Another Visit to Alabasta

Roy stood with his hands behind his back on the high platform, his gaze sweeping over the vast capital city.

He had followed Nefit Lily back to her country and gradually learned about the landscape of this era from her.

This period was teeming with powerful figures!

Whether it was the legendary Ancient Weapons or the powerful figures standing at the top, Roy felt a long-lost sense of pressure.

Some things even posed a real "threat" to him.

"This era..." Roy murmured to himself, his gaze growing increasingly profound.

Nefit Lily was about to explain more details to him when she was interrupted by hurried footsteps.

"Your Majesty! Urgent military report!!"

The messenger, drenched in sweat, knelt on one knee and handed over the sealed sheepskin scroll with both hands.

Lily reached out and took it, quickly unfolded it, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.

"... What?!"

Roy's gaze sharpened, and he asked in a low voice, "What happened?"

Lily pursed her lips, her voice trembling with a hint of anger. "The remaining nineteen kingdoms have decided to launch a joint military campaign!"

"I've been invited to discuss—the campaign against Joy Boy!!"

Roy's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart tightened.

"Is it finally... going to begin?"

Grand Line, Alabasta, Harbor City Nanohana

The scorching sun shone on the golden sand, and the sea breeze, carrying a dry heat, swept over us.

As the Warship slowly approached the shore, before the people on deck could even stretch, a plume of Smoke suddenly shot into the sky!

"You damn Pirates!! Get your ass out here!!"

Smoker's roar echoed over the Harbor, startling the merchants and travelers on the docks into a frantic scattering, and the streets instantly descended into chaos.

Luffy, leaning over the ship's railing, his eyes bulging, exclaimed, "Wow— Smoker really exploded this time!!"

Ace, hands in his pockets, grinned smugly. "Of course, after all, it's the only stain on his life~"

Nami and Nojiko stepped off the Warship, the blazing sun shining on them, their gauze dresses fluttering gently, their aura carrying a unique desert scent.

Nami looked around, squinted, and exclaimed, "So this is... Alabasta?"

Nojiko to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead, her smile gentle, "I heard there's a very famous casino here— 'Rain Dinners,' it sounds quite luxurious."

Ace turned and winked at them, saying casually, "Anyway, Staff Officer Tsuru said to let Uncle Smoker do whatever he wants, so let's just treat this as a vacation~"

Upon hearing this, Luffy immediately raised both hands, his face filled with anticipation. "Yay!! I'm going to eat all the delicious food here!!"

Nami suddenly remembered something and turned to Ace: "Oh right, isn't there a Shichibukai here? What's his name again... Crocodile?"

Ace paused for a moment upon hearing this, then burst into laughter. "Oh--that Crocodile, I almost forgot about him if you hadn't mentioned him!"

He clenched his fist, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "'Rain Dinners' casino's behind-the-scenes boss. Back when I came here with Roy, I even beat him up!"

Luffy tilted his head, his face full of innocence. "Crocodile? What? Wouldn't it taste delicious roasted?"

"Fool!!"

Nami was furious and punched Luffy on the head, Luffy, "The Crocodile' nickname they mentioned is just that!!"

"Ouch, ouch—that hurts!!" Luffy clutched his head and rolled around, tears welling in his eyes.

Nojiko couldn't help but chuckle, shook her head, and followed Ace off the Warship.

The Harbor city of Nanohana before me has wide, bustling streets, where the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, camel bells, and drums mingle together, and the air is filled with the aroma of Barbecue and spices, creating an exotic atmosphere.

Nojiko's gaze swept over the bustling crowd, and she said softly, "The people here seem very peaceful."

Ace nodded slightly, his tone becoming more serious. "Ever since Crocodile was taught a lesson by Roy, he has hardly ever engaged in any schemes."

Furthermore, the king here believed that "the country is the people," and often prioritized the people's welfare in his governance, thus earning widespread support.

Nami nodded thoughtfully after hearing this, while Luffy, already captivated by the aroma of the food stall, was tugging at Nami's hand and clamoring:

"Hurry up! Give me the money! I want to eat Barbecue!!"

The four of them walked towards the city center in the bustling desert city.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city.

BOOM!!

The door of a tavern was kicked open and slammed against the wall, startling the customers who were drinking so much that they dropped their glasses.

Smoker, Cigar dangling from his lips, his face grim, his eyes sweeping over everyone like knives, his voice low but filled with raging fury:

"--You Effort Pirates! Get your asses out here!!"

The tavern fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone looked at each other, bewildered and at a loss.

Finally, one of the bolder, burly men, cautiously spoke up, "This... sir, what are you referring to as the 'Effort Pirates'...?"

Smoker suddenly rushed in front of the burly man, veins bulging, teeth clenched, his voice almost squeezed out of his throat:

"A useless Pirate captain who constantly shouts 'try your best,' leading a crew of even more useless Pirates!!"

"They dare to sneak out of my East Blue and cause trouble in the Grand Line?! I'll slaughter them!!"

The burly man nodded repeatedly in fright, his face ashen, his mouth trembling as he was about to speak.

Just then, a weak voice came from the corner. "Th-that... Mr. Navy..."

The "Effort Pirates" you mentioned, apparently caused quite a stir in the Rainbase a few days ago...

Smoker's pupils contracted, and he turned his head sharply, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

"Rainbase?!"

The next second, his body transformed into white mist and burst out of the doorway!

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Ace, Luffy, Nami, and Nojiko were leisurely sitting in an open-air restaurant.

The steaming hot Barbecue sizzled and dripped with oil over the charcoal fire.

The icy-cold juice cooled me down, dispelling the desert heat.

Luffy's eyes were already shining, and with his mouth stuffed full of food, he mumbled incoherently, "Mmm!! This meat!! It's so delicious!!"

Nami covered her forehead and sighed, "Eat slowly... don't choke..."

Nojiko took a sip of her juice, smiling as she watched the pedestrians coming and going on the street, a hint of novelty in her eyes. "The atmosphere in this city is quite nice."

I don't go out much.

Ace leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head, a smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the horizon and said leisurely, "I can take you out for walks more often from now on~"

"Speaking of which... Uncle Smoker must be fuming by now, right?"

Luffy gulped down the whole piece of meat and looked up excitedly. "Haha! Shall we go take a look?"

Nami immediately put her hands on her hips and firmly rejected the idea. "No! Absolutely not! I don't want to get involved in that kind of trouble!"

However, before she could finish speaking—

Boom!!

A deafening roar suddenly came from afar, accompanied by a slight tremor in the ground, even causing the juice on the table to shake slightly.

The four of them turned their heads sharply and saw that on the other side of the city, a strong wind was blowing up yellow sand, and a huge Sandstorm accompanied by Smoke shot straight into the sky!

Ace sat up abruptly, his eyes instantly becoming incredibly sharp.

"That's... Crocodile's power!"