Chapter 274: Hello, Luffy
In the vast, golden sea of sand, a group of figures stood on the peak of a great dune, silently watching an army surge past below.
Yelena watched the army—their clothes mismatched, their faces gaunt, their weapons a chaotic mess—and her crimson eyes glowed with thought.
"I had heard Alabasta's rebellion was severe, but I never imagined it would reach this point..."
Years ago, at that tea party, Yelena had learned that the Alabasta Kingdom, located in the first half of the Grand Line, had once helped Canaan. She also knew that Alabasta's situation was on a knife's edge, with internal rebel forces growing by the day.
She had intended to come to Alabasta, assess the situation, and, if possible, repay the royal family for their help. But Alabasta was simply too far from Terra, which was deep in the New World. Yelena couldn't abandon her own duties for so long. After all, the first rule of helping others is to not compromise your own affairs.
So, Yelena had waited, biding her time until Jibril's mission route passed over Alabasta, allowing her to use a portal. Now, years later, that day had finally come.
Beside her, Ulti, dressed in a blue outfit with a matching cape and mask, glanced at Yelena's pensive profile.
"So," Ulti said bluntly, crossing her arms, "are we just going to annihilate all these rebels?"
Her words were so shocking that they made Page One, who had been standing beside her with a lazy, tough-guy look, stare with wide, dead-fish eyes. "Hey, hey, Old Sis, that's way too cold!"
"Old Sis?!" Ulti's eyes instantly turned ferocious. She spun around, grabbed Page One by the head, and began shaking him violently. "Didn't I tell you not to call your cute big sister 'Old Sis'?!"
Page One didn't answer. His "I'm-dead-inside" expression said it all.
"No," Yelena said, glancing at the siblings' daily bonding ritual. "I'm going to the capital first to find the reason for this rebellion before I decide anything."
If the rebellion was, as intel suggested, connected to the Warlord of the Sea stationed here, Yelena would help Alabasta control the rebels and end the uprising.
But if this was a justified revolution born from oppression, Yelena would only ensure the royal family's survival and leave them with enough wealth to live.
Nearby, the girl with the green ring device on her arm stood with a flat, indifferent expression, as if she cared about nothing.
Only after the rebel army had vanished from sight did Yelena fasten her gas mask back on. "No. 1, open a gate to the capital up ahead."
At Yelena's command, the girl called No. 1's eyes flashed with a strange light. The liquid inside the green ring on her arm churned, and the mechanical device on her back was instantly covered in a layer of crystal.
The air in front of them split open, revealing an irregular portal.
Yelena stepped into the rift. Ulti hooked an arm around Page One's head, dragging him through in a merciless headlock. No. 1 floated in last, as if being pulled by an invisible force.
In the royal capital of Alubarna, high above sea level, the brilliant portal opened, and Yelena's group appeared on the roof of a tall building.
Yelena looked out. As far as she could see, the rebel army, with no unified gear, was already clashing with the royal army. The massive central square was a storm of slaughter. Blood stained the ground, and bodies were everywhere.
It was clear the war had already begun. The army they'd seen just moments ago was merely reinforcements.
Nearby, Ulti was still sizing up the mechanical girl. "No. 1, was that the Space-Space Fruit or the Copy-Copy Fruit? It looked just like the one on Avant Heim!"
No. 1, who had the appearance of a beautiful girl but no gender-specific features, replied in a cold, mechanical voice: "38 seconds ago, I utilized an ability copied from the Fantasy Species - Avant Heim. Its effectiveness is 78.36% of the original. It lacks the ability to teleport across seas."
Page One stared with his dead-fish eyes. "Even 80% is insane. I guess my Ancient Zoan really is the most useless, huh?"
Ulti immediately threw her arms around Page One, rubbing her cheek against his. "It's okay, Page-kun! Your big sis will protect you!"
"..."
Yelena ignored the three of them. She looked up, her crimson eyes peering through the gas mask toward the giant clock tower in the distance. Her Observation Haki was sensing a strange anomaly from there.
She turned to the siblings. "You two look around. See if you can find the real reason for this rebellion."
Since they had only tagged along for a vacation, Yelena let them off the leash.
With that, Yelena leaped from the roof, crossing the massive square in a single bound and landing at the top of the clock tower.
The moment she landed, she saw a giant cannon... and a blue-haired girl standing frozen in front of it.
"Nefertari Vivi."
Yelena recognized her in an instant.
Vivi was staring blankly at the cannon's countdown, her face a mask of pure despair. "How... how could this...?"
Unprecedented panic and hopelessness flooded her mind, so much so that she didn't even notice the tall, armored figure that had landed behind her. It wasn't until heavy footsteps sounded that Vivi snapped out of it, whirling around and raising her Peacock Slashers.
Her tear-filled eyes, now burning with rage, fixed on the armored figure. "More of you?! Another Baroque Works agent!"
"Baroque Works?" Yelena mused. She ignored Vivi's glare and walked toward the cannon.
As Vivi watched, Yelena stretched out one gauntleted hand and plunged it deep into the cannon's barrel.
"Stop!" Vivi screamed, charging at Yelena with her weapons.
But in the next second, she froze, her feet glued to the floor.
The figure before her had just... lifted the giant cannon with one hand.
Yelena heard the ticking countdown from within the barrel. She frowned. With a single, powerful twist, she spun the cannon around and hurled it out of the clock tower's opening.
The multi-ton cannon and its shell tore through the sound barrier, letting out a terrifying shriek as it flew out of the capital and vanished over the horizon.
...
Having done this, Yelena turned and walked toward Vivi, who had been scared silly by the display.
"You..." Vivi's pupils trembled violently. "Who... who in the world are you?"
As a former member of Baroque Works, Vivi knew that no agent possessed this level of power. Not even the organization's secret boss, the Warlord Crocodile, could possibly be this strong.
Yelena lowered her gaze. "Princess of Alabasta, Nefertari Vivi. Tell me, what is the source of this country's chaos?"
"Who are you?" Although she was terrified, Vivi forced herself to remain calm. She had to know if this person was with the Marines, the World Government, or someone else entirely.
Yelena was surprised by her composure. After a moment, she answered, "I am from the East Blue... from Canaan."
Vivi's mind raced, searching for the name. She found it, in a memory of a casual chat with her father.
Gritting her teeth, Vivi's eyes burned with a tangible, fiery rage. "This is all Crocodile's doing! He's trying to steal Alabasta for himself!"
"A Warlord stealing a country, hmm?" Yelena's expression didn't change, but her eyes flickered.
She turned and began to walk away.
But just then, Vivi's small figure scrambled past her, collapsing at the edge of the tower to scream down at the blood-soaked square.
"PLEASE, STOP FIGHTING!!"
"..."
No matter how she shouted, the two armies below, long since lost to battle-madness, couldn't hear her. They only continued to slaughter each other.
At the sight, Vivi's eyes turned red, tears streaming down her face. She clawed at the stone floor, her hands leaving bloody scratches as she screamed with all her might.
"PLEASE... NO MORE BLOODSHED!!"
Yelena stood beside her, looking down at the blue-haired girl. In her, Yelena saw her mother, and even her former self. Three different people, from different walks of life, all risking everything for a similar cause.
"Young princess..." Yelena said, her voice no longer disguised.
Vivi looked up, her face a mask of tear-streaked pain.
Meeting her gaze, Yelena's voice cut through her despair. "Hold on to that love you have for your people and your country."
"..."
The next second, Yelena's eyes sharpened. A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from her, instantly enveloping the entire capital.
In a flash, a sound like ten thousand thunders rolled over the city, reaching the ears of every single person. Black-red lightning crackled, tearing through the air like a net, spreading far out into the desert.
Under the force of the Haki, both armies, locked in their brutal melee, instantly fell unconscious. Within moments, the entire capital was silent.
In a city alley, Ulti, who had been about to get information from a royal guard captain, angrily dropped the unconscious man.
"That idiot Yelena! How am I supposed to question him now?!" she complained. She glanced at the countless bodies on the ground and turned to the hovering No. 1. "No. 1, heal the badly wounded. Just enough to keep them alive tonight."
In Ulti's opinion, that was more than enough time for them to wake up and take care of their own.
Deep beneath the capital, Crocodile, who was in a fierce battle with a young boy, felt the terrifying pulse and his eyes went wide. He was completely rattled.
"Conqueror's Haki... and at this level! Who is it?!"
He had no time to think. A fist, black and soaked in blood, was already raining down on him.
Atop the clock tower, Vivi stared at the tall figure beside her, her red eyes filled with endless gratitude. Her voice choked.
"Thank you..."
She didn't know what had just happened, but she knew this person had helped her once again.
Yelena didn't answer. As Vivi watched, she simply stepped off the edge of the tower, plummeting to the square below like a meteor.
BOOM!
A massive, deep crater was punched into the square. Yelena stood up and walked into the dark passage, following the sounds of the fight she had sensed. The maze-like tomb couldn't slow her down; her cold, heavy war hammer smashed through any wall in her path.
Moving in a straight line, she quickly arrived at the battle.
Her gaze cut through the dust and smoke, landing on two figures. One was the world-famous Warlord, Crocodile. The other was a black-haired boy in a red waistcoat, a straw hat hanging on his back.
"He is..." Yelena's eyes fixed on the boy's familiar-looking face and the even more familiar straw hat. Her expression shifted. She remembered. This was the little boy from Foosha Village, the one who was always clinging to Shanks and his crew.
Her arrival, of course, caught the attention of both fighters. Her appraising stare gave both of them a profound sense of crisis—especially Crocodile. He had challenged someone of this "level" before and had never forgotten the experience.
"Snow Monster," Crocodile growled, his face grim. "Why is someone like you here?"
Yelena ignored him. She took a step forward, raising her icy "World-Breaker" hammer and coating it in high-level Armament Haki. Her actions were her answer.
"..."
Crocodile's already dark face turned black. He couldn't understand it. The World Government hadn't even interfered with his plan, so why were two different pirates sticking their noses in his business? Weren't they all pirates? Didn't they have better things to do?
But just as Yelena was about to strike, "Straw Hat" Luffy, who had been panting, stared at her for a long moment... and then charged Crocodile again.
Swinging his rubbery fists, he roared, "He's the one who hurt Vivi's country, so I'm the one who's gotta beat him! You go save Cobra-ossan! He's badly hurt, and this place is about to collapse!!"
Perhaps it was a sense of familiarity, or just gut instinct, but Luffy had subconsciously registered the newcomer as an ally and placed his trust in her.
Yelena was taken aback. Did he recognize me? From Foosha Village, with Shanks?
She didn't dwell on it. She lowered her hammer and headed in the direction of the weak presence her Haki had locked onto. If the boy wanted to beat Crocodile himself, she wouldn't stop him. If he lost, she could always clean up the mess.
As Yelena's figure vanished down a tunnel, Crocodile's bloody lips curled into a mocking smile. "You just threw away your only chance to live. Should I call you arrogant, or just stupid?"
Luffy didn't answer. He just attacked, his assault even more ferocious.
As a distant boom echoed from the desert (the cannon exploding), the royal tomb trembled, shaking dust and debris from the ceiling.
King Cobra of Alabasta, Nefertari Cobra, leaned weakly against a wall, his blood-soaked eyes watching the armored figure approach. Unlike his daughter, Cobra recognized her instantly.
"You... you are the Archangel's second-in-command."
Yelena stopped, bent down, and lifted the king, heading for the exit of the crumbling tomb.
"You... why are you here? And where are you taking me?" Cobra asked, watching the walls blur past.
Yelena glanced at a bloodstain on the floor. "Many years ago, at the World Conference... you spoke up for us."
"..."
Cobra's eyes widened in realization. "So," he whispered, "that is the reason."
Yelena's brow rose beneath her mask. "You know a lot, Cobra."
"I... I guessed your origin," Cobra admitted, "when I learned that the Kingdom of Jacob wasn't destroyed by Red-Hair, but by you. Later, I heard from friends in the Marines that a person of terrifying talent had been born 'on the other side of the high wall.' I was certain... that person was you."
"You're smart," Yelena said, climbing the stairs. She didn't deny it. While it wasn't a secret among the World Government's highest echelons, it wasn't information an affiliated king should have. She was impressed.
As Cobra's eyes readjusted to the light, he turned his head, looking back into the tomb. "Lady Snow Monster... could I ask you to help Straw Hat Luffy? He is our daughter's friend... and a guest of our nation."
Yelena merely glanced back. "There's no need. He's already won."
As her hoarse words fell, a massive explosion rocked the tomb from behind them. Amidst the spray of rock and dust, Crocodile's unconscious body was blasted high into the air.
The moment he crashed to the ground, the sky above Alabasta, which had been clear for so long, filled with dark clouds. Rain began to fall.
Cobra felt the raindrops on his skin. His eyes, clear and sharp despite his wounds, instantly blurred with tears. His voice trembled.
"It's raining... It's really... raining..."
"How wonderful."
Yelena gently placed Cobra on the ground, letting him lie on his back and watch the sky. No. 1, who had been hovering, zipped over to them.
Yelena saw the puddle of blood spreading beneath the king. "Don't let him die," she ordered.
No. 1 turned its emotionless face to Cobra and raised a cold hand. The ability copied from the Heal-Heal Fruit activated, enveloping the king in its power.
In the square, the downpour woke the fallen armies. They sat up, stunned, holding out their hands to feel the rain, completely bewildered.
Just then, a girl's voice called out from above.
"Everyone! Please, don't hurt each other anymore! The one responsible for all this—Crocodile—has been defeated! The rain has returned! We don't have to fight anymore!"
The princess's hopeful voice reached every ear. They looked up in disbelief, their weapons slipping from their hands. Then, as if waking from a nightmare, they began to help the wounded around them.
The next day, in the royal palace.
Yelena, Ulti, and the others walked through the halls, led by an androgynous attendant toward Cobra's room.
As they passed a giant dining hall, Ulti and Page One were drawn in by a loud, raucous noise.
Yelena, however, glanced inside and froze. She hadn't expected to see so many familiar faces on this trip.
Their passing had also drawn the attention of the group in the dining hall. A green-haired man, radiating an aura of strength, instantly locked his eyes on Yelena, and more specifically, on the war hammer on her back.
He raised an eyebrow, stood up, pushed open the door, and walked right toward her.
He had barely gotten close when he heard her hoarse voice.
"Kuina is already a Sword Master. Why are you still in Paradise... Roronoa Zoro?"
Hearing this, Zoro's expression instantly darkened. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.
Finally, he growled, "I left Shimotsuki Village a long time ago... but I couldn't get out of the East Blue. I only just entered the Grand Line a little while ago."
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