The morning of the Utopia Operation at the Alubarna Palace in the capital.
"Your Majesty! Are you all right?!"
"I'm fine, Chaka."
"The culprit was subdued by Peru and restrained with Seastone handcuffs!"
"We also immediately restrained the four infiltrators! We confirmed their bodies bore tattoos proving they were agents of [Baroque Works]."
The room in the palace where King Cobra resided was in an uproar.
In his quarters, the agent Miss Merry Christmas—a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user—lay defeated by Peru in his half-human, half-falcon form.
Her wrists were already cuffed with Seastone handcuffs by the palace guards, and the four infiltrators were likewise restrained and handcuffed.
"How did that bird block my ambush in one shot like you knew it was coming?! It's only possible because you four spilled everything, isn't it?!"
"It wasn't me, Miss Merry Christmas!"
"This guy next to me hasn't been coming to the recent infiltration briefings!"
"I-I wasn't!"
"Drag them out at once! Lock them up so they can't do anything foolish, and keep them under strict watch!"
"Understood!!!"
With Miss Merry Christmas and the other agents dragged out, Cobra turned his attention to Chaka, the man called Peru, and Karoo—who was in the corner frantically sipping water from a jug through a straw—and spoke.
"Even so, despite the note Karoo delivered being in Vivi's handwriting, it was hard for me to believe every word written there."
"The thought that Crocodile, whom I never doubted because he was one of the [Warlords of the Sea], intended to seize my kingdom."
"Furthermore, the plan to kidnap Your Majesty using an ability user who could move through earth and thick walls as if swimming underwater, timed for when the infiltrating royal guard would be your sole escort, has just been confirmed as fact."
Chaka answered Cobra, and Peru—having reverted to his human form—responded as he recalled the recent events.
After receiving Vivi's message via Karoo, who had reached the palace, Peru hid himself in the secret chamber prepared in Cobra's quarters.
Having waited there for more than half a day, he recalled when Miss Merry Christmas used her ability to burst through the palace walls and attempted to kidnap Cobra—only for him to transform into his falcon form and subdue her moments ago.
"That wasn't all of it, Your Majesty."
"Beyond alerting the rebels to the truth Princess Vivi uncovered before we could and successfully persuading them, there was also information that they planned to incite unrest using an ability user who could mimic Your Majesty's appearance."
"We just received word that the very unrest we mentioned just now has broken out in Nanohana."
"Alright, Chaka, what happened?"
"They say the unrest was successfully quelled."
"Any casualties? Were there any injuries?"
"Aside from Crocodile's forces, there was no damage reported."
"That's a relief."
"Honestly, if today's events hadn't occurred, I wouldn't have been able to believe everything Princess Vivi said—I would have suspected at least some parts were false."
As Chaka spoke, he recalled what had happened not long ago.
He remembered requesting Cobra's permission to allow a preemptive strike against the rebels, referencing the incident where some rebel forces had ambushed the royal troops deployed outside.
****
"Enough, Chaka! How many times do I have to say it's not allowed?!"
"So now you want revenge just because you got beaten? This isn't child's play!"
"Your Majesty! At this rate, the survival of the kingdom is at risk!"
"What of it?! That doesn't mean we should slaughter our own people with our own hands?!"
"A nation is its people! Forgetting that is what truly threatens a country's existence!"
"If this country is being manipulated by an unseen shadow, then our enemy is that shadow, not our own citizens!"
"But we have no idea who that shadow is! It'll be too late once he has taken our kingdom!"
"Preemptive strikes are forbidden; you may only suppress them."
"Even Peru and I calming the soldiers down... that's all we can do now."
"I'm always sorry to you... please understand."
****
I'm glad His Majesty didn't grant my impious request.
Had the royal troops launched a preemptive strike, the rebels and the people would never have believed so readily that Crocodile was the mastermind, as they do now.
"In the end, just as Vivi said, it's been confirmed that all the conspiracies to date were part of Crocodile's plan."
"Prepare the troops for all-out war at once, Chaka. Everyone except the minimal garrison will join me in marching on Rain Base, where Crocodile awaits."
"Your Majesty, I request permission to leave a portion of our forces in the capital. Some rebel units that Koza couldn't control might attempt to seize this place."
"Chaka is right, Your Majesty. Crocodile's forces could very well attempt that."
"Even if it was at the request of the princess's ally…"
"What difference does it make if the palace is lost? I said that a country is its people, didn't I?"
"Your Majesty...!"
"Crocodile, one of the [Warlords of the Sea], won't be an easy opponent—I don't expect this to be a war we can end without any sacrifice."
"To do that, the royal army and the rebels must pour their full strength into a full-scale battle!"
"Shouldn't we leave at least some leeway for recovery and rebuilding once the war is over?"
"If we can only bring down Crocodile, the people themselves will rebuild the kingdom with their own hands."
"Even if it means we all die doing it."
"...!"
Just how far ahead is His Majesty looking...!
We underestimated him; his resolve is truly incredible...!
Peru and Chaka were silently awed by Cobra's resolve—even prepared to sacrifice his life—when Cobra finally spoke.
"Chaka! Convene the war council immediately. Summon the officers."
"Peru, you go ahead and recon the enemy positions."
"Understood!"
****
Crocodile's private office at Rain Dinners was quiet.
Not a single cheer or screech of despair from the gamblers' fates reached the room, where he sat back in his chair, puffing on a cigar.
Trust is nothing but an illusion.
No matter how solid it seems, it's like a sandcastle that crumbles at the slightest crack.
King Cobra, your country is no different.
Crocodile flicked ash from his cigar into the ashtray on his desk as he continued his thoughts.
By the time Mr. 2's actions reduced the people's faith in the royal family to ashes alongside the burning of Nanohana, the rebels, riding the people's wrath, would launch an all-out assault.
They might hesitate if they lacked weapons, so I had a ship loaded with arms delivered near the rebel base—they should have discovered it by now.
At that moment, at the rebel headquarters in Katorea.
"Commander! We've discovered the ship loaded with weapons!"
"Just as the intel said… Arm everyone!"
"Understood!"
I also synchronized Mr. 2's disturbance in Nanohana to coincide with the time it would take the capital's transport to reach there.
I aligned the time Miss Merry Christmas planned to kidnap the king from the capital with that departure time as well—this way, with Cobra kidnapped, the people in the capital will be thrown into chaos.
They'll doubt that the Mr. 2 causing the disturbance in Nanohana in Cobra's guise is really the king they served, and that's enough to stall the royal army, even if only for a moment.
At that time, back at the Alubarna Palace.
"Your Majesty, preparations for the all-out assault are complete."
"Well done, Chaka. Let's head outside."
"Understood."
And if the people who have believed in the king so far also join the rebels, then, of course, Cobra would have no choice but to leave the palace and commit to an all-out war.
If the entire rebel force is armed, there's no way the royal army can win, so I loaded that ship with more weapons than they could possibly need.
At that time, Nanohana Square.
"We can't just stand here! Let's join the rebels too!"
"The rebels just sent supplies! There are tons of weapons!"
"We'll arm ourselves and head to Rain Base too! Let's bring down Crocodile!"
Even if both operations hit a snag, I've already completed follow-up plans and preparations accounting for even the worst-case scenario.
There may be minor glitches, but failure isn't something I even imagine—I've already designed it that way.
Meanwhile in Katorea, Koza stood before over ten thousand rebels.
His eyes, which had wavered for years, now shone with unwavering resolve; there was no hesitation left.
"We've spent all this time sharpening our blades, believing His Majesty to be the cause of the drought."
"But now we know the truth! The countless agents of Crocodile who infiltrated our ranks yesterday are proof of that!"
"Now we march on Rain Base, to the true enemy, Crocodile!"
"For the peace of this country! Advance, all forces!"
At the same time, in the Alubarna Palace, Cobra stood before more than thirty thousand royal troops.
In a precarious situation where the fate of the nation hung in the balance, the weight of the crown pressed heavily on him, yet he bore it without faltering and steeled his resolve.
"Until now, I've forced you to bear heavy responsibilities simply because you're soldiers of the kingdom, despite you being our own people."
"But that time is over—now is the hour for us to raise our swords."
"To prevent any more meaningless sacrifices, the royal army marches now to Rain Base."
"For the tomorrow of this country! Advance, all forces!"
From Katorea and Alubarna, two armies at different locations set foot toward the horizon in unison.
The sound of tens of thousands of boots tremored the desert, and the voices of the two leaders rode the sand-laden wind across the vast land, merging into one.
"For Alabasta!"
Waaaahhhh~!!!
The battle cries of the soldiers from Katorea and Alubarna who heard their words shook the desert air with tremendous force.
Thus, the twin tides of warriors began to surge toward Rain Base like a storm.
Everyone must be thinking this in their hearts… "Protect Alabasta, we are the ones who protect Alabasta."
A heart that cares for the country can also destroy it. It's truly a heartrending thing.
Crocodile, who left such insincere reflections, slowly lifted the glass in his hand and took a sip of his drink.
As he set the glass back on the desk, a calm smile lingered on his face, as if he already foresaw his victory.
****
"Khahahahaha!"
"You look like you're in high spirits, Luffy."
"Of course, Coby. Everything is unfolding just as planned."
This is it—when the knowledge of the original story and my innate strength wreck the villain's grand scheme from the ground up.
This is exactly the way only a protagonist who's aware of the original can operate!
While Luffy laughed like that, Crocodile looked out the window and gave a slight smile.
He remained unaware that his meticulously crafted plan—built over years—was being thoroughly torn down from the roots by that outsider who was now mocking him.
And so Crocodile and Luffy smiled at each other.
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