Just as the massive sandstorm was about to sweep over and engulf the entirety of Alubarna, the wind also began to rise within the city.
It started as a gentle, seemingly harmless cool breeze. But this breeze, carrying a faint trace of sand, charged forward like the ignorant and fearless, meeting the oncoming colossal sandstorm head-on.
The next moment, a fierce gale erupted over Alubarna!
This violent gust rushed through at tremendous speed, causing Alubarna itself to roar.
Then, the gale and the sandstorm collided.
The formerly aggressive desert storm was instantly obstructed. The two opposing wind pressures, as they clashed, squeezed and rotated, generating an unusual air current.
It was visible to the naked eye: at the epicenter where the two wind pressures merged, a colossal tornado gradually formed.
Or perhaps, it could be accurately described as a hurricane!
"What in the world is happening?" Hina asked, astonished, watching the strange and terrifying scene.
The hurricane whipped up the sand from the desert high into the sky. Then, a second, and a third, more and more swirling hurricanes, twisting like dragons in the air, began to appear.
"A long-distance clash between Logia users," Diarmuid murmured.
After a slight pause, he continued, "The fierce gale whipped up from Alubarna must be Dragon's ability, and that desert storm, naturally, is Crocodile's power..."
Diarmuid then asked with a slight laugh, "You haven't really witnessed the fighting between Kuzan and Sakazuki, have you?"
Hina paused, then nodded. "I've been working as a clerk by your side; I haven't been to the front lines much, have I?"
"That Kuzan, he looks lazy and lackadaisical, but when he truly goes all out, he can freeze an entire sea area in one breath, turning an entire island into a frozen wasteland. And if he doesn't hold back, he can permanently alter the climate and environment... As for Sakazuki, let's just say that wherever he fights, active volcanoes are sure to erupt afterward. Sometimes, the entire island is turned into a volcanic island. The duels between Logia users are mostly contests of energy—seeing whose mastered energy is more powerful, more ferocious, and more terrifying," Diarmuid explained with a chuckle.
"Crocodile is actually managing to hold his own against Dragon? His strength is certainly impressive..." Hina said with a hint of amazement.
"Although I never gave his ability, which can be maximized in the desert, much credit, it seems quite formidable now. But perhaps this is also due to the fact that Dragon's ability cannot be fully utilized within Alabasta?" Diarmuid said, stroking his chin.
"What do you mean 'fully utilized'? What exactly is Dragon's ability?" Hina asked curiously.
"Without a doubt, it should be the storm. The man clearly can elementalize, so I've mostly concluded he's a Logia user who uses gales... Have you heard the story? A CP9 fleet once encountered a massive storm while pursuing Dragon and was virtually wiped out, sinking most of their ships," Diarmuid explained.
If Dragon's ability really is the storm, then the fate of Shiki, had he met Dragon back then, would have been tragic.
And the current Fujitora... Tsk tsk.
After a slight pause, Diarmuid continued, "A storm is not just about strong winds..."
Yet, as if to make a fool of Diarmuid, the moment he finished saying that Dragon's ability might be weakened in Alabasta, the sky immediately grew dark and gloomy.
"What is this?" Hina said, standing by the window and looking up at the sky in surprise.
"Damn it, did that guy set off Dance Powder or something?" Diarmuid felt his face heat up in embarrassment.
The sky first darkened, and then thick, rolling black clouds rapidly gathered over Alubarna. Following that, Diarmuid, after having been in Alabasta for so long, finally saw rain fall upon Alubarna, upon Alabasta!
It started as a light drizzle, swaying amidst the fierce winds.
Then, in just three to five seconds, the drizzle instantly turned into a downpour. Alabasta's stone-paved streets quickly became soaked and soon pooled with massive streams of water.
The desert storm, which had been tearing at the gale, was quickly assailed by the rainstorm. The rolling yellow sand was constantly soaked in the air, then plummeted to the ground with the rainwater.
Vaguely, it seemed as though Dragon's storm was gaining the upper hand!
The rebels were attacking from the south of Alubarna, and the sandstorm was also blowing from south to north.
Meanwhile, on a tall dune to the west of Alubarna, several figures were standing.
Donquixote Doflamingo stroked his chin, watching the desert storm gradually being eroded by the rainstorm. A wicked smile played on his lips. "Oi, oi, you croc bastard, are you finished already? Being suppressed on your own turf?"
Crocodile, dressed in a black suit and draped in an expensive fur coat, clenched a cigar between his teeth. Traces of yellow sand emanated from him, swirling around his body.
He shot Doflamingo an annoyed look but didn't speak.
Next to him, Jinbe seemed truly bothered by the damned climate of Alabasta. He was tightly bundled up, not an inch of blue skin visible, and held a giant water bag, drinking constantly.
After a hearty burp, Jinbe finally spoke. "I think there's no need to doubt it. That Revolutionary Army member, Dragon, must be a Storm-Storm Fruit user or something. He's currently locking horns with Crocodile-dono, isn't he?"
Hancock, holding a parasol, looked impatient. "Crocodile, can you or can't you handle this?"
"Shut up!" Crocodile snapped angrily.
No man wants to be told he can't handle things, especially by the world's most beautiful woman, Hancock.
Even if there was no suggestive meaning behind her words, and even if Crocodile didn't care to gain the approval of that arrogant woman, it was still irritating to hear.
He forcefully exhaled a cloud of smoke, then removed the cigar from his mouth. The next moment, the cigar was corroded by the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit and instantly disintegrated into dust in Crocodile's hand.
"That was merely a greeting just now. Don't underestimate me, and don't underestimate the desert," Crocodile scoffed.
As soon as he finished speaking, Crocodile snapped his fingers.
The next second, an invisible energy seemed to conduct out from his feet.
Doflamingo raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. Everyone present was an expert, and they could all vaguely feel something—Crocodile seemed to have linked up with the boundless desert.
"Go, devour it..." Crocodile whispered softly.
The next moment, everyone's gaze turned toward Alabasta in the distance. The sandstorm was still being suppressed by the rainstorm controlled by Dragon, and it even seemed to be starting to dissipate.
But quickly, the desertified ground around Alubarna began to change. In the direction from which the southern rebels were surging, the desert seemed to come alive. The yellow sand began to roll and shift, and dunes constantly rose and fell. Soon, the oasis forests near the Alubarna city walls were rapidly covered by yellow sand.
Next, a thick layer of sand began to press against the city walls. While it didn't possess any immediate corrosive power, Alubarna's majestic walls easily blocked the sand.
However, the situation soon began to change.
The yellow sand continuously piled up along the base of the city walls, slowly increasing in height. The rainwater constantly dampened the sand, making the originally soft sand layer heavy and compact.
From a distance, it looked as though a gentle slope was being constructed between the infinite desert and Alubarna's tall walls.
And this slope continued to rise, seemingly intending to cross the Alubarna walls and submerge the ancient capital!
"What is this?" A flicker of surprise appeared in Mihawk's eyes.
He seemed to have realized what Crocodile was doing.
"A contest of abilities with Dragon, whether I win or lose, is meaningless. Our goal is to allow the rebels to attack Alubarna, thereby forcing out the Revolutionary Army hiding within and condemning the Nefertari Family. Therefore, whether it was the previous sandstorm or this act of swallowing the city now, I am merely giving those rebels a small helping hand..." Crocodile said with a touch of arrogance.
He seemed disdainful of his 'companions' around him who only knew how to fight and kill.
As Crocodile's ability continuously surged, the rebels' advance toward Alubarna accelerated rapidly.
By the time the first wave of the rebel vanguard arrived at Alubarna, Crocodile's yellow sand had already connected to the top of the city walls.
A general of the rebel army looked at the towering sand slope with disbelief in his eyes. But quickly, he drew his crescent-shaped scimitar, mounted his camel, and roared, "The God of the Desert is protecting us! Let us drown the so-called Falcon and Jackal of the Nefertari! This country does not belong to greedy tyrants! Charge with me!!!"
Although they were called rebels, in reality, the reason these people revolted was because they were "forced to the brink of survival by the Nefertari." Without rain, their farmlands and oases continually vanished, and they were saddled with increasingly complex taxes. Thus, these people reluctantly took up arms, ready to overthrow the bastards who oppressed and ruled them.
Of course, in reality, Cobra had nothing to do with these schemes; it was all dirty water thrown on the Nefertari by Crocodile, in collusion with some nobles.
In any case, in the eyes of the people of Alubarna, they were rebels.
But in the eyes of the rebels themselves, they were revolutionaries initiating an uprising.
Often in times like these, the people who rise from the grassroots are imbued with a stronger sense of idealism and sacrifice.
For instance, the rebel general roared, "Charge with me!" not "Go in ahead of me!"
As his furious roar faded, he was indeed the first to charge, riding his camel up the sand slope toward the top of Alubarna's massive city wall.
Following him, countless rebels were inspired. They all drew their scimitars, grabbed their wooden sticks, raised their rocks, and roared as they charged toward the capital of the Alabasta Kingdom!
"This wave of madness is enough to destroy all of Alabasta. Yet, ironically, the Revolutionary Army, who should share the same ideals as them, is standing with the King. What a cynical reality, fufufufufufufu..." Doflamingo said with an evil laugh.
Crocodile, for once, showed a rare smile. "The Revolutionary Army's first step upon arriving in Alabasta was to contact the rebels. However, I was prepared for this move long ago. So, it's not that they don't want to cooperate with the rebels; it's that they have no choice. If they still want to make a move in Alabasta, they can only choose the Nefertari, because that's the only ground I left them."
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