What's that?
Usopp, standing by the rail with a spyglass, spotted a cluster of ships hidden near the port ahead—about ten of them in total.
"Their sails… they're marked with the symbol of Baroque Works."
"Enemies?"
"They're probably the Billions," Vivi answered.
She had already explained to everyone about Baroque Works.
There were twelve teams of senior agents, codenamed Mr.1 through Mr.12, each paired with a female partner—except for Mr.2, since he was… a crossdresser.
Among them, those ranked Mr.5 and above were "Frontline Officers," who only appeared for major missions. The Billions, meanwhile, were their subordinates—both henchmen and reserves.
"If they're enemies, we just cut them down." Zoro's hand was already on his sword.
Enemy = Cut them down. That was the Three-Sword Style way.
"Don't be stupid. Right now we're hidden and they're exposed—that's our advantage. No need to reveal ourselves for a bunch of small fry," Liner said.
As the ship neared shore, he summoned several strong undead—aside from Blue Oni and Red Oni. Once on land, surrounded by spies, he'd have to minimize summoning.
The Merry didn't dock directly at the port. Instead, they pulled into a secluded stretch of coastline. Liner even summoned all his fishman undead to guard the ship.
"Alright! Let's go knock Crocodile flying!" Luffy cheered.
"Don't rush in, idiot." Sanji lit a cigarette and cut in:
"Besides Crocodile, this whole country's in crisis. A war involving a million people isn't something to take lightly.
"Let's first gather intel here in the city, then return to the ship and make a proper plan."
"Mm. That's fine," Liner agreed.
Nearby, Vivi slipped a sealed envelope into Karoo's saddle pouch, patting the duck's neck.
"Karoo, this mission is very important. Be careful on the way."
"Quack!"
Karoo saluted like a soldier, then waddled off at full speed. The letter exposed the truth—that the mastermind behind the rebellion was none other than Crocodile himself.
At this point, the people of Alabasta were still deceived, worshiping Crocodile as a hero who "defended them from pirates."
Even King Cobra only knew that someone was orchestrating the war in secret. He had no idea who was behind it.
"Eh? Where's Luffy?"
That question froze everyone. A bad feeling swept over the group. They looked around at each other—
"That idiot's gone missing!!!"
"Unbelievable…" Liner rubbed his temples. "Forget it. Let's disguise ourselves and head in."
They threw on cloaks and robes. Because of the harsh climate, such clothing was common here—hot but good for sun protection—so they blended right in.
Even the Saw Demon and the Claw Demon were wrapped up in the same garb. Then the crew split into two groups: Vivi, Zoro, and Sanji in one, and Luffy with the "weakling trio" in the other.
The city of Nanohana was famous for its perfumes. Entering the streets, they found it bustling.
Even in the midst of civil war, this port city still thrived—after all, it was a hub on the Grand Line.
Everywhere, white round towers rose, each topped with a yellow dome. Despite the scorching heat, the locals wore long, heavy robes, wrapping themselves head to toe.
"Uuugh… I can't take this anymore…"
Chopper lagged, staggering dramatically like he was ill.
"What's wrong, Chopper?" Liner asked. With his constitution, heatstroke shouldn't have been a problem.
"It's so hot here… completely the opposite of the winter island I grew up on."
Tongue lolling, Chopper panted weakly. "And ever since we entered the city, I've been smelling this really sharp odor."
"A sharp odor?"
"Thanks, Liner."
Liner scooped Chopper onto his shoulders. "That's probably perfume. Vivi said this city is famous for it."
"Oh? Chopper, your nose is really sensitive?" Nami asked.
She could barely smell a faint sweetness in the air, yet Chopper found it overwhelming.
"Yeah. A reindeer's sense of smell is very sharp," he explained.
As they walked, Liner recalled that in the original timeline, the crew had crossed the desert to Yuba to stop the war, only to find their efforts wasted. He didn't remember every detail, but he knew the desert trek had been a dead end.
So for now, he planned to gather info in busy spots—especially by shaking down some thugs. The rebels wouldn't be buying supplies openly. They had to be working through black market channels.
"Wait, Liner," Chopper suddenly said from his shoulders.
His nose twitched, then he pointed at a cart turning down a side street. "Over there! I smell a huge amount of gunpowder."
Oh? So Chopper had a new use now.
Liner followed his gaze. The cart was pulled by two camels, piled high with dry hay—supposedly feed.
"Let's tail it."
At Nanohana Port
A Navy warship docked slowly.
"Report! Colonel Smoker, Headquarters has responded. They said—"
"Another rejection, huh?"
"Uh… yes, sir."
"When we passed Little Garden, the Den Den Mushi intercepted a transmission. It clearly showed someone scheming something big in this country. And those idiots at HQ—"
Smoker's voice was low, tinged with fury.
"Well, this is Warlord territory," Tashigi said carefully.
"If the Navy acts here without notice, Headquarters won't be able to explain it to the World Government."
Smoker, bare-chested and scowling, lit his cigar and snapped at the soldier, "Bring me a Den Den Mushi. I'm calling Aokiji."
"Yes, sir!"
Tashigi gave him a wry look. Poor Captain T-Bone, poor Admiral Aokiji… PM2.5 was always looking for someone to take the blame.
In the streets of Nanohana
A crowd gathered outside a tavern, all whispering and pointing toward the bar counter.
A man slumped there, shirtless, his build not tall but muscled. Around his neck hung crimson prayer beads, and on his back was a tattoo of a pirate flag.
"What's with him? He just collapsed while eating."
"Don't just stand there! Help him!"
"Idiot, are you suicidal?"
A burly local yanked the would-be rescuer back, face pale. "Can't you tell? He ate a strawberry spider. That poison kills instantly—and it spreads."
"What?!"
The crowd hung around, neither daring to approach nor leave—just gawking.
Suddenly, the "poisoned" man shot upright, looking alarmed.
"Crap! I fell asleep while eating!"
The onlookers: "…Oh~~ so he was just— Wait a damn minute! Who the hell falls asleep while eating?!"
They all shouted in outrage.
"What a weirdo."
"Forget it, nothing to see here…"
The crowd dispersed.
"Sorry, boss. Guess I caused a scene." The man wolfed down the rest of his food, scratching his head apologetically.
The chef, in a tall white hat, waved it off, rolling up his sleeves. "It's fine. As long as you're alright, sir."
"Hahaha! By the way, boss, I'm looking for someone."
The man had long black hair and freckles on his cheeks. He set a wanted poster on the counter and smiled warmly.
Have you seen this guy? His name is Monkey D. Luffy. …He's my little brother.