"Stop pretending."
Looking at Koza, who stood before him with shifty eyes, he no longer resembled the Rebel Army leader he had been at Katorea.
"What's wrong? The real Koza wouldn't be unable to even utter a complete sentence like you are now."
Sabo's lips curved into a knowing smile, his tone calm but constantly pricking at Mr.2's taut nerves.
"Damn it... this guy!"
The thought slipped out instantly, and Mr.2 quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, his face a little terrified as he glanced sideways at the Rebel Army formation behind him.
Surely... no one heard, right?
W.C.O.M. Super reliable.
"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
Sabo watched his futile attempt to cover up, unable to stop himself from clutching his stomach and bursting into laughter, his voice echoing loudly across the empty battlefield.
"Didn't you completely give yourself away?!"
The face belonging to Koza instantly darkened, so much so that it seemed water could drip from it, his eyes fixed on Sabo: "So what?!"
He pointed at the vast army behind him, "They... they won't believe your one-sided story..."
"Is that so?" Sabo stopped laughing, his eyes sharpening.
He slowly raised his right hand, the muscles in his arm tensing slightly, his five fingers curling inward into sharp claws in a peculiar way.
An invisible force began to gather; his five fingers, up to half his forearm, became coated in a deep, lusterless black in the blink of an eye.
Mr.2 blinked, looking at the opponent's blackened arm, a chill born of instinct rising within him.
"You... you're a Devil Fruit user too?" His voice held a slight tremor.
"No, I'm not."
Although Sabo was younger in age, his tone now carried the composure of a senior addressing a junior.
"But, if you haven't even seen this... then for you to be my opponent, it's a bit too pathetic."
Such blatant contempt made Mr.2's face flush crimson, "What did you sa—"
Before he could finish, Sabo moved!
"Dragon Claw!"
That blackened three-fingered Dragon Claw moved with a speed and trajectory that Mr.2 couldn't possibly comprehend, leaving him no chance to make any effective dodge, as he felt an irresistible force clamp down on his head!
In that instant, Mr.2 felt as if the surrounding air had solidified, completely controlled by that blackened Dragon Claw.
All the bones in his body groaned under the unbearable pressure, and all his strength was forcefully crushed by absolute power in that moment!
"This is... Haki, rookie."
Immediately after, Mr.2 felt himself being casually flung away by his opponent! He flew backward, like a broken sack, crashing heavily onto the open ground at the very front of the Rebel Army formation, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
"Cough... cough cough... Damn it..."
Mr.2 felt as if his entire body had fallen apart, struggling to get up. He brushed the sand from his body and wiped his face.
He pointed at Sabo, who stood motionless in his original spot, and roared with all his might: "That guy! He's not here to surrender at all! Charge... charge! Everyone!!!"
After his roar, the expected thunderous response did not come. The battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
Mr.2 turned his head blankly, looking around, only to see all the Rebel Army soldiers, every single one of them, staring at him in a daze. Their faces no longer held anger, but were filled with confusion and bewilderment.
"Why aren't you... moving..."
As he spoke, he realized that the voice was no longer that of the Rebel Army leader, but his own familiar voice.
"Hey... where's Leader Koza?"
"Who is this guy?!"
"Have we... have we been tricked by this person all this time?!"
The soldiers finally reacted, and the commotion quickly spread. Koby, who had been closely watching the unfolding events, finally had all the clouds of doubt in his heart dissipate.
This guy in front of him really is an imposter, there's no mistake... From Nanohana onwards, it's always been this strange guy, Koza has been impersonated.
He pointed at Mr.2, who was still on the ground trying to get up, and roared: "Someone! Get some rope and tie this imposter up!!!"
"Captain Koby, this..."
"What are you still hesitating for!?" Koby's eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse with anger, "From Nanohana onwards, this guy has been deceiving us, he's been treating us all like fools! Move it!!"
This time, there was no more hesitation.
Several nearby soldiers immediately rushed forward and used the ropes they carried to firmly tie up Mr.2, who was still struggling in vain.
"Speak! Where is the real Koza!?"
Koby strode forward, drawing the scimitar from his waist, the tip of the blade almost touching Mr.2's throat.
Mr.2 looked at the countless angry eyes around him, wishing they could devour him alive, and knew that his cause was lost.
"It's... you win. I, a transvestite, abide by my own path of the transvestite and will not lie about such things ~" He tilted his head, looking towards the city gate.
"He's in Alabasta, I'm not lying to you ~ If you want your leader back... then charge in..."
Alabasta... everyone's faces fell. The bugle call for the charge had long since ceased, and the frantic fighting spirit had also faded.
Now, the Rebel Army, having lost Koza, these hundreds of thousands of people instantly became like headless flies, at a loss.
In a suffocating silence, Koby took a deep breath, sheathed his scimitar, and surveyed his confused brethren around him, his voice firm and steady:
"Everyone wait for me here!"
He swung onto his horse, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces. "Before I return, no one is allowed to act rashly! We are going to rescue the real Koza first, do not start a senseless war! I will go and communicate with the people in the capital!"
"Captain Koby...!"
"It's too dangerous!"
Many people beside him tried to dissuade him; they had never had a good impression of the Royal Army.
"Stop talking!"
Koby interrupted them, his eyes resolute, "This is the only way now! Trust me!"
With that, he no longer hesitated, tugged on the reins, and, alone, broke away from the army formation, charging towards the massive city gate of Alabasta... Meanwhile, atop the Alabasta city wall.
"Princess Vivi, the count is complete. The number of infiltrators among the soldiers on the battlements and within visible range below is not many, and their positions have all been locked down." Chaka lowered his voice, quickly reporting to Vivi.
Vivi's taut nerves relaxed for a moment; this was even better than her best-case scenario.
"That's wonderful... Can we take them down now?"
"Yes, Princess!"
Chaka nodded heavily. He straightened up, semi-transforming into a jackal! He bared his claws and roared at all the soldiers on and below the city wall who were still holding their hands up:
"Everyone! Keep your hands up! Don't move! Look closely at the people around you!!"
His voice resonated throughout the entire South Gate, rolling across the entire city wall, "If anyone has a skull mark on their arm, that is an infiltrator who wants to overthrow our country!"