Chapter 54: Thunderstorm Pacification & Cobra Reunion
"ROOM!"
A translucent blue spherical membrane appeared in my hand and began expanding rapidly—soon enveloping both me and Crocodile.
At the same time, mental energy covered Crocodile—materializing into constant crushing pressure—rendering him immobile.
Then—using the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's teleportation—I appeared behind Crocodile. One slash pierced his chest—twisting once—digging out his heart.
Under the Op-Op Fruit's effect—Crocodile suffered no real damage—not even pain. The heart in my hand still beat powerfully.
"Your heart is mine now." I raised the heart toward Crocodile—gave it a little wave—then squeezed hard.
"Arghhhhhhh!" Crocodile immediately let out a matching scream. His whole body trembled violently—proving it really hurt. Satisfied—I released the pressure on him.
Freed—Crocodile panted heavily—glaring at me with resentment. When he saw his heart in my hand—his expression flickered between dark and uncertain.
"What exactly do you want?" With leverage in my hands—and unable to fight back—Crocodile finally yielded.
"That's for our esteemed Princess Vivi to decide." I tossed the heart backhand to Vivi. "Crocodile's heart is yours now. With this—stopping the war should be child's play."
Vivi stared blankly at the pulsing heart in her hands—for a moment at a loss.
"Try squeezing it," I suggested mischievously.
Vivi instinctively clenched her fingers. Poor Crocodile screamed again.
"See? With his heart in your hand—he can only obey your commands."
"Mm—I understand. Thank you, Mr. Lin Xiu. I'll take this heart back to my father immediately. Please come with me—we need to hurry and discuss how to end the rebellion." Vivi's anxious expression finally eased—her face flushed with excitement at seeing hope. She said nothing about the reward she had previously promised.
"Then Crocodile—we're off. Let's keep in touch when you have time, hahaha." Leaving behind words guaranteed to infuriate him—I enveloped everyone in mental energy and flew away.
Alabasta's capital, Alubarna, lay on the other side of the river. To reach it—we had to pass the shore where I had docked the ship.
It happened to be near dinner time—so I suggested eating first before continuing. Though anxious—Vivi didn't object.
When we landed on deck—we coincidentally found Sadi and Carmen there too.
Both women lay in lounge chairs—apparently resting after a recent "training session."
Seeing two unfamiliar women on deck—Vivi and Igaram were startled. Igaram especially blushed at the sight of naked Carmen.
Nami, Nojiko, and Kaya also looked puzzled—wondering why the previously seen Domino had been replaced by this red-haired beauty.
"Yo—you're here too. Perfect—let's eat together."
In the dining room—everyone took seats. Once again—I conjured a lavish dinner like magic.
While eating—I introduced Sadi and Carmen to the group. Sadi still scanned the women with predatory eyes. Carmen—now dressed again—sat quietly—meek and obedient. Clearly—she had been thoroughly broken by Sadi.
The meal atmosphere was decent enough. After eating—urged by Vivi—I prepared to continue the journey. Suddenly—a figure leaped onto the deck.
Everyone turned. When I saw who it was—my eyes lit up.
"Miss All Sunday!" Before I could speak—Vivi cried out—immediately becoming vigilant.
It was the woman I had long desired—the Devil Child—Nico Robin.
Tall and curvaceous—wearing a cowboy hat, floral shirt, and denim shorts. Her wheat-colored skin exuded youthful vitality. Though already 28—time had left no mark on her face—only adding mature allure.
"Hehe—Captain—you're quite the surprise. May I know your name?" Seeing me stare silently—Robin spoke first. Her voice was gentle and calm—making my heart flutter.
"Hello, Miss Robin. I'm Lin Xiu. Is there something I can help you with?" I responded—trying to sound refined—while wondering why Robin had appeared here.
"Our president sent me. My mission is to retrieve his heart."
"Oh~ Is that so? Sorry, Miss Robin—I can't help you with that." I spread my hands and shrugged.
"No problem—because I have no intention of carrying out that mission. Captain—may I join your pirate crew?" Robin spoke unhurriedly—her words stunning me.
"Oh? Of course I welcome you—but may I ask why? I'm very curious. And what about Crocodile? Aren't you his partner?"
I never expected Robin to approach me voluntarily—this made me overjoyed.
"Crocodile and I were merely using each other. Now that he's lost power—I naturally seek a stronger protector. Someone who can effortlessly defeat Crocodile—Mr. Lin Xiu—I truly admire you. Would you be willing to protect me?" Robin's voice carried intellectual gentleness—I couldn't help being captivated.
"Hahaha—willing, of course willing! Having Miss Robin join is my honor. From now on—you're my crewmate!"
I never thought I'd get Robin to join voluntarily—just like in the original. My heart practically bloomed with joy.
After briefly introducing everyone to Robin—we set off again—flying toward the capital Alubarna. Robin joined our flight formation.
My ability to fly while carrying people surprised Robin slightly—but she remained calm. Her unique experiences had forged a steady, mature character. Thinking of Robin's tragic past—I sighed inwardly. What a pitiful woman.
Two hours later—we reached our destination: the majestic capital city Alubarna. Yet at this moment—the grand city was far from peaceful.
In what should have been a quiet night—fires, shouts, screams, and cannon fire spread throughout—turning the city into a lively hellscape.
"Ah… how did it come to this…" Vivi stared at the ground in shock—tears streaming unconsciously.
Not just Vivi—everyone's expression darkened. Even I was shaken by the sight.
Such large-scale war—I was seeing it in person for the first time. Unlike on television—real war was this bloody and brutal—like a massive meat grinder—turning countless living lives into corpses—while the next wave stepped over the bodies to charge forward.
"It's the rebel army. I never expected they'd launch the attack already." Only Igaram could still speak calmly—though his face didn't look good either.
"Ever since Crocodile returned from Whiskey Peak—he's been fully pushing the rebellion. But I didn't expect it to escalate this far." Robin's face was bloodless—clearly shocked by the Asura-like scene.
I took a deep breath—calmed myself—and focused on the battlefield.
This was a siege—the rebel army assaulting the royal capital.
The kingdom army's greatest advantage—the dozen-meter-high city walls—had already fallen.
The rebels had breached the inner highlands—pushing into the city.
The kingdom army still resisted stubbornly—but even with superior equipment and training—under the rebels' overwhelming numbers—defeat was only a matter of time.
"Mr. Lin Xiu… please… please stop this war." Vivi's trembling voice reached my ears.
Turning—I saw Vivi's face already covered in tears—her whole body shaking—whether from fear or agitation.
I had originally planned to use this moment to negotiate conditions—but seeing Vivi like this—my heart suddenly softened.
"Sigh—fine." I sighed helplessly—turning my gaze back to the battlefield.
War of this scale was beyond any individual's control—even a powerful ability user could only join the fray to stop it.
But this time—Vivi had found the right person. This war—I really could stop.
Raising my hand to the sky—I shot a lightning pillar—pouring endless electric energy into the clouds.
My fruit development was limited—I couldn't output excessively high voltage—nor release unlimited electricity.
But fortunately—I had the god-tier skill Desire Conversion. As long as I had Desire Points—I could release electricity without limit.
Using the clouds as a container—after consuming nearly 5,000 Desire Points—a massive black cloud covering all of Alubarna was born.
Soon people on the ground noticed the sky's abnormality. Deafening thunder roared continuously—flashing lightning illuminated the ground like daylight.
Turning to the tear-blurred Vivi—I grinned. "To stop a war—you really found the right person."
"Ten Thousand Thunders!"
With a downward sweep of my hand—the thundercloud unleashed. Tens of thousands of lightning bolts struck the ground at impossible speed.
Of course—this wasn't true Ten Thousand Thunders—just a miniature version.
All descending thunderbolts carried low voltage—not lethal. But enough to knock people unconscious.
In an instant—the entire city of Alubarna—inside and out—became a sea of lightning.
Under the electric glow—Vivi's face turned deathly pale—even forgetting to sob.
"Lin Xiu! You—!"
"Relax—those bolts aren't fatal. They'll only make people lose consciousness."
The ground lightning storm stopped abruptly—leaving only silence.
Because I had knocked out the kingdom army inside the city as well—except for the central palace—no one on the ground remained standing.
Then I descended with everyone—landing at the palace gates—right before Vivi's father, King Cobra.
Cobra—still reeling from the city-wide lightning storm—was startled again by our sudden descent from the sky.
"Father!" The moment Vivi touched the ground—she cried out—then burst into sobs—as if releasing all the grievances she had endured.
"Vivi! What's happening!" Seeing Vivi cry—Cobra's expression changed dramatically.
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