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Chapter 132: The War Ends
Meanwhile, on the vast plains outside Alubarna.
Blood soaked the yellow sand.
The formations of the Royal Army and the Rebel Army crashed into each other like two opposing tides amidst earth-shattering war cries. Blades split armor, spears pierced chests, and the neighing of warhorses intertwined with dying screams to form a symphony of hell.
After only ten minutes of fighting, the plain had turned into a crimson purgatory. Three years of accumulated anger, misunderstanding, and despair erupted in the most savage way possible.
The leaders of both sides, King Cobra and Rebel Leader Koza, wore incredibly heavy expressions, yet their gazes tacitly turned upward to the sky.
Drip, drip.
Amidst the roar of slaughter, the sound of raindrops hitting the ground suddenly rang out.
At first, the sound was completely drowned out by the noise of the battlefield, unnoticed by anyone. But soon, the rain grew heavier, drenching everyone on the field.
Even more amazingly, when this rainwater fell on the wounded, a cold light would shimmer, healing their injuries instantly.
It showed no bias. Whether it was a skin abrasion or a broken limb, once washed by the rain, the body would revitalize with new life.
Gradually, the sounds of killing diminished until they disappeared completely. All the soldiers stood frozen in place, touching their bodies in shock, then looking up at the sky.
The heavy downpour washed over their cheeks, taking away the blood, filth, and scars staining their bodies.
"This... this is a miracle!!!"
Someone threw away their weapon and knelt on the ground, crying and shouting at the sky.
"Rain! It's actually rain!"
"It's raining in Alabasta! It's raining in our country!"
More and more people dropped their weapons, either kneeling in tears or running wildly in the rain. Not a single person continued to fight.
"Rain... Alabasta... it's raining..."
Rebel Leader Koza dropped his long sword, his knees sinking heavily into the mud.
"A miracle. It is simply a miracle."
King Cobra shed tears of joy, his large hands cupping the falling raindrops, overwhelmed with emotion. The officials and citizens around him cheered in excitement.
atop the city gate, a princess with flowing blue hair opened her voice, her tearful cry resonating across the entire land:
"The war—is over!!!"
.....
A hundred meters underground, a man covered in blood and dressed in tattered clothes stood before a stone stele.
"Found it... I finally found it..."
He stroked the ancient text carved into the stone, madness gradually surfacing in his bloodshot eyes.
"The Ancient Weapon 'Pluton'... the battleship capable of destroying the world... is right here!!"
He threw his head back and laughed maniacally.
Years of planning had been ruined by a group of outsiders. Who would have thought that on the brink of despair, he would stumble upon the Ancient Weapon "Pluton" he had been bitterly pursuing?
This Poneglyph could not be wrong; it must record the location of Pluton. As long as he deciphered the ancient text, he would find it!
But right now, he was missing the most critical person.
—Nico Robin.
Suddenly.
"Ahhhhh!"
Crocodile heard a familiar female voice and turned his head in surprise. He saw a straw hat-wearing boy appear before him, holding the Nico Robin he had been longing for.
The three of them saw each other simultaneously.
"Should I thank you, Straw Hat?" Crocodile almost laughed out loud, staring greedily at Robin in Luffy's arms.
Luffy didn't notice Crocodile's gaze. He put Robin down with a calm expression, then rolled his wrists, locking his eyes dead on his opponent.
"Crocodile. I told you, I'm gonna send you flying!"
As he spoke, he took a canteen from his waist and poured a little water onto his fists.
Crocodile noticed the small movement, his eyelid twitching imperceptibly.
Water. The eternal weakness of the Sand-Sand Fruit.
But he quickly suppressed his emotions, speaking in a low, threatening voice:
"For the sake of you bringing Nico Robin to me, I won't kill you. Give her to me now, and I'll let you go."
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Luffy frowned. What was this guy mumbling about? Who was Nico Robin? He didn't know her at all.
Luffy decided not to waste words. Vivi might still be waiting for his help. There was only one thing to do now—beat this guy!
"Gum-Gum... Rifle!"
After a moment of coiling, his arms, twisted like ropes, shot out with rotational force, breaking through the air.
"You brat! You really want to die, don't you!"
Crocodile turned sideways in a hurry.
The water-soaked fist grazed his cheek, the wind pressure stinging his skin. He was secretly alarmed; the kid's strength had increased since their last fight!
More strictly, the water on his fists was trouble. Although it wasn't much, mere contact would briefly nullify his Logia intangibility.
Splat.
The violent dodge pulled at the wound on his abdomen, and Crocodile coughed up a mouthful of black blood. He wiped it away with the back of his hand indifferently, the ferocity in his eyes intensifying.
He couldn't drag this out. He had to end it quickly!
"Desert Spada!"
His right hand formed a golden hook and slashed the air. The sand on the ground instantly condensed into a massive blade, chopping towards Luffy.
A red glint flashed in Luffy's eyes. Robin had found him a lot of food earlier, and he had eaten it all in one go. His body had fully recovered to its peak. Furthermore, after his brief battle with Crocodile, his Observation Haki had improved again.
He could now use it at will, no longer needing to close his eyes.
"Gum-Gum... Pistol!"
Luffy sidestepped the incoming sand blade, dashed forward, and punched again.
Clang!
Crocodile didn't dodge this time. He raised the iron hook on his left hand and blocked the blow head-on. Streams of yellow sand spread from the hook, attempting to erode Luffy's body.
Luffy reacted extremely fast. He grabbed the canteen at his waist and splashed it at Crocodile. Not only did it scatter the sand, but it also splashed all over Crocodile's face.
"You're dead!"
Crocodile was furious. His right palm reached out towards Luffy. Anything touched by his right hand would have all moisture sucked out by his ability. If grabbed, Luffy would be dried into a husk in a second.
Luffy sensed the danger, kicked off the ground with both feet, and leaped backward.
After dodging Crocodile's right hand, he swung his fists wildly, creating countless afterimages in the air.
"Gum-Gum... Gatling!"
"Brat, the water on your hands has already dried up!"
Crocodile grinned hideously at Luffy, making no move to dodge.
"I know, but the water on your body hasn't!"
Luffy grinned. As Crocodile's face stiffened, the fists mercilessly bombarded every part of his body.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Accompanied by the sound of intense impacts, Crocodile was beaten back like a sandbag, blood spraying from his mouth and staining his tattered coat red.
The final uppercut smashed hard into his chin.
Crocodile was lifted off his feet, drawing a parabola in the air before crashing heavily into the rock wall behind him. He slid down the wall and slumped in the shadows, his head drooping weakly. He appeared to have lost consciousness.
"Hah... hah..."
Luffy stopped his fists, standing in place and panting heavily. He stared fixedly at the stone wall, watching Crocodile's position, ensuring he couldn't get up.
"You actually beat Crocodile?"
Beside him, Robin's complex voice drifted over. There wasn't much joy in her tone, only amazement at Luffy's strength.
"No, this guy seemed to be injured by someone else. I didn't beat him alone."
Luffy shook his head, showing no excitement.
Gradually, he remembered the massive creature he had met above earlier. Maybe that thing was what beat Crocodile into this state.
Wait, that huge, cool guy... he just looked at it once and left!!
What a pity! Was it still there if he went up now?
Luffy felt incredibly regretful and wanted to turn back immediately to see that big creature.
"That's still impressive. Defeating a Warlord of the Sea with just two people... if this gets out, your names will resound across the Grand Line," Robin praised.
As she spoke, her gaze was inevitably drawn to the stone stele in front of her. She walked closer, her beautiful eyes widening slightly.
"This is... a Poneglyph?"
There were few people in the world today who could read ancient text, and she happened to be one of them. She had a unique interest in deciphering these ancient remnants.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this interest that she had accepted Crocodile's invitation and plotted with him in Alabasta for so many years.
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