"Run! The sandstorm is about to hit Yuba. If we don't escape now, it will be too late." The man decided to travel light, taking only the most precious resource in the desert—water.
"Honey, I think we might not have to run anymore," the woman murmured to herself, unaware that the earthenware pot in her hand had fallen and shattered at her feet.
"What nonsense are you talking about? If you don't leave now, it'll really be..." The man's mouth dropped open as he looked at the scene on the distant horizon, a sight he would never forget for the rest of his life.
The Sword-Shaped Dragon hovering above Alabasta unleashed endless brilliance the moment it swooped down, each ray of sword light as dazzling as the daylight.
The massive sandstorm, formed by the convergence of four Sand Mad Dragons, crumbled before the endless sword light, melting away like snowflakes under the scorching sun, unable to withstand even a moment's resistance.
Sizzle--Boom!
The earth trembled, emitting helpless cries. At this moment, not only Rain Base or Yuba, but the entire Lodestar Island was shaking violently, making people wonder if the end of the world was coming.
"Vivi, don't be afraid, it's just an ordinary earthquake." Cobra, a doting father, knelt down and hugged Vivi tightly, his face pale as he uttered these words against his will.
"Daddy, I'm okay," Vivi said bravely, clutching her little fist.
"Igaram, what exactly happened just now?" After seeing Cobra Vivi was indeed alright, Cobra stood up and asked with a serious expression. As the king of a country, he naturally knew that the violent tremor just now had exceeded the scope of an earthquake.
"Your Majesty, if I'm not mistaken, the sudden change just now must have originated from the Rainlands across the Rain Base." Igaram hadn't expected the battle there to be so terrifying; even those of them in the capital, Alubarna, could see the raging Sand Mad Dragon and the destructive sword light.
"Could all of this be caused by the battle between those two monsters?" Cobra had a vague idea of the answer, but he was unwilling to admit it. After all, there was a whole canal separating the Rainlands from Alubarna Rain Base.
"Although this idea is indeed somewhat absurd, it is the most likely answer."
The two gazed into the distance, seemingly wanting to know the outcome of the battle. However, the sky above the Rain Base was completely covered by yellow sand, making it impossible to see clearly. Vivi, having recovered from the previous commotion, curiously tiptoed.
A giant eagle swept across the sky and slowly landed in front of the group, transforming into human form. It was none other than Pell, one of the two guardian deities of Alabasta and Devil Fruit User.
The usually composed and reliable Pell was now completely out of sorts, his face pale, beads of sweat the size of beans dripping from his forehead, and he had even forgotten the most basic etiquette in front of the king.
Fortunately, Cobra never cared about these things. Seeing Pell's expression, he already had a bad feeling, but he still calmed himself down and asked, "Pell, what's going on in the Rain Base? And who won between those two monsters?"
Cobra sincerely hoped that Crocodile the Sand would win this battle. After all, the Shichibukai were nominally subordinate to the World Government and were their allies. Moreover, Crocodile the Sand had gained an excellent reputation during his time in Alabasta, frequently helping the kingdom deal with foreign pirates and even being hailed as a hero of the kingdom.
"Rain Base? Rain Base no longer exists." It took Pell a while to come to his senses, and he uttered this answer that even he himself did not believe.
"Wh-what? Oh, I see. You mean all the buildings in Rain Base have been destroyed? It's alright. As long as the people are still here, we will be able to rebuild that dream city one day." Cobra comforted Pell, and at the same time, he was comforting himself.
"No, there is no possibility of rebuilding it. Rain Base has been completely destroyed. The earth has been pierced through, and what remains there is only a bottomless abyss." Even Pell, a man of steel, couldn't help but shed tears. Rain Base was the dream jewel in the crown of Alabasta, a holy land that countless people longed for, and it has simply vanished into the dust of history.
Cobra's eyes rolled back, his legs kicked, and he... passed out.
"King, King, you must hold on! Alabasta cannot do without you!"
"Daddy, don't scare me, wake up!" The little girl was terrified by the sudden scene and threw herself at Cobra, pushing and pulling him frantically.
Upon hearing his beloved daughter's voice, Cobra slowly woke up, feeling pain all over his body, from his heart and liver to his spleen, lungs, kidneys, and testicles.
Although he always believed that if people are saved but land is lost, both people and land can be saved; if land is saved but people are lost, both people and land can be lost. But the loss was just occupation and taking away, and there was still a chance to take it back. Now, however, the entire Rain Base is gone. Can he take it back from God?
"Damn it, Crocodile the Sand, Phantom Sword, I will make you pay the price!" Cobra roared to the sky, his voice filled with heroic fervor.
"King, calm down! If we attract those two monsters, even Alubarna might be destroyed." Igaram remained rational, knowing that with their strength, they were no match for those two monsters.
"Besides, think about it, no matter what, that massive sandstorm was still destroyed. Otherwise, once it took shape, it wouldn't just be Rain Base suffered."
"Sigh, I know what you're saying, but I just can't get over it." Reason ultimately prevailed.
Cobra knew that his senses couldn't influence the outcome. The World Government wouldn't strip Crocodile the Sand of his Shichibukai title for the destruction of a city, unless it involved the destruction of a country. Besides, their royal status was already sensitive, and the World Government might not even want to get involved.
As for Roy, there's no need for him to waste words. The World Government also wants to eliminate Roy, but the problem is that, given the strength Roy has demonstrated, even the World Government has to consider the price that needs to be paid.
"Who won their fight in the end?" Cobra asked weakly. His greatest wish now was that the two bastards would die together.
"I don't know. I was injured by the remaining Sword Qi as soon as I got close to the sky, and I couldn't stay there for long." Pell said this with great shame. Not only could he not intervene in the battle, but he couldn't even resist the aftershocks of the battle. This made the proud Bell realize what a desperate gap in strength was.
The others were also speechless with shock. One of Alabasta's two guardian deities couldn't even get close to the battlefield of those two monsters.
Pell's words also extinguished Cobra's last remaining thoughts, waking him up in blind hatred. Those two men were monsters who had destroyed the entire Rain Base.