One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, "Desert King" Sir Crocodile, was publicly arrested in the square by Tashigi.
"In the name of Marineford under the World Government, I hereby revoke your 'Permit' and all titles and privileges once granted to you!"
Marines prepared reinforced transport carriages to move Crocodile to the harbor under the cover of night.
He was to be handed over to Captain Smoker and Captain Hina.
Rumble... Rumble...
The heavy wheels of the Sea-Prism Stone transport vehicle groaned as they rolled down the path.
Inside the reinforced cage sat Crocodile, his wrists bound in Sea-Prism Stone cuffs, staring with a twisted grin at the man standing casually before him.
"Heh... Null, I already know what you've been up to."
Despite strict Marine patrols surrounding the convoy, the man had appeared inside the prison cart without resistance or trace.
"You had Cobra lead the charge against the sandstorm, made it seem like he was risking his life, and just when they thought he'd die... you made the storm retreat."
"You let them believe they overcame it—with Cobra."
"And then, like some divine joke, you made it rain."
"Kuhahaha! The sheep started believing Cobra was the chosen king. Truly pathetic."
Crocodile leaned against the Sea-Prism wall, bound and yet unfazed.
"Incredible. You actually turned that farce into a tale of divine destiny for Cobra. Compared to you, my schemes look sloppy."
Shirogai Yamikuro gave a relaxed smile, tapping on the metal bars.
"Please. Between the two of us, you're still the snake in the grass. I don't have the patience for all your double-dealing."
He smirked.
"By the way, that outfit suits you. Jailbird chic. You might have a brighter future in Impel Down than you ever did as a Warlord. Think of it as... advanced training."
Crocodile scoffed.
"Impel Down? The World Government's pride, huh? Must mean I'm a big deal to get tossed in there."
"Obviously," Shirogai replied coolly. "You're dangerous, but not worth the effort to execute. Locking you in Impel Down is a neat solution. You go train for now—someday, I'll come find you."
Crocodile chuckled darkly.
"Kuhahaha, I see. Got your eyes on Impel Down already? Looking to recruit some monsters for Vespera?"
He hit the mark.
There were indeed a few imprisoned beasts in LEVEL 6 that Shirogai had taken interest in:"Red Earl" Baroric Redfield"Demon Heir" Douglas Bullet"World Destroyer" Brynndi "Rain" Shiryu"I'm interested in a few of them," Shirogai admitted. "But I haven't met them yet, so I don't know if they're Vespera material. If they don't meet our standards... I'll just kill them. Can't afford liabilities."
Crocodile's laughter grew louder.
"Kuhahaha! Ruthless! You'd kill them just for not qualifying? That's rich!"
He stared at Shirogai with a sinister grin.
"That kind of thinking... fits you. Cobra, Vivi—they think you're some sort of hero."
"But I know what you really are. Someone who could destroy the entire world."
Shirogai chuckled.
"Destroy the world? Come on. If I really wanted to do that, it'd be way too easy."
The air fell silent.
Then Crocodile burst into laughter again, louder and darker than before.
"Kuhahaha! kuhahahaha—!"
"Be quiet in there!"
Tashigi, blade in hand, stormed in, irritated by the sound.
"Crocodile, you've been stripped of your Warlord status! Your Baroque Works is gone! Don't get any ideas!"
"Kuhahaha, I just heard a very funny joke. Want to hear it?"
He glanced toward the spot where Shirogai had stood.
It was empty.
Tashigi narrowed her eyes.
"I have no interest in jokes from a captured pirate!"
She sheathed her blade with resolve.
"You will not escape Marine custody!"
Crocodile simply grinned.
"Escape? No need. I'm curious about what comes next. Kuhahahaha..."
His laughter echoed under the night sky.
Splash… splash…
The long-absent rain continued falling across the dry lands of the Alabasta Kingdom.
The people celebrated, dancing and cheering through the night. They didn't sleep. How could they? After years without a drop of hope, the sky had finally wept for them.
The rain lasted for three days.
When the clouds finally parted on the third night, a foot splashed into a shallow puddle.
Thud.
Usopp blinked around with wide eyes, carrying two bulging bags.
"Wow, everyone's fixing up their homes! So lively."
"Hey, we need more wood over here!" someone shouted nearby.
The people of Alubarna had returned, hammering away at their damaged houses with cheerful resolve.
"This country's tough," Sanji remarked, puffing on a cigarette as he returned with a bag of goods.
"It's the princess," he added with a grin. "She's adorable."
Usopp rolled his eyes.
"That has nothing to do with it!"
Nearby, a crowd grumbled.
"Who the hell kicked holes in the walls?! Look at this mess!"
Usopp tilted his head.
"Man, someone really messed this place up."
Sanji coughed nervously.
"Er—Usopp, let's get moving. Luffy should be waking up soon."
Outside the city…
"Haa…"
Zoro stood amid rubble, holding two enormous stones above his head. Bandages covered his body, courtesy of his duel with Mr. 1.
Chopper had warned him not to train.
Naturally, Zoro ignored him.
"I've grasped both Armament and Observation Haki… time to sharpen them."
Crack! Pebbles suddenly zipped toward him from behind.
Whoosh. He vanished from under the stones, which crashed to the ground.
Zoro appeared in front of the attacker, sword drawn and pointed at their throat.
"Baroque Works?"
"No," the middle-aged man said calmly, clapping.
"Nice reaction. You're already releasing Observation Haki without thinking."
Zoro narrowed his eyes.
"Shirogai?"
The man's face shimmered—transforming back into Shirogai's form.
"Skipping medical orders? Chopper's gonna kill you."
Zoro chuckled and sheathed his blade.
"Bandages slow me down. I heal fast anyway."
"Even Pirate King Roger followed his doctor's orders," Shirogai said, tossing him something.
Zoro caught it. A short, milky-white mushroom.
"Healing mushroom. Helps with internal recovery."
Zoro ate it without hesitation and blinked as new skin began to form on his wounds.
"Why not give me this earlier?"
"To stop you from relying on it. Use it every time, and your natural healing weakens. Plus, I don't want you making a habit of trading injuries."
Zoro clenched his sword.
"The wound's healed. You know what I want."
Shirogai smiled, taking off his jacket and tossing it to a branch.
"Let's see what you've got."
The Cut-Cut Fruit activated—shimmering blades appearing along Shirogai's arms, glistening with Armament Haki.
Zoro grinned fiercely.
"Get ready. I've improved."
Clang! Zoro's black blade met Shirogai's clawed arm mid-swing.
Steel rang out under the clear sky.
Minutes later, Zoro lay in a crater, bleeding and twitching.
Shirogai scratched his head.
"Tch. Got a little too serious. Eh, everyone in our crew's a blood tank. You'll live."