The rest of the crew arrived where Allen was shortly afterward. When several of the girls saw Allen hugging Vivi, they were left stunned, while Mikita teased him and Kaya looked annoyed. Nami, on the other hand, remained silent, showing no jealousy or anger. Who knew what was going through her mind?
Robin, who was usually a calm, composed, and serene woman, surprised everyone this time by walking straight toward the pair without paying any attention to Vivi.
"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
"...!" Vivi quickly stepped away from Allen, her face as red as a tomato as she wiped her eyes. It was embarrassing to have broken down crying like that at her age, and even worse in front of a boy her own age.
"I'm fine," Allen said with a faint smile.
Robin smiled as well. She stepped closer, straightened his shirt, and brushed the grains of sand from his previous fight off his clothes. It was an intimate gesture that made all the girls widen their eyes, as it looked like a subtle way of marking her territory.
Was Nico Robin jealous?!
Allen blinked before flashing a teasing grin. Robin blushed slightly before coughing and looking away.
Too cute!
A young girl like Kaya had her own charm when she acted adorably—that was only natural—but for a calm, intellectual woman like Robin, this kind of behavior only amplified her charm.
"Ugh!" Allen clutched his chest dramatically. Standing so close, he had suffered the devastating effects of Robin's attack.
"Are you okay?!" Robin asked.
She was frightened that Allen might have been injured during his battle against Crocodile. However, he wiped away imaginary blood and smiled weakly.
"It's just that my sister is the cutest girl in the world."
Robin truly blushed this time and tugged on Allen's ear to hide her embarrassment.
....
"H-how?"
Mr. 1 watched Uta walk away. He lay on the ground with every bone in his body shattered.
Even in such a miserable state, he hadn't died, and his mind was incapable of processing what had just happened.
He had been defeated so one-sidedly that it felt as if he had somehow lost all of his strength. But was that even possible? Was he really that weak? Or was Uta truly a monster?
Uta smiled without answering before walking away. Her steps were calm, and before she reached the end of the street, space rippled, and she stepped out of the dream.
Uta stopped and turned around. There was Mr. 1, unconscious in the same place, but he no longer had any injuries. The damage to the buildings and the ground had disappeared as well.
"This guy was unexpectedly persistent," Uta smiled. "I guess I should report back to my captain."
Shortly afterward, Uta arrived where everyone else was. After Allen and the others congratulated her on defeating Mr. 1, she demanded some kind of reward from her captain.
Allen naturally agreed. She had earned it.
Robin and Hina were the most surprised by Uta's strength after learning who Daz Bones really was.
Allen and his crew returned to Alubarna Palace, this time escorted by Pell. As for Chaka, he stayed behind to check on Crocodile.
Lying in the middle of a massive crater was the Warlord. His eyes had rolled back, his jaw was shattered, and his body lay motionless, though he was still breathing.
Chaka approached him and gave orders to the guards accompanying him.
"Don't let him die. There are many things he still has to answer for."
For a Warlord to attempt to overthrow the sovereignty of a country affiliated with the World Government was already a scandal, and the fact that this country was also one of its founding nations made it even worse. Death was too good for Crocodile. He had to spend the rest of his life paying for his crimes.
....
(Alubarna Palace – Dining Hall)
King Cobra sat silently beside Vivi while the guests before him enjoyed the feast that had been prepared.
The mere fact that the king of a World Government-affiliated nation was hosting pirates inside his palace was already scandalous, yet there was Allen and his crew peacefully enjoying a meal with King Nefertari Cobra.
"So, King Cobra, I hope you've given some thought to my requests," Allen smiled as he took a sip from his wine glass.
Speaking to a king in such a disrespectful manner would normally earn someone a direct trip to the dungeon, but instead of feeling offended or angry, Cobra simply looked troubled.
He already knew everything!
Crocodile's plan, the source of the drought, the manipulation behind the scenes of both his people and himself... it had all happened right under his nose without him realizing it, making him feel incompetent and powerless.
Chaka and Pell, who remained standing by the entrance, said nothing either. They could only feel bitterness over their own incompetence. On top of that, their princess had infiltrated Baroque Works and risked her life without them being able to do anything, and in the end she even had to seek outside help to solve their problems.
It was a national disgrace!
Cobra looked at Allen with a bead of sweat running down his cheek.
"Allen Walker, I've heard about you, and honestly, I never expected you to do something like this," Cobra said.
"I'm sure." Allen smiled disdainfully. He hadn't been anywhere near ordinary civilians since Loguetown, and during that time the Government had apparently painted him as some kind of dangerous madman. Even the nickname "White-Haired Demon" had become popular.
'What nonsense! I'm clearly a righteous man, a being of light, a beacon of hope—not a demon!'
[...]
'Hey!'
Cobra's expression turned serious as he looked Allen straight in the eyes.
"As for Vivi joining your crew, I find it unacceptable..."
"Father..." Vivi said.
She understood all the implications that came with it.
A princess could not openly become a pirate. Setting aside the loss of prestige and the damage to the royal family's image, it would bring endless problems and conflicts upon her country with the World Government, especially because Allen was a pirate openly hostile toward both the Marines and the World Government.
"I am Nefertari Cobra. I have responsibilities as a king, and although I am deeply grateful to all of you, it is my duty to protect my people. However, if Vivi truly wishes to go with you, I won't stop her... but I will have to publicly expel her from the royal family."
"Your Majesty!" Chaka exclaimed, but Pell stopped him with a shake of his head.
Vivi lowered her gaze as well. She knew what had to be done.
Allen's crew was only becoming more famous, and before long it would be impossible for anyone not to recognize them wherever they went. People would inevitably ask why the Princess of Alabasta had become a pirate.
"Come on, aren't you being a little extreme?" Allen smiled with amusement. "From what I understand, in the New World, where the World Government can't dominate most countries, many of them fly the flag of an Emperor instead, like Fish-Man Island under Whitebeard's pirates..."
"Don't tell me..." Cobra widened his eyes. "You want us to accept your flag? That's madness. We're part of the World Government!"
Allen smiled. "I know that. But I also know that unlike the other founding members of the World Government, your family refused to become World Nobles."
In this world, the descendants of the twenty founding kingdoms live in the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, located atop the Red Line, right where the first half of the Grand Line ends.
"The World Nobles are gods..." Allen mocked. "Or at least that's what they're taught from birth. Any life that isn't a Celestial Dragon like them is nothing more than trash, a target, a possession, a toy..."
The girls fell silent. Some shivered. They already knew about the World Nobles, also called the Celestial Dragons, but they hadn't imagined they were that despicable.
King Cobra lowered his gaze while Allen continued.
"Outside Mary Geoise, they have no laws, rules, or restrictions. If they want something, they take it. If they dislike something, they destroy it without suffering any consequences... From anyone else's perspective, that's terrifying. But from another point of view, it's a dream come true... and yet your family, the Nefertari Family, rejected becoming Celestial Dragons."
Cobra looked at his daughter. He couldn't believe she had revealed so much to Allen.
The man sighed. "That's true. The Nefertari Family chose to remain in Alabasta because this is our homeland. But that doesn't mean we opposed its existence."
Allen scoffed. "Maybe that was true in the beginning. But what about now? After seeing what the World Government has become, after witnessing its corruption, do you still approve of it?"
Cobra remained silent. Allen did the same.
No one dared speak. No one interrupted them. Somehow, it gave the impression that this was a conversation between two kings.
"An Emperor..."
"..."
"To give you my answer, I first need to know whether you're worthy of your own words. So... defeat an Emperor."
The girls gasped. Even Vivi turned pale. What was her father saying?! The current Emperors had been unstoppable monsters for years without being overthrown, despite the World Government, the Marines, and even countless pirates wishing for their downfall.
"Kaido of the Beasts, Big Mom, Red-Haired Shanks, or Whitebeard—it doesn't matter who. But prove to me that you're truly the King of the World you claim you'll become. If you can do that, then I'll entrust both my kingdom and my daughter to you. Otherwise... I can't."
"...?!" Vivi first widened her eyes, then blushed deeply, but she didn't interrupt. Instead, she looked at Allen, waiting for his answer.
"That sounds fair to me," Allen replied calmly with a smile.
Cobra's eyes widened slightly. Had this young man anticipated his answer...? Or had he planned from the very beginning to challenge an Emperor?
Allen chuckled.
"It's not that I have anything personal against any of them, but sooner or later we're bound to clash. They rule the New World, and as they say, there can't be two lions on the same mountain."
Cobra nodded. It was only logical. Any pirate in the New World would eventually have to either challenge the Emperors or submit to them.
"So then, King, what about my last request?" Allen smiled expectantly.
"Ugh..."
King Cobra felt like he was being scammed.
It was true that Allen had come to help Vivi as a member of his crew and had expected nothing in return for defeating Crocodile. However, he had also requested that King Cobra cover the costs of the trip.
"It won't be anything outrageous," the bastard had said before handing him the most shameless list in history.
– Two million for travel expenses.
So far, so good.
– Five million for medical insurance.
What?! Medical insurance for what? Nobody was injured!
– Eight million for fuel.
Fuel?! It's a ship! The wind?!
The king already wanted to curse, but the list only became more shameless.
– Fifty million for the epic entrance.
What nonsense! What does that have to do with us?! Did we ask you to do that?
That alone had nearly made King Cobra explode at Allen's shamelessness, but when he saw the last item, he was left speechless.
– One hundred million for blessing your people with my presence.
The man who had saved his kingdom was making it very difficult for King Cobra to feel sincerely grateful. Even so, a little money wasn't enough reason to make an enemy of Allen, especially considering he was now his daughter's captain.
"Fine. I've already had the money prepared," Cobra sighed.
Vivi smiled apologetically at her father, but she didn't object to Allen receiving the money. It was the least they could do for him.
[Congratulations. You've successfully scammed your father-in-law.]
'No, nothing like that. This is an investment. When I become King of the World, the Kingdom of Alabasta will have my favor as one of the nations that supported my rise to the throne.'
Allen smiled at King Cobra.
"Don't worry. You won't regret supporting me."
"..."
Cobra didn't answer. Allen was shameless, eccentric, and had ridiculous ambitions, but he also possessed terrifying strength and growth. The king couldn't say whether this young man would one day reach the Empty Throne.
"When the World Government was founded, the twenty founding kingdoms agreed that there would never be a king..."
The girls held their breath at King Cobra's unexpected statement. This was history itself—the story of the World Government that had ruled for eight hundred years, spoken by one of the descendants of its founders.
"And how has that worked out for you?" Allen asked casually.
Cobra lowered his head slightly.
Both he and Vivi could have become Celestial Dragons, but their ancestors refused, and perhaps that was precisely why they had been able to maintain empathy and a bond with their people, something the other descendants had long since lost.
"Cobra..."
"..."
The king raised his head and met Allen's serious gaze.
"I'll take that throne. None of them deserve it."
"...!"
....
That night, Allen and his companions rested in rooms assigned to them by the king inside the palace.
Inside Allen's room were Nami and Kaya.
One of them stared at the chest overflowing with gold and jewels in the middle of the room with sparkling eyes. It was the 165 million Berries that King Cobra had gathered for Allen.
Meanwhile, Kaya was changing the bandage on Allen's hand. In the end, Crocodile's poisoned blade had managed to injure him slightly. It wasn't serious, just a small cut.
"All done~," Kaya said with a smile after finishing the bandage.
"Thanks. You saved me," Allen smiled as he gently patted her on the head.
"How wonderful, Captain~," Nami said.
She narrowed her eyes like a cat staring at its prey as she slowly approached Allen and sat beside him with a seductive air.
"Captain❤️"
With a sweet, syrupy voice, she leaned her shoulder against Allen's while her pupils dilated.
"No..." Allen said firmly.
"Tsk..." Nami immediately returned to her usual attitude.
"Nami-san, you know you can't fool him," Kaya teased.
If Nami had been sincere with her actions, Allen wouldn't have been able to remain indifferent. But she was only pretending to seduce him, something he could easily see through her eyes. That hadn't been the case on the night she leveled up.
Remembering that, Allen glanced sideways at Nami. Their eyes met, causing her to blush and quickly look away.
Kaya stopped smiling and watched the exchange coldly, but remembering what Lenalee had told her, she could only sigh before sitting down on Allen's other side.
"Allen-san, are you going to level up or improve that thing called Haki?"
"That's a good question. I've already confirmed that having or not having Haki will make all the difference in the New World. However, the higher my physical level becomes, the stronger I'll be able to use my Skills..."
Allen didn't know what to do. One hundred sixty-five million Berries sounded like a lot, but once he started spending them, they'd disappear in an instant, so he had to decide carefully.
As if his uncertainty had triggered a "time out," everything around him began to slow down.
....
Allen returned to his room and chatted with his Chat for a while.
Everyone agreed that Crocodile's defeat had been inevitable.
Felicia – The Warlords are a joke~
Gwen – Crocodile and Gecko Moria were defeated in the New World and lost both their Haki and their confidence.
"One ended up searching for Ancient Weapons, and the other started building an army of zombies. They simply gave up."
Rogue – Don't forget Mingo. That guy decided to serve Kaido, haha.
"I actually think Doflamingo was smart for choosing to serve Kaido," Allen smiled.
Although the Warlords had originally been introduced as one of the Grand Line's three great powers alongside the Four Emperors and the Marines, the truth was that most of them were either defeated or chose to serve someone else.
"Honestly, aside from Mihawk to a great extent and Hancock to a lesser one, the rest can hardly be considered threats to the Emperors."
"No, not just them—even the Emperors' commanders are capable of defeating most of the Warlords."
Thor – Brother, you have to help Kuma. That man doesn't deserve such a miserable fate.
"Kuma... I agree. Besides Robin, he's one of the most unfortunate people in that world. However, I don't know what my first meeting with him will be like. After all, he's still playing the role of 'The Tyrant.'"
From an outside perspective, things looked different, and it was easy to sympathize with him. But for someone living inside that world, whose judgment depended on what they saw and heard, believing that the Government's ruthless enforcer was actually a saint was impossible without proof.
Allen chatted with everyone a while longer until he received a private message. After reading it, he couldn't help but smile.
....
On the rooftop of a building overlooking Manhattan, a man dressed like a pirate stood near the edge with a bottle of rum, making all kinds of amusing expressions.
"Don't fall, Jack. It'd be a shame for a pirate to die away from the sea."
The man turned around, swaying slightly.
"Captain Jack Sparrow. And let me remind you that I'm immortal."
"Weren't you a god of alcohol or something?" Allen teased.
"Yeah... well, that too," Jack replied.
Jack took a huge swig of rum before letting out a loud belch and tossing the bottle away. Then he made an exaggerated bow.
"I've noticed you've adopted a rather elegant style during your adventure, so I decided to contribute a little to your attire, Captain Allen Walker."
Jack pulled a silver coin from his vest and handed it to Allen. It was a centuries-old Spanish real.
As Allen took the coin, Jack grinned warmly.
"Congratulations. You're a true Pirate Lord now."
"Thank you," Allen said sincerely.
Somehow, his encounters with Jack always felt destined to be brief, yet meaningful.
"Well then, I'll be off." Jack walked toward the edge.
"Hey..."
"Don't worry. Angels have wings for a reason," Jack said.
"But weren't you a god?" Allen asked doubtfully.
Jack stumbled and fell into the void. Allen instantly appeared at the edge and looked down, but he didn't see Jack falling. Instead, Jack appeared behind him on top of the stairwell roof.
"See? I fooled you! Hahaha! You've still got a long way to go before you can catch up to Captain Jack Sparrow!"
Jack vanished into the mist. As for Allen, he could only blush while holding Jack's silver coin. No... it belonged to him now.
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