A thunderous roar burst into the sky, so loud that even the entire blood-soaked battlefield paused for a second.
Everyone stared, slack-jawed, at the figure that burst out from underground—drenched in blood, roaring in fury.
The members of the Straw Hat Pirates also heard that furious shout from Luffy.
Zoro and Sanji's faces instantly turned green. They didn't even react to the fact that Crocodile had already been defeated.
"What the hell, that guy Luffy!!!"
"That idiot, what stupid nonsense is he yelling again!!!?"
The chaotic battlefield did not come to a complete halt just because Luffy appeared; the fighting remained intense and noisy as ever.
But Vivi's heart turned terrifyingly cold.
What the hell is wrong with this guy Luffy…
I was just about to succeed, and he suddenly pops up and shouts something so blasphemous.
Does he want Alabasta to end up with an even more terrifying destroyer?!!!
"Th… that… Orin-sama…"
Vivi tried to say something to smooth things over, but Orin simply waved his hand calmly.
"I already saw it. As for their attitude toward me, you may tell them this: I will be waiting for their arrival… on the voyage across the seas."
Then he looked toward the unconscious, whites-of-the-eyes Crocodile who'd been sent flying, the chaotic battlefield, and the exhausted Straw Hat crew.
"Interesting… consider this a little reward for clearing a small stage."
"Sea-Gull King~"
Hearing Orin's soft murmur, the Sea-Gull King lifted its head and let out a clear cry, spreading its wings and soaring into the sky.
"Orin-sama!!!"
Vivi stood frozen, not knowing what to do, her grateful eyes fixed straight on him.
"Don't look at me like that. Things are far from over."
As thunder roared overhead and storm clouds rolled in, Orin lifted his head toward the sky. His black hair flowed in the wind as crimson light flickered in his eyes.
"But… everything in Alabasta is little more than a farce to me. Quite an entertaining one, don't you think?"
Vivi fell silent, terror and gratitude flickering through her eyes.
A civil war involving over a million citizens, people displaced, an entire nation thrown into chaos by Crocodile—
And in this man's eyes, it was all just a farce.
Or perhaps… a game?
How could such a monstrous thing exist in this world?!!!
The storm swept across the sky as the massive bird rolled through the clouds, its silhouette appearing and disappearing.
Everyone stared up at the sudden darkening sky and at the "divine bird" summoning storm and rain.
A few drops of rain fell.
Then came the torrential downpour.
The rain—symbol of hope—poured down on every person in Alabasta. Cheers erupted everywhere as people forgot even the war itself.
Only Vivi felt the coldness of the rain to her very bones.
She collapsed to her knees, her expression grim.
Orin turned around, placed a hand on her shoulder, and tilted his head slightly.
"Well then… please do your best, future Queen of Alabasta."
Looking at a face nearly identical to Lily's, Orin smiled and left.
The crowd cheered, the Straw Hat Pirates finally relaxed.
But some people were still concerned about the culprit, Crocodile. Usopp, wrapped like a mummy, immediately wanted to explode in anger—but Sanji stopped him.
Among them, only Zoro remained calm. A strange instinct made him look toward the tall building where Vivi had stood.
There, he saw a familiar tall silhouette walking away from Vivi and disappearing.
"That was…"
Zoro's eyes widened in shock, and cold sweat instantly trickled down his face.
He wanted to go check it out, but the utter chaos around them kept him rooted in place.
Igaram arrived carrying a child. The child explained everything about Mr. 2 impersonating the king, causing an uproar. Even the rebel leader accepted the story.
Everyone lowered their weapons. The war had ended.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hat Pirates headed toward the royal tomb to check on Luffy's condition—only to encounter Cobra carrying an unconscious Luffy on his back.
They spoke for a while, but Zoro remained distracted, frowning deeply as he thought.
A few minutes later, Princess Vivi hurried over, though her face was stiff and unnatural.
Cobra immediately said they must properly thank the Straw Hats, but Sanji and the others declined.
"Right now, the people of this country need you more."
Hearing that, Cobra and Vivi fell silent. Cobra went to speak to the citizens, while Vivi remained behind, her expression complicated.
Zoro glanced at her, then sat down with his back to the wall, looking calm.
"You've got something to say, don't you, Vivi?"
He had seen it—back on that rooftop, Vivi had been right beside that man.
"Mm… it's about something important for the future of the Straw Hat Pirates…"
…
"Shichibukai Sir Crocodile, under irrefutable evidence, you stand accused of plotting against the World Government member nation—Alabasta!!!"
A formation of Marines surrounded Crocodile's collapsed body. Tashigi stood before him.
Smoker, under the shocked gaze of both citizens and Marines, held a Den Den Mushi and spoke into it.
"Smoker, you should understand… what the title of Shichibukai truly represents!!!"
A cold voice came from the other end of the call.
Beside Smoker, Tina—clad in her red suit and Marine coat—frowned as she looked at him.
"Smoker, there's nothing we can do about this. Orders from the World Government can't be defied."
Tina hated evil as much as anyone, but she was still more rational than Smoker.
But Smoker couldn't swallow this bitter pill. Staring at the unconscious Crocodile, his face twisted in fury, his bloodshot eyes blazing—
Under everyone's stunned gaze, he roared at the person on the other end of the line:
"Hey, you bastards…"
"Aren't you just scared of the power and influence of Black Gun?!!!"
"So you're going to let a ruthless, murderous pirate—guilty beyond all doubt—go free just because of that?!!!"
Such brazen words, tearing off the last flimsy mask, instantly infuriated the person on the other side.
"Smoker, you damn—"
Before the person could finish, Smoker slammed the call shut.
His eyes were bloodshot, his cigar was literally bitten in half.
Whether it meant demotion or punishment, he didn't care. He was simply the kind of man who couldn't tolerate filth.
But suddenly, he noticed something—everything around him had gone quiet.
Everyone was staring behind him in terror.
Beside the unconscious Crocodile, a tall figure stood silently, no one knew when he had appeared.
"Quite a bold statement, Marine."