Chapter 21: The Fall of a Warlord
Year 1516 - Alabasta, Royal Palace
The sandstorm that was Crocodile crashed against Aiko's ice barriers like waves against a cliff. Each impact sent cracks spreading through the frozen walls, each moment bringing the Warlord closer to breaking through.
"You think you've won?" Crocodile's voice echoed from the swirling sand. "You've exposed my organization, ruined my plan, turned my own partner against me. And still, you haven't won. Because I'm going to kill you, crush this pathetic rebellion, and take what I came for!"
The sandstorm intensified, and Aiko felt his barriers crumbling. He couldn't hold this position—not alone, not exhausted from the earlier battle with rebels.
But he wasn't alone.
"Commander Vex, defensive formation!" Aiko called into his Den Den Mushi. "All units, Pattern Chimera!"
From strategic positions around the palace, his crew emerged. Isra leading a squad from the eastern wall. Yuki and Marcus appearing on the western ramparts. Aria's mist spreading across the battlefield. Even Kiara and the newer recruits taking positions that turned isolated defenders into a coordinated force.
They'd trained for this—fighting opponents stronger than any individual crew member. Pattern Chimera meant overlapping fields of Haki, rotating defenders, and systematic exploitation of openings.
Against a Warlord, it was still insufficient.
But it was better than nothing.
"Sables: Pesado!" Heavy Sands!
Crocodile's attack shifted, targeting the eastern squad. Isra barely got her Armament Haki up in time, the sand's impact sending her crashing through a palace window.
"Isra!" Aiko's concentration wavered, and Crocodile capitalized immediately.
A blade of compressed sand sliced toward Aiko's exposed side. He twisted, took the hit on his reinforced shoulder instead of his ribs, and felt blood spray. The sand's moisture-draining effect started immediately, his skin cracking around the wound.
"You care about them," Crocodile observed, his human form emerging from the sandstorm. "That's your weakness. Every time one of your crew is threatened, your focus splits. And in a fight at this level, that split-second hesitation is fatal."
He was right. Aiko couldn't protect everyone while fighting a Warlord. Couldn't maintain defenses while worrying about his crew. Couldn't—
"Then stop trying to protect us and start trusting us!"
Isra emerged from the building she'd crashed through, battered but alive, her Armament Haki coating both arms. Behind her came Marcus, his defensive techniques already forming barriers. Yuki appeared on a rooftop, her blade gleaming.
"We're not civilians to be shielded," Isra continued, taking position beside Aiko. "We're Marines. We fight."
"Touching," Crocodile said. "But ultimately futile. You're all about to learn why Warlords are called the Government's attack dogs. We don't just have Devil Fruits—we've mastered them."
His awakening activated fully. The stone plaza beneath them began transforming, solid rock becoming sand, spreading outward in waves. In moments, they were standing not on palace grounds but on an arena of sand that Crocodile controlled absolutely.
"My awakening lets me convert any inorganic matter into sand," the Warlord explained, his confidence absolute. "In this domain, I'm god. Every grain obeys my will. Every surface is my weapon. You can't win here, Snow Admiral. This is my world."
The sand rose in massive waves, dozens of them, converging from every direction. Too many to block, too fast to dodge, each one capable of burying them alive.
Aiko made a decision.
"Everyone! Fall back to the inner palace! I'll hold here!"
"Sir—"
"THAT'S AN ORDER!"
His Conqueror's Haki flared, and his crew—trained to obey even when they disagreed—retreated.
Leaving Aiko alone to face the sand tsunami.
He took a breath. Released his restraints. Let his awakening fully manifest.
"Yuki no Mai: Sekai Hyōketsu!" Snow Dance: World Freeze!
The technique he'd used against Kizaru—the one that had nearly killed him—erupted across the battlefield. His awakened Logia powers didn't just create snow, they rewrote the environment. Temperature plummeted hundreds of degrees in seconds. Moisture in the air crystallized instantly. And most importantly, the sand itself began to freeze.
Crocodile's sand waves slowed, ice forming between grains, binding them together, making them too rigid to flow.
"Impossible!" The Warlord's composure cracked. "Sand doesn't freeze! It's just rock particles, there's no water to—"
"Everything has thermal energy," Aiko interrupted, his body becoming more ice than flesh as his power peaked. "And thermal energy can be removed. Your sand has moisture from the air, heat from the sun, molecular vibration that allows flow. My awakening removes all of it. I turn everything into winter itself."
He advanced, Yukikaze in hand, the blade coated in Conqueror's Haki and absolute zero temperatures. The frozen sand crunched beneath his feet.
"You've been fighting in the desert because it's your advantage," Aiko continued. "Hot, dry, endless sand. But I'm going to turn Alabasta into a tundra. And in winter..." He smiled—a terrible expression. "Snow defeats sand."
What followed was the most intense battle Aiko had ever fought.
Crocodile wasn't just strong—he was experienced, tactical, and absolutely ruthless. He adapted to the frozen sand by creating more, transforming the palace stones, the walls, even the air's dust particles into new weapons. Every time Aiko froze one section, Crocodile attacked from another.
His hook became a focal point for attacks, the poisoned blade striking with precision that spoke of decades of combat. His Desert Spada technique evolved, compressed sand moving so fast it whistled through the frozen air. His Sables attacks created pressure that could shatter bones.
And through it all, his Observation Haki predicted Aiko's movements with frustrating accuracy.
But Aiko had something Crocodile didn't expect: growth in the middle of battle.
Each exchange taught him. Each near-miss refined his Observation Haki. Each successful block improved his Armament technique. He was learning, adapting, evolving in real-time.
And his Conqueror's Haki—the manifestation of absolute will—grew stronger with every moment he refused to fall.
"Yuki no Mai: Hyōryū Senpū!" Snow Dance: Ice Dragon Whirlwind!
Aiko's technique created a massive construct of ice shaped like a dragon, its body formed from compressed snow and absolute cold, its eyes glowing with inner light. It moved with his will, attacking Crocodile from multiple angles simultaneously.
The Warlord tried to dodge, to become sand, but Aiko's attack was too comprehensive. The ice dragon's claws caught him, freezing his sand form partially, forcing him to solidify or risk being trapped.
Crocodile solidified—and found Yukikaze waiting for him, the blade already in motion.
"Hyōsō: Zekku!" Ice Burial: Certain Kill!
The technique that had wounded Kizaru, that could freeze even light, struck Crocodile center mass. Ice exploded from the point of impact, spreading across the Warlord's chest, creeping toward his heart.
Crocodile gasped, his eyes widening in genuine shock. "This cold... it's not just temperature... you're freezing my cells directly..."
"Learned that fighting Akainu," Aiko replied, breathing heavily. "Logia users can survive normal attacks by becoming their element. But when you freeze the element itself, freeze it so thoroughly it can't transform, can't flow, can't escape..."
The ice reached Crocodile's shoulder, his neck. The Warlord fell to one knee, his expression twisted between rage and disbelief.
"I'm... losing? To a twenty-three-year-old Commodore?"
"Former Commodore," Aiko corrected. "And you're not losing to me. You're losing to everyone you tried to hurt. Every person in Alabasta whose suffering you manufactured. Every rebel you manipulated. Every life you treated as a game piece. They're the ones defeating you—I'm just the instrument."
He raised Yukikaze for the final strike.
And hesitated.
Crocodile saw it immediately. "Can't do it, can you? Can't execute an defeated enemy. That mercy will get you killed someday."
"Maybe," Aiko admitted. "But it's also what makes me different from you. You see people as tools. I see them as people. That's why you'll never understand what you lost today—not just your plan, but your chance to be something more than a criminal with power."
He struck—not to kill, but to disable. Yukikaze severed tendons in Crocodile's arms and legs, precise cuts that would heal but prevent further combat. The Warlord collapsed completely, ice spreading across his body, immobilizing but not executing.
"It's over," Aiko said simply.
From the palace, cheers erupted. Civilians and rebels who'd been watching saw the Warlord fall. Saw justice—actual justice—triumph over manipulation and power.
But Aiko wasn't celebrating. His technique had pushed him to the limit again. Blood leaked from his nose, his eyes. His body was burning itself out maintaining the frozen domain.
He released the awakening, let the temperature return to normal, felt his legs give out.
Strong arms caught him—Isra, appearing from where she'd been watching for an opening.
"You did it," she said, pride evident. "You actually beat a Warlord."
"We did it," Aiko corrected. "The crew, the people of Alabasta, even Robin's information. This was never just me."
"Still. You're the one who fought him." Isra helped him sit. "You're getting stronger, Aiko. Fast enough that it's almost scary."
"Not fast enough." Aiko looked at his shaking hands. "If this is what it takes to beat one Warlord, how am I supposed to face Admirals? Face Im-sama? Face eight hundred years of accumulated power?"
"One fight at a time," Doc Reiner said, arriving with medical supplies. "Now hold still. You've got internal bleeding, Haki depletion, and what looks like early frostbite from your own powers. You need treatment, rest, and probably a week of bed rest."
"We don't have a week. The Marines—"
"Are here," a new voice interrupted.
Everyone turned to see Rear Admiral Hina approaching, her Marine coat pristine despite the chaos. Behind her, several squads of Marines had cordoned off the area.
"Danzo Aiko," Hina said formally. "Also known as the Snow Admiral. You're under arrest for—" She paused, looking at the defeated Crocodile, the cheering civilians, the evidence of conspiracy scattered everywhere. "—for breaking out of Impel Down. The Warlord situation complicates things."
"How so?" Aiko asked, too tired to stand.
"Because Hina has orders to arrest you. But Hina also has orders to investigate reports of a Warlord's misconduct. And what Hina sees here is a defeated Warlord who attempted to overthrow a World Government-protected kingdom, a former Marine who stopped him, and approximately ten thousand witnesses who will testify to same." She pulled out a cigarette, lit it. "Hina is experiencing a conflict of interest."
"What kind of conflict?" Isra asked warily.
"The kind where if Hina arrests the Snow Admiral, these witnesses might riot. But if Hina doesn't arrest the Snow Admiral, Hina gets court-martialed." She exhaled smoke. "So Hina is going to make a report that says Hina arrived too late—the Warlord was already defeated, and the fugitives had already escaped. Does everyone understand Hina's report?"
Hope flickered. "You're letting us go?"
"Hina is doing her duty as Hina sees it. Which includes securing the Warlord, protecting civilians, and preserving kingdom stability. Fugitive capture is... secondary to those priorities." She looked directly at Aiko. "Hina also wants Snow Admiral to know—not all Marines are blind. Some of us see what you're trying to do. Some of us wish we had your courage to act on what we see."
She turned to her forces. "Secure the prisoner! Medical teams, treat injured civilians! And someone find Princess Vivi—the kingdom needs leadership while the king recovers!"
In the organized chaos that followed, Isra helped Aiko stand. "We need to move. Now. While Hina's giving us cover."
"Wait," Aiko said. "Robin. Where's Robin?"
As if summoned, Nico Robin appeared from the palace shadows. She looked at Crocodile's defeated form, at Aiko's crew preparing to flee, at the evidence of everything she'd helped stop.
"You did it," she said quietly. "You actually stopped Operation Utopia. Saved the kingdom. Proved that idealism can triumph over pragmatism."
"Will you come with us?" Aiko asked directly. "Help us read the Poneglyphs? Help us expose the truth about the World Government?"
Robin looked at him—really looked at him. Saw the exhaustion, the wounds, the absolute conviction in his eyes. Saw someone who'd fought a Warlord not for power or treasure, but because it was right.
"I have conditions," she said.
"Name them."
"First, I'm not a subordinate. I'm an equal partner in this endeavor. My knowledge has value, and I expect to be consulted on strategy."
"Agreed."
"Second, I read the Poneglyphs and share their contents. But how we use that information is decided collectively. No one person dictates how the truth is revealed."
"Agreed."
"Third..." She hesitated. "If this turns out to be another trap, another betrayal, another—"
"It won't be," Aiko interrupted. "But if somehow it is, if I ever betray the principles I've claimed, I give you permission to leave. No pursuit, no consequences. You're free to make your own choices, always."
Robin studied him for a long moment. Then, for the first time in twenty years, she smiled—a genuine expression, not the careful mask she usually wore.
"Then I accept. I'll join the Wandering Marines. Help you expose the World Government's lies. And maybe..." She looked at the celebrating civilians, "...maybe help build something better in its place."
"Welcome aboard, Miss Robin," Isra said, extending a hand.
Robin shook it. "Just Robin. I'm done with aliases and false identities. From now on, I'm simply Nico Robin. Archaeologist, Poneglyph reader, and apparently, revolutionary."
"Hate to interrupt," Koji called from a rooftop, "but Hina's stalling is going to run out soon. We need to move!"
The crew mobilized, helping Aiko toward the extraction point where the Hakusetsu waited. Robin followed, looking back once at the palace she'd spent months infiltrating, at the Warlord she'd betrayed, at the life she was leaving behind.
And felt, for the first time in two decades, something like hope.
Three Days Later - At Sea
Aiko had recovered enough to stand, though Doc still insisted on regular check-ups. The crew had gathered in the war room, where a map now showed their position and potential destinations.
And in the center of the table, Robin had placed her notes on Alabasta's Poneglyph.
"I've read it," she said simply. "While we were still in the palace, I accessed the Poneglyph chamber. King Cobra gave permission—said after everything we'd done, we'd earned the right."
Everyone leaned forward.
"It's a military Poneglyph," Robin continued. "One of several that mark the locations and movements of the Ancient Weapons. This one specifically mentions Pluton—the warship capable of destroying islands. It's not in Alabasta, but the Poneglyph provides coordinates for where the blueprints are hidden."
"Where?" Sadi asked.
"Water 7. In the hands of shipwrights who've been passing them down secretly for generations, protecting them from the World Government." Robin looked at Aiko. "That's our next destination, if we're serious about this. But understand—the moment we pursue Pluton's blueprints, we become targets for every intelligence agency in existence."
"We're already targets," Aiko replied. "But I don't want the weapon itself. I want the proof that it exists, that the Ancient Weapons are real, that the World Government has been hiding this technology. That's evidence of the conspiracy."
"Proving a conspiracy requires more than one Poneglyph," Robin cautioned. "We need multiple sources, cross-references, the full historical context. That means traveling to every known Poneglyph location."
She pulled out a map, marking locations:
Skypiea (confirmed, dangerous to reach) Fishman Island (confirmed, requires coating ship) Zou (rumored, location unknown) Wano (confirmed, closed borders) Whole Cake Island (rumored, Yonko territory) And several others marked with question marks
"This is years of work," Kiara observed. "Traveling to each location, deciphering each stone, gathering evidence piece by piece. Years of being hunted while we do it."
"Yes," Aiko agreed. "But it's the only way to build an undeniable case. The World Government can dismiss one Poneglyph's information as fabricated. They can't dismiss all of them, especially not with Robin's expertise validating the translations."
"Where do we start?" Isra asked.
"Water 7," Robin said immediately. "The blueprints are important, but more importantly, Tom's Workers—the shipwrights there—have been protecting that secret for generations. They understand the World Government's methods, might have other information useful to us."
"Then Water 7 it is." Aiko looked at his expanded crew—original nine Marines, freed Impel Down prisoners, Revolutionary agents, and now Nico Robin, the only person alive who could read ancient history. "This journey just became much bigger than I imagined when I left Marineford. We're not just fighting corruption anymore. We're trying to expose eight hundred years of lies and rebuild truth from scattered fragments."
"Sounds impossible," Yuki observed.
"Good thing we specialize in impossible," Aria replied with a slight smile.
"There's something else," Robin said, her expression serious. "Reading that Poneglyph... I felt something. Like the stones themselves are connected, like they're pieces of a larger message left by the ancient kingdom. If we read them all, in the right order, we might learn not just about the Ancient Weapons, but about the Void Century itself. About what really happened, who the original enemy was, why the World Government was willing to erase an entire century of history."
"The Will of D?" Aiko asked, remembering Dragon's briefing.
"Perhaps. Or something even older. Something the current rulers fear so much they'd rather destroy the world than let it be revealed." Robin looked at each crew member. "This is your chance to back out. Once we start reading Poneglyphs, once we learn these secrets, we become too dangerous for the World Government to ignore. They'll send everything against us. Not just Marines or Warlords—forces that most people don't believe exist. Are you all prepared for that?"
One by one, each crew member nodded or affirmed.
"Then let's change history," Aiko said. "Let's find the truth they've been hiding for eight centuries. And let's show the world that even the oldest lies can't stand against determined people."
As the Hakusetsu set course for Water 7, as Robin began explaining what they'd need to research there, as the crew prepared for the next phase of their impossible mission, none of them knew that in Mary Geoise, a decision had been made.
Im-sama had watched Crocodile's defeat. Had seen Nico Robin join forces with the Snow Admiral. Had observed as the pieces moved toward revelations that could not be allowed.
The time for observation had ended.
The time for extermination had begun.
Mary Geoise - Im's Chamber
"They're reading the Poneglyphs," one of the Five Elders reported. "Danzo Aiko has recruited Nico Robin. They're planning to visit every known location, to piece together the Void Century's history."
"Good," Im said simply.
The Elders looked confused.
"Let them read the stones. Let them learn the history. Let them understand what we did and why." Im's ancient fingers traced patterns in the air. "Because when they've gathered all the pieces, when they believe they've learned everything, when they're preparing to reveal it to the world..."
"That's when we strike," Saint Nusjuro understood.
"Exactly. We'll destroy not just them, but everyone they've told. Every ally, every sympathizer, every person who's heard even fragments of the truth. We'll erase them so completely that the very idea of resistance dies with them." Im turned from the window. "And this time, we'll ensure no D survives to perpetuate the cycle."
"When?" Saint Warcury asked.
"Soon. But not yet. I want them to feel hope. Want them to believe they're succeeding. Because the fall from hope to despair is the most devastating lesson of all." Im smiled—ancient, terrible, patient. "They think they're hunting truth. They don't realize they're walking into the ultimate trap—one I've been preparing for eight hundred years."
The Snow Admiral's journey toward revelation had begun.
But so had his journey toward destruction.
And only one would reach its end.
END OF CHAPTER 21
Next Chapter: "Water 7 - City of Shipwrights"