Alubarna, the palace square.
King Cobra stood on the palace steps, looking up at the three enormous Marine warships in the sky, his face ashen. Beside him, Princess Vivi clutched his arm, anger and fear in her eyes.
"Vice Admiral Hina!" Cobra shouted. "This is a misunderstanding! I haven't colluded with pirates! Crocodile is the one inciting the rebellion! He's the real criminal!"
On the warship's deck, Hina blew a smoke ring and spoke coldly:
"Where's your evidence?"
"The evidence-" Cobra was at a loss for words. He truly had no conclusive evidence. Crocodile was too careful, carrying out all his schemes through Baroque Works without ever acting personally.
"Without evidence, you're slandering a Shichibukai." Hina waved her hand. "Hina is very disappointed. As the king of one of the World Government Member States, not only have you refused to cooperate with the Marines in upholding justice, you've joined forces with pirates to frame a legally sanctioned pirate. That is a grave offense."
The adjutant behind her handed her a document. Hina took it, unfolded it, and read aloud:
"Under World Government Emergency Decree No. 1742, when the king of an affiliated nation is suspected of treason, the Marines have the authority to temporarily assume control of that nation's public security until the truth is established."
"The following orders are hereby issued: first, all members of Alabasta's royal family must surrender immediately and submit to investigation. Second, all armed forces must disarm. Third, the pirate 'Flame Emperor' and his accomplices must immediately surrender their weapons and submit to arrest."
"Anyone who disobeys... will be treated as a traitor and executed on the spot!"
As her words fell, the cannons of the three warships began charging with a low hum. These were the Marines' latest "energy cannons," each capable of destroying half a city block with one shot.
The palace guards in the square tightened their grips on their weapons, but against a Marine Vice Admiral and three entire warships, their resistance seemed so feeble.
"Father..." Vivi's voice trembled. "What do we do?"
Cobra gritted his teeth and was about to speak-
"Wait!"
A clear female voice came from the eastern side of the square.
Everyone turned to see Tashigi running toward them. She was still wearing her Marine petty officer's uniform, but at that moment, it looked particularly jarring.
"Petty Officer Tashigi?" Hina frowned. "Aren't you supposed to be in Loguetown? What are you doing here?"
"Vice Admiral Hina!" Tashigi ran to the center of the square, looked up at the warship, and saluted. "As a Marine petty officer, I request permission to speak!"
"Speak."
"Crocodile, president of Baroque Works and one of the Shichibukai, is suspected of the following crimes: first, using the banned substance 'Dance Powder' to divert Alabasta's rainfall, causing a nationwide drought; second, inciting rebellion and driving a wedge between the people and the royal family; third, abducting and coercing civilians to conduct illegal human experiments; fourth, attempting to steal the Ancient Weapon 'Pluton' and overthrow the World Government!"
Her voice rose with each charge:
"I have evidence for some of these crimes! The ruins of the Katorea factory are proof! Vice Admiral, I request that you investigate Crocodile first, rather than arrest an innocent king!"
An uproar swept through the square.
The citizens whispered among themselves, and the Rebel Army soldiers exchanged looks. Many of them had never truly wanted to overthrow the king; drought and starvation had simply left them with no way out.
Hina fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Where is the evidence?"
"It's-" Tashigi was just about to speak when a chilling voice came from the western side of the square:
"Evidence? Do you mean these forged photographs and documents?"
Crocodile stepped out of the crowd. He had changed into a clean suit and was smoking a cigar, looking perfectly composed. Behind him were Mr. 2, Miss Doublefinger, and other senior agents, along with... Princess Vivi, her hands bound and her mouth gagged!
"Vivi!" Cobra cried in shock and anger.
"Father... mmph..." Vivi struggled, but Mr. 2 held her firmly in place.
Crocodile walked to the center of the square and faced Tashigi. Holding a stack of photographs, he casually tossed them onto the ground:
"These photographs show the destruction of the Katorea factory. But please note-" He pointed to a corner of a photograph. "Here, there are clear traces of fire. And throughout the East Blue and even the first half of the Grand Line, there is only one person capable of causing fire damage on this scale."
He turned and pointed at Lin Yan, who had just arrived at the square:
"The Flame Emperor, Monkey D. Yan."
Everyone's gaze focused on Lin Yan.
Lin Yan looked at Crocodile expressionlessly and said nothing.
"Vice Admiral Hina." Crocodile turned toward the warship. "I wish to report that, in order to seize Alabasta's ancient treasures, the Flame Emperor Pirates first destroyed a civilian factory in Katorea-a factory that manufactured drought relief equipment, which they called a 'Dance Powder factory.' Then they kidnapped Princess Vivi and forced King Cobra to cooperate. Now they're fabricating lies to slander me, attempting to provoke conflict between the Marines and the Shichibukai so they can seize Alabasta in the chaos!"
Every word rang with righteous conviction, and paired with his seemingly honest face, his account was surprisingly persuasive.
"You're lying!" Tashigi snapped. "I saw it with my own eyes-"
"What did you see with your own eyes?" Crocodile interrupted. "Why would a Marine petty officer like you be associating with pirates? Could it be... they've already bought you off?"
"I-" Tashigi was at a loss for words. She was indeed with pirates. That was a fact.
"Vice Admiral Hina." Crocodile pressed his advantage. "I recommend the immediate arrest of this turncoat Marine and every member of the Flame Emperor Pirates. As for King Cobra... he may have been coerced, so he can be shown leniency."
Hina looked down, tapping her fingers lightly against the railing.
She was weighing her options.
Logically, Crocodile's account made more sense-pirates attacking a country for treasure was all too common. But a Shichibukai betraying the World Government? It wasn't without precedent, but it required conclusive evidence.
Right now, there was insufficient evidence.
"Hina has decided," she finally said. "Everyone, put down your weapons and submit to investigation. Anyone who resists will be considered an accomplice to treason and killed on the spot."
She looked at Lin Yan:
"Flame Emperor, do you have anything else to say?"
Lin Yan finally spoke. His voice was calm, yet it carried throughout the square:
"I have just three things to say."
"First, the Katorea factory produced Dance Powder, not drought relief equipment. Chemical residue remains in the ruins. The Marine Science Unit can confirm it with a single inspection."
"Second, Princess Vivi was kidnapped by Crocodile's men, not us. There are thousands of citizens here who saw it."
"Third-" He looked at Crocodile, crimson-gold flames flashing in his eyes. "If you want to play games with schemes and plots, I'll oblige. But you shouldn't have... touched my little brother's crewmate."
The moment he finished speaking, Lin Yan moved.
Not toward Crocodile, but toward Mr. 2!
He moved at such incredible speed that he almost seemed to teleport in front of Mr. 2. Before Mr. 2 could react, Lin Yan drove a fist into his abdomen!
Thud-!!!
Mr. 2 doubled over like a shrimp, his eyes bulging and saliva spraying from his mouth. His hand released Vivi, and he flew dozens of meters, smashing through a palace wall.
Lin Yan caught Vivi with one hand and gently set her on the ground.
The whole process took less than a second.
By the time Crocodile reacted, Lin Yan had already returned to his original position, as though he had never moved.
"You-" Crocodile's face turned livid.
"I told you not to touch my people," Lin Yan said coldly. "That was a warning. Next time, I'll kill you outright."
Dead silence filled the square.
Everyone was stunned by Lin Yan's speed and strength. That explosive power, that precision, that sheer dominance... it was nothing like the strength a young pirate should possess.
Hina narrowed her eyes aboard the warship. She finally understood why Fleet Admiral Sengoku had specifically warned her to "be careful of the Flame Emperor." This young man truly had the strength to back up his arrogance.
"Vice Admiral Hina." Lin Yan looked up at her. "You can arrest me. But before that, please do one thing."
"What?"
"Have Crocodile end Alabasta's drought."
Lin Yan pointed at the sky:
"Use your Observation Haki to sense it. Rainbase's artificial rainfall system is drawing water vapor from across the country. It's a 'drought domain' Crocodile created with his Sand-Sand Fruit powers. As long as he lives, Alabasta will never have rain."
Hina closed her eyes and spread her senses.
A few seconds later, her eyes snapped open, anger flashing within them.
Because she had indeed sensed it-an invisible force field was operating around Rainbase, drawing all the moisture in Alabasta toward it. A Devil Fruit ability used on that scale could not possibly be "drought relief."
"Crocodile." Hina's voice turned cold. "Explain."
Cold sweat broke out on Crocodile's forehead. He hadn't expected Lin Yan to expose this so directly, much less that Hina's Observation Haki would be strong enough to detect such subtle fluctuations in his power.
"That is... that's to maintain Rainbase's ecosystem..." he tried to argue.
"Maintaining an ecosystem requires draining the entire country of moisture?" Hina interrupted. "Hina is no fool."
She waved her hand. "Marines, change targets. Secure Crocodile and his subordinates first. If they resist, you are authorized to use force."
"Yes!"
The Marines aboard the warships answered in unison, and the cannons turned to aim at Crocodile.
The situation reversed in an instant.
Crocodile's expression shifted before he suddenly burst out laughing:
"Hahahaha! Fine! Since you all want to die, I'll grant your wish!"
He stomped down hard!
Rumble-!!!
The ground throughout Alubarna began shaking! The square's paving cracked, and countless streams of yellow sand surged from the fissures! The sand gathered and took shape like living creatures, quickly forming more than a dozen sand giants, each ten meters tall!
"Sand Soldiers: Legion!" Crocodile raised both hands high. "Kill them! Leave no one alive!"
The sand soldiers brandished sand blades and charged at the Marines, the palace guards, and the citizens!
The square instantly descended into chaos!
"Protect the citizens!" King Cobra ordered, and the palace guards formed ranks to meet the enemy.
Hina leaped down from the warship and spread her hands:
"Black Cage: Prison!"
Black bars surged from the ground, forming an enormous cage that trapped three sand soldiers. But the sand soldiers had no solid bodies. Once trapped, they simply scattered and re-formed outside the cage.
"Logia... troublesome." Hina frowned. She was a Paramecia user, and fighting a Logia was difficult for her.
At that moment, Ace charged forward.
"Blue Flame: Purification!"
Blue-white flames blazed around his hands as he punched a sand soldier in the chest. The flames penetrated the grains of sand, burning through their connection to Crocodile's will. The sand soldier collapsed with a crash, becoming an ordinary pile of sand.
"It works!" Ace's eyes lit up. "Brother, use blue flame!"
"No need." Lin Yan shook his head. "I have a better way."
He walked to the center of the square and pressed both hands against the ground.
"Furnace-Furnace Fruit: Second Release-"
"Inner-Core Steel Flame, descend."
Boom-!!!
Crimson-gold flames erupted from his body, but instead of spreading outward, they seeped down! The flames burrowed underground, deep into the earth's crust, and then-
Drew upon the heat of the earth's core!
The ground throughout Alubarna began turning red and burning hot! The temperature soared, soon passing fifty degrees, a hundred degrees, two hundred degrees!
The sand soldiers began melting in the heat! Not burning, but melting-the silicon in the sand turned glassy under the high temperatures and lost its fluidity!
Crocodile's expression changed drastically. "You can control geothermal heat?! That's impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible." Lin Yan slowly rose, his eyes now entirely the crimson-gold color of molten lava. "Your sand fears high temperatures. And my flames... can produce the temperature of the sun's surface."
He raised his right hand, palm upward.
A crimson-gold fireball a meter in diameter formed above his palm. Within it, plasma could faintly be seen flowing wildly, its temperature at least ten thousand degrees.
"Crocodile, it's over."
The fireball shot out.
Not toward Crocodile, but toward the sky!
It flew several hundred meters into the air, then-
Exploded.
But what burst forth wasn't flame. It was "light."
Dazzling white light illuminated all of Alubarna, ten times brighter than the midday sun! Everyone instinctively closed their eyes. Only Lin Yan kept his open, controlling where the light fell.
The light shone upon the sand soldiers.
Like snowmen doused in strong acid, the sand soldiers rapidly dissolved and vaporized. In just three seconds, all dozen-plus sand soldiers vanished, leaving only puddles of molten glass.
Crocodile stumbled backward, smoke rising from his body as well-although the light wasn't shining on him directly, it was so hot that even the air had been heated to several hundred degrees. As a Logia, he didn't fear high temperatures, but maintaining his elemental form consumed stamina, making this environment extremely unfavorable for him.
"Damn it..." He gritted his teeth and suddenly turned toward Vivi, who was being held by Mr. 2. "Then I'll take a hostage-"
He never finished.
A blade rested against his neck.
At some point, Tashigi had appeared behind him, Shigure's edge pressed against his skin. A layer of crimson-gold flame coated the blade-the "Flame-Infused Sword Aura" Lin Yan had secretly bestowed upon it earlier.
"Don't move," Tashigi said coldly. "Move once, and I'll cut. The flames will burn away your elemental form, and the blade will sever your neck."
Crocodile froze.
He could feel that the flames on that blade could indeed hurt him. Those flames... were different from Ace's blue flames, more domineering, purer, as though they could burn away everything.
"Vice Admiral Hina." Tashigi looked at the female Vice Admiral approaching her. "Crocodile is suspected of multiple serious crimes. I request his immediate arrest."
Hina looked at Tashigi, then at Lin Yan, and finally nodded:
"Marines, arrest Crocodile, president of Baroque Works and one of the Shichibukai."
The Marines swarmed forward and secured Crocodile in Seastone Handcuffs.
Crocodile didn't resist. He simply stared fixedly at Lin Yan:
"You win... this time. But don't get smug... the World Government won't let you off... the D. Clan is destined to be erased..."
"Then let them come," Lin Yan said calmly. "Send one, and I'll kill one. Send two, and I'll kill both."
Crocodile was escorted aboard the warship.
Cheers erupted from the citizens in the square. The truth behind the drought had been exposed, and the king's innocence proven. The Rebel Army soldiers laid down their weapons one after another, kneeling to beg forgiveness.
King Cobra walked up to Lin Yan and bowed deeply:
"Thank you, Lord Flame Emperor. Alabasta will forever remember your kindness."
"No need." Lin Yan shook his head. "I only did what I should. Now, please fulfill your promise-I need to consult all the historical documents in the Funeral Temple."
"Of course." Cobra nodded. "I'll personally take you..."
He was interrupted.
Because the sky suddenly darkened.
It wasn't clouds, but something far more terrifying-an enormous ship, so vast it blotted out the sky, was slowly descending through the clouds!
The ship's shape was extremely strange, resembling both a coffin and a mobile fortress. Its hull was pitch-black, without a single flag, but its figurehead resembled a giant bear's paw.
The ship slowly landed at the edge of the square, crushing several buildings.
Then the hatch opened.
A figure as tall and massive as a bear stepped out.
He wore a black priest's robe and held a Bible in his hands, his face utterly expressionless. Most striking of all were the enormous black gloves on his hands, which bore unusual paw-pad patterns.
"Bartholomew Kuma..." Hina's expression changed abruptly. "One of the Shichibukai, 'Tyrant' Kuma! What are you doing here?!"
Kuma did not answer. He merely raised his head slowly, his eyes as still as stagnant water turning toward Lin Yan.
Then he spoke, his voice low and mechanical:
"Monkey D. Yan... the World Government requests your presence."
Before you continue