The group came over to Liu Qing.
Kizaru spoke first, pointing at Kaido on the ground. "How scaaary~ Young Liu Qing, you're as strong as a monster. Do you still want this Kaido? If not, could you let me take him away?"
Liu Qing walked over to Kizaru, nudged him with his elbow, and smiled. "So it's Admiral Monkey D. Kizaru, the glimmering man who ate the Sleaze-Sleaze Fruit. I'm not interested in Kaido. If you want him, take him."
Then he asked quietly, "By the way, I heard you're with the Revolutionary Army. Is that true?"
Kizaru gave an awkward smile and spread his hands. "Impossible. I'm a Marine Admiral. How could I be with the Revolutionary Army? And my surname isn't Monkey. I have things to do, so I'll be going." With that, he went over to the unconscious Kaido.
"Fufufu~ Brother Liu Qing, would you be interested in working together?" Seeing this, Doflamingo walked over and asked Liu Qing.
"Uh~ Sorry, I'm not interested in working with anyone. I'll be going," Liu Qing replied.
"Is that so? What a shame. Fufufufu~ Let's hope we won't become enemies someday." With that, Doflamingo activated Sky Walk and flew toward the New World.
Liu Qing looked at those who had yet to leave. "Enjoy yourselves. I'm going to check on my companions. They still don't know what happened here. I can't let them worry too much."
With that, he prepared to head for the tavern in Nanohana. Nami and the others were still there. He couldn't let bad people bully them.
"Wait, Brother Liu Qing."
Ace came over and stopped Liu Qing.
"What is it, Ace?"
Ace scratched his head. "Ah~ I'm leaving Alabasta. Let Luffy know for me. I won't go over there. Sorry to trouble you, but please look after Luffy from now on."
"Oh, and give him this for me. This is my Vivre Card. With it, he can check my location and condition at any time." As he spoke, Ace took out a piece of paper and handed it to Liu Qing.
Liu Qing took the paper and looked at Ace, remembering how, not long afterward in the original story, Teach captured Ace and handed him over to the Marines in exchange for the title of Shichibukai. That marked the beginning of the Paramount War.
He couldn't help offering a warning. "Don't worry. I'm a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, after all. A word of warning: watch out for Blackbeard. If you aren't careful, you might die, and you'll drag your companions and Whitebeard down with you."
"All right, I'll be careful." Ace nodded dismissively.
Seeing Ace's reaction, Liu Qing knew the Paramount War would still happen. He shook his head, sighed, and left.
After Liu Qing left, the others departed one after another. Only Kizaru remained. He put Seastone Handcuffs and shackles on Kaido. He couldn't leave yet; there was still Crocodile to take along to Impel Down.
"Sigh~ They won't kill Kaido in the end anyway, so why bother with all this? A life of toil~" Kizaru sighed, dragging Kaido toward Baroque Works.
Alubarna, the royal capital of Alabasta.
Crocodile charged straight into the Royal Palace with all his subordinates and seized control of King Nefertari Cobra.
He was just about to have Nefertari Cobra take him to the Funerary Hall in the royal tombs to examine the Poneglyph recording Pluton's location.
Just then, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Smoker, Tashigi, and Vivi charged into the palace.
Smoker drew his Jitte and pointed it at Crocodile. "Crocodile, you have violated the regulations governing the World Government's affiliated nations by committing the unforgivable crime of usurping a country. I, Smoker, hereby strip you of all your rights. Surrender!"
"White Fist!"
Smoker immediately transformed into his element, connecting his fist with smoke and reaching for Crocodile.
Just as he was about to grab Crocodile, Mr. 3, Garu, stepped in front of him.
"Candle Wall!"
Galdino pressed one hand to the ground and pulled upward, raising a wall of wax that blocked the attack.
"Just a Navy Captain and a little pirate crew. The boss doesn't even need to lift a finger. We can take care of you ourselves." Galdino leaned against the wax wall and spoke disdainfully.
Mr. 1 also said expressionlessly, "Straw Hat Pirates, if you want to stand in our captain's way, prepare to be wiped out!"
As he spoke, he began moving his body. His arms instantly turned into drills made of blades, and he charged menacingly at Zoro. "I might as well finish you off now."
The battle erupted.
Mr. 1 leaped up, turning both hands into drills that spun at high speed as he thrust them at Zoro.
Zoro swiftly drew his three swords. After blocking Mr. 1's attack, he began trading blows with him in an exceptionally fierce battle.
Seeing an okama emerge on Crocodile's side, Sanji lit a cigarette, took a drag, and stepped in front of Mr. 2, Bon Clay.
Because Liu Qing's battle with Kaido had disrupted the original plot, Bon Clay had not become good friends with Luffy and the others.
"Okama Kenpo: Swan Dance! Ooh~~"
Bon Clay rose onto his toes and attacked Sanji with several spinning leaps. Sanji blocked with his own kicks, and the two moved as they fought, quickly putting distance between themselves and the others.
Meanwhile, Miss Doublefinger charged at Tashigi.
Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. 4 attacked Smoker.
Goldenweek, Mr. 5, and Gem attacked Luffy.
The other lackeys chased after Princess Vivi.
Fifteen minutes later...
On Zoro and Mr. 1's battlefield.
Mr. 1 climbed off the ground in a sorry state. Although his injuries weren't serious, he had indeed been wounded.
Mr. 1 spoke with a gloomy expression. "I'm a Dice-Dice Fruit user. When I use my ability, my body becomes as hard as steel. Have you reached the realm of a master swordsman and grasped Cutting Steel?"
Zoro sheathed all three swords and looked down irritably at his abdomen, where several cuts had appeared.
"Yeah~ I grasped it not long ago. But your Devil Fruit ability is a real pain. I have to watch every one of your attacks. One careless moment and you'll cut me."
Mr. 1 watched Zoro put away his swords, puzzled. "What, are you admitting defeat?"
"Admitting defeat? No, no, no. I said I'd never lose again. I've just spent too long dealing with you," Zoro answered seriously.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zoro sank into a half-crouched stance and gripped one of his swords, coating it in Armament Haki. His cold voice rang out.
"One Sword Style: Lion's Song!"
Zoro's figure flashed, appearing behind Mr. 1 as he slowly slid Wado Ichimonji back into its sheath.
Slash~~ Thud!
With the sound of flesh being cut and a heavy body hitting the ground, a huge wound opened across Mr. 1's chest. He collapsed heavily and lay unconscious.
At the same time.
Sanji's battle with Mr. 2, Bon Clay, was also raging fiercely.
Sanji lay facedown on the ground, covered in injuries.
After discovering Sanji's weakness, Bon Clay had transformed his face into Princess Vivi's, leaving Sanji afraid to attack. Then he changed back into himself and attacked Sanji with Okama Kenpo.
Sanji was furious. You damn okama! If you've got any guts, stop using Vivi-chan's face!
Bon Clay paid no mind at all, continuing to use Vivi's appearance to stop Sanji from attacking before using his own face to perform Okama Kenpo.
Although Sanji was furious, his chivalry would not allow him to hit women, especially beautiful women. Even knowing that this woman was an okama in disguise, he still couldn't bring himself to strike.
"Okama Kenpo: Summer Memories!"
Bon Clay changed back into himself and began attacking with his martial arts again.
A thought flashed through Sanji's mind. "I've found your weakness! Diable Jambe: Collier!"
The instant Bon Clay used Okama Kenpo, Sanji kicked him.
"Your weakness is that you can't use Okama Kenpo while wearing Vivi-chan's face. When you use your martial arts, you have to wear your own face. Prepare to die!" Sanji shouted angrily.
"Diable Jambe: Breast, Shoulder, Hind Leg!" A barrage of Haki-coated kicks struck Bon Clay, instantly knocking him unconscious.
Meanwhile, Princess Vivi rode Karoo all over the place, occasionally throwing a dart at the lackeys, and he was doing fine.
Tashigi also defeated Miss Doublefinger with ease, barely expending any effort.
Smoker had the easiest fight of all, because he had a Logia Devil Fruit and no one in Baroque Works knew Haki.
As a result, despite fighting for ages, Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. 4 couldn't land a single hit on Smoker. Instead, the two of them were beaten black and blue and left questioning their lives.
Before long, Smoker knocked them both unconscious with a smooth little combo of White Fist, White Vine, White Snake, and other techniques.
Last was Luffy's side.
At first, Goldenweek and Gem's teamwork had left Luffy completely unable to fight back.
Luffy couldn't even attack. Goldenweek and Gem's combined control abilities held him completely in place. He couldn't even move, much less retaliate.
But once Mr. 5 began attacking, everything fell apart. They had Luffy perfectly restrained, but one blast from his booger bomb blew the paint off Luffy's body, instantly freeing him.
Then Luffy knocked over Goldenweek's paints, swept Gem away with his right leg, and kicked Mr. 5 away with his left foot.
Seeing the two sent flying, Goldenweek lay down on the ground and pretended to be unconscious.
After finishing their fights, the group gathered together and began searching for Crocodile.
"Which way did Crocodile go? Did any of you see?" Smoker asked.
"I know! I saw which way they were going while I was running away. I'll take you there." Vivi raised her hand.
"Follow me. They probably went to the Funerary Hall in our royal tombs. We have Karoo," Vivi said.
"Quack~~"
Karoo got his bearings and started running.
Smoker, Luffy, Zoro, and the others hurried after him.
Inside the Funerary Hall in the royal tombs...
In front of a massive stone tablet.
Cobra looked at Crocodile and asked, "What do you need this stone tablet for? Isn't it just something that records history?"
Crocodile took a puff of his cigar and blew out a smoke ring. "I received information that it records the whereabouts of the Ancient Weapon Pluton."
"Pluton~ I've heard that a single shell from it can wipe an entire island off the face of the earth. A weapon bearing the name of a god. It was my objective from the start. With it, I can build the world's strongest nation. Not even the World Government would dare do anything to me."
Cobra looked furious. "Just for that, how many of my people have you killed? How many towns have you destroyed? I don't know where you heard that information, but something like that would never appear in Alabasta."
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