Alabasta was not only Vivi's homeland—it was the place where her childhood memories lay, warm and irreplaceable.
It held her beloved father, her people, and everything she cherished.
As the final heir of the royal family and the princess of Alabasta, Vivi knew exactly what awaited her if she stayed behind.
And yet—
She still chose to live and die with Alabasta.
Although the Straw Hat Pirates were deeply disappointed by Vivi's decision to remain, they respected it.
That respect was their trust in a companion.
Before departing, they promised to return after circling the Grand Line once.
This promise was not just farewell—it was a warning to the rebels.
And it was the only thing the Straw Hat Pirates could do for her.
The very next day after the Straw Hats left, the rebel army once again gathered outside the capital and launched their assault.
This time, however, the situation was utterly different.
During the previous conflict, the Kingdom Army had been full of fighting spirit.
They believed they were defending their homeland against invaders.
But after the Straw Hats revealed the truth—
Their morale collapsed.
Everyone had been right.
Only Crocodile had been wrong.
They were not defenders at all.
And during the ceasefire between the Kingdom Army and the Rebel Army, the rebels successfully won over a large number of Kingdom soldiers and capital citizens alike.
Backed by the authority of the God of the Black Sun, Black Sun priests performed countless miracles—
Curing incurable diseases.
Saving the dying.
Restoring hope.
In just two weeks, the number of Black Sun believers within the capital exceeded one hundred thousand.
Among them were even the families of many Kingdom Army soldiers.
As a result, aside from a small group of die-hard loyalists sworn to the royal family, most of the Kingdom Army had completely lost their will to fight.
And once soldiers lose their resolve, an army inevitably collapses.
At its peak, the capital had once mobilized eight hundred thousand troops.
Now—
Even half that number could not be gathered.
Faced with this reality, Cobra understood that further resistance would only lead to meaningless bloodshed.
After long deliberation, he made his decision.
He would abandon resistance.
He would open the city gates.
He would allow the rebels to enter unopposed—and hand over control of the capital.
Though this decision filled loyal generals and royal soldiers with indignation, they ultimately obeyed Cobra's absolute order.
Cobra then assigned the Kingdom Army a single task:
Protect the people.
He knew all too well the horror of undisciplined forces.
No matter what happened, the rebels could not be allowed to run rampant through the city.
This was his bottom line.
Any soldier unwilling to obey was free to leave.
Cobra dismissed the palace servants and maids.
What remained were only Himself, His wife, Vivi and the Royal Guard formed from their personal retainers
Among them were Pell of the Falcon and Chaka of the Jackal, two Zoan-type Devil Fruit users—the guardian spirits of Alabasta.
They refused to leave.
Instead, they chose to stand beside the royal family and share their fate.
With no further options, Cobra led Vivi and the retainers back to the throne hall.
There, they sat in silence—
Waiting.
Although Cobra had surrendered, not everyone in the kingdom accepted it.
Many nobles rose up in resistance.
So did spies hidden within Baroque Works.
These people had long bullied the weak, committed countless crimes, and lived arrogantly.
They knew the rebels' methods.
They also knew that once captured, punishment would be inevitable.
Since death awaited them regardless, they chose to gamble.
Some fought desperately.
Others led private armies to loot civilians, hoping to seize wealth and flee amid the chaos.
Fortunately, Cobra had prepared in advance.
Kingdom troops were deployed throughout the city to protect civilians and prevent widespread disaster.
By nightfall, the violent clashes between rebels, nobles, and Baroque Works remnants finally ended.
After the smoke cleared, the rebels entered the palace.
When they faced Cobra and the royal family, the rebel leaders did not mock them.
Instead—
They were filled with respect.
They understood better than anyone how intoxicating power could be.
And they could not imagine choosing people's lives over royal authority.
Many rebel generals knelt on one knee.
They paid their final respects to Cobra as king—and invited him down from the throne that symbolized supreme power.
Everyone knew the fall of Alabasta was not Cobra's fault.
It was the tide of the age.
The trend of history.
Thus, both sides honored one another with dignity.
That said—
Justice would not be compromised.
The rebels would proceed with public trials, as originally planned.
Not to vent hatred—
But to establish legitimacy.
When the trials began, the first to be judged were the Baroque Works infiltrators guilty of heinous crimes.
These spies had hidden within the Kingdom Army, continuously sabotaging its reputation and destabilizing the nation.
More than half of Alabasta's disasters could be traced back to them.
As one criminal after another was exposed, the truth surfaced completely.
These villains received the most terrifying punishment of all—
The Judgment of the Black Sun.
Under the scorching dark sun, their bodies and corrupted souls were utterly purified.
As the trials continued, officials and nobles were brought forward one by one.
Some were executed.
Some were exiled.
Some were punished—and granted a chance at redemption.
The trials followed only three principles:
Fairness.
Justice.
Transparency.
No arbitrary killings.
No indiscriminate vengeance.
Sentences were handed down strictly according to the severity of crimes.
Those beyond redemption were executed.
Those who could be saved were given that chance.
Gradually, Alabasta entered a peace it had never known.
Hope returned to the people's hearts.
Even those who had once opposed the rebels began to let go of their resentment.
As night fell and the final judgments approached, the trial reached its most critical moment—
The last group to be judged.
The royal family that had ruled Alabasta for centuries.
The Nefertari Family.
…
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