Chiga held a green, pineapple-shaped fruit in his hand. Its surface was patterned with leaves, and simply looking at it felt like inhaling fresh life. This was Aramaki's Mori Mori no Mi. Because of it, Chiga could now extract others' abilities from a distance, he no longer needed direct contact as before.
He tossed the Mori Mori no Mi into the Door-Door Space, then turned his attention to Aramaki's subordinates. Under his gaze they went as quiet as winter cicadas, not daring to breathe heavily.
"Where is Rocks now?" Chiga asked calmly.
Nobody wanted to be the first to speak. They exchanged uneasy looks until golden light burst from Chiga's eyes, sweeping across the crowd like a scythe cutting wheat. In an instant, half of them were dismembered. The survivors stood frozen, terror-stricken, some so frightened they wet themselves.
The scent of blood mixed with the other smells of fear made Chiga frown. Golden light flickered in his eyes again. Finally, a small man with a mohawk stammered out, "Captain Rocks went to Wano Country to find Kaido."
The others quickly affirmed the statement. Chiga nodded once, then strode toward Crocodile without hesitation.
When he turned his back, the remaining group exhaled in apparent relief. The next moment a series of explosions ripped through the air. Bodies detonated like fireworks, shredded fragments swept into a sudden hurricane that appeared from nowhere. It was as if none of it had ever happened. The Baroque Works agents swallowed hard, staring after Chiga with awe and fear.
Crocodile still bore Aramaki's boot print on his face. He wiped his mouth, then bowed to Chiga. The sight surprised everyone. Was this the same arrogant, unbending Crocodile they had known? Part of his humility came from Chiga's overwhelming presence, but there was another reason. Chiga had saved his life once before, during the time Ōtsutsuki Zero-shiki cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Chiga met Crocodile's bowed head and allowed an almost invisible smile. "You did well. This is your reward."
He tapped Crocodile's forehead with a finger. Golden energy flowed into Crocodile's body. Immediately the veteran pirate's pupils widened, his form rippled and drifted uncontrollably into sand. Tornado-like sandstorms rose around him as his Logia nature surged.
Crocodile fought to reassemble himself, to stop the sandstorms from spiraling out of control. Had he hesitated, Alabasta might have been at risk, and his duty to guard the kingdom would have been for nothing. But with Chiga present, disaster would not come to pass.
It did not take Crocodile long to understand what had occurred. His Suna Suna no Mi had awakened. Ecstasy washed over his face. A Logia awakening was notoriously difficult, something he had striven for in vain for years. Today, with a single touch from Chiga, that boundary had been crossed. He felt like he was dreaming.
Chiga watched him for a moment, then asked lightly, "What, not used to it yet?"
Crocodile blinked back to reality, staring at Chiga with a reverent, almost lovesick expression. Chiga stepped back half a pace, uncomfortable with the intensity of the gaze, and said, "You should learn to control the power you've gained. I am going to check the royal city."
"Thank you, Chiga-sama!" Crocodile bowed so low his head nearly touched his knees, demonstrating a flexibility that made others stare. Chiga waved his hand, "You earned it. You are free to go where you wish now."
With that he vanished from the square.
Only when the Baroque Works members gathered around Crocodile did he straighten up. Daz Bonez hesitated, then asked quietly, "Boss, are we leaving?"
Long stretches of peace had softened their fighting spirit. During their stay in Alabasta, the royal family had treated them well. They'd enjoyed good food, comfortable quarters, and the adoration of the citizens. Many of them had found the life pleasant. Ms. Doublefinger ran a popular bar, Ms. Goldenweek had become a famed painter, and Mr. 3 had found fulfillment in his wax figures. Crocodile himself had grown accustomed to being called Captain of the Royal Guard.
He extracted a cigar and lit it, the smoke curling between them as he regarded his crew. "Do you still want to go out to the sea?"
They glanced among themselves, uncertain. Goldenweek, who always looked younger than she was, spoke up first, voice small, "Boss, I don't want to leave. I like it here more than the sea."
Mr. 3, protective and earnest, added, "Boss, I want to stay and be with Marianne." One by one, the others voiced the same sentiment except for Mr. 1, who remained unchanged.
Their eyes turned toward Crocodile, bracing for anger if he insisted they leave. Instead, Crocodile started to laugh, a sound that surprised them all. He exhaled a smoke ring and said lightly, "If none of you want to leave, then I will not leave either."
Relief rippled outward like the settling of a storm. The atmosphere softened, and the idea of staying in Alabasta suddenly seemed less shameful and more like the reward of long service.
For a while the city would have strange peacekeepers, but under Crocodile's new, awakened power and Chiga's distant protection, Alabasta would be safe.
Yet the world beyond continued to churn. Chiga knew that far-off threats were gathering; one of them was the man called Rocks, heading to Wano, and another was the continuing unrest among the pirates. But for the moment, Alabasta held its breath and the royal court found its protector renewed.
Chiga disappeared from view, leaving behind a kingdom that would remember the day a new kind of calm settled over its sands.
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