Nefertari Cobra fell silent for a moment before finally speaking, "If I take you to it, will you spare my people?"
"Of course. After all, I have no real interest in taking over your kingdom," Crocodile replied, nodding with a hint of satisfaction.
"Very well, I'll take you there," King Cobra responded, seemingly resigned to his fate.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, Princess! I can't stand it any longer!" Chaka, unable to hold back, transformed into his jackal form, glaring menacingly at Crocodile.
"Wait, Chaka!" Vivi cried, rushing to stop him. She knew Crocodile was far beyond Chaka's ability to handle; she didn't want him throwing his life away.
"Lord Chaka, let us handle this man!" At that moment, the palace doors finally burst open, and the elite Claw Guards of the royal army stormed in, ready for battle.
"Should I step in?" Robin had prepared for a fight, but Crocodile held up a hand to stop her.
"Hold on; something's off with those four," Chaka, as their leader, immediately noticed something unusual about the guards.
"Lord Chaka, forgive us! But even if he's a Warlord of the Sea, if he's the one who instigated this rebellion, then we'll make him understand the pain and wrath of this kingdom!" The four guards charged at Crocodile with superhuman speed, fueled by desperation.
"These fools… They drank the Hero Water for temporary strength. It drains their life force—they only have a few minutes left!" Chaka was furious, a mix of anger at their recklessness and frustration at his own weakness.
"Guhaha! A bunch of weaklings!" Crocodile, having turned into sand, barely acknowledged their attacks. They couldn't even touch him.
"They didn't even manage to land a single blow…" Chaka murmured, staring at his fallen comrades, once elite soldiers now lying defeated on the ground.
"What an amusing kingdom! Let's go, and take our dear king to see the Poneglyph," Crocodile laughed, reappearing beside Robin.
"You bastard! Stop right there!" Chaka, with a burst of speed from his transformed state, lunged straight at Crocodile.
"Lord Chaka!" Vivi tried to intercept him, but he was too fast.
"Chaka, stop! Don't throw your life away!" King Cobra shouted desperately, trying to hold him back.
"So, even you're willing to sacrifice yourself for others?" Crocodile asked coolly as he blocked Chaka's attack.
"I just want to show you the fury of this kingdom, even if it costs my life!" Chaka roared, throwing all his strength into a punch that managed to knock half of Crocodile's head off.
But Crocodile, a Logia user of the Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit), was unaffected. Without Haki, Chaka stood no chance against him.
With a single swipe, Crocodile's hooked left hand pierced through Chaka's body.
Crack… crack…
The sound of a few camera snaps drew everyone's attention.
"Alright, we have the evidence now," Ryu announced firmly, holding up a Den Den Mushi with a camera. "Crocodile, the Warlord of the Sea, also known as the Desert King, Crocodile—I hereby inform you, under the authority of the Marines, that your crimes against the Kingdom of Alabasta, carried out through Baroque Works, have been exposed. You are officially stripped of your title as a Warlord."
"Ryu!" Princess Vivi exclaimed excitedly.
"The Marines… you again?" Crocodile glared at Ryu with irritation.
Ryu nodded in acknowledgment. "King Nefertari Cobra, allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Ryu, a Commander in the Marine Headquarters." He gave a respectful bow to Cobra, who was currently restrained by Robin and being led away.
"Ryu, he… Crocodile… he killed Luffy!" Vivi ran up to Ryu, tears streaming down her face, finally letting her grief spill over.
"Don't worry, Vivi. Luffy isn't the type to go down that easily," Ryu reassured her, gently patting her on the head.
Vivi's resolve, her determination despite everything, tugged at Ryu's heart. If it weren't so complicated to act now, he'd have already tried to take Crocodile down.
"Phew, at least he's still alive," Ryu murmured, moving over to Chaka and giving him a small dose of his life-restoring medicine.
"What? Commander Ryu, Chaka… Chaka…" Vivi gasped, rushing over to Chaka's side, anxiously watching him.
"Help him over to rest for now. Leave the rest to me," Ryu said, nodding at her.
Turning to the king, Ryu continued, "King Cobra, though I didn't get your permission, I've already ordered the Marines to intervene across Alabasta. Don't worry—I only tasked them with rescuing civilians. They're not partaking in the fighting."
"Thank you, truly," King Cobra replied gratefully.
"What… what is this? Why does a supposedly tyrannical king look like he's been tortured? And why are the elite guards of the royal army lying defeated here? What's going on?" Suddenly, a young man with a scar across his eye entered the palace, stunned by the scene before him.
"Koza?!" Vivi shouted in surprise, immediately recognizing him.
"What is happening? Explain this to me!" Vivi demanded in anger and confusion.
"Isn't it obvious?" Ryu interjected, glancing at Koza—the childhood friend who should have supported the king, but who had led the rebel forces instead. "You're the leader of the rebellion, correct? I heard you clashed with some of my subordinates earlier."
"Guhaha! I didn't expect all the main players to gather here!" Crocodile laughed, showing no sign of frustration at having his plan exposed. Instead, he seemed amused.
"Koza, everything that's been happening in the kingdom…" Vivi said, her eyes filled with hatred as she glared at Crocodile. "It's all because of him!"
"Yes, that's right!" Crocodile sneered. "You thought your king was behind all of this, but it was me. These past two years, your cooperation has been… invaluable, Koza. Guhahaha!"
"Don't listen to him, Koza!" King Cobra coughed up blood but managed to shout, "You must evacuate everyone from Alubarna immediately! Less than 30 minutes remain before this city is destroyed by a massive bomb. Save as many people as you can!"
Koza froze for a moment, then turned to leave. Now that he knew the king was still the same benevolent ruler he'd once believed in, he would carry out his orders without hesitation.
"Wait! Koza!" Vivi ran up, blocking his path. She glanced at Crocodile, who was smiling smugly, and said, "We can't go out there and tell everyone the truth now. If they find out what's really happening, there'll be even more chaos! We need to stop the fighting first—that's the only way we'll be able to organize things properly."
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