Poneglyph

Returning to Alabasta once again, Ryan felt differently. Last time, he had come to find Robin and had little contact with Alabasta itself.

This time, Ryan was going to retrieve the Poneglyph and learn about the Nefertari Family's secrets from 800 years ago—for example, why they had chosen not to live in Mary Geoise, giving up the chance to become supreme Celestial Dragons, leaving only nineteen families in Mary Geoise today.

If they had disapproved of the other nineteen families' behavior, why had they formed an alliance with them 800 years ago?

Based on what Ryan currently knew, Joy Boy had stood against the present-day Celestial Dragons 800 years ago. Yet judging by the Nefertari Family's actions, they did not seem to have been Joy Boy's enemies.

There was much to ponder here. There were simply too many contradictions.

Following Ryan's instructions, Beli piloted the Soaring Dragon straight toward Alubarna, Alabasta's royal capital.

Ironically, Nefertari Cobra, the king of Alabasta, was currently troubled by pirates who had recently been attacking coastal cities.

At that moment, Cobra thought of that man—Crocodile, Alabasta's hero!

Because of Ryan's intervention back then, Crocodile had not exposed his plans to seize the kingdom. Thus, in the eyes of all Alabasta's citizens, he was still the hero who protected them.

Ever since Crocodile had taken the two members of MR. 1 to the New World, Alabasta had once again begun suffering pirate ambushes and harassment.

Combined with the Marine's operations over the past two years, Alabasta, positioned at the forefront of the Grand Line, had suffered even more. The closer one was to Marine Headquarters at Marineford, the stronger the Marines' control and the less room pirates had to survive. As long as someone committed a crime, Marine Headquarters could dispatch forces to arrest them at