At Alubarna, the capital city of Alabasta.
Cobra sat on the throne with a tired look on his face. He looked at the information collected by Chaka, Pell, and others with a frown.
"Is the reason for Lady Vivi's disappearance because of pirates?"
Pell said with anger in his eyes that was difficult to conceal: "Sure enough, not every Warlord is like Mr. Crocodile."
"Even though he is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, White Knight Gawain is still just a pirate after all."
Chaka nodded.
Obviously, he agreed with Pell's point of view.
After all, in recent years, Crocodile has been active in Alabasta, annihilating pirates everywhere, and has accumulated a lot of popularity.
Whether they were civilians, officials of Alabasta, or even the royal guards, they all had a favorable impression of Crocodile.
Cobra glanced at the two of them and said nothing. He focused all his attention on the information in his hands: "Ever since Alabasta turned into a desert hundreds of years ago, the country has been in long-term poverty."
"It's already extremely difficult for the people here to survive. I hope they really are here for ransom."
But at this moment, a deep and hoarse voice sounded from outside the hall: "Of course, he couldn't have come for the ransom."
Crocodile walked in slowly, looked at Cobra calmly, and said.
"As for the reason, as the king, you should know it better than me. After all, that guy is the user of the Red Dragon Fruit."
Cobra stood up suddenly, and his pupils trembled constantly: "The Devil Fruit which turned this kingdom into a desert... has been reborn again?"
"That's right."
Cobra suddenly became serious.
Even though he had seen a glimpse of the Red Dragon in the records of the Alabasta royal family.
But he could still feel the harm that the devil fruit brought to the country, like a natural disaster.
If the user of the Red Dragon Fruit were to reappear in Alabasta, the country's last bit of living space would be destroyed.
"No!"
"This matter is no longer something we can handle..."
At this moment, even if Cobra was unwilling to ask the World Government for help, he had to bow his head.
Neither this country nor his daughter can bear the slightest risk.
"I'll report it to the Marines. It's an emergency. They'll take action."
"Wait."
Cobra's action was interrupted by Crocodile.
Just when he was puzzled, Crocodile's next words were like pouring cold water on him.
"If that guy finds out about the Marines's movements, your daughter's life will be in danger right away."
"Then what should I do?"
Cobra sat down dejectedly and touched his forehead.
It was because he knew that what Crocodile said was a fact that was very likely to happen.
Even Alabasta, an affiliated country under the World Government and one of the twenty countries that created the World Government. A big country with hundreds of thousands of standing troops, but every year, countless commoners and nobles die at the hands of pirates.
"I can help you."
Crocodile had a hint of a smile on his face. Looking at Cobra's reaction, he knew that his plan was mostly successful.
Actually, when Vivi appeared at Whisky Peak a month ago, he had already received the news and even sent out his key members to hunt her down.
Although the assassinations failed one after another, they had no impact on the overall situation. Moreover, judging from the fact that Vivi did not seek support from the World Government, even if she knew something, she had no evidence.
But things are different now.
Vivi boarded Gawain's ship.
If Gawain really knew something from Vivi, he might even guess his purpose.
The deployment of Baroque Works here and the so-called heroic scenes that they had played for several years while enduring disgust will all become a joke, and they will be wiped out by the World Government that has reacted.
But after learning that Gawain's purpose was only to demand a ransom from Cobra, things took a turn for the better for Crocodile.
He found the perfect plan.
"How can you help me?"
Cobra looked up, and at this moment, all the fatigue and anxiety in his eyes were suppressed by him, and his eyes were full of questioning.
He's different from Chaka and Pell beside him, and even most of the people in this kingdom.
As the king of this country, he never really believed Crocodile in front of him.
Even though Crocodile has been in this country for several years, working diligently to fight pirates everywhere, almost winning everyone's recognition.
But Crocodile is a pirate, after all, an extremely powerful and dangerous pirate at that.
The probability of such a person repenting one day is too low.
But as Crocodile said, he now has no other choice.
"Or rather..."
"Sir Crocodile, what do you want to do by coming to this country?"
"Creating a Utopia."
"In a country full of sandstorms, poverty, and suffering, how can you create such an ideal place?"
Cobra's tone even has a hint of undisguised sarcasm, but Crocodile's next words instantly make him silent.
"Wouldn't it be more meaningful to transform such a country into a Utopia?"
Cobra heaved a sigh of relief: "Can I trust you?"
"It depends on your choice."
"Then I'll leave Vivi's matter to you. Bring her back to me."
"I will."
... ... ...
A few minutes later.
Ta! Ta! Ta!
With a steady sound of footsteps, Crocodile slowly walked out of the palace, leaving only his back to Cobra.
Outside the palace, Crocodile looked towards Alabasta's capital, Alubarna, in the distance.
The sky was dark because the howling wind blew up extremely dry sand and dust, almost completely blocking out all the sunlight.
There were no pedestrians on the road.
In a place like this, survival is already a problem; how can a utopia be created here?
Huh!
A puff of smoke came out of Crocodile's mouth, and his face became extremely ferocious at that moment.
He considered himself a person who didn't like to cause trouble, and he was even willing to stay in a barren kingdom like Alabasta for several years for the sake of Pluton, which was illusory in the eyes of ordinary people.
But when trouble comes to him, he is determined to eradicate it.
Being ruthless and merciless is a compulsory course for every pirate.
It is also a quality that is necessary to survive in this world where the winner takes all.
Crocodile is certainly not lacking in this aspect.
"White Knight Gawain kidnapped the princess of Alabasta Kingdom and killed her on the spot when he failed to extort money. Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, fought him off."
"Don't you want to see a script like this?"
"White Knight Gawain!"
... ... ...
A few days later, after the overhaul, the Raven was far more reliable than Gawain had expected, and they experienced smooth sailing.
But what they saw and heard inside the kingdom of Alabasta was not that good.
They had passed through many towns, but without exception, they were all deserted and uninhabited.
Even the few survivors that could be seen were pale and thin, almost dehydrated, and struggling to make ends meet.
Vivi stood on the deck, her eyes fixed on the town that they had just passed by, and her lips tightly pursed.
The city has been almost completely buried by yellow sand, with only a few tall buildings revealing its former grandeur.
"Originally, this country was a place where people could barely survive despite drought and poverty."
"This level of drought is no longer normal."
Kalifa appeared beside Vivi at some point, looking at the town they had just passed by, and her brows slightly furrowed. "Is someone using a Dance Powder?"
"By attracting surrounding clouds, it increases precipitation in one area, but at the expense of making nearby areas drier, creating a vicious cycle."
"This kind of thing should have been listed as a banned item a long time ago."
"I have heard before that King Cobra of Alabasta was punished by the World Government for abusing Dance Powder."
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