Chapter 211: Chaotic Battle

A few minutes later.

Clack—!

Clack—!

Clack—!

Clear footsteps echoed from the underground prison of the Alabasta Wang Gong.

Crocodile slowly emerged from within.

Following behind him was Cobra, wearing an expression of resigned acceptance.

Clearly, between the lives of all the people in the royal city and the Poneglyph guarded for generations by the Nefertari family,

Cobra had chosen the latter.

"If you had cooperated sooner, how would you have suffered this physical torment?"

Crocodile's tone was indifferent.

Removing the cigar from his mouth with one hand, he walked toward the Temple of Sacrifice outside the palace.

The Poneglyph, guarded by Alabasta through the ages, was hidden in a secret chamber beneath the Temple of Sacrifice.

Having received the news, Robin had long been waiting at the palace entrance; upon seeing Crocodile arrive, she exchanged a greeting with him before following behind.

It was also at this moment

that Cobra, imprisoned for many days, finally felt again the scorching sun of Alabasta, so intense it seemed ready to bake a person into a dried corpse.

Yet at this time, he had no mind to care about such things; his gaze fell upon the distant Alubarna, his eyes instantly filling with bloodshot veins as unspeakable rage surged within his heart.

This was solely because Alubarna at this very moment had already plunged into chaos.

Burning buildings, wailing civilians, members of Baroque Works wielding guns and cannons to slaughter at will, and the rebel army led by Kohza...

Everything was dragging this city into hell.

This capital, which had endured for nearly a thousand years and was established even before the World Government, today truly faced a crisis of destruction.

Just like the towns that once existed within the Bastan Realm but had already been swallowed by the desert.

Yet what truly moved Cobra were the countless bleeding commoners all around.

"Is this your promise?"

Cobra's question, filled with hatred, earned only a soft mockery from Crocodile:

"You had best act quickly; for every second you delay, more people in this country will die because of you."

"Devil!"

"Damn devil!"

Overwhelmed by fury attacking his heart, Cobra's face flushed red, and on the spot he spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood.

His consciousness became blurred in this instant, yet he knew all too well that he could not fall now.

Otherwise, given the nature of the man before him, destroying a city and slaughtering hundreds of thousands of civilians were things he would absolutely do!

Robin quietly reached out to support Cobra, but the latter struggled free with all his strength:

"I can walk on my own."

"Ara~"

A smile curled the corner of Robin's mouth:

"Then that saves me quite a bit of trouble."

Crocodile followed behind Cobra, slowly walking toward the Temple of Sacrifice in Alubarna.

As the surrounding scenery flashed by, amidst the roar of artillery and the wails of agony, a small palace located in the northern part of Alabasta soon appeared before their eyes.

At this moment, Crocodile's body trembled continuously from excitement.

Twenty years of lying in wait, deployments crafted with utmost effort—all for the moment of harvesting the fruit now.

If before the battle at Rape Blossom Port he had only seventy percent certainty that the Poneglyph guarded for generations by the Nefertari clan recorded information about Pluton,

then when both Knight Gao Wen and Jin Shizi successively appeared within the Bastan Realm, that certainty had risen to ninety percent.

This was Pluton!

Pluton, one of the three Ancient Weapons!

A weapon of destruction capable of erasing an entire country from the map with a single shot.

The scene from a few days ago, where Gao Wen suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Jin Shizi, once again flashed through Crocodile's mind.

It drove his awe for these legendary figures of the past to an unspeakable level, far greater than ever before.

After all, even a monster like Knight Gao Wen possessed no power to resist against Jin Shizi's strength.

What meaning was there in standing up again and again, only to be continuously crushed?

Only an artificial monster can contend with a natural monster!

As long as Pluton is in my hands, even if I do not possess power comparable to Whitebeard, I can still ascend to the summit of this sea!

Yet for some reason, just as the thing he had sought all his life lay before him, Crocodile suddenly halted his steps, realizing that a trace of resistance had inexplicably arisen within his heart.

I... what is wrong with me?

"Boss?"

Only when Robin's call reached his ears did Crocodile come back to his senses; he lifted his head to look at the path ahead.

They had arrived at the Temple of Sacrifice.

Pluton was about to arrive as well.

Cobra stopped before a statue, then turned his head to look at Crocodile; a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, only to transform into unwillingness in the next instant.

He did not know whether Crocodile would keep his promise, but that was the only hope he could grasp at this moment.

"I hope you will keep your word."

"Mm."

Crocodile nodded.

Seeing this, Cobra hesitated no longer; he raised his hand and pressed the mechanism beneath the statue's feet.

The statue slowly shifted aside, revealing a stone staircase below, and the few of them followed Cobra's lead down.

They vanished into the shadows.

……

At the same time.

The flames of war within Alubarna had already begun to spread.

It was even gradually evolving into a three-way melee between the kingdom's soldiers, the rebel army, and Baroque Works.

Clang!

Kohza swung his sword to beat back an attacking guard, then turned to lead his subordinates into battle against even more kingdom soldiers.

Yet the more he fought, the more lost Kohza's heart became.

Originally, he had believed his arrival would end the sinful Cobra, allowing Alabasta to regain its vitality thereby.

But now, the countless wailing commoners surrounding him, along with Chaka and Bell pinned to crosses outside the palace, barely clinging to life, made him instinctively realize something was wrong.

No matter how incompetent or cruel Cobra might be, he would absolutely never do such a thing to Chaka and Bell, two men utterly loyal to him.

An invisible giant hand was pushing everything from behind, driving this nation toward its current plight.

Those mysterious figures mingling among the crowds, stirring up emotions, yet departing the moment conflict erupted—no matter how one thought about it, they were all suspicious!

No!

Did we truly initiate this war voluntarily?

Or was it...

Cobra?

Or the World Government?

Kohza did not know, but the warm blood splashing onto him, mixed with the metallic scent of iron, made him firmly believe one thing.

"You kidnapped the King!"

Countless kingdom soldiers swarmed forward.

Their eyes reddened, glaring furiously at Kohza; without waiting for him to speak, they wielded their weapons and charged at him to kill.

They seemed determined to fight until one side perished.

Moreover, as Kohza's information spread, this place gradually became the core of the battlefield.

Countless people swung their weapons, slaughtering each other; rivers of blood flowed, gunpowder smoke filled the air, and explosions occurred everywhere.

Countless commoners wailed in agony.

Hearing these cries only made Kohza's heart tighten; the soldiers' so-called claim of a kidnapped king was simply preposterous.

"Stop!"

"Everyone stop!"

"There may be some misunderstanding here!"

Kohza's voice had just left his mouth when it was drowned out by the roaring cannon fire surrounding him.

Apart from causing a momentary hesitation among those immediately around him, it had no effect whatsoever.

Yet in the next instant, the fighting crowd suddenly fell silent, everyone looking up toward the sky, momentarily stunned.

In the distant sky, a massive, ferocious crimson dragon came roaring forth.

Merely the airflow it stirred was like a gale, causing everyone's clothes to flap loudly.

The dust and sand striking their faces made them realize in that moment that this was absolutely no illusion, but a real, tangible dragon!

The crimson dragon from the myths circulated in Alabasta for hundreds of years!

"That is... the crimson dragon described in Alabasta's murals! It must be!"

"Does anyone still remember that legend?"

"Four legs, two wings, covered entirely in sharp spines, coming to seize everything on the day the kingdom falls into war?!"

"It was also that monster that turned Alabasta into a desert!"

As legendary tales stepped into reality, all that remained for everyone was panic; some dropped their helmets and armor, their legs trembling violently.

Especially upon seeing the crimson dragon's unimaginably huge size, and its ferocious, evil appearance that matched the legend perfectly.

The guards and rebels present momentarily even halted their attempts to flee.

"A Devil Fruit user?"

"But a size like this... no matter how you look at it, it's too exaggerated!"

Kohza was far more clear-headed and calm than anyone else present.

Upon seeing the crimson dragon, the first thing he thought of was not the legend circulated in Alabasta for centuries, but a Devil Fruit user.

Yet even with his calmness, upon spotting that blue-haired figure on the dragon's back, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

"Vivi?! This is bad!"

As Vivi's childhood playmate, although the two had fought many times, one thing Kohza knew with absolute certainty was that Vivi's love for this country was no less than his own!

Furthermore, he had also come into contact with Cobra and understood his character; the one thing he could never comprehend over these years was...

Why would such a benevolent monarch become like this?

"Is it because of this dragon? Or some other reason..."

There was no time left for Kohza to think or hesitate; in the very next instant, the crimson dragon circling in the sky crashed directly into the center of the battlefield...

Boom!

A massive body exceeding one hundred thirty meters brought with it a violent impact force.

In merely an instant, the earth at the center of the battlefield directly collapsed, raising dust that filled the sky and obscured everyone's vision.

While everyone was bewildered.

Vivi Heavily's determined shout came from within the dust cloud:

"This war has been wrong from start to finish; it was Xiang Keluo, it was the Baroque Works behind everything!"

"Kohza!"

"If you can hear my words, then stop this war!"

After several breaths, the dust and smoke completely dispersed.

The huge red dragon had long since vanished; only Vivi and a tall, handsome man stood in the center of the giant crater.

"Why should we believe you? You are also part of the royal family!"

A discordant voice suddenly rang out, yet no one dared to make any move.

The scene just moments ago, where the red dragon landed and destroyed most of a city block, had already shattered the last trace of resistance in everyone's hearts.

With such a size and such power, the army present had absolutely no room to resist.

Gao Wen walked toward the source of the voice; the crowd instantly scattered like birds and beasts, leaving only a Den Den Mushi that remained connected lying quietly on the ground.

A voice carrying obvious provocative intent continued to emanate from the Den Den Mushi.

"You are all in cahoots; only by destroying this Alabasta royal family does this country have a possibility of rebirth..."

"It was the rebel army that captured King Cobra, and it was they who kidnapped Lady Vivi..."

Noticing all this, everyone instantly froze, immediately believing half of Vivi's words.

Gao Wen looked at this Den Den Mushi that continued to speak, his eyes cold:

"It is a tactic simpler than expected, but within such a noisy and frenzied battlefield, it is unexpectedly efficient."

As Gao Wen scanned the area, an invisible aura diffused, making everyone feel that what stood before them was not some human, but a human-shaped demonic dragon.

Zheng!

Guanshi Zhengzong left its sheath.

A sharp and domineering presence, like a wild wind, spread outward in all directions with Gao Wen at the center.

He had not used Haki, yet among the surrounding crowd, there were already timid individuals whose guts were shattered by this scene, losing consciousness on the spot.

"If anyone still wishes to continue, I will fight you!"

The surroundings instantly became terrifyingly quiet; everyone looked at each other and, without a shred of hesitation, laid down the weapons in their hands.

At this moment, even the most dull-witted person should have realized that the man standing before them was a creature from another dimension; relying solely on his own power, he could crush everyone present.

The giant crater in the center of the battlefield was the best proof.

Kohza slowly walked to before Vivi and said:

"Is what you say true?"

Vivi Heavily nodded heavily:

"I personally saw members of the Baroque Works transporting Dancing Powder; everything he did before was merely a disguise made to seize this country."

"Kohza, others may not be clear on what kind of person my father truly is, but you should know!"

Kohza fell silent for a moment.

In fact, ever since this war began, he had felt a hint of something being amiss, yet he had already been powerless to stop it.

"I believe you, but if this is still one of Cobra's lies..."

Kohza glanced at Gao Wen and, gritting his teeth, said:

"Even if it is a world-destroying demonic dragon, I will resist to the end; the suffering borne by the people of this country is already too great."

"Mm."

The two joined forces.

The rebel army in the city and the kingdom guards were quickly pacified.

And along with everyone's actions, in just a few short minutes, quite a few Baroque Works spies lurking within both sides were uncovered.

Chaka and Pell, who had been nailed to crosses, were also taken down; the former had already lost consciousness due to sun exposure, while the latter had held on by relying on his own constitution.

At this moment.

Pell, disregarding the wounds on his own body, grabbed Vivi's arm and said urgently:

"Members of the Baroque Works attacked the kingdom; King Cobra was captured by them, and just now I saw them head toward the north of the city."

"Quick!"

"If we are one step slower..."

Before Pell could finish his words, he had already lost consciousness.

Vivi's pupils suddenly constricted.

"North of the city?"

"So Xiang Keluo is coming for that thing?!"

"I was wondering why this barren and arid country would attract such a major figure as a Warlord of the Sea; so that is the reason?"

"Mr. Gao Wen."

"Xiang Keluo should be in the Sacrificial Hall north of Alubarna; beneath there hides the Poneglyph that Alabasta has guarded for generations."

Gao Wen nodded, a trace of killing intent flashing in his eyes.

His interference in Alabasta's affairs was originally aimed at Xiang Keluo!

Now was the perfect time to settle all scores here at once!

"Leave this place to you all."

Having said this, Gao Wen spread the twin wings of the crimson dragon on his shoulders, leaped into the air, and soared whistling toward the northern part of the city.

(End of Chapter)