His magic power was almost exhausted. No matter how urgent things were, Loa couldn't fly, so his double rode back to Nanohana on Pipi Shrimp's back.
By the time he returned to Nanohana, half an hour had passed.
Nanohana looked peaceful on the surface, but the stern faces of the Marines patrolling its streets revealed the danger lurking beneath that calm.
Dangerous undercurrents were stirring. There was no better way to put it.
"Vice Admiral Loa!"
Outside the Marines' temporary headquarters, a guard spotted him from afar and immediately saluted. Another Marine hurried over to brief him on what had happened.
The Marines were no incompetent rabble. Their training and awareness far surpassed those of the Pirates. The moment Vivi rushed in, someone realized something had gone wrong in Alabasta.
While they waited for Princess Vivi to wake, they contacted their informants in Alabasta and received startling news.
Alubarna, the capital of Alabasta, was under complete lockdown. No one was allowed in or out!
Before the lockdown, King Cobra had issued a nationwide announcement: he had discovered the cause of the kingdom's prolonged drought. It was part of a carefully orchestrated rebellion. He had also ordered the garrisons across the country to rush back to Alubarna and stop the sudden war.
And sudden it was!
The Marines' informants had heard nothing about a war beforehand. Yet an army of over ten thousand had suddenly risen in revolt, declaring Cobra the true culprit behind the kingdom's drought.
Then came the devastating revelation about Dance Powder.
Dance Powder could bring down an entire country!
When the port's shipping records and the cargo's final destination were laid out before the nation, even those who trusted Cobra most began to waver.
If not the king, who else could buy Dance Powder in such quantities?