Doto grinned, his smile full of excitement and relief. His face was thinner than before, but his eyes were still as warm.
Doto was excited for a while, then sighed again, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen.
He looked at the distant desert, a heavy look in his eyes, and his voice was low and firm:
"So what if it hasn't rained for three years? I still believe in the King! Most of the citizens are like me!"
He gripped the shovel handle tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging:
"I've tried to persuade them several, several times! But no matter what I said, it was useless... They still chose to rebel!"
His voice began to tremble, and tears welled up in his eyes:
"But they've been pushed to a dead end, their strength is exhausted, and they... they've decided to end it in the next wave of attacks!"
When he said this, tears finally streamed down his aged cheeks, and he choked out a low roar: "They've long been determined to die!"
When Vivi heard this, her heart clenched, her pupils contracted violently, and her face instantly turned pale.
"Uncle Doto..." Her lips trembled slightly, she clenched her fists, her eyes full of pain and unwillingness.
Doto grabbed Vivi's hand, his eyes full of pleading: "Please, Vivi! Go stop those idiots!"
Vivi took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She looked up, her eyes firmly on Doto, and said solemnly:
"Uncle Doto, don't worry! I will definitely stop the rebellion!"
Her voice was resolute, without a trace of wavering.
At this moment, Kai, who was standing by with his arms crossed, frowned and said calmly:
"Running back and forth like this is too much of a waste of time... Instead of trying to stop the rebel army, it's better to go directly to the capital and adapt to circumstances."
His gaze slightly darkened, his tone resolute: "As long as Crocodile is dealt with, the rebellion will naturally resolve itself."
Everyone was stunned.
The next second, Luffy clenched his fist fiercely, anger appearing on his face, and he grinned:
"Right! Kai is right! Go directly to the capital, I'm going to beat Crocodile hard!"
Zoro, holding his sword, nodded: "...Indeed, this is the fastest way."
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned: "Sounds like... a straightforward plan."
Usopp, though a little hesitant, saw that everyone had already made a decision, so he gritted his teeth and nodded.
Vivi pursed her lips, then finally took a deep breath, her eyes firm as she said: "Okay! We'll go directly to the capital Alubarna!"
Doto looked at the young people in front of him, his eyes sparkling with hope.
He knew that Vivi had grown up and was no longer a princess who needed protection; she was now capable of fighting for her country.
"Go, Vivi." He gave a relieved smile, his voice hoarse but firm: "The future of Alabasta... is in your hands."
The strong wind once again stirred up yellow sand, blowing at the corners of everyone's clothes.
The Straw Hat packed their bags, waved goodbye to Doto, and embarked on their journey to the capital Alubarna.
The capital Alubarna.
The towering palace cast a large shadow under the scorching sun, and an uneasy atmosphere permeated the air.
The man standing at the highest point of the palace, wearing a heavy fur coat, looked down coldly at the city below.
It was none other than the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Crocodile.
At this moment, he was quietly listening to the latest intelligence brought by his subordinate, Mr.3.
"...The Straw Hat Pirates... are about to arrive at the capital..."
Crocodile slowly raised his head, a cold sneer on his lips.
"Hmph... a bounty of 200 million Berries?"
His eyes darkened a few shades.
As a Shichibukai, he had seen countless rookies, but he had never seen a pirate crew that had just entered the Grand Line with a bounty of 200 million!
More importantly, all of his Advanced agents had been defeated by them!
One after another, they were defeated by these brats from the weakest sea, East Blue, and even Mr.3, an old-hand agent, fled back in embarrassment.
Crocodile narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingers gently tapping the armrest of the throne.
These guys, their combat power is much stronger than expected... What are they really after?
Crocodile didn't believe they were here to save Alabasta.
Pirates are pirates; no matter what they say, their nature won't change.
Their target is probably him.
Do they want to make a name for themselves by defeating him?
Crocodile sneered, a hint of disdain in his eyes.
"Truly ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth..."
His voice was low and full of oppressive power, like a sandstorm about to erupt in the desert.
He slowly rose, his cloak flapping in the wind, his eyes filled with intense killing intent:
"A bunch of brats from the weakest sea, East Blue, with some strength... dare to scheme against me?"
He put his hands in his pockets, took a step forward, his eyes chilling: "Who do you think I am? I am the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Crocodile!"
His tone was domineering, full of undeniable arrogance!
Despite his disdainful words, Crocodile was always cautious; he wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating his opponents.
Although the Straw Hat Pirates were inexperienced rookies, being able to consecutively defeat his elite agents meant they possessed genuine combat power.
He couldn't let these guys ruin his plan!
The smile on Crocodile's face gradually faded. He turned and looked behind him, his gaze sharp.
"Send word down, have all the Advanced agents return."
Nico Robin was startled; she rarely saw Crocodile so serious.
It seems the Straw Hat Pirates' strength is even greater than she expected. Is even Crocodile afraid? "Everyone?" Nico Robin asked hesitantly.
"Hmph..." Crocodile snorted coldly, his gaze hardening, his voice carrying a suffocating killing intent:
"Whether it's Mr.1 or Mr.2... everyone, return to the capital immediately and prepare to welcome our 'distinguished guests'."
"I'll make them realize that challenging a Shichibukai is the decision they'll regret the most in their lives!"
He slowly raised his hands, grains of sand silently scattering into the air from his fingertips.
"This time..."
Crocodile showed a sinister grin: "I'll handle it personally!"
Meanwhile, on the other side.
The strong wind swept up yellow sand, and the Straw Hat Pirates were rapidly approaching the capital Alubarna!
Luffy clenched his fist, his eyes burning with rage: "Crocodile...!"
Zoro, with his three swords, a battle-hungry smile on the corner of his mouth: "Looks like this fight will be interesting..."
Sanji exhaled a smoke ring, a cruel smile on his face: "I hope that guy doesn't disappoint me..."
Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Kai were all ready for battle as well.