As the sun rose over PokeIsland, Xpovac stood by the edge of the beach, staring out at the horizon. The system had alerted him that Luffy and his crew had finally reached Alabasta. It was time to see how his little brother would handle the trials that lay ahead—and there was someone Xpovac had his eye on, someone who would become crucial to Luffy's future.
"Alright, team," Xpovac said, turning to his Pokémon, "time to head out. Alabasta awaits."
His Pokémon gathered around him, ready for the journey. Lugia, as usual, hovered in the sky, watching protectively over the group. Tyranitar roared in excitement, Lucario cracked his knuckles, and Articuno, now with her Haki abilities, stretched her wings, causing the air around her to chill slightly. Mew, as playful as ever, floated above Xpovac's head.
"Mew," Xpovac called, "teleport us to Alabasta."
With a mischievous giggle, Mew's eyes glowed, and in a flash, Xpovac and his crew were gone from the island.
---
The bustling desert kingdom of Alabasta stretched out beneath Xpovac as he and his team appeared in the sky, high above the scorching sands. The intense heat was a stark contrast to the cool air of *PokeIsland*, but Xpovac barely noticed. His eyes scanned the horizon for Luffy's crew.
"There they are," he murmured, spotting the group trudging through the desert toward the capital city. Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Usopp, and Vivi—their determined faces showed they were ready for whatever lay ahead.
But it wasn't Luffy that Xpovac was interested in at the moment. His attention was drawn to someone else—a woman whose dark past haunted her, yet whose future was full of potential.
Nico Robin. The infamous "Devil Child."
Xpovac had read about her—she was part of Baroque Works and currently serving Crocodile, the Shichibukai who had laid siege to Alabasta. But Xpovac knew that she would one day become one of Luffy's most trusted crewmates, if given the chance.
"Mew, mark Robin," Xpovac instructed. "We need to keep an eye on her."
Mew nodded, floating off to where Nico Robin was undoubtedly hiding in the shadows, watching the Straw Hats from afar. Robin was a master of staying unseen, but Mew was far more discreet, marking her silently before returning to Xpovac.
"Alright," Xpovac said, "let's stay out of sight for now. We'll let Luffy and his crew handle Crocodile, but I want to see if I can have a word with Robin before she makes any decisions."
---
Later That Day: Alubarna's Streets
The hot Alabasta sun beat down as Xpovac walked through the streets of the capital, staying hidden in the shadows. He had kept a close eye on Luffy's crew, but now, something else caught his attention. Through the alleyways, he spotted a familiar figure running alongside his little brother.
It was Ace, moving fast and laughing with Luffy, both clearly running away from something—or someone.
*Smoker,* Xpovac thought as he felt a powerful presence approaching behind them.
In a matter of seconds, Smoker, the Marine Captain, appeared, hot on Luffy and Ace's trail, his smoke powers billowing out and filling the air around them. Luffy looked back with a panicked expression, and Ace grinned, showing no signs of fear.
"Hey, you two!" Xpovac called out, drawing their attention as he appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Both Ace and Luffy slowed their pace, surprised to see their brother there in the middle of the chase.
"Big bro!" Luffy shouted with a wide grin, completely forgetting they were being pursued. Ace nodded at Xpovac, also looking pleased to see him.
But the moment was cut short as Smoker closed the distance, stopping in front of the three brothers. His smoke circled around him like a thick fog, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of Xpovac standing with Ace and Luffy.
"You," Smoker said, his voice low and serious. "What's your relationship with these pirates?"
Xpovac, unphased by Smoker's intimidation, turned to face the Marine with a calm smile. "They're my brothers," he replied simply.
Smoker's expression darkened. "So you're aiding pirates as well?"
Xpovac chuckled. "In a sense, I guess you could say that."
The Marine Captain's eyes narrowed further. "You should know that anyone aiding pirates is a criminal. If you're involved with them, the Marines will come after you too."
Xpovac's smile didn't waver as he took a step closer to Smoker, pulling out Excalibur from his inventory, its shining blade catching the sunlight.
"If that's the case," Xpovac said, his voice serious now, "why don't you send a message to your HQ? Tell them to put a bounty on my head too, since I'm a pirate—well, sort of."
Before Smoker could respond, Xpovac infused Excalibur with Haki and unleashed a powerful yet harmless slash in his direction. The force of the attack sent Smoker flying backward, his smoke dissipating as the shockwave blew him away from Luffy and Ace.
The attack was precise and controlled, designed to be non-lethal but to show Smoker that Xpovac wasn't someone to be trifled with.
"I'm not here to fight you, Captain," Xpovac said calmly, sheathing Excalibur. "But if you insist on chasing after my brothers, I'll have to step in. For now, consider this a warning."
Smoker, recovering from the blast, gritted his teeth in frustration, but he knew better than to engage further. There was something different about this man. Stronger. More dangerous than the average pirate.
With a final glare, Smoker pulled himself together and, without a word, retreated back into the town, leaving the three brothers alone.
"Damn, big bro!" Ace exclaimed, watching as Smoker disappeared. "That was one hell of a move."
Luffy nodded excitedly, laughing. "Yeah! That was awesome! He didn't stand a chance!"
Xpovac smiled, ruffling Luffy's hair. "Don't worry about Smoker. He's tough, but you've got bigger things to worry about."
Ace's expression became more serious as he turned to Xpovac. "So, what are you doing here in Alabasta, bro? You keeping an eye on us?"
"Something like that," Xpovac said with a grin. "And it looks like you two are causing your usual amount of chaos."
---
The Final Showdown: Luffy vs. Crocodile
Xpovac watched from a distance as Luffy and his crew faced off against Crocodile. The battle was intense, with Crocodile's mastery over sand giving him the upper hand. Luffy, stubborn as ever, refused to back down, even as the odds seemed stacked against him.
But Xpovac didn't intervene. He knew this was Luffy's fight, his chance to prove his strength and protect the people of Alabasta. And true to form, Luffy pushed past his limits, defeating Crocodile and saving the kingdom.
---
**Later That Night: A Meeting with Robin**
Back in the shadows of Alubarna, Xpovac received a message from Mew. Nico Robin had survived her confrontation with Crocodile and was heading toward the Straw Hats' ship. It seemed she had made her choice.
With a nod to his team, Xpovac let out a sigh of relief. "Looks like she's joining them after all."
---
One Day Later: Preparing to Leave Alabasta
The day after Crocodile's defeat, Xpovac received another system alert.
System Alert: Quest Complete – Luffy Has Secured Alabasta.
Xpovac grinned, knowing the system would alert him the next time something big happened with Luffy.
As he prepared to leave Alabasta and return to PokeIsland, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement for the future. Luffy was on the path to becoming the King of the Pirates, Robin had joined the crew, and Ace was somewhere out there, still hunting Blackbeard.
The world was shifting, and Xpovac was ready to play his part in it.
"Alright, Mew send teleport everyone back to "PokeIsland" leaving us two here for right now," he said to his Pokémon.
With Mew leading the way, Xpovac's Pokemon vanished from Alabasta, leaving just Mew and Xpovac to go check on the Strawhats.