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The atmosphere inside the palace reception room was tense.
Guards stood on either side, weapons at the ready, to protect the King and Princess.
Meanwhile, Igaram, Chaka, and Pell had already formed a silent cordon around the visiting guest.
However…agon
"Hmm… I don't really like tea. Do you have cola?"
Wearing the Shinryu (Dragon)-head mask, Shinryu (Dragon) looked down at the steaming tea in his cup, then abruptly turned his head towards the attendant beside him, startling him.
Seeing this, Shinryu (Dragon) shrugged. "Never mind. Forget I asked."
"Change his drink." At that moment, King Cobra spoke in a low voice.
Only then did the attendant snap back to reality, quickly picking up the cup and retreating.
"Shinryu (Dragon)... I'll address you that way."
This small interruption seemed to break the stillness of the reception room, and Cobra took the initiative to speak.
"What is your purpose in coming here? And what exactly did you mean by what you said earlier?"
He still remembered the words that Shinryu (Dragon) had spoken outside the palace.
"Talk of Alabasta's rebirth or destruction is not something I can simply pretend I never heard."
"It means exactly what it sounds like," Shinryu (Dragon) replied, leaning back and making himself comfortable in the ornate chair. "Someone is planning to dismantle this kingdom piece by piece and steal your throne. More accurately? They've already started."
Though his expression beneath the mask could not be seen, the mockery in his voice was unmistakable.
"I imagine a king as wise as you, Cobra, doesn't truly believe that a nationwide drought lasting seven months is just a stroke of 'bad luck,' do you?"
The moment those words fell, everyone present changed their expression.
Vivi, who was not deeply involved in state affairs, covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.
"Wait—what are you saying?" she blurted out, her eyes wide. "Are you saying the drought was man-made? How is that even possible?"
But King Cobra remained calm.
Just as Roy had said, this wise king had long sensed that something was wrong with the drought, especially the fact that only the royal capital was receiving rain; it reeked of conspiracy.
He had secretly ordered Igaram to investigate, but the culprit was well hidden and had left few traces.
The nation's crisis and the suffering of its people left him with no time to investigate further.
Even so...
"Dance Powder?" Cobra asked softly. "That's the only explanation that fits."
Shinryu (Dragon) clapped his hands together with a hollow thwack. "Full marks for the King."
Behind his mask, Roy showed no surprise. He naturally knew the truth behind Alabasta's drought.
In reality, the drought was part of the 'Utopia Plan', which had been orchestrated by one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea: Crocodile.
He had single-handedly built the massive criminal organization known as Baroque Works, and only after years of preparation did he finally set the plan in motion.
The aim was to seize control of one of the oldest kingdoms in the region, Alabasta, and find clues to the location of the ancient weapon Pluton, which was hidden in the country.
"Dance Powder brings the rain to one spot by stealing the moisture from the surrounding miles," Shinryu (Dragon) explained. "And if the intelligence we've gathered is correct, by the time the drought lasts until next year, a large quantity of Dance Powder of unknown origin will appear in the royal capital..."
"... and it will just happen to be discovered by the citizens."
As Shinryu (Dragon) finished speaking, everyone present turned pale.
"The bastards!" Igaram roared, his face turning a deep shade of crimson. "They want to frame His Majesty! His Majesty would never do something like that!"
Vivi's face turned deathly white.
She wasn't foolish.
Those few sentences were enough for her to grasp just how terrifying the plan truly was. The drought had lasted only a little over six months, yet the country was already in dire straits.
If it continued for a full year, the people's suffering would be beyond imagination. At that point, if Dance Powder were discovered in the only city still receiving rain...
No matter how great King Cobra's prestige was, rebellion would be inevitable.
"Using Dance Powder to create a drought, and then inciting war..."
Even Cobra's expression darkened.
"Completely disregarding the lives of the nation's citizens... unforgivable."
He spoke in a low, heavy voice.
"Yes, indeed. He is a truly despicable and vicious ambitious man." Shinryu (Dragon) replied casually.
Then he changed the subject.
"Now that things have reached this point, however, I believe Your Majesty already understands the situation. I came here precisely to discuss this matter with you, King Cobra."
"As for the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, we happen to be interested in him, so..."
From beneath the mask, his eyes turned towards Cobra.
"We can help you deal with him and his organization. At the same time, we can also help Alabasta bring rain to ease the immediate crisis. Long-term cooperation in the future would also be possible; after all, as far as I know, despite having the Sandora River, Alabasta's water resources are still limited."
He pointed a finger upward, a reminder of the storm currently hovering over the palace. At that moment, the attendant returned, trembling, with a glass of cola. Shinryu (Dragon) took it with a polite nod. "Thank you.".
"As you can see, I possess this kind of ability."
"It does sound tempting." At that moment, Cobra fixed Shinryu (Shinryu (Dragon)) with a sharp gaze.
"But..."
His voice suddenly became commanding.
"Surely you don't think that, based on just a few words and no concrete evidence, I would trust someone who has appeared out of nowhere and refuses to show their true face?"
"Not to mention that, before we talk about so-called cooperation, I want to know one thing: what is your relationship with this man?"
As he spoke, Cobra reached into his robe and slapped a bounty poster onto the table.
There was no need to say whose it was. The poster clearly depicted 'Youji (Rooster)'.
Yes.
As a member kingdom allied with the World Government, Cobra had naturally paid close attention to the recent Heavenly Tribute robbery.
Although the bounty poster was a sketch, the distinctive Sea Beast head mask worn by the figure made it unmistakable.
So, almost the moment Shinryu (Dragon) appeared, Cobra connected the two.
What followed confirmed his suspicion.
"You mean Youji (Rooster)?"
Seeing the bounty poster, Shinryu (Dragon), who had been about to drink his cola, spoke casually.
"He and I belong to the same organization. You could say we're colleagues."
The instant those words were spoken, Igaram, Pell, Chaka and the surrounding guards almost reflexively moved to draw their iron maces.
The implication of that sentence was far too dangerous.
Youji, the mad criminal who had appeared out of nowhere not long ago and robbed the Heavenly Tribute was a colleague of the man sitting before them!
Such a dangerous individual was now less than ten metres away from their King and Princess.
But before a single blade could clear a scabbard…
"!!!"
Their bodies seized. A collective look of horror washed over the guards.
At that moment, they realised that they couldn't pull out their weapons.
More precisely... "They can't move at all!"
They were completely immobilised.
Even Chaka and Pell, whose Zoan-enhanced bodies were far stronger than those of ordinary humans, were no exception.
'It's so cold... no, wait, that's...'
A bone-chilling chill followed.
Soon, they realised...
"It's ice!"
Yes.
At that very moment, everyone except King Cobra and Princess Vivi had unknowingly become encased in a layer of ice.
The ice bound their bodies, rendering them unable to move.
"Ah... drinking cola in room temperature. That won't do. Cola that isn't ice-cold is downright heresy."
At this point, everyone's attention was drawn to Shinryu (Dragon)'s voice.
They watched as he placed a hand on the glass of cola in front of him.
Inside the glass, the dark liquid slowly began to emit cold vapour. Then, Shinryu (Dragon) slightly lifted his mask and covered his face with his hand as he drained the cola in one go.
Only then did he casually wave his hand.
"Whoom!"
A surge of heat erupted.
In the reception room, the guards, who had been frozen solid, watched as the ice covering their bodies melted rapidly, turning into water that streamed down.
Before long, they were able to move again.
Yet Igaram's breathing remained ragged; he couldn't tell how much of the dampness clinging to him was melted ice and how much was sweat.
"This guy…"
From those few seconds alone, he had already understood.
The man sitting before them was an unmistakable monster.
Meanwhile, Shinryu (Dragon) spoke as though nothing had happened.
"Actually, King Cobra, you don't need to concern yourself with Youji. Aside from obeying the orders of our leader, we officers generally don't interfere with one another. Our styles and objectives are all independent."
"Youji, for example, is like a pirate; he likes to solve problems with brute force."
"But I'm different. As you can see..."
"I'm a moderate."
He smiled and gestured to himself.
"Although I may not be the most profitable member of the organisation, I like to think of myself as something of a merchant."
(End of Chapter)