak. He stood so still that his watching comrades found it strange; his attitude was clearly different from a moment ago, yet it didn't look like he trusted Usopp's story either. He looked as if his thoughts had simply stopped.
Usopp, too far away to see Kohza's expression, continued to plead.
If this doesn't work, I might not be able to stop them. That was his fear.
"If you guys kill each other, all of Vivi's efforts will be for nothing! Please, stop fighting! A lot might have happened already, but it's not too late—!"
In the middle of his speech, an explosion suddenly roared.
It was a blast large enough to be seen even from this distance, and judging by the fact that Usopp's voice cut out, it must have been a direct hit.
Kohza gasped, watching the situation silently while the Rebel Army behind him stirred.
Picking up the Den Den Mushi from near the fallen Usopp and Kentauros, someone placed it on a section of the castle wall.
A new person picked up the receiver and began to speak.
With unsteady, precarious steps, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.
Mr. 5, barely moving, coughed and spat blood from his mouth, but began to speak in a calm voice. A voice intended to mobilize the Rebel Army.
"Members of the Rebel Army. You should not believe this man's story. This man... is a pirate."
"A pirate!?"
"There are pirates in Alubarna...?"
"He said he was the Princess's comrade."
Mr. 5's words sent a shockwave through the Rebel Army. They had thought he was a Royal Army assassin, but he wasn't. Even as an outsider, he fell into the worst category: a pirate.
They were curious about the man speaking now, but first, the man from before.
Mr. 5 layered on more words, attempting to stoke their fighting spirit.
"This man is famous for being a liar. He was merely spreading false information to confuse you and throw this country into chaos. Pirates are barbaric, despicable scum loyal only to their own desires. You should not trust them. Believe in your own justice and act."
"Talking for so long... so he was a pirate!"
"Kohza! Now you know! His story is all lies!"
With his comrades' words hitting his back, Kohza spoke without moving a muscle, his expression frozen.
"How can we trust that the guy speaking now isn't lying?"
"Well..."
"Hey..."
"Don't look for reasons to fight. That's not what we've been doing this for."
Silencing the voices of discontent instantly, Kohza tried to focus and listen.
What was truth? What was a lie?
In the end, he had to judge for himself.
Seeing the Rebel Army failing to move, Mr. 5 grew irritated and tried to continue his persuasion.
Behind him, a man moved, careful not to make a sound.
"Do not let the sacrifices made so far be in vain. Defeat the Royal Army and invite a true King to this country. That is the only way to bring your efforts to frui—"
"Special Attack... Lead Star!"
"Hauk!?"
The sudden scream was amplified as Mr. 5 dropped the receiver and clutched his lower back.
Behind him stood Usopp, slingshot at the ready. The fired lead ball had struck his lower back with precision. Standing in such a precarious state, even that attack was a critical hit.
Mr. 5 turned around, anger seeping out of him, resolved to attack.
By that time, Usopp was already moving, running to close the distance.
"You... you were still alive!"
"Usopp Rubber Band!"
"What!?"
Seeing the motion of a rubber band being fired while running, Mr. 5 stupidly froze in shock. Perhaps he had just closed his eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses.
In that opening, Usopp discarded the rubber band and rushed forward.
What he pulled from his bag were special bullets normally used for shooting.
Holding a handful of red pellets, he ran straight without stopping.
He had no time to shoot with the slingshot. Driven by impulse, he moved without thinking.
And there was the opponent's condition. If he were in top form, it would be different, but right now, he shouldn't be a threat.
He kicked off the ground, leaping at Mr. 5.
Mr. 5, fearing a rubber band, reacted too late and was startled by the flying Usopp.
"Usopp Special: Hot & Spicy Slap!"
"Wha— Ogu!?"
He slammed a palmful of Tabasco Stars directly into Mr. 5's face.
Smashing the sunglasses by force, the irritant-filled pellets burst, and spicy agony assaulted his face.
Mr. 5 screamed, covering his eyes with both hands, thrashing blindly in confusion. But lacking the composure to use his Bomb-Bomb ability, he was just a grown man staggering around.
"Guoooooh!? My eyes!? Aaaah, my eyes!?"
"Usopp—!"
Quickly taking Mr. 5's back, Usopp jumped, pulling a small hammer from his bag.
Target: one point. The vital spot on the back of the head.
To finish it in one blow, he swung his arm with everything he had.
"Hammer!!"
With a dull thud, Mr. 5, who had been screaming and thrashing, suddenly fell silent. He collapsed hard, hitting his forehead on the ground, and stopped moving.
Confirming this, Usopp, bleeding from the head due to the explosion, immediately headed for the Den Den Mushi.
Kentauros, also injured by the blast, was still there, not having run away.
Dexterously holding the receiver with his wing, he handed it to Usopp.
Fuuu... Usopp exhaled deeply, his shoulders dropping.
He had taken heavy damage from the earlier bombing. His breathing wouldn't settle, and his body felt surprisingly heavy, tempting him to just sit down. But he couldn't. He had to continue the persuasion. He couldn't let them enter Alubarna.
Losing the composure to think calmly, Usopp's eyes changed into those of a warrior going to battle.
Either way, he didn't have the energy left to think of a clever way to persuade them.
In that case, he should just say exactly what he wanted to say.
Steeling his gut, he gripped the receiver tight and began to speak.
"Haa, haa... Yeah, that's right. No wonder you can't trust me. I don't trust strangers easily either. I'm a coward, see, so I always suspect people..."
Kentauros supported his swaying body. Usopp kept his gaze on the ground.
"Even me... honestly, if I'm being real, I don't give a damn what happens to this country or what happens to you guys. After going through so much pain, working so hard... even now, feeling like I'm gonna collapse, I start wondering what the hell I'm doing..."
After the explosion, the Rebel Army, unable to read the situation, had fallen silent.
And now, hearing that voice, everyone stayed silent to listen.
Kohza directed a serious gaze toward the unseen Usopp.
"Since we're here, I'll say it clearly...! I am a liar and a pirate!!"
Disregarding his own safety, Usopp screamed with the limits of his strength.
His voice carried with force to those far away.
"I am the sniper of the Straw Hat Crew! Captain Usopp!! A man who commands eight thousand subordinates, a brave warrior of the sea whose name will roar across the world, and the man who will one day make Captain Straw Hat Luffy the Pirate King!!"
Strength dwelt in his voice as he spoke boldly; before he knew it, a defiant smile formed on his face, and his mouth wouldn't stop moving.
"I'll tell you this much... I don't care what happens to you lot! But I absolutely won't forgive anyone, no matter who they are, who wastes Vivi's efforts!"
Shouting made his head spin. Strength threatened to leave his body. But once unleashed, his passion wasn't easily stopped; ignoring his condition, Usopp kept screaming.
Kentauros, seeing him up close, supported him desperately, never abandoning him.
"Haa... While you guys were hurting each other, citizens against citizens, do you know where he was and what he was doing!? He kept fighting, knowing he might die! He bet his life to save this country! Because he didn't want you to die, he ran around desperately struggling, and even now, he keeps fighting!"
Kohza felt a strange sensation.
The words entered his heart more directly than before. Perhaps he was swayed by the desperate display, or perhaps he had lost his cool judgment, but he didn't try to reject it.
"I'm a liar, but the fact that he's my nakama is the one thing I won't let become a lie! I won't let Vivi's wish for no one to get hurt be in vain! If you say you won't stop fighting and you're coming into this town, then we won't let you! We'll beat the hell out of all of you to stop this war!"
Usopp's body swayed violently. Perhaps because he put force into his body, blood spurted out.
Still, he didn't let go of the receiver.
"Whether it's a pirate or a hero of this country... decide for yourselves who you should believe!!"
Immediately after finishing, Usopp knelt on the spot.
It was his limit. Head hanging, breathing raggedly, he couldn't even lift his face.
With Kentauros rubbing his back, he remained silent, unable to speak for a while, coughing repeatedly while clutching the receiver.
With his voice gone, the Rebel Army began to murmur again.
Unable to advance or retreat, halted in place, their confusion grew larger.
Voices filled with hesitation were thrown at Kohza's back.
He was the leader. What did he intend to do?
Kohza, who had been thinking with a serious expression, took a deep breath and finally made his decision.
"What are we doing... Kohza?"
"...Raise the white flag."
Startled by that voice, one man leaned forward involuntarily.
"Are you serious!? Do you know how much blood has been shed to get here—!"
"I'll take responsibility for that later, as much as you want! For now, do as I say!"
Pushing aside his comrade's opinion with an unusually strong tone, Kohza took the loudspeaker.
He didn't know if he could trust this. But a decision and action were necessary.
"Long-nosed man. You said there was a list of infiltrated agents."
"Haa, haa... I have it. But only the members from when Kiri was there. I don't know anything about the guys who joined after that."
"That's fine. Read it out... We will detain those whose names are called."
It seemed one of his comrades couldn't stay silent after receiving yet another shock.
Kohza didn't move a muscle at the renewed protest, accepting it calmly.
He had decided. He wouldn't yield from here.
"Oi, Kohza! What's wrong with you! Do you seriously intend to believe him!?"
"Then what do you intend to do in this situation..."
"Well... since there's a possibility it's a trap, the only way to be sure is to go ourselves."
"Assuming there are traitors among us, it's possible we'll be attacked from behind. If my subordinates die, who do I apologize to? You? That long-nosed man? or their families?"
His calm voice made the man who objected calm down in turn.
Kohza looked down and muttered.
"How many people do you think have died until now? I don't want to fight either, really. If it's not necessary, I don't want to kill anyone, and I don't want anyone to die."
Turning his horse around, Kohza faced the Rebel Army and addressed them with a shout like a roar of anger.
"Everyone whose name is called from now on will be detained! If it's a mistake, you can do whatever you want to me later, but if there are those among us who tried to frame us, prepare yourselves!"
After announcing this with clear hostility, he felt everyone's expressions change.
Uncaring, Kohza turned back.
Using the loudspeaker, he asked for Usopp's cooperation.
"Read the names!"
"Alright! First is—"
As Usopp read from the list of names, Kohza began detaining the suspicious individuals, starting with close friends he had known since childhood.
Whether this was the right action would surely become clear before long.
Kohza glared at his own army with a stern expression, searching for anyone suspicious even if their name wasn't called.
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