Logan knew exactly how much weight Vivi could carry.
Against ordinary people, her strength was enough—but in front of Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, it was nowhere near sufficient.
Logan forcibly drew in a breath, tapped the ground with his toe, and lifted the Zhenhai Sword. His figure shot forward, overtaking Vivi in an instant as he brought the blade down toward Crocodile's head.
The sword screamed through the air.
Crocodile snorted in disdain and raised his arm, the golden hook crossing in front of him.
Clang!
The Zhenhai Sword collided with the hook, producing a crisp metallic ring. Sparks scattered in all directions.
"Young man, your sword isn't bad," Crocodile said lazily, cigar between his lips as he exhaled a white smoke ring.
"Unfortunately… you're too weak."
Logan felt it immediately.
His body was in terrible condition. Even wielding a Seastone weapon like the Zhenhai Sword, it was difficult to inflict any real damage on Crocodile.
In the next instant, Crocodile's left arm transformed into a blade of yellow sand, which he swung forward viciously.
"Desert Spada!"
A sand-forged blade tore across the ground like inverted spikes erupting from the earth, howling toward Logan. Wherever it passed, the stone-paved ground instantly turned into loose sand.
"Armament!"
Logan's expression changed.
He condensed his aura—but his Armament Haki could no longer cover his entire body. He could only coat the Zhenhai Sword.
He yanked the blade back and braced it across his chest.
Boom!
Logan was at the front, Vivi behind him.
Both were sent flying, skidding more than ten meters across the palace grounds before coming to a stop.
The ground that had once been solid stone was now entirely reduced to sand wherever the Desert Spada had passed.
The palace guards stared in shock.
Why was Crocodile, the kingdom's hero, attacking the princess?
Wasn't he supposed to be a savior?
For a moment, the spear-wielding guards hesitated, completely at a loss.
Logan felt as if his chest had been hit by a speeding train.
He coughed violently, pain tearing through him as if his organs were about to shatter.
So this is Crocodile…
Absolutely vicious.
"Vivi, are you alright?" Logan asked hoarsely, glancing back.
"I'm sorry… I dragged you into this," Vivi replied, coughing as well. Her dress was torn, her face smeared with sand.
Seeing that she was safe, Logan finally relaxed.
He staggered upright, using the Zhenhai Sword to prop himself up, and stared at Crocodile with a cold, expressionless gaze.
"System—do you have anything that restores stamina?"
"Price doesn't matter."
[Sorry, no.]
Logan instantly exploded.
"Are you kidding me?! Can't you THINK before answering?!"
[The system does not think. It only judges.]
Logan fell silent.
If his stamina couldn't recover, fighting Crocodile in this state was nearly impossible.
"Big Brother Logan… what were you just saying?" Vivi asked, confused.
Logan sighed and motioned that it was nothing.
By then, Crocodile and Bon Clay had already walked into the palace.
The guards along the way had all been reduced to dried corpses, collapsed on the ground.
"My dear princess," Crocodile said leisurely, blowing a smoke ring toward Logan with a mocking smile.
"Is this young man the helper you found?"
"Handsome enough, I suppose… but far too weak."
"Not hard enough—ahahahaha!"
Vivi struggled to her feet, furious.
"Big Brother Logan is my partner!"
"A villain like you will fall into Avīci Hell and suffer every torment this world has to offer!"
Crocodile feigned fear and exchanged a glance with Bon Clay before bursting into laughter.
"Me? Even if I go to hell, I'll rule it."
"Don't worry, Princess."
"I won't kill you yet."
"I'll let you personally witness a grand spectacle."
He laughed wildly.
"Koza is already leading over seven hundred thousand rebels toward the capital."
"Soon enough, you'll hear the screams of the entire city."
"Just imagining it… magnificent."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Oh—and you think the royal army can stop them?"
"Bon Clay."
At Crocodile's signal, Bon Clay's face rippled—and transformed into the King of Alabasta.
"Next, you'll see this 'king' indulging himself while abusing civilians," Crocodile continued casually.
"Women and children will be driven out to die."
"Tell me, my precious princess—what do you think the people will believe then?"
Without waiting for her answer, Crocodile laughed loudly and strode deeper into the palace, Bon Clay following.
At that moment, hundreds of white-uniformed guards rushed in, surrounding Crocodile.
"Attack!" Vivi collapsed to her knees, screaming herself hoarse.
"Kill Crocodile! He's the true villain of this country!"
The guards hesitated no longer.
With furious shouts, they charged.
Crocodile sneered and swept his hand forward.
"Sandstorm!"
Violent sand and wind spiraled in his palm. Once thrown, it instantly expanded—transforming into a towering sand tornado over ten meters high.
The stone ground in front of the palace was ripped apart in an instant, torn into the air.
The charging guards were swallowed whole, dragged into the vortex, spinning helplessly as their screams echoed.
Moments later, the sandstorm dissipated.
Stone slabs and white-clad bodies crashed down together.
The stones shattered.
The guards' fate was unknown.
Crocodile snorted coldly, no longer sparing Vivi a glance.
With a signal to Bon Clay, he headed straight toward the palace hall.
Bon Clay laughed darkly, still wearing the king's face, and reached out to grab Vivi.
Logan's eyes turned icy.
He sucked in a sharp breath, forcing himself to ignore the pain tearing through his body, stepped forward, and planted the sword firmly in front of Vivi.
"Get lost."
Bon Clay froze.
He hadn't expected this pale-faced man to still radiate such overwhelming killing intent.
For a split second—he hesitated.
"Useless trash!"
Crocodile roared.
His body instantly collapsed into a pool of sand and vanished.
Logan scanned desperately—
Then heard a faint rustling behind him.
His face changed.
He swung his sword backward—
But a massive impact struck him from behind.
Logan was kicked like a ball, sent flying high into the air toward the palace roof.
Boom!
His body smashed through the rooftop, blasting a huge hole straight through it.
He lost all control and crashed into the interior of the palace hall.
Logan lay amid shattered tiles and rubble, staring up at the gaping hole above.
Light poured down, dust drifting through the beam.
Then, inside his mind, a familiar voice echoed.
[Congratulations. Palace of Alabasta sign-in completed.]
[Reward acquired: Holy Grail.]
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