"Familiar scents linger here."
Nika, who had taken up Merry's usual spot on Luffy's shoulder, surveyed this world of yellow sand.
How to put it? It was a scent she disliked.
It was the same as the scent on Vivi.
Seeing everyone sweating profusely, Vivi explained apologetically, "Alabasta wasn't originally like this. It's because someone used Dance Powder, stealing the rain from the entire country, that most regions have fallen into years of drought..."
Dance Powder, also known as powder that calls wind and rain.
It achieves artificial rainfall by releasing a mist-like smoke.
However, Dance Powder essentially steals rain from other places. For instance, if an area upwind uses it, neighboring countries downwind will suffer droughts. Crocodile used this method to plunge the Kingdom of Alabasta into turmoil.
"That guy is truly heinous."
"But in a way, he is indeed clever," Sanji, lighting a cigarette, said:
"He incites a war on the scale of millions, yet hides in the background to reap the rewards."
"And Crocodile should already know we've landed in Alabasta." Meanwhile, Nami, fanning herself with her hand, tugged at Luffy's sleeve and lowered her voice, "Luffy, have you noticed?
Robin has become a bit quiet and withdrawn since we came ashore."
Hearing this, Luffy turned to look at Robin, who was quietly following at the back of the group, her gaze deep as she stared at the distant city. He grinned and said,
"It's fine. Robin's a good person."
This straightforward 'good person' card made Nami roll her eyes.
But under the increasingly sharp perception of Luffy's Observation Haki, Robin harbored not a shred of malice towards them—Luffy could guarantee that.
According to Vivi, the king of this country, Vivi's father Cobra, only knew that someone was secretly manipulating the war. He had no information at all about the mastermind behind it.
Crocodile's prestige among the people was so great that Cobra couldn't even connect such a thing to him.
Nami curiously voiced the doubt in her heart: "Vivi, I still don't quite understand. How on earth did Crocodile, a pirate, become a hero in the eyes of the people?"
Mentioning this, Vivi clenched her teeth, anger and helplessness flashing across her face:
"He exploited pirate attacks. Every time pirates attacked a town, he would deliberately let the royal army struggle, then coincidentally appear like a savior, wiping out all the enemies with a wave of his hand.
Sometimes, even if Bell, one of the kingdom's guardians, arrived at top speed, it wasn't fast enough to defeat all the enemies before Crocodile.
Over time, while the people were grateful to the fighting royal army, they came to worship Crocodile, who solved problems with ease, even more."
Worse still, to promote the correctness and legitimacy of the Seven Warlords system, the World Government instructed the news agencies to trumpet Crocodile's heroic deeds, making residents in other parts of Alabasta begin to blindly worship him as well.
Vivi had felt something was wrong long ago and reported it to Cobra, but...
"Father is too lenient. He always says 'as long as the people are safe, it's fine.'" It wasn't until Vivi infiltrated Baroque Works that she uncovered the truth.
"Why does Crocodile want to become this country's hero?" Luffy asked, puzzled.
"To usurp the throne."
"Usurp the throne?"
"He calls it the Utopia Plan. Gaining prestige is just the first step of the plan. Throwing the country into chaos, inciting revolution and war is the second step... The third step is to become the hero, to become the king of this country," Robin said.
This way, all of Crocodile's actions seemed to make sense.
As they were talking, they had just arrived at Alabasta's port city, Nanohana.
Luffy suddenly stopped and lowered his straw hat.
"Luffy?" Vivi looked at him, confused.
Zoro was the first to react, his hand resting on his sword hilt as his sharp eyes scanned the bustling crowd ahead: "The opponent is here."
"Why? Crocodile should be in Rainbase."
Vivi looked ahead.
The citizens were gathered in a square not far away, a noisy, bustling crowd erupting in enthusiastic cheers.
And at the center of the crowd, a man was enjoying their worship.
"Crocodile!"
Vivi stared angrily at the man not far away.
He was the chief culprit who had brought her country to its current, tattered state.
The people didn't see it that way. After pirates had descended upon this city, the one who saved them from peril was precisely this man before them, casually smoking a cigar with an indifferent expression.
Never mind why they were in peril in the first place.
The point is, did he save them or not?
Humans are just that kind of creature, bound by stereotypes.
At Crocodile's feet lay several people who looked like pirates—all actors he had arranged.
It seemed as if he had been waiting here for a long time.
With a low, eerie laugh, Crocodile's sinister eyes passed over the crowd and first landed on Robin, his voice carrying an icy killing intent: "Have you betrayed me, Miss All Sunday?"
He didn't even deign to look at Luffy properly.
The two sides weren't on the same level.
On one side was a great pirate who had roamed the Grand Line and even once crossed swords with a Sea Emperor.
On the other side were rookie pirates who had just emerged from a small place like the East Blue and entered the Grand Line.
"Mr. Crocodile, as you can see, I am currently the prisoner of this Captain Straw Hat Luffy."
Robin still wore that composed smile on her face as she lightly pointed at Luffy.
Only then did Crocodile formally turn his gaze to Luffy, cigar smoke curling around his grim face: "Straw Hat boy, for a woman, you would make an enemy of me?"
He was referring to Vivi.
This wasn't just recklessness; it was downright brainless.
In his view, this group wasn't weak. With luck, they might even reach Sabaody Archipelago. But the voyage thereafter would require serious grounding.
The New World was the playground of the Emperors.
Ordinary pirates like Luffy had no room to survive there.
"This guy is mine."
"Zoro, you guys handle the surroundings. There are quite a few ambushes."
Luffy couldn't be bothered with his nonsense either.
A flicker of surprise crossed Crocodile's eyes. He hadn't expected Luffy to be so sharp, actually detecting the ambush he had prepared in advance.
Was it luck?
That didn't matter anymore.
He dropped the pretense and snorted coldly: "Since we've been discovered, all of you, come out!"
As his words fell, dozens of figures instantly emerged from the buildings and shadows surrounding the square.
Leading them were the remaining senior officers of Baroque Works.
Mr. 1 Daz Bones, Mr. 2 Bentham... Behind the officers followed a dark mass of Billions and Millions agents.
***
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