"Tap, tap, tap…"
Led by Igaram, dozens of mbers of the Alabasta Royal Guard stood in tight formation, bracing against the raging sandstorm as they firmly shielded Cobra.
However…
Crocodile, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, possessed overwhelming strength. Even the re pressure carried within the swirling sands was enough to make the royal guards suffer imnsely…
And yet—
Though their knees trembled, their bodies drenched in sweat, they did not retreat even a single step!
They were the Royal Guard of Alabasta!
The most elite force of the kingdom—sworn to protect their king!
"How… is this possible…"
His body trembling, Cobra staggered before collapsing onto the ground. The calm he had struggled to maintain in his eyes shattered completely…
Fear, shock, disbelief—all surged across his face.
The origin of the Nefertari family, and the royal treasure they had guarded for generations…
Across the seas—
He should have been the only one who knew!
Even the King of Heroes, that monuntal figure from four thousand years ago, had all but vanished from the knowledge of the present world…
So why…
How could Crocodile know the na of that great existence?
And even more—
How could he know the secret guarded by the Nefertari family for generations?
Where… had sothing gone wrong?
"Boom—!"
The raging sands surged violently, blasting the Alabasta Royal Guard apart.
Crocodile's figure rged into the sand. When he reappeared, he was already standing before Cobra.
Looking down at him from above, he slowly reached out his right hand and grabbed Cobra by the chin.
"Damn it!"
"Let go of His Majesty at once!"
A roar filled with suppressed fury rang out.
The captain of the Royal Guard, Igaram, surged forward like a ferocious beast, his blade flashing as he charged.
Crocodile didn't even spare him a glance.
With a re thought, the sand condensed into a powerful surge and shot forward.
"Boom—!"
The violent force sent Igaram flying over a hundred ters, crashing through palace structures.
Then—
He was swallowed completely by the rolling sands… disappearing without a trace.
"Captain!"
Dozens of guards watched in shock as Igaram—far stronger than any of them—was effortlessly blown away and buried.
The power of a Warlord of the Sea…
Was simply too terrifying…
They didn't even have the strength to resist!
With a single strike, Crocodile had eliminated the captain of the Royal Guard—yet his gaze never once shifted.
From beginning to end, it remained fixed on Cobra.
A savage expression surfaced on his face, growing increasingly ferocious as he spoke in a low voice:
"Cobra…"
"My patience has its limits!"
"Every second you hesitate… ans countless lives are lost!"
Crocodile's sandstorm had already engulfed the entire palace—and it was still expanding…
Thus—
At every mont, Cobra could faintly hear screams and cries of agony echoing through the storm.
"Grr…"
His teeth clenched tightly.
At this mont, Cobra had no ti left to consider how Crocodile had learned of the King of Heroes…
Or how he had uncovered the secret of the treasure his family had guarded…
The man's strength…
Was simply too overwhelming!
It was absolute suppression—so absolute that even if the entire Alabasta Kingdom united, they would still be no match for him…
In such a situation—
What aning was there in continuing to guard a treasure whose purpose he didn't even understand?
A relic that had been protected for four thousand years… yet had never once shown any sign of response…
How could it compare to the lives of the entire Alabasta Kingdom?
The first head of the Nefertari family—Nefertari D. Bik, who had once served the King of Heroes, Gilgash—had recorded in the family's secret archives:
That before his disappearance, the King of Heroes had told him—
He would vanish for a period of ti…
The exact duration unknown…
But he would, without a doubt, return one day.
However…
From the first generation to Cobra himself—
A full four thousand years had passed!
And never once had there been any record of the King of Heroes returning…
If he had not appeared in four thousand years—
How could he possibly still be alive?
Just as Cobra was about to make his decision and open his mouth to yield—
A cold voice suddenly echoed through the palace hall, sending a chill straight to the soul—
"Mongrel… who gave you the audacity…"
"To dare covet this King's treasure?"
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