With the aid of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad, the Straw Hats' speed could only be described as lightning-fast. Before long, the silhouette of a city emerged from the monotonous sea of sand, expanding steadily in their vision as they approached.
"Everyone, Alubarna is right ahead!" Princess Vivi extended a slender, pale finger, pointing forward as her long aqua-blue ponytail fluttered in the wind.
"Miss Vivi..." Sanji spoke to the blue-haired maiden beside him with concern. "If the situation is truly as Sherlock deduced, Alubarna must be incredibly dangerous right now. You really don't have to come with us..."
According to the curly-browed cook's way of thinking, as the Princess of Alabasta, Vivi was surely the number one target for the Baroque Works assassins. Entering Alubarna so openly was simply too dangerous.
"Sanji, didn't we already agree on this?" Princess Vivi revealed a warm smile, raising her left arm wrapped in white bandages. "We are [Nakama], aren't we? Naturally, we fight side by side."
Everyone paused slightly upon hearing this, then the corners of their mouths lifted in knowing smiles.
"Shishishi, well said!" Luffy grinned broadly. "We are Nakama!"
A sharp gust of wind blew past. Chopper blinked, his expression suddenly changing drastically. He lifted his head and sniffed the air vigorously, then shouted to the group in horror:
"Everyone, this is bad! I smell..."
"It's the scent of iron and blood." Zoro interrupted the little reindeer with a solemn expression. Although his nose couldn't compare to Chopper's, as an excellent swordsman with powerful instincts, the Mosshead could still sense what was transpiring in the city not far ahead.
"The war has already begun. Everything is just as Sherlock predicted. Now, it's up to us." Saying this, the green-haired swordsman revealed his habitual wicked grin; it seemed he was very much looking forward to the impending battle.
"Oh, so that means that bastard Crocodile is right there, huh..." Luffy said with brimming confidence, holding down his straw hat. "Just watch me send him flying!"
The originally nervous Usopp and Nami seemed infected by their captain's confidence upon hearing his words, and their moods gradually calmed.
(Don't panic! I'm going to become a brave warrior of the sea!) The long-nosed brother pumped himself up internally.
(This time, I won't be a burden to everyone!) Nami touched the Clima-Tact at her waist, her beautiful big eyes shining with determination.
Vivi bit her lip, her face turning somewhat pale. Beneath her, Karoo seemed to sense his master's current mood; he let out a few quacks and accelerated once more.
Dust billowed. The Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad carried the Straw Hats toward the front lines at an astonishing speed, charging toward the final battlefield.
Meanwhile, the capital of Alabasta—Alubarna—was under attack by the "Rebel Army."
The quotation marks are necessary because this Rebel Army was actually composed of Baroque Works' Millions and Billions in disguise.
It had to be said that the subordinates Crocodile had recruited over the years were quite capable. Not only were they highly motivated (daring to face the 550,000,000 Berry bounty Fire Fist Ace for a promotion and raise), but they had also integrated the Baroque Works motto of "Mystery" into their very marrow.
Originally, the Sand Crocodile intended to just let things go to ruin, but these 3,000-plus people had consciously disguised themselves as the Rebel Army. One has to admit, Crocodile had a group of very excellent subordinates.
They were just a bit trash in terms of strength...
The clanging of clashing swords, the roar of artillery, the whistle of bullets tearing through the air, the battle cries, and the screams of agony cast a layer of madness and cruelty over this ancient capital with thousands of years of history.
On the plaza in front of the Alubarna Palace, more than 2,000 defending Royal Army soldiers were engaged in a fierce firefight with over 3,000 Baroque Works assassins. Although Baroque Works had the numerical advantage, they were no match for the well-trained Royal Army in large-scale warfare. If not for the group of pirates who had descended like divine soldiers to save the day, the Baroque Works forces would likely have already been defeated.
Moreover, with the intervention of that group of pirates possessing outstanding individual combat abilities, the tide of battle turned instantly. Although the Alabasta Royal Army fought fearlessly, under the ruthless offensive of the powerful pirates led by Gasparde and the five high-ranking Baroque Works agents, these brave soldiers were gradually losing ground.
Chaka was bathed in blood, unsure if it was his own or his enemies'. He had transformed into an agile black jackal, a chilling longsword clamped in his jaws, dashing left and right through the crowd like a black Grim Reaper, ruthlessly harvesting enemy lives on the battlefield.
(Damn it, aren't these the pirates that were captured by the Marines after being defeated by the Sand Crocodile recently? Why are they here, and helping the Rebel Army!)
He rolled to dodge a heavy swing from a pirate's weapon, simultaneously retaliating with his sharp wolf claws. The pirate instantly let out a miserable scream and collapsed into a pool of blood.
Watching the splashing blood, Chaka's heart grew even heavier.
If this continued, the Royal Army was very likely to lose!
(Let it be, let it be. To give my life on the battlefield... I suppose that lives up to my title as Guardian Deity...) Thinking this, Chaka's lips curled into a relieved smile. At the same time, he secretly rejoiced that he had evacuated the city's residents in advance, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.
However, just as he prepared to fight to the death, the powerful sense of smell granted by his Jackal form picked up several familiar scents approaching at high speed.
"This scent is... the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad, and..."
"...Princess Vivi!"
Chaka's spirit shook violently, his pupils instantly contracting to the size of needlepoints. Then, fully transforming into his fastest Jackal form, he sprinted wildly toward the source of the scent.
On the other side of the battlefield.
A dozen Royal Army soldiers had surrounded a tall man. However, compared to the gloomy man's calm and composed demeanor, the Royal Army soldiers looked incredibly nervous, their hands gripping their weapons trembling slightly.
"Everyone together! Take this guy down!"
The dozen Royal Army soldiers roared, then lunged forward with a few strides, their sharp blades thrusting ruthlessly into the tall man who remained expressionless.
"Hehe, don't waste your energy..." Gasparde looked at the blades inches away with a face full of mockery.
Squelch! Squelch! ...The sound of blades piercing a body.
This disgrace of the Marines didn't even dodge, allowing the dozen blades to run him through.
"This..."
"How is this possible!!"
The soldiers' eyes nearly popped out of their heads in shock. Although Gasparde had been turned into a porcupine by their weapons, the expected scene of blood splattering didn't occur. The wounds on his body merely revealed a green, gelatinous substance that looked just like soft candy.
"I am a Candy Human who ate the Candy-Candy Fruit. This kind of physical attack is useless against me..." Gasparde explained to the dumbfounded Royal Army soldiers while pulling the weapons out of his body one by one, displaying this Marine traitor's immense confidence and his extreme disdain for the strength of these soldiers.
Candy Hammer!
With the activation of his Fruit ability, Gasparde's right hand suddenly turned into green candy syrup. With a surge of twisting motion, his right hand slowly coalesced into a massive green iron hammer.
"By the way, once this candy solidifies, it's as hard as steel!"
Gasparde revealed a sinister smile. He swung with full force, the giant hammer generating a powerful gale. The Royal Army soldiers were instantly sent flying like cannonballs by this savage strike, nearly smashing into Mr. 1 who was standing nearby.
After cleanly finishing off his own opponent, Mr. 1 glanced at Gasparde and asked with some confusion:
"General Gasparde, what is up with you and these pirates? Have you joined Baroque Works?" He really couldn't understand why these pirates who had popped out of nowhere were helping them.
"Baroque Works? What the hell is that?" Gasparde chuckled. "Forget it, none of that matters. I only know the Sand Crocodile will give me what I want, so right now, I take orders from him!"
"..." Mr. 1 narrowed his eyes, about to say something more, but was interrupted by the ringing of the Transponder Snail he carried.
"...Kill the Straw Hat crew? Yes, understood." Hanging up the Transponder Snail, Mr. 1 twisted sideways to dodge a slash, simultaneously delivering a fatal backhand blow to the Royal Army soldier who had tried to ambush him. He then looked again at the Marine disgrace standing idly by and said indifferently:
"Boss Crocodile has issued new orders. You come help too, Gasparde."
"Princess Vivi!"
"It's Princess Vivi!"
"Princess Vivi has returned!"
When Luffy and the others arrived at the palace plaza, the Royal Army soldiers immediately recognized Vivi and began gathering in her direction, seemingly wanting to protect their princess.
At the same time, the nearby enemies turned their spears toward the newly arrived Straw Hat crew. For a moment, the already chaotic battlefield became even more of a pandemonium.
Princess Vivi looked at the Royal Army soldiers lying in pools of blood before her. Even knowing this was countless times better than a civil war of millions slaughtering each other, the princess, who worried deeply for her country and people, still felt a twisting pain in her heart.
According to Sherlock's plan, the Straw Hats' goal in Alubarna was to minimize Royal Army casualties. Thus, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji hesitated not a moment to join the fray. Punching, slashing, and kicking—the three attacked in unison, going full "Dynasty Warriors" mode. The Baroque Works assassins and the pirates (whose strength far exceeded the Royal Army's) were no match for these three monsters. A large clearing was quickly swept open.
"Damn it! Where is the Sand Crocodile?" Luffy hadn't forgotten the goal of this trip: to blast the Sand Crocodile away.
However, after fighting here in confusion for quite a while, he hadn't even seen a shadow of Crocodile, causing the dim-witted captain to feel rather annoyed.
"Gum-Gum... Rifle!"
Luffy shouted loudly. His arm, twisted like a rope, snapped back tight. The fist, spinning rapidly like a drill, carried immense force as it blasted a burly, vicious pirate away. The pirate crashed into a distant building, smashing out a massive crater. The exaggerated power scared the surrounding enemies into involuntarily taking two steps back.
With a snap, he retracted his fist. Two jets of visible white steam shot from Luffy's nose. Then, the dim-witted captain, having reached the limit of his patience, suddenly threw his head back and let out an earth-shattering roar:
"You get out here! Bastard Crocodile!!!!!"
The massive wave of sound instantly swept across the entire plaza, miraculously drowning out the battle cries of thousands. Both sides, originally locked in a fight to the death, suddenly felt a tremor from the depths of their souls. They involuntarily stopped their actions, looking in horror toward the source of the sound.
For a moment, the entire plaza fell into a strange silence.
(What is this guy in the straw hat doing?)
Stared at intently by so many people, Luffy was completely unfazed. He asked the people around him with extreme seriousness:
"Hey, do any of you know where that Crocodile bastard is?"
"..." No one answered Luffy's question. To be precise, they didn't really know who this "Crocodile bastard" the straw-hatted kid was talking about actually was.
After a few seconds of silence, unsure who started it, the crisp sound of blades clashing rang out once more. The flames of war were reignited, and the entire plaza returned to its previous state.
"That idiot, what did he just do..." Zoro shook his head in confusion, deciding not to dwell on it. He clamped Wado Ichimonji in his mouth and began to seriously deal with the enemies before him.
Suddenly, the green-haired swordsman sensed a piercing sound of breaking air coming from behind his head. His expression changed, and he hurriedly turned, crossing his dual blades to block the chilling strike.
Clang! The sound of metal colliding was particularly melodious.
Hurriedly opening up some distance, Zoro looked at the newcomer's palm, which had transformed into a blade, and his pupils contracted sharply.
(A Devil Fruit user? This guy... could he be that guy?)
In a small alleyway near the plaza.
"Damn it, why did I run away again? Didn't I say I wouldn't hold my [Nakama] back..." The navigator punched the wall beside her, her expression very unsightly. Just now, facing those vicious enemies, she had subconsciously run away again. By the time she snapped out of it, she had already arrived at this spot.
"Don't be depressed, Nami." A certain long-nose said solemnly. "This kind of intense battle should be left to Luffy and the others."
"Uh-huh, uh-huh." The little reindeer nodded in strong agreement.
Well, the Cowardly Trio of the Straw Hats had reacted with surprising consistency this time—even their direction of escape was exactly the same...
"Usopp? Chopper? Why are you two also..." Nami looked at the two fellows beside her, who wore equally lingering fear on their faces. She opened her mouth, then, as if suddenly remembering something, her expression changed. She instantly drew the Clima-Tact from her waist and snapped:
"You two, hurry up and prove it to me!"
"Hey, Nami, what's with you..." Usopp frowned, wanting to explain, but seeing the orange-haired girl's resolute look, he sighed. Helplessly, he reached for the white bandage wrapped around his left arm.
Just as the long-nosed brother was about to undo the bandage, a familiar, rich, and clear male voice suddenly rang out from behind the Cowardly Trio.
"So you three are here. Where are Vivi and the others?"
The three turned around to look, and the expressions on their faces instantly became quite a spectacle.
"Sherlock?!" the three exclaimed in unison.
"Damn it, do none of these people know? And that bastard Crocodile has absolutely no reaction."
Seeing that his shouting was useless, Luffy wasn't discouraged. He took a deep breath, planning to bellow another one.
However, right at that moment, a mass of sand and dust that seemed like a living creature suddenly appeared in mid-air above the plaza. With wind howling and dust rising, it surged aggressively toward the position where Princess Vivi was standing...
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my pa-treon:
pat reon .c-om/windkaze