Suddenly—
The palace gates opened.
Vivi stepped forward, her long sky-blue hair fluttering in the wind as she descended the stairs with firm, determined steps.
At the foot of the palace steps, the Royal Army soldiers stood in formation.
Vivi took a deep breath.
Then, in a clear voice that rang like a singing lark, she shouted,
"Raise the white flags!"
"Royal Army, surrender imdiately!"
The soldiers froze.
Murmurs quickly spread through the ranks.
"Princess Vivi... what are you saying?"
"Surrender?"
"What will happen to this country if we surrender?!"
Clearly, none of them understood her intentions.
At that mont—
Step.
Step.
Step.
Another figure walked down the palace stairs.
"Hey... look!"
"That's... Koza!"
"Why is the leader of the Rebel Army here?!"
The soldiers instantly raised their rifles and spears, aiming them at him.
"Do what Vivi says!"
Koza shouted loudly.
"I'm no longer fighting for victory!"
"I want to end this war!"
He raised his sword in front of him.
"I'll personally inform the Rebel Army!"
"I'll tell them this war is aningless!"
"I'll tell them we have no reason left to fight!"
"So no more innocent blood has to be spilled!"
"Raise the white flags!"
"I'm begging you!"
The soldiers hesitated.
Monts later—
Chaotic footsteps echoed from the distance.
Part of the Rebel Army had already reached the palace square.
"Hurry!"
"The king's head is right ahead!"
"I can see the clock tower!"
"Prepare to attack!"
At that mont—
Tens of thousands of Royal Army soldiers raised their white flags.
And standing on the stone platform before them—
Was their enemy leader.
Koza.
The rebels at the front imdiately halted the soldiers behind them.
"White flags!"
"The Royal Army has raised white flags!"
The news spread rapidly through the army.
"Mr. Koza... why are you here?"
The rebels were confused.
"The war is over!"
Koza shouted.
"Everyone, calm down and lower your weapons!"
"The Royal Army has no will to fight anymore!"
"Is that true, Mr. Koza?"
The civilians could hardly believe it.
"Yes. The battle has—"
Suddenly—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Several bullets tore through the air.
They struck Koza directly.
Not far away—
A Royal Army soldier grinned wickedly.
Smoke rose from the rifle in his hands.
Koza's body was soaked in blood as he fell from the stone platform.
With the last of his strength, he whispered to those rushing toward him,
"Don't... fight anymore..."
"Mr. Koza!!"
"You bastards!"
"You shot Mr. Koza!"
"Kill them!!"
The Rebel Army's rage erupted instantly.
anwhile, Vivi stared at the shooter.
On the man's arm—
Was a familiar tattoo.
Baroque Works.
At that mont—
Gunfire erupted again.
But this ti—
It ca from within the Rebel Army itself.
This loosely organized army contained even more undercover agents.
The battlefield spiraled completely out of control.
Even without the sandstorm from the original events—
The war had escalated.
Because this was not a battle between dozens or hundreds.
It was a war between tens of thousands.
Koza...
Could no longer stop it.
"Why?!"
"Stop it!!"
"Please listen to !!"
Vivi scread from the palace stairs.
But no one heard her.
"Vivi!!"
A familiar voice suddenly echoed.
She looked up.
"Nami! Zoro! Sanji!"
Everyone had arrived.
"Nami!!"
Vivi rushed forward and hugged her tightly.
"I'm so glad you're all alive!"
"Where's Luffy?"
Nami asked imdiately.
Her sharp eyes carried a faint trace of suspicion.
She clearly rembered seeing Luffy heading toward the palace earlier.
"Oh—Luffy..."
Vivi's cheeks instantly flushed slightly.
Her voice beca a little hurried.
"H-He went to fight Crocodile!"
"I see..."
Nami sensed sothing strange.
But she was too worried to think about it for long.
"I knew Luffy wouldn't die!"
Usopp burst into tears of excitent.
"Oh really?"
Sanji rolled his eyes.
"You look like soone who totally knew that all along."
Then his gaze drifted toward Vivi and Nami hugging each other.
Ah...
The real Nami-san is infinitely more beautiful than that okama!
Princess Vivi is adorable too!!
"Leave the palace to us."
Zoro frowned as he observed the chaotic battlefield surrounding them.
Elsewhere in Alubarna
BOOM!
Crocodile dodged one of Luffy's punches.
The wall behind him exploded.
"Damn it!"
Crocodile clutched his chest.
Sweat poured down his face.
Luffy's earlier strike had seriously injured him.
I can't keep fighting here.
Cold sweat ford on his forehead.
He gritted his teeth.
His arm expanded into sand—
Transforming into a massive blade that tore through the ground toward Luffy.
The earth split apart instantly.
Luffy dodged sideways.
At that mont—
Crocodile moved.
In an instant, he closed the distance.
His right arm expanded into a giant crescent-shaped sand blade.
He swung it horizontally.
"Desert Spada!"
"Not good!"
Luffy's expression changed.
SHHHK!!
The blade pierced through his body.
A horrifying sight appeared.
Luffy's skin rapidly shriveled.
His cheeks sank inward.
He looked like a dried corpse.
"Sables!"
Crocodile gathered a massive sandstorm and hurled it forward.
The tornado expanded violently.
It engulfed Luffy and launched him far away.
The storm destroyed everything along its path—
Carrying Luffy deep into the desert.
Crocodile hesitated for a mont.
Then he transford into sand and chased after him.
He would not feel at ease until he saw that brat dead with his own eyes.
In the Desert
BOOM!
Luffy crashed into the sand.
His body looked completely dehydrated.
Suddenly—
A military canteen appeared in his hand.
Gulp.
Gulp.
Gulp.
He drank wildly.
Water spilled everywhere.
"Haah... I'm alive again!"
Luffy collapsed onto the sand.
"I underestimated him."
"Crocodile is seriously troubleso."
But then—
A warm energy flowed through his body.
Stat increases:
Constitution 3.5Strength 2.8Speed 6.8Armant Haki 4.2Observation Haki 5.2
Everything had been worth it.
"So you didn't die after all."
A swirl of sand appeared nearby.
Crocodile slowly stepped out from within a miniature sandstorm.
"But this..."
"...is my territory."
"How do you plan to turn things around now?"
The desert winds roared.
"Desert Sunflower!"
Crocodile slamd his hand into the ground.
A massive sand whirlpool opened beneath Luffy.
"Jet Bazooka!!"
Luffy blasted the center of the whirlpool and launched himself into the air.
His arm stretched.
Armant Haki coated his fist.
"Gum-Gum Spiral Bazooka!"
"Sables!"
Crocodile threw another sandstorm.
Luffy twisted his body midair and narrowly avoided it.
But—
"Multiple Desert Spada!"
Dozens of sand blades shot toward him.
Luffy sighed.
There was no way to dodge.
His fists hardened with Armant Haki.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
The blades shattered beneath his punches.
Luffy's stamina was dropping.
But his Haki continued to rise.
Suddenly—
Crocodile's arm sank into the sand.
He raised his head with a cold grin.
"Desert La Spada!"
A massive sand sword burst from the ground.
Luffy crossed his arms to defend.
Armant Haki covered them.
SLASH!!
He was blown away.
The black Haki shattered.
A deep wound was carved across his chest.
Blood poured down.
Yet—
His Haki continued growing.
Armant Haki 1Armant Haki 1Armant Haki 1
"In my domain..."
"I am king!"
Crocodile laughed wildly.
An enormous tide of sand surged upward.
It gathered together—
Forming a giant sand crocodile dozens of ters tall.
Its massive jaws opened wide toward Luffy.
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