The battlefield, once drenched in chaos and bloodshed, was beginning to still.
The King's Army and the Rebel Army gradually came to their senses as they looked up in alarm at the monstrous sandstorm approaching like a roaring tide. The winds were loud, the air dry and sharp, and the yellow clouds above churned violently like an angry god's wrath descending.
"Oh no! That sandstorm is massive!"
"Damn it, how many tornadoes are there?! Can we even escape now?"
"This thing could bury the entire Royal City! What do we do?!"
"The King's sins have reached the heavens! Even the gods of the desert want him punished!"
"Find solid shelter! Only sturdy places will survive the storm!"
Wounded and weary, both sides finally realized the horror of the situation.
At some point, they had already been surrounded by a swirling hell of sand. The towering storm clouds blocked out the sky, and the oppressive air choked any hope of escape.
There was only one chance to survive now—finding cover. A desperate scramble for shelter was about to erupt, with bloodshed threatened not by ideals, but by instinct.
"Look at the Royal Palace! There are people fighting up there…"
That single thought echoed like a whisper in everyone's mind.
It wasn't coincidence—it was the residual effect of Shirogai's [Whisper-Whisper Fruit] ability. The mental suggestion he had implanted earlier was now surfacing in the minds of the people.
As they ceased their frenzied battles, their eyes instinctively rose to the top of the Royal Palace—where two fierce figures clashed in the skies.
"Look! One of them is our hero—Crocodile!"
"Yes, it's Crocodile!"
Excited cheers spread among the Rebel Army.
"Go, Crocodile! Crush that strange boy with the stretchy arms!"
High above, the shadow of a massive hawk sliced through the air, its wings gleaming under the dusty sun.
A voice rang out sharply, "You fools! Even now, you remain blind!"
Someone gasped. "It's Pell! Pell the Falcon, the Guardian of Alabasta!"
On his back was a figure wrapped in bloodied bandages—Koza, leader of the Rebel Army.
"It's Koza! He's alive?!"
"Wait—is Pell holding him hostage?!"
Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire.
Rebel soldiers tensed once more, gripping their weapons as they glared at the King's Army, unsure if another battle was about to erupt.
"We've made a terrible mistake!"
Koza, panting heavily, forced his voice to rise.
"Put down your weapons, Rebel Army! We were deceived!"
Though his voice wasn't loud, for some inexplicable reason, every ear in the square heard it as if whispered directly into their minds.
"The one who caused Alabasta's three-year drought—the true criminal—isn't the King... it's Crocodile!"
"What?! That can't be true!"
"That's impossible! At the Port of Yuba, we saw King Cobra order the army to fire! Even that child was shot!"
The doubt and confusion rippled through the Rebel ranks.
"Was Koza bribed by the King?"
But Kohza raised his voice again.
"Crocodile has a subordinate—a magician who can mimic appearances. He disguised himself as King Cobra and used illusion to deceive us! The real King was never at Yuba!"
The square erupted in disbelief.
"Crocodile used his power to cover the oases with sand. He stole our water, our homes, our hope! This sandstorm—it's his doing!"
"He created this disaster to bury us all in Alubarna and take control of the kingdom!"
Realization swept through the ranks.
"Oh no! It's all been a setup!"
"Those unnatural sandstorms—they weren't natural after all!"
"That's why they happened at fixed intervals. It wasn't fate—it was Crocodile!"
Then, another voice rang out across the square.
The damaged loudspeaker system—repaired by the King's Army—suddenly activated, amplifying a voice through the Den Den Mushi:
"Please stop fighting!"
It was Princess Vivi.
"I am Princess Vivi. I beg of you—put down your weapons. Don't let any more lives be lost!"
Vivi, flanked by Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper, stood before the battered square with courage in her eyes.
Pell landed beside her, supporting Koza.
Holding the Den Den Mushi with trembling hands, Vivi looked across the devastated battlefield, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
"To the King's Army… Please be the first to lay down your weapons. Show them we mean peace."
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The King's Army, trusting their Princess completely, dropped their weapons without hesitation.
Seeing this, the Rebel Army froze.
Koza lifted his head again.
"Put down your weapons! Don't let the lie continue!"
Clang!
A young Rebel soldier stepped forward. Bloodied and exhausted, he dropped his sword.
He had lost his entire family to the drought. He had once hated the King—but now, the truth burned through his soul like wildfire.
He realized his rage had been manipulated. That he had become a pawn in someone else's war.
Clang!
Clang…
One after another, weapons were discarded, hitting the ground like raindrops after a storm. The instruments of violence lost all meaning in that moment.
Vivi spoke again, pointing to the top of the Royal Palace.
"Look! That's Straw Hat Luffy—captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. He helped me escape Crocodile's grasp. He's still fighting up there—fighting for all of us!"
"If he loses, we'll all be buried by this sandstorm!"
The square fell into a deep silence.
Then, one voice broke through—
"Go, Straw Hat!"
And then another—
"Finish Crocodile!"
Then thousands joined—
"Go, Luffy!"
"Save Alabasta!"
"Straw Hat Luffy, we believe in you!"
…
Atop the palace, Luffy—bloodied, gasping, covered in dirt—heard their cries, but didn't flinch.
He had no room for distractions now.
His hands were bloodied, his vision blurred. But his spirit—unbroken.
Crocodile sneered. "The poison from my scorpion venom is already in your veins. You're dying, Straw Hat."
But Luffy wasn't listening to him.
He heard something else.
Shirogai's voice, echoing in his mind:
[Luffy, save your final move for the right moment. Not too early. Not too late.]
[If you fail, not only will Crocodile counter it, but your body won't hold up much longer.]
Luffy gritted his teeth, breath ragged.
"The final blow…"
He steadied himself.
"It's time."
He stared Crocodile down, eyes blazing.
"You're going down!"
…
Earlier, Shirogai had told Zoro and Sanji something important:
Luffy had a rare gift neither of them possessed—true focus.
In battle, Luffy immersed himself entirely. He wasn't distracted by panic, women, or rage. He was always present, always learning, always evolving.
Sanji, by contrast, was too often drawn away by fleeting distractions.
Zoro had the opposite flaw—he became too absorbed in his bloodlust, losing clarity in the heat of battle.
That's why only after being severely wounded—when his body forced him to slow down—did Zoro truly start learning and adapting mid-fight.
But Luffy… Luffy learned during battle. He grew stronger in battle.
And now—he was ready.