If His Majesty was willing to meet White Ghost, Bell had no intention of resisting or refusing. He would simply remain by the king's side, protecting him until his last breath.
Upon hearing Bell's suggestion—
"That's only proper. Visiting someone without so much as announcing myself beforehand does seem a little rude."
Adrian nodded noncommittally.
"As everyone knows, I've always been a very polite man."
Bell immediately let out a breath, his tightly wound nerves relaxing.
White Ghost really does seem different from other pirates...
That thought flashed through Bell's mind as he used a Den Den Mushi to contact the royal family.
After several minutes, Bell hung up the Den Den Mushi and addressed Adrian respectfully.
"Lord White Ghost, King Cobra has agreed to meet with you."
Adrian was not surprised. He simply nodded.
Bell used his Devil Fruit ability to assume his falcon form again, then beat his wings and flew away from Rain Dinners.
With a few swift movements, Adrian appeared on the falcon's back and rode him toward Alubarna, the capital of Alabasta.
As he watched White Ghost's retreating figure shrink into a tiny black dot on the horizon—
Crocodile finally relaxed. The severe physical and mental injuries he had been suppressing could no longer be held back, and they all surged to the surface at once.
Swaying unsteadily, Crocodile felt his vision blur before he toppled backward.
That walking disaster, White Ghost, is finally gone...
That was the only thought left in Crocodile's mind before he lost consciousness.
Although the falcon was slower than Ghost Body, his flight capabilities were still exceptional. He soon flew from Rainbase to Alubarna, descending into a magnificent complex of buildings—the Royal Palace of Alabasta.
Before the falcon landed, Adrian dropped from the sky first, touching down in an