Inside the palace of Alubarna, a man with a weary expression sat upon a throne.
He had long, wavy black hair and a long beard that was trimmed to his chin like a pharaoh's. He wore a green robe with a brown cloak, an outfit that would no doubt seem suffocating to most people considering Alabasta's heat, but it was a sacrifice the King had to make.
Yes, this man was Nefertari Cobra, Vivi's father, and the King of the kingdom of Alabasta.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
The doors to the throne room burst open, and a tall, muscular man rushed inside. His black hair, styled in a bob cut, did nothing to make him look less intimidating.
This was Chaka, one of the kingdom's strongest and most loyal men, as well as one of King Cobra's Royal Guard Commanders.
"What is it, Chaka?"
Cobra looked bewildered.
Chaka was a stern and disciplined man who had survived countless hardships, yet he had entered the throne room in complete shock.
"There's a pirate ship in the city!"
"What do you mean?" Cobra asked calmly.
The statement made no sense. Alubarna was in the middle of the desert, and the King assumed Chaka had misspoken.
"Your Majesty, a ship! A ship is sailing down the southern main street and heading straight for the palace!"
"...Huh?"
For the first time, the King felt that his mind simply wasn't sharp enough to understand what was happening before him.
.....
Alubarna was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere because the people of the capital knew that the tension between the population and King Nefertari Cobra was only continuing to rise.
The drought continued to claim lives. Even the beautiful city of Erumalu, once known as the Green City because it had been an oasis in the desert, was now nothing more than abandoned ruins.
This was the inevitable result of the drought, and everyone blamed King Cobra. The reason was simple: while the entire country suffered from drought, rain still fell regularly over Alubarna.
All of this had even led to the formation of an army planning to overthrow the King. The most absurd part was that Vivi's childhood friend was the leader of that army.
"That guy is going to feel really stupid when he finds out everything got resolved without him," Allen mocked.
Vivi, standing beside him, blushed in embarrassment. Everyone had fallen into Crocodile's trap.
The drought in Alabasta existed because Crocodile had used something called Dance Powder to create artificial rain over Alubarna. The powder could generate rain artificially, but it did so by stealing moisture from other regions.
"I still find it hard to believe people would start a revolution just because it's raining in Alubarna and nowhere else," Uta said casually.
"Well, desperation and fear fill people with dangerous ideas and make them do foolish things..." Nami replied.
"Hey, are you seriously just going to ignore the situation?!"
Tashigi finally couldn't take it anymore. This crew was chatting as if nothing were happening while people were literally panicking at the sight of a ship sailing down the main street.
"What's happening?!"
"Get out of the way!"
"Is that a pirate ship?!"
"What's going on?!"
People hurried out of the ship's path in terror. Setting aside the fact that the vessel before them completely defied the laws of physics and logic, its pirate flag alone was enough to send chills down their spines. By now, everyone had heard of the White-Haired Demon's crew.
The crew of the jet-black ship and its captain, the pirate captain Allen Walker, with a bounty of 300 million.
Allen shrugged. "People are easily impressed. This is perfectly normal—even for the King of the World."
Tashigi was speechless.
Allen laughed at this, but soon his gaze drifted in a certain direction.
"It looks like we won't have to look any further…"
....
High above them, a falcon-like man soared through the sky with a grim expression.
This was Pell the Falcon, the strongest warrior in the kingdom. Alongside Chaka, he served as one of the commanders of Alabasta's Royal Guard and was also the user of the Zoan-type Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Falcon.
This third type of Devil Fruit granted the ability to transform into an animal while greatly enhancing physical abilities and providing advantages based on the chosen animal. In Pell's case, it gave him the ability to fly at incredible speeds and possess terrifying long-range vision.
He was fully prepared to confront Allen, but the moment he saw Vivi waving from the deck, he froze in shock before descending and landing aboard the ship.
"Pell!" Vivi smiled.
Pell cautiously glanced around at the women, searching for Allen but failing to find him.
"Pell, relax. No one here is an enemy. As for Allen... well, he went after Zero..." Vivi explained.
That left Pell completely stunned.
As for the crew, Kaya and Nami in particular watched the bird-man with great interest. Devil Fruits truly were fascinating.
....
Allen appeared in the middle of an empty street, far from where he had left the Black Pearl, with Uta in his arms.
"Is it really okay for just the two of us to come?" Uta asked teasingly.
"Yeah. I don't see any reason to drag this out longer than necessary," Allen replied before setting Uta down.
She puffed out her cheeks in a fake pout, but soon looked ahead, where none other than Daz Bones, Mr. 1, was waiting.
"I guess you're the only one available, Mr. 1," Allen mocked.
Daz Bones didn't answer. He simply assumed a fighting stance.
Once again, Crocodile had terrible luck.
He had never planned for Allen to find him the moment he arrived in Alabasta. Perhaps he had intended to manipulate Cobra into appearing allied with Allen, causing the people to lose what little faith they still had in the King.
Perhaps he had planned to kill Cobra and frame Allen. Or maybe he intended to attack Allen after he entered the palace, once all of Baroque Works had gathered. None of that came to pass.
There was simply no way for him to know that the instant he came close enough to Allen, his very existence would be revealed.
Allen didn't need to search. He only had to follow Lenalee's map toward the brilliant red dot radiating hostility and murderous intent.
Without hesitation, he left his crew behind and went to deal with the main problem.
There was no need to follow a script. No need to wait for Crocodile to set his evil plans in motion. All he had to do was crush him with overwhelming power.
"I'll leave this one to you, Uta," Allen said as he walked past Daz Bones. A bead of sweat rolled down the man's face, yet he didn't dare attack Allen despite being bigger and older than him.
Once Allen left, Uta smiled.
"Well then, Mr. Assassin... shall we begin?"
Daz Bones vanished and instantly reappeared before Uta. His fingers transformed into blades so sharp they sliced through the building beside them like paper, but when they reached Uta, she blocked the attack with one arm.
Daz Bones stared in horror as Uta's slender arm stopped his strike as though it were nothing.
"60 million... those aren't an undeserved bounty..." he muttered.
Uta smiled as her hair fell over her eyes.
....
Allen stepped out of the alley where he had left Uta fighting Daz Bones and entered a much busier street. He walked along without a care in the world, knowing there was no way Daz Bones could defeat Uta.
He continued strolling until he felt a gust of wind rush past him. Smirking, he looked ahead.
"So you're Crocodile? Huh... you look more like a yakuza than a pirate, but who am I to judge?"
Arrogant...
From Crocodile's perspective, Allen's actions and words could only be seen as pure arrogance.
Without the slightest consideration or respect from a young pirate toward a veteran Warlord.
The young man had simply appeared, destroyed his organization, ruined his plans, and was now after his head.
"Allen Walker!"
With bloodshot eyes and veins bulging across his forehead, Crocodile roared.
The civilians panicked and quickly cleared the street.
"What's wrong?" Allen chuckled. "No need to shout. I can hear you just fine."
"You damned bastard! I'LL NEVER forgive you! I'll rip your head off and hang it at the gates of Alubarna alongside the King's and the Princess's!"
The moment Vivi was mentioned, Allen's expression turned more serious, though the mocking look toward Crocodile remained.
"Want to know why I don't respect you?" Allen asked, narrowing his eyes.
"SHUT UP!" Crocodile attacked. He no longer wanted to hear Allen's voice. "SABLES!"
A sand tornado erupted from his hand, rapidly growing into a massive cutting whirlwind that tore through the street. The civilians screamed as they fled.
Unlike the original timeline, this Crocodile had been pushed to his absolute limit by Allen. He no longer cared about Pluton or even Alabasta. All he wanted was to kill Allen in the cruelest way possible!
Allen smiled before delivering a kick that launched a compressed air blade, slicing straight through the sand tornado.
"Rankyaku Lv. 3!"
"...!" Crocodile's eyes widened as the air blade split him in half, but there was no blood. His body quickly reformed.
"I see. You split your body at will to avoid my Haki. Very clever. Do you have experience dealing with this power?" Allen asked mockingly.
Crocodile gritted his teeth, his gaze growing darker.
"Shut up..."
Allen gave a faint smile. It seemed he had found one of Crocodile's deepest wounds.
"Ever since I reached the Grand Line, I realized several things..."
Crocodile raised his hand and clenched it before him, causing sand to attack Allen from every direction. Allen used Soru to vanish, instantly reappearing a short distance behind Crocodile.
"...!" Crocodile's eyes widened as he turned around to find Allen pointing a finger at him.
A beam of light shot from Allen's fingertip, piercing Crocodile's chest before exploding through a building behind him.
"Ugh!"
The light beam was imbued with Haki, allowing Crocodile to actually feel the damage. He dropped to one knee, clutching his bleeding chest.
'If I hadn't elementalized my heart, I'd be dead,' Crocodile thought.
Allen wasn't a hero. He hadn't come to save Alabasta out of justice or love. He had come because he needed to settle the debts and grudges between Crocodile and Vivi.
He wasn't a saint. He hated the World Government and wanted to change the world, but there was selfishness in his heart as well. More than anything, he had learned that this world was cruel unless you were born with a special purpose or destiny.
Allen wasn't Luffy, so he didn't hesitate to try to kill him!
"The reason I don't respect you is that you're pathetic..."
"...What did you say?"
Crocodile glared at Allen with eyes full of resentment. How dare this brat who knew nothing about the world, this newly arrived bastard, this child who had barely left his mother's arms, call a Warlord... Crocodile... pathetic?!
"HEAVY SABLES!"
Another sand tornado formed in Crocodile's hand and surged toward Allen with enough force to begin ripping apart Alubarna's buildings. Fortunately, the civilians had already evacuated.
Allen didn't retreat. He clenched his right fist, drew it back to the left side of his body, then punched the air.
The air shattered into countless fragments.
Crocodile turned pale as he watched it happen, remembering the only man who fought that way—Whitebeard.
The Paramecia Fruit with the greatest offensive power destroyed Crocodile's attack. Several buildings collapsed, and the ground itself cracked apart.
When everything had settled, Crocodile remained kneeling with a grim expression. Most of his rage had faded, replaced by frustration.
"At one point, you were a 'rookie' too," Allen said.
He stared at Crocodile as he walked down the ruined street toward him.
"You must have been a rising star, admired and feared. You appeared in the newspapers and became the center of the world for a while..."
"What are you trying to say?" Crocodile growled like a wounded rabid dog.
"And then you entered the New World..." Allen paused, his eyes fixed on Crocodile as though they were piercing his soul before continuing. "And then it happened, didn't it?... You were crushed."
"...!" Crocodile's eyes widened as he froze in place.
There's a reason people in the New World call the first half of the Grand Line "Paradise." It's because they discover the harsh reality waiting beyond it.
Every pirate who arrives there, including the Super Rookies, has only two choices.
Submit to an Emperor... or challenge one.
Ordinary pirates aren't foolish enough to choose the latter, but those Super Rookies—carried by fame and the voices praising them throughout the first half of the Grand Line—usually do.
As a result... they're annihilated.
"..." Crocodile trembled.
"Let me guess. You reached the New World, challenged someone powerful, got utterly crushed, and came running back to Paradise with your tail between your legs?"
"Shut up..."
"You know Haki well enough that it makes me think you used to wield it yourself. I'm no expert, but even I can tell Haki depends heavily on willpower and spirit. Someone whose spirit has been shattered wouldn't be able to use it anymore... right?"
"I told you to shut up!" Crocodile repeated.
"I thought it was strange. The great Crocodile is desperately searching for an Ancient Weapon... Don't tell me you've already given up on becoming stronger through your own power? Have you found your limit? Have you already thrown in the towel?"
Crocodile lunged at Allen with his golden hook. Midway through the attack, he removed the hook, revealing a poisoned blade hidden beneath it.
Allen caught the blade with one hand. The poison flowed over his skin before dripping onto the ground, melting the stone like acid.
Crocodile was stunned. He hadn't expected his attack to succeed, but Allen had now been poisoned.
"You idiot! Your arrogance! Your naivety has cost you your life! This is a deadly poison! It could kill a thousand men with ease!!"
Allen silently looked at Crocodile, giving him a terrible feeling.
"Good thing I have Magellan's poison resistance," Allen mocked.
"...!"
Crocodile's eyes shrank as Allen clenched his hand, crushing the poisoned blade to pieces.
Before Crocodile could react, Allen's fist became coated in jet-black metal. It was Armament Haki, far stronger than before—the Fist of Love Garp.
Crocodile's face was filled with resignation. If he still had Armament Haki, he could have blocked it. If he still had Observation Haki, he could have dodged it. But he no longer possessed either.
Just as Allen had said, Crocodile had once reached the New World. He had been defeated and humiliated, his spirit shattered. Now he was only a shadow of the man he used to be—a coward seeking Ancient Weapons to accomplish what he no longer could with his own strength.
"One more thing. Even if you eventually planned to betray my sister, thank you for giving her a safe refuge for all those years," Allen said.
"..."
The jet-black fist slammed into Crocodile's face.
The impact of the Level 4 Fist of Love was devastating, shattering the ground and bringing down buildings.
The deafening crash echoed throughout Alabasta, and before the eyes of countless people watching two terrifying pirates clashed, the outcome was decided.
....
Vivi was the first to run toward the scene. Her heart pounded painfully. She wasn't thinking about the result or whether Crocodile had been defeated. She only wanted to see Allen safe.
When she finally reached him, she stumbled, but instead of falling, Allen caught her in his arms.
"What's wrong, Princess? Didn't you trust me?" Allen asked with an amused smile.
Vivi looked up at him in a daze, and upon seeing his smile, she bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Idiot," Vivi whispered.
She hugged Allen tightly, and he gently returned the embrace.
When King Cobra arrived at the scene accompanied by his right- and left-hand men, he stopped.
He silently looked at his daughter before turning around and walking away.
"Your Majesty?"
"We'll speak with them later..." Cobra said as he walked off.
He understood that Allen wasn't a hero. He wasn't a saint. He hadn't come to save his people. The only thing that had motivated him was his daughter, Vivi. As much as he disliked the thought of his daughter joining a pirate, there was nothing else he could do but accept it, because moments earlier he had seen something in Vivi that went beyond gratitude toward the young man.
"I'm getting old," Cobra said with a sigh.
Pell and Chaka exchanged glances before smiling. Allen might have many flaws, but it was also true that the look in his eyes as he comforted Vivi was sincere. The young man genuinely treasured their princess for far more than something as superficial as her beauty or her status.
====
A/N: Normally, Allen goes so far as to steal people's pants, but in this case, it's not about the money—it's about the waifu
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