Shirogai stood high above the palace, his arms crossed casually, lips curled into a smile.
"Cobra's been pushed this far? Old Sand's gone too far this time. And here I thought Vespera's first rule was 'no internal strife.'"
---
Outside the Palace
King Cobra was nailed to the outer wall, blood dried and crusted around the wound—proof he had been there for quite a while.
"This is truly unexpected."
The Shichibukai, Crocodile, stood above Cobra on the palace wall, puffing calmly on a cigar as he looked down with a twisted smile.
"Princess Vivi, I didn't expect you to make it back to Alubarna alive. I guess those useless commanders failed to finish you off."
"Crocodile! Let go of the King!"
"I'm coming to save you, Your Majesty!"
Vivi, exhausted yet resolute, stood behind Captain Chaka, facing Crocodile warily.
Behind them, countless soldiers of the royal guard lay unconscious—victims of Nico Robin's [Flower-Flower Fruit] joint locks.
Numbers meant nothing against Robin. Unless they numbered in the tens of thousands, resistance was futile.
"Don't worry about me!"
King Cobra's voice trembled as he looked at Vivi and Chaka, the pain visible in his eyes.
"Stay back! Crocodile will kill you!"
Crocodile's gaze narrowed with an unsettling grin.
"Kill? No, that would be wasteful. After I take over this kingdom, I'll make the princess my maid. Imagine that—serving the man who murdered her father. Kuhahaha!"
"King!"
Vivi bit her lip, staring with despair at Cobra. Rage boiled in her chest as she resisted the urge to leap at Crocodile.
"Where is Luffy?! Crocodile, where is he?!"
"Straw Hat? Oh, he's already dead."
Luffy... dead?
Vivi's eyes widened in horror. She shouted with fury:
"No! Don't lie to me! Luffy can't die! I don't believe you!"
"It doesn't matter. I don't have time to argue with children."
Crocodile turned to Cobra with chilling calm.
"King, tell me where the ancient weapon Pluton is. I won't ask again."
---
Heh. Old Sand needs a serious beating.
Far above them, Shirogai sat midair, cross-legged, watching it all unfold. Though he currently used his [Bird-Bird Fruit: Falcon Form], it felt as if he had activated a [Whisper-Whisper Fruit], hearing every thought inside Crocodile's mind.
The man was completely unaware of Shirogai's presence.
It's a shame he's uncultured, Shirogai thought with a smirk. Even if the poneglyph containing Pluton's coordinates stood right in front of him, he wouldn't understand a single word.
---
"Pluton..."
King Cobra's face froze.
Besides Shirogai of Vespera, Crocodile also knew of Pluton's existence?
It all clicked. Cobra understood now:
"So your goal… is Pluton!"
All this chaos—the rebellion, the battles, the suffering—it was all to obtain the poneglyph the Nefertari family had guarded for centuries.
"Pluton?" Vivi and Chaka echoed in confusion.
Clearly, they knew nothing of poneglyphs. But Robin, silent as ever, revealed nothing—her gaze unreadable.
"You can't be that ignorant," Crocodile snarled at Cobra. "The most terrifying Ancient Weapon, named a 'God-level' threat. It's said Pluton can obliterate an entire island in a single shot."
---
"Destroy an entire island in one hit? Now that's something I'd like to test."
High in the sky, Shirogai grinned, his six black wings fluttering with excitement.
"When Pluton emerges, I'll take its cannon head-on. I'll see whether my Armament Haki and physical body alone can withstand a direct hit."
(No it can't.... you're still too weak)
---
Crocodile thinks he can overpower me once he gets Pluton? Delusional.
Crocodile sneered internally.
Once he extracted Pluton's location, he'd break his promise to that "monster," Shirogai.
Replacing the Celestial Dragons and becoming ruler of the world sounded like a dream. But dreams were nothing compared to power he could control with his own hands.
With Pluton in his grasp, even Shirogai wouldn't be able to stop him.
The idea made his grin deepen into something far more sinister.
King Cobra stared at him, weak but defiant.
"What do you want with Pluton?"
Crocodile raised his hooked hand and smirked.
"What for? To build a military empire. First, I'll legitimize my claim to this kingdom. Then I'll use Pluton to suppress pirates. Once my forces rise, I'll create a new nation—one that surpasses the World Government!"
Cobra muttered, barely audible:
"That will attract the wrath of the World Government…"
Crocodile scoffed.
"When my power reaches a certain level, the World Government won't have a choice but to acknowledge my rule."
---
Watching from the sky, Shirogai shook his head.
"You're overestimating yourself, Old Sand," he said quietly.
"If Pluton really appears, the Gorosei and the three Admirals will come for you personally. Thinking you can win against them with one weapon? That's pure delusion."
---
Cobra fell silent again.
There was no way he'd give Pluton to someone like Crocodile.
Seeing the resistance in his eyes, Crocodile's expression darkened.
"You won't tell me?"
He raised his hand.
"Then in thirty minutes, I'll launch a super bomb with a five-kilometer blast radius—right into the center of the battle between the King's Army and the Rebels."
He grinned with venom.
"Let your people suffer for your silence, King."
Cobra closed his eyes, despair overtaking him.
"I'll take you…"
"Wait!"
Chaka stepped forward, eyes burning with fury. He gripped his sword tightly as he transformed into his werewolf form.
"I've had enough!"
He shouted at Crocodile:
"You dare threaten a King who loves his people like his own blood? You're no ruler—you're scum!"
"Chaka-sama, allow us to go first!"
Behind him, four royal warriors surged forward, strange tattoos on their bodies glowing faintly.
"Crocodile! Release the King!"
"Fools."
Crocodile's body turned to sand.
"Sand Dune!"
The swirling wave of yellow sand devoured them without mercy.
---
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