The sudden roar immediately stunned the excited gamblers at the Rain Dinners casino.
Everyone paused, turning to see who had the audacity to cause trouble in such a place.
Then, they saw a figure that left them shocked.
"Is that... His Majesty, Cobra!?"
Some of the Alabasta residents quickly recognized Cobra, their eyes widening in disbelief. They instinctively hid their chips, unsure of how to react to Cobra's presence.
After all, not long ago, King Cobra, who was known for his deep care for the people, had been actively opposing the establishment of this very casino...
He even personally came to Rain Dinners to deliver an anti-gambling speech.
And yet, here he was now, in the very casino he had condemned, walking with purpose.
It felt like being caught by your school teacher at an internet cafe right after final exams—no rules were being broken, but the fear was still there.
Fortunately, Cobra didn't seem to be there to catch gamblers. Instead, he walked straight toward the casino's management area.
"What... Your Majesty, what can I do for you?"
A casino staff member cautiously approached, attempting to stop Cobra from proceeding further.
But before he could get close, a large hand blocked his path.
Chaka stared him down with a fierce, predatory gaze.
"Tell your colleagues to get out of here, as far away as possible," Chaka ordered.
"There might be a battle!"
"A battle!?"
Chaka's loud declaration sent a wave of fear through the nearby gamblers, turning their faces pale.
A battle? Who would dare to start a battle here?
Could it be that King Cobra's opposition to the casino had escalated to the point where he was planning to shut it down by force?
The casino erupted into chaos, with people hurriedly packing up their belongings and rushing toward the exits.
As they stepped outside, they were stunned to find...
A large contingent of soldiers surrounding the casino, evacuating nearby residents of Alabasta.
"It's over, the casino's finished!"
The gamblers, still in shock, quickly fled the scene.
At the same time, the staff member who had been stopped by Chaka seemed paralyzed with fear.
He opened his mouth as if to say something but, seeing the determination on Cobra's face, thought better of it.
With a slight bow, he retreated to warn his colleagues.
They were just ordinary workers, after all. There was no point in challenging their king for the sake of a job.
Within minutes, the casino floor was deserted. Everyone had cleared out.
"Crocodile, are you still not going to show yourself!?"
Cobra called out, his gaze fixed on the back office of the casino.
He didn't know exactly where Crocodile was hiding, but intelligence reports confirmed that he was definitely here, in the casino, right now!
Given the surveillance Den Den Mushis everywhere, Cobra was certain that Crocodile was already aware of his arrival.
And sure enough, at that very moment...
A strong gust of wind whipped up a storm of sand not far from Cobra.
The swirling sand gradually took the shape of a man.
It was Crocodile, answering Cobra's call.
"Your Majesty, King Cobra, it's just a casino. Is there really a need for you to cause trouble here again and again?"
Crocodile sneered arrogantly, casually shaking the gleaming golden hook on his arm. He looked at Cobra with a mocking smile, as though he didn't take him seriously at all.
However...
Having monitored the situation outside through the Den Den Mushis, Crocodile was harboring some dark thoughts.
And in the very next second...
Cobra suddenly stepped forward, showing no fear of the powerful man before him, and spoke boldly:
"Enough pretending, Crocodile!!!"
"We already know what you're up to!!!"
"Daring to use the people of Alabasta as pawns in your scheme to seize power and usurp the throne—this is unforgivable!!!"
Bang! ! !
In his rage, Cobra suddenly pulled a musket from his cloak and fired a shot straight at Crocodile's head.
The strong smell of gunpowder filled the air.
The dark bullet whizzed through the air, embodying Cobra's fury, and struck Crocodile right between the eyes.
It was as if Crocodile didn't even react—the bullet penetrated his skull without any resistance.
The smug grin remained on Crocodile's face, but a deep, dark hole had appeared on his forehead.
"Is he... dead?"
Igaram, standing next to Cobra, wiped his eyes in disbelief.
The infamous pirate...
Just like that?
Pell and Chaka also stood there, bewildered.
They had been prepared for a fierce battle, but their enemy had been taken down by their king with a single shot.
Wasn't that a bit too easy?
However, just as these thoughts crossed their minds, Crocodile, who had been shot in the head, suddenly spoke as if nothing had happened:
"Hisashiburi dana Mugiwara!"
"A zombie!?" Igaram shouted in shock.
As Crocodile's raspy voice filled the air, a dark, ominous aura surged toward Cobra and his guards.
A menacing look flickered in his eyes.
Murderous intent boiled over.
"Who... told you!?"
Crocodile asked in a low, threatening tone.
But the way he asked made it clear he wasn't seeking an answer—it was the calm before the storm.
At this moment, Crocodile was seething with rage!
His nearly flawless plan, carefully orchestrated over so long, had been exposed just as it was about to unfold!
It was utterly inconceivable!
In that moment, Nico Robin's image flashed in his mind.
But...
Robin had always been under his watchful eye. There was no way, and no reason for her to inform Cobra about his plans!
Yet, within the entire Baroque Works organization, only Robin knew every detail of his scheme.
Countless questions raced through his mind, but they were overwhelmed by the fury and humiliation of having his plan uncovered.
The wound on his forehead turned to sand and began to heal.
Clink!
The bullet was forced out of his head by the sand, falling to the ground with a sharp ping.
He took a step forward, surrounded by swirling sand.
"Forget it, it doesn't matter who it was!"
"Now that my plan has been exposed, there's only one thing left to do..."
"Capture all of you and extract every bit of information I need!"
His grand scheme had been motivated by the secrets guarded by the Nefertari family!
Originally, he had planned to achieve his goals with cunning and strategy...
But now, with his plan revealed, he had no choice but to revert to his old methods—capture Cobra and his allies, then forcefully extract every secret they knew!
Whoosh~
A whirlwind of sand suddenly swirled in Crocodile's palm.
"Sandstorm!"
With a loud shout, the small whirlwind in his hand expanded into a massive sandstorm, surging toward Cobra and his guards.
As a wielder of the Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit, Crocodile could control sand at will!
And on this wind-swept, sandy island, it was as if the environment existed solely for him!
Where the sandstorm passed, the ground turned to wasteland, floors were torn apart, tables and chairs were blown into the air, and finally pulverized into dust by the impact of countless sand grains.
Under the fierce winds and swirling sand, the casino began to collapse!
"Your Majesty, look out!"
The sudden sandstorm took everyone by surprise—everyone except Cobra.
Loyal Igaram rushed to Cobra, attempting to shield his king from the violent storm with his body.
But...
Cobra merely smiled and remained unfazed by the sudden chaos.
"Don't worry, Igaram!"
He gently pushed Igaram aside, offering reassurance.
Then, he pulled out a sky-blue Poké Ball and pointed it toward the empty space before him:
"Come out! Suicune!"
"Use Tailwind!!!"
As soon as he spoke, a majestic figure appeared before Cobra. The azure beast was surrounded by droplets of water, like a mythical creature descending to the mortal realm.
"Awoooo!!!"
A sound, halfway between a wolf's howl and a lion's roar, emanated from Suicune's throat.
After seven days together, Cobra had developed a bond with Suicune, becoming familiar with its battle style.
Although they weren't perfectly in sync, Cobra had no problem issuing battle commands!
Suicune's eyes gleamed.
A fierce hurricane rose up and collided directly with the incoming sandstorm.
The two forces clashed, then dissipated into nothing.
"Huh?"
Crocodile frowned, staring intently at the powerful creature standing beside Cobra.
He wondered to himself:
"Since when did Alabasta possess such power!?"
But Cobra took another step forward, laughing boldly:
"Crocodile, Alabasta is no longer the weak nation you could easily bully!"
"Let me show you..."
"The gift I received from the Dimensional Merchant!!!"
"Suicune, use Water Pulse!"
Cobra shouted the command.
Suddenly, a large amount of blue water appeared around Suicune, gathering into a rippling sphere.
Crocodile's eyes narrowed when he heard Cobra mention the "Dimensional Merchant."
"The Dimensional Merchant?" he thought. "Wasn't that the news sensation in the East Blue just a month ago?"
Because of his focus on seizing power recently, Crocodile hadn't paid much attention to the affairs of the East Blue. But now, Cobra's words brought it all back.
However, before Crocodile could recall more details, Suicune was already on the move, not giving him a moment to think.
In the blink of an eye, the sphere of water in front of Suicune grew exponentially, becoming a massive wave of power!
With a powerful cry from Suicune, the water surged forward with unstoppable force.
"What is this!?" Crocodile, shocked by the sudden and terrifying wave, quickly transformed into sand, flying up to the roof of the casino.
The next second, the water wave smashed into the spot where Crocodile had just stood, sending shockwaves in all directions. The sheer force of the wave obliterated the casino, reducing it to rubble and sweeping further away.
At the same time, a barrier of water appeared around Cobra and his companions, shielding them from the devastation.
The wave of water effortlessly shattered the casino's walls, turning the structure, which had taken months to build, into ruins within seconds.
This was one of Cobra's objectives for coming here today.
"How can such a harmful place as a casino exist in the beautiful Kingdom of Alabasta? Gambling only brings misery and despair to our people. I, Cobra, vow to fight gambling and addiction to the very end!"
As the load-bearing walls crumbled, the entire casino finally gave way, collapsing in a dramatic scene.
"Damn it!" Crocodile roared in frustration as he watched his carefully managed casino fall to pieces.
With a wave of his hand, Crocodile conjured a sand blade, slicing a large hole in the roof to escape. He quickly flew out as smoke and dust filled the sky, covering the entire area.
Fortunately, the nearby residents had been evacuated by Alabasta's soldiers. Otherwise, the collapse would have caused severe harm to the ordinary people living around the casino.
——
In the casino's basement:
Robin watched the chaotic surveillance footage with a confused expression. She wasn't concerned about the casino itself—though she had invested time in it, she had always remained detached. What truly puzzled her were Cobra's words about the "Dimensional Merchant."
"Dimensional Merchant?" Robin murmured to herself.
If what Cobra said was true, and his sudden power came from the Dimensional Merchant, then...
The stories in the newspapers—could they be real?
Robin's mind raced. If the tales of reviving the dead were true, then miracles might indeed be possible.
The rumbling from above shook her from her thoughts, but rather than despair, Cobra's mention of the Dimensional Merchant filled her with a renewed will to live.
She stood up gracefully and smiled to herself. "Keep living, and perhaps a miracle will happen."
With that, Robin stepped into the escape tunnel.
——
Back on the surface.
"Cobra commanded, "Suicune, use Tailwind!"
In an instant, a powerful wind whipped through the area, blowing away the dust and revealing the ruins of the casino. Crocodile hovered in the air, surrounded by a sandstorm. His expression was grim as he looked down at Suicune, realizing that this creature's control over wind and water was a direct counter to his abilities.
Remembering Suicune's previous attack, Crocodile knew he was outmatched. His sand powers were useless against so much water, and in the coming battle, he wouldn't stand a chance.
"No! If I'm going to fight, it can't be here!" he thought quickly. Although Alabasta was a desert country, the city itself was made of stone, limiting his ability to replenish his sand powers.
"I need to get to the desert! There, I can still fight!"
In a flash, Crocodile transformed into sand and sped out of the city.
Cobra and his companions spotted Crocodile's retreat.
"Your Majesty, he's escaping!" Igaram exclaimed, pointing at the sand trail.
Cobra nodded, "Suicune, he's all yours!"
Since Cobra had revealed his trump card, he couldn't let Crocodile continue operating within Alabasta. The kingdom couldn't afford the damage a hidden enemy could cause.
"Awoo~ (Don't worry! The reputation of the Three Beasts isn't just for show!)" Suicune howled confidently.
A whirlwind formed under Suicune's feet, propelling it high into the air. Within seconds, it vanished from sight, racing after Crocodile.
A high-stakes chase between water and sand was about to unfold in Alabasta.
(End of this chapter)