The golden light of the Alabasta sunrise filtered through the ornate arched windows of Ben's guest chambers. It was a peaceful morning, but Ben's mind was already buzzing with future plans. He sat on the edge of his bed, the air around him shimmering with the blue light of his System Panel.
In his hand, he held two Devil Fruits; the first was the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Dachshund, which had been fused with the dog-gun Lasso. The second was the Mogu Mogu no Mi, the Mole-Mole fruit taken from Miss Merry Christmas.
"System," Ben whispered. "Consume."
The fruits dissolved into pixels of light, absorbed into the interface.
[System Notification: Two Devil Fruits consumed.]
[Processing... Reward: 2 Golden Lottery Tickets.]
Ben leaned back. He took a deep breath. "Spin the first one."
The digital wheel blurred. Icons of a thousand worlds flickered by—Shinobi, Avengers, Saiyans. Finally, it slowed to a crawl and landed on a trident icon dripping with seawater.
[Lottery Result: Aquaman (DC Movie Verse)]
[Template Unlocked: Arthur Curry. Abilities: Atlantean Physiology, Hydrokinesis, Telepathic Marine Communication.]
Ben felt a surge of vitality hit his bone marrow. His muscles densified, and his senses sharpened as if the very humidity in the air was now a map he could read. In a world that was 80% ocean, being the King of the Seven Seas was more than just a power; it was a cheat code.
"Not bad," Ben murmured. "Again. Spin the second."
The wheel roared to life once more. This time, the icons felt heavier, darker. When it stopped, the screen flashed a brilliant gold, and a silhouette of a man with golden hair and an aura of overwhelming pressure appeared.
[Lottery Result: Thomas Andre (Solo Leveling)]
[Template Unlocked: The Goliath. Abilities: Ruler's Authority, Reinforcement, Power of the Fragment of Luminosity.]
A cold, heavy pressure settled in the room. Ben's shadow seemed to flicker and grow. Thomas Andre was a National Level Hunter, a man who could trade blows with Monarchs. His strength was "Absolute." Combined with his magic and his new Atlantean body, Ben felt like he was becoming a living god among men.
Satisfied, he dismissed the system. He dressed in his signature trench coat, checked his wand, and stepped out into the hall. It was time for politics.
---
The meeting room of the Alubarna Palace was a masterwork of marble and gold. Sabo and Koala were already there, standing near a balcony. They looked out over the city, which was finally waking up to a day without the shadow of war.
"You're late, Ben," Sabo said, turning around with a grin.
"A magician is never late, Sabo," Ben replied, pulling out a chair. "He arrives precisely when he means to."
Koala laughed. "Always with the lines. You ready? This isn't going to be an easy conversation."
"The truth rarely is," Ben said, sitting down.
A moment later, the heavy oak doors groaned open. King Nefertari Cobra and Princess Vivi entered. Cobra looked tired but regal, his eyes reflecting the weight of a crown that had nearly been shattered.
"I hope the arrangements were to your satisfaction," Cobra said, his voice deep and gravelly. "Alabasta owes you more than a comfortable bed, Ben-dono."
"They were perfect, Your Majesty," Ben said politely. He then looked at the line of Royal Guards standing at the door. "However, before we begin, I must request that only the five of us remain. What we are about to discuss involves secrets fewer the ears, the better."
Cobra's eyes narrowed slightly. He sensed a shift in the air—With a slow nod, Cobra gestured to Chaka and Pell.
"Leave us. Secure the perimeter. No one enters this wing until I say otherwise."
The guards bowed and exited, the doors clicking shut with a heavy thud.
Ben turned to Sabo and Koala. "You can take them off now."
Sabo and Koala reached for the rings on their fingers. With a soft shimmer of light, their disguises dissolved. Sabo's blonde hair and scarred eye became visible, and Koala's true features returned.
Cobra's breath hitched. He was a King of the Grand Line; he kept up with the news. He recognized the young man.
"Sabo..." Cobra whispered. "The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. And Koala, the high-ranking officer." He looked at Ben, shock written across his face. "You... you brought the Revolutionaries into my palace?"
"Calm down, Cobra-san," Ben said calmly, leaning forward. "No one knows they are affiliated with the Straw Hat Pirates. To the world, they were never here. There is no trail for the World Government to follow. You aren't being recruited into a rebellion; you are being protected by a shadow alliance."
Cobra took a shaky seat. "The World Government would erase Alabasta from the map if they knew I was hosting the man who directly opposes the Celestial Dragons."
"Then we make sure they never know," Sabo said firmly. "We are here because Crocodile was just a symptom. The world is changing, King Cobra. We want to ensure Alabasta survives the storm."
Cobra sighed, rubbing his temples. "I appreciate the sentiment. But right now, my people are my only concern. The drought... Crocodile's Dance Powder has ruined the soil. The oases are dry. Even with peace, my people will starve without water."
Vivi nodded, her expression pained. "The rebellion was stopped, but the hunger remains."
"I can help with that," Ben said.
The room went silent.
"How?" Vivi asked. "You're a magician, Ben, but can you make it rain for an entire continent?"
"I have my ways," Ben said.
Cobra looked at him with a mixture of hope and suspicion. "And what do you want in exchange for this miracle? Gold? Political favor?"
Ben's expression turned serious. "I want to read the Poneglyph in the Royal Treasury."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Cobra froze. Vivi gasped, her hand going to her mouth.
"How do you know of that?" Cobra's voice was a low growl. "That is a secret passed only from King to heir. If the World Government knew we still possessed a Poneglyph, it would be the end of the Nefertari line."
"I am a magician, Cobra," Ben said, his eyes glowing with a faint, otherworldly blue light. "Sometimes... I see glimpses of the past and the future. I know what is written on that stone. I know it tells the location of the Ancient Weapon, Pluton."
Cobra slammed his hands on the table, standing abruptly. His chair clattered to the floor. "You speak of forbidden things! This knowledge is a curse!"
"Knowledge is only a curse to those who are afraid to use it," Ben said, his voice echoing his power. The walls of the room seemed to tremble. "If the World Government knew the things I know, they would be after me twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Your little stone in the basement is a footnote in the library of secrets I carry."
Ben stood up, meeting the King's gaze. A faint smile played on his lips.
"So, don't worry about the stone, Nefertari D. Cobra."
Cobra's face went pale. He stumbled back as if he had been struck. That middle initial—the 'D'—was a secret so deep that even he barely understood its significance. It was the "Secret Name," the mark of the natural enemies of the gods.
"How..." Cobra stammered, his voice trembling. "How do you know that name? Even Vivi doesn't know..."
Ben smiled, a calm, terrifyingly knowing smile.
"I told you, Your Majesty. I am a Seer. And in the future, I see, Alabasta doesn't just survive. It leads."
---
Vivi looked between Ben and her father, her head spinning. "Father? What is he talking about? What is the 'D'?"
Cobra didn't answer. He slumped back into his chair, looking like a man who had just seen a ghost. He looked at Sabo, who remained calm, and then back at Ben.
"You are a dangerous man, Ben," Cobra said.
"I'm a helpful one," Ben corrected. "I saved your daughter. I defeated the man who tried to steal your throne. And now, I am offering to bring water back to your lands. All I ask is to see the history you were sworn to protect."
Cobra was silent for a long time. The only sound was the distant chirping of desert birds outside. Finally, he looked up.
"If you truly are a Seer," Cobra said, "then you know that my family... we stayed behind eight hundred years ago. We chose the world of men over the world of the 'Gods' in Mary Geoise."
"I know," Ben said. "The Nefertari family was the only one out of the twenty founding families that didn't move to the Holy Land. You chose to stay with your people."
Cobra nodded slowly. "The Poneglyph is our burden. It is our apology for the past. If you wish to read it... I cannot stop you. Not after everything you have done."
"Thank you," Ben said.