2 chapters will be uploaded on daily basis i.e. 14 Chapters will be uploaded every week apart from the bonus chapters.
1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded for every 50 Power Stones or 1000 Collections.
All interested readers can read advanced chapters on:
[email protected]/Heroicverse
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Auguro intended to bring Alabasta under his control, but he personally lacked the energy to govern such a massive country. Therefore, a shrewd and capable new queen like Vivi was essential. If the country were left to Cobra, Auguro simply wouldn't trust the outcome!
Of course, all of this was for later. Gaining the allegiance of a superpower with over ten million people would not be easy!
As Auguro contemplated his next moves, the group unknowingly arrived deep within the desert.
Suddenly, Auguro's Observation Haki detected a slight anomaly beneath the sand.
"Look out!"
Auguro dove forward, tackling Vivi and her duck down at the same time.
Bang!
A short figure burst from the ground, its sharp claws swiping where Vivi had been, missing only air.
"Tch! He actually noticed?"
The crew looked closer and saw a short, plump old woman with a brown afro.
"Miss Merry Christmas! What are you doing here?!" Vivi recognized the person and was immediately alarmed. She knew only a few people in the kingdom were aware of her return!
"Hmph! A dead person doesn't need to know that much!" Miss Merry Christmas refused to answer. Her hands morphed into sharp claws, and she dove back into the ground.
"Mole-Hole Escape Technique, Mole-Mole Fish!"
"Be careful, everyone!" Vivi urgently warned.
"Miss Merry Christmas is a Mole-Mole Fruit user; she can tunnel and move freely underground!"
"It's useless! Too slow!" Miss Merry Christmas reappeared again, her target still Vivi!
"Mole-Hole Banana Slap!" Her Human-Beast form's claws raked toward Vivi's neck from behind.
"You're asking to die!"
A red light flashed in Auguro's eyes. His Observation Haki took in everything, and his Zanpakutō swept out horizontally.
So fast! Miss Merry Christmas was greatly alarmed and quickly retracted her hands, but not before a gash was left across her palm.
Having retreated to the side, Miss Merry Christmas roared in frustration, "How long are you going to stand there watching? Don't forget the President's orders!"
"Oh, I told you not to be so impatient!"
As Miss Merry Christmas's words faded, several figures emerged from behind the sand dunes.
Auguro's eyes swept over them. Well, well, well, the entire remaining Senior Officer crew of Baroque Works! Except for Mr. 2 and the two who had been killed, everyone else was present!
"H-how can this be?" Vivi staggered, her face pale. She had returned to the country in secret, only to be ambushed by the enemy's elite. Who betrayed her?
Auguro had a pretty good guess. Mr. 2 was the user of the Mane Mane no Mi (Clone-Clone Fruit), specializing in infiltration. Since he wasn't present, he was likely infiltrating the capital. He was probably even near Cobra himself!
That's how they knew Vivi's route back to the capital. After all, in the original story, he even impersonated King Cobra, which confirmed his ability to get close to the king. With a power user like that, Alabasta's intelligence was practically transparent to Crocodile!
"Sith Auguro, is that right?" The dark-skinned, serious-looking Mr. 1 spoke first.
"To be able to kill Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, your strength is considerable!"
"The President said that as long as you truthfully hand over the information on the City of Gold and join Baroque Works, we can let you take Mr. 5's position!"
Crocodile's plan was brilliant: recruit a powerful subordinate while securing the treasure of the City of Gold—killing two birds with one stone!
"Heh-heh-heh!" Auguro sneered, gesturing for Vivi to retreat further. He said with contempt, "Then tell Crocodile for me that if he kneels and apologizes, I might spare his life!"
"Arrogant!" Mr. 1 was enraged. Crocodile was the man he dedicated his life to serving. How dare a rookie who just entered the Grand Line humiliate him like this!
Mr. 1 decided that, regardless of whether Crocodile intended to recruit Auguro, he had to kill him!
Those who insult my master must die!
"Grip Slash!"
Mr. 1 charged directly at Auguro, his right hand shaped like a tiger claw, the inner side of his fingers turning into sharp blades. He was a Supra-Supra Fruit (Dice-Dice Fruit) user, a Paramecia-type that allowed his entire body, even his internal organs, to become blades with the hardness of steel. His potential was extremely high.
Clang!
Auguro raised his sword to block. The blade was tightly grasped in Mr. 1's palm. Mr. 1 instinctively tried to crush the sword as he would any ordinary blade, but no matter how hard he squeezed, the sword wouldn't budge!
"Hah! A fine blade! But that's not enough!"
Mr. 1 sneered, took a step back, then crossed his arms and slashed forward violently.
"Dust Slasher!"
Dense, successive slashes descended like a fishing net, enveloping Auguro and threatening to cut everything into pieces!
Die!
Mr. 1 roared inwardly. He had killed countless overconfident pirates with this move!
However, facing Mr. 1's fierce attack, Auguro executed Shunpo, and his figure vanished like a bubble. The next moment, Mr. 1 felt the hairs on his entire body stand on end. His entire right arm instantly transformed into a long steel blade, which he swung madly behind him.
Auguro raised his Zanpakutō, and an invisible layer of Armament Haki tightly coiled around it.
"You think you're invincible just because your body is as hard as steel? That's why you're all stuck amusing yourselves in this Paradise!" In the eyes of true powerhouses, the first half of the Grand Line was nothing more than a relaxing paradise!
Clang!
The two blades collided fiercely. Mr. 1 realized that, unlike usual, he had failed to block his opponent's weapon. A powerful, indescribable force erupted from Auguro's sword, easily shattering the steel blade his power had created!
Pfft!
The blade was unstoppable, slicing across Mr. 1's chest. His steel body, which had never been breached, sprayed blood like rain.
"W-what kind of power is this?" Mr. 1 knelt on the sand, asking with immense difficulty.
Auguro's tone was mocking.
"What, Crocodile didn't tell you about Haki? He was a great pirate who adventured in the New World, after all!"
"Oh! I almost forgot! He was beaten out of the New World! It's understandable that he wouldn't want to bring up such a painful memory!"
Pfft!
Mr. 1 was so overwhelmed with rage that he spat out another mouthful of blood. Auguro raised his sword, ready to finish off Crocodile's right-hand man, when his vision suddenly blurred. The battle intent in his heart began to recede, and he even felt an urge to lie down and rest on the spot!
Such good weather, why not just lay down?
Realizing something was wrong, a cold light flashed in Auguro's eyes, and a surging Reiatsu instantly poured out. Everyone present immediately felt an inexplicable pressure. Under the powerful impact of the Reiatsu, the strange feeling instantly vanished.
Beneath his feet, a green pattern had appeared without him noticing. With a sweep of his Observation Haki, Auguro immediately located the figure behind the trickery!