The morning sun rose over the endless desert, painting the dunes in shades of gold.
A dry wind swept across the wasteland as six figures continued their journey beneath the scorching sky. Their footprints stretched behind them in an uneven line as the shifting sand slowly erased every trace of their passing.
Luffy marched at the front with the same boundless energy as always.
"I'm starving!"
"You've been saying that for the last hour," Nami replied without looking at him.
"Because I'm still starving!"
Usopp wiped the sweat from his forehead before glaring at the endless sea of sand surrounding them.
"Does this desert ever end?"
"No. It just gets hotter." Zoro answered without hesitation.
"I wasn't asking you!"
A quiet laugh escaped Vivi as she adjusted the pale cloak wrapped around her body. The loose fabric concealed her blue hair, while a long veil shaded most of her face beneath the harsh sunlight.
She had dressed that way ever since entering Alabasta.
Not because of the heat.
Because someone was searching for her.
Robin, observing them from nearly a kilometer away through a small telescope, lowered it slightly.
"She's hiding herself."
"Baroque Works already knows there's a traitor within their organization." Arthur nodded.
"So she's making sure no one recognizes her." Robin looked back toward the distant group crossing the dunes.
"If her identity becomes public now," Arthur replied, "Crocodile won't wait until Alubarna."
"He'll send assassins immediately."
The journey continued beneath the relentless sun.
Not long afterward, the Straw Hats came across a small merchant wagon stranded beside the road. One of its wheels had sunk deep into loose sand, while an elderly couple struggled to push it free. Beside them, two exhausted children sat beneath a worn canvas sheet, shielding themselves from the blazing heat.
Without hesitation, Vivi stepped forward.
"Let me help."
She knelt beside the wagon, pushing against the heavy wheel alongside the old man.
"Vi—"
Nami quickly caught herself before finishing the word.
"...Vierra. You shouldn't stay here too long."
"If we leave them here..." Vivi simply smiled beneath her veil.
"...they'll never reach the next village."
"Then let's push!" Luffy immediately joined in, planting both hands against the wagon.
With one powerful shove, the wagon lurched free from the sand.
The old couple bowed repeatedly.
"Thank you."
"May the desert bless all of you."
Vivi returned the bow politely, never once lowering the veil that concealed her face.
She accepted their gratitude...
Not as Alabasta's princess...
But as nothing more than another traveler crossing the desert.
From the distant ridge, Robin quietly watched the entire exchange.
"...She could have ignored them."
Arthur remained silent.
"She knows revealing herself would put everyone at risk."
"And yet..." Robin let the telescope fall to her side.
"...she still stopped."
Arthur's gaze remained fixed on the tiny figures below.
"Because she doesn't know how to walk past people who need help."
Robin looked toward Vivi once more.
The princess had already resumed walking with the others, as though nothing unusual had happened.
No applause.
No recognition.
No reward.
Only another traveler disappearing into the vast desert.
"...She's kind." A faint smile appeared on Robin's face.
"No." Arthur finally answered.
Robin turned toward him.
Arthur watched the distant silhouette wrapped in a pale desert cloak.
"She's carrying the weight of an entire kingdom."
Silence settled between them.
For the first time since entering Alabasta...
Robin found herself watching Vivi instead of the kingdom she was trying to save.
"A princess..." Robin murmured.
"...forced to hide in her own kingdom."
Arthur said nothing.
His gaze remained fixed on the tiny figures moving across the horizon.
Not far behind them, Sugar lay comfortably atop a rocky outcrop overlooking the desert. A long sniper rifle rested beside her while a polished brass telescope pointed toward the distant travelers.
She lazily adjusted the focus.
"I can see them perfectly."
"Straw Hat just drank all of their water again."
A brief silence followed.
Then Arthur's voice reached her through the miniature Den Den Mushi resting beside the rifle.
"Sugar."
She immediately picked it up.
"I'm here."
"Keep your eyes on him."
"Straw Hat?" Sugar blinked.
"Yes."
"I thought we were just watching."
"We are."
Arthur's voice remained calm.
"You are not to interfere."
"You are not to reveal yourself."
"So... I just watch?" She frowned slightly.
"For now." Arthur paused briefly.
"But if he's one step away from death..."
"...save him." His voice became firmer.
"Finally, some actions." Sugar's expression immediately brightened.
Arthur continued before she could say anything else.
"If you have a clear shot..."
"...use your rifle."
"...or intervene yourself if there's no other choice."
"But only if death is certain."
Sugar rested her chin on the rifle's stock and smiled.
"Got it."
"I'll make sure he doesn't die."
The Den Den Mushi fell silent.
She placed it back beside her equipment before returning to the telescope.
Far ahead, Luffy suddenly burst into laughter over something Usopp had said.
Sugar couldn't help smiling as well.
"He really doesn't act like someone carrying the future of the world as you said."
"No."
Arthur quietly folded his arms as he watched the distant figures disappear behind another towering dune.
"He doesn't."
"...That's exactly why he'll change it."
The desert wind swept across the silent ridge.
Arthur turned away from the horizon and began walking.
Robin fell into step beside him without another word.
Behind them, Sugar remained alone upon the rocky overlook, her telescope following the tiny silhouettes crossing the golden wasteland.
No matter how far they traveled...
Someone would always be watching.
Not to alter their journey...
But to make sure it reached its destined end.
...
As the afternoon stretched on, the desert gradually fell silent.
From the rocky ridge where they stood, the Straw Hat Pirates had become little more than small silhouettes crossing an endless sea of gold. Their voices no longer reached this far. Only the wind remained, carrying grains of sand across the dunes in slow, restless waves.
Robin continued watching them through the telescope.
Vivi had stopped once again.
This time, an elderly traveler had collapsed beside the road from exhaustion. Without hesitation, Vivi knelt beside him, offering water from her own canteen before helping him back onto his feet.
Only after making certain he could continue did she quietly rejoin her companions.
Robin lowered the telescope.
"She keeps doing it."
Arthur followed her gaze.
"Even though she's risking being recognized."
"She could leave those people to someone else." Robin nodded.
"But she doesn't."
"No. She never will." Arthur smiled faintly.
A brief silence settled between them.
Robin looked toward the distant white walls of Alubarna, barely visible through the shimmering heat.
"...Is that why her family remained here?"
"You've been wondering why the Nefertari Family never became Celestial Dragons." Arthur turned toward her.
Robin gave a small nod.
Arthur rested one hand against the weathered stone beside him.
"Eight hundred years ago..."
"...twenty kingdoms united to overthrow the Ancient Kingdom."
"When the war ended, those twenty royal families were invited to leave their nations and ascend to Mary Geoise."
Robin listened quietly.
"The Nefertari Family refused."
"They chose to remain with the people they ruled."
Arthur paused for a moment before continuing.
"They weren't the only ones."
"There was another family." Robin looked at him in surprise.
"The Anemone Family." Arthur nodded once.
For the first time since the conversation began, Robin's eyes widened.
"Your family..."
"They made the same decision."
Arthur's expression remained calm.
"My ancestors believed that a ruler should live among the people they governed."
"They rejected the privileges that awaited them."
"They rejected the Holy Land."
"They chose humanity."
The desert wind swept between them.
Robin remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"But history doesn't always move in a straight line."
Arthur looked toward the endless horizon.
"The generation that came after them made a different choice."
"They accepted the World Government's invitation."
"They abandoned the kingdom their ancestors had protected."
"...and ascended to Mary Geoise."
"So your family..." Robin's expression slowly changed.
"...became Celestial Dragons."
Arthur nodded.
"Generation after generation."
"They forgot why our ancestors refused."
"The promise that once defined our family faded with each passing generation."
His voice remained steady, but Robin could hear the quiet disappointment beneath it.
"The Nefertari never forgot."
Arthur's gaze returned to the distant figure of Vivi.
"Every generation continued making the same choice."
"To remain."
"To protect."
"To carry the burden of the kingdom themselves."
Robin followed his gaze.
Far away, Vivi continued walking through the desert without complaint, her face still hidden beneath the pale veil.
No one around her knew they were walking beside the princess of Alabasta.
And she never tried to tell them.
Arthur spoke again.
"She inherited that resolve."
Robin smiled faintly.
"She never asked to become a hero."
"No."
Arthur shook his head.
"Very few people do."
Another silence followed.
The wind continued sweeping across the dunes as though carrying echoes from eight centuries ago.
Robin continued watching Vivi until she disappeared beyond another towering ridge.
Only then did Arthur quietly say,
"Robin..."
She turned toward him.
"Some people are born to save nations."
Robin waited.
Arthur looked toward the distant horizon.
"Others..."
"...are born to save history."
Robin stood motionless.
For a long moment, she simply looked at Arthur.
Then, almost imperceptibly, she smiled.
"And sometimes..."
"...history saves nations as well."
Arthur glanced at her, the corner of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.
"Perhaps."
Without another word, the two resumed walking.
Behind them, the wind slowly erased their footprints from the desert, just as it had erased countless traces left by those who had walked the same sands eight hundred years before.
Ahead...
The road would soon bring them to another meeting.
One that neither history nor destiny could prevent.
...
Late that afternoon...
The blazing desert sun had begun its slow descent toward the western horizon.
Not far from a small oasis hidden among the dunes, Arthur suddenly came to a stop.
"He'll be here."
"You sensed someone?" Robin looked around.
Arthur nodded once.
"He's been heading this way since this morning."
Only a few moments later...
A familiar engine-like roar echoed across the desert.
FWOOOOOSH!
A small boat burst across the sand, propelled by blazing flames erupting from its stern. It skimmed over the dunes before slowing to a stop near the oasis.
One man stepped ashore.
An orange hat.
Freckles.
A necklace of red beads.
The unmistakable emblem of the Whitebeard Pirates rested across his back.
"Ace..." Sabo whispered.
For a heartbeat...
Neither brother moved.
Then Ace broke into a wide grin.
"Sabo!"
Before anyone could react, the two rushed toward each other.
Their fists collided.
THUD!
"...Idiot."
"You disappeared."
"So did you."
They stared at one another for another second before laughing at exactly the same time.
"Why am I getting emotional..." Bepo sniffled loudly.
"I don't even know."
"I think that's just how brothers are." Koala laughed.
"I expected more punching." Sugar tilted her head.
"There was punching," Kuina replied calmly.
"It was simply... affectionate."
Even Robin couldn't suppress a small smile.
Arthur allowed the reunion to continue for several minutes before quietly stepping forward.
"Ace."
The Whitebeard commander turned toward him.
"So..."
"You're Arthur."
"I am."
Ace studied him for a moment before crossing his arms.
"I've heard plenty about you."
"I imagine none of it was flattering." Arthur smiled faintly.
"Depends who was talking." Ace laughed.
The relaxed atmosphere gradually settled.
Arthur's expression, however, became noticeably more serious.
"I have something important to tell you."
"I'm listening." Ace immediately sensed the change.
"Stop chasing Marshall D. Teach." Arthur looked directly into his eyes.
Silence.
The desert breeze seemed to disappear.
Ace's smile slowly faded.
"...No."
"He murdered one of my crewmates."
"I have to bring him back." Ace frowned.
"You won't."
"You can't." Arthur remained calm.
"He isn't the man you think he is." The words landed heavily.
"I don't care."
"I'll beat him."
"No." Arthur slowly shook his head.
"You'll lose."
The oasis fell silent.
Sabo looked uneasily between them.
Arthur continued.
"If you keep chasing Teach..."
"...you'll regret it."
"You sound awfully certain." Ace folded his arms.
"I am."
"Everyone says you're one of the strongest pirates alive." A faint smile appeared on Ace's face.
"They even gave you a bigger bounty than Pops."
"I don't believe it." He chuckled.
"Ace..." Sabo sighed.
"Don't."
"I respect Whitebeard." Arthur nodded.
"I believe he's the strongest man in the world." Ace ignored him.
"So do I." That answer caught Ace off guard.
Arthur continued.
"Strength isn't measured by a bounty."
"But..." Ace smiled.
"...I'd still like to see for myself."
"Ace." Sabo immediately stepped forward.
Arthur raised one hand, stopping him.
"It's fine." He slowly reached for the hilt of his sword.
"I'll show you."
The atmosphere changed instantly. Invisible pressure spread across the desert. The air itself seemed to grow heavier.
The sand at Arthur's feet began trembling. Tiny crimson arcs danced silently around the hilt of his blade.
Robin quietly closed her eyes.
Baby-5 took one step backward.
Even Hancock, watching from farther away through Observation Haki, instinctively looked toward the horizon.
Ace's smile vanished.
Every instinct within him screamed the same warning.
Danger.
Arthur never fully drew his sword.
Only a few inches of polished steel emerged from the scabbard.
That was enough.
Black lightning erupted around the blade.
Busoshoku Haki coated its edge until it resembled polished obsidian.
Haoshoku Haki surged outward in violent waves.
The sky itself seemed to hold its breath.
Arthur moved.
One step.
One draw.
One swing.
SHHHKKK—
The slash never struck Ace.
It passed barely a meter to his right.
For a heartbeat...
Nothing happened.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!
The desert behind Ace exploded.
A canyon tore across the dunes, stretching hundreds of meters into the distance. Towering walls of sand rose high into the air before collapsing like a tidal wave.
The shockwave blasted past everyone.
Ace's coat snapped violently behind him. His orange hat nearly flew away.
When the roaring finally ceased...
Only silence remained.
Only then did Ace slowly turn around. The enormous scar across the desert stretched far beyond his vision.
Arthur calmly slid his sword back into its scabbard.
Click.
"I have no desire to prove I'm stronger than Whitebeard."
"But..." His voice remained as calm as ever.
"...you are not ready to challenge me."
No one spoke.
Ace looked once more at the canyon carved through the desert.
Then...
A slow grin spread across his face.
"...Guess I've still got a long way to go."
"You do." Arthur nodded once.
The tension faded.
Ace adjusted the strap of his backpack before looking toward Sabo one last time.
"I've got someone to catch."
"Teach isn't your prey." Arthur's eyes never left him.
"We'll see." Ace only smiled.
Without another word, flames burst beneath his small boat once more.
FWOOOOOSH!
Within seconds, the vessel disappeared across the rolling dunes.
Sabo stood silently, watching until the last trace of fire vanished beyond the horizon.
"...He won't stop."
"No." Arthur answered quietly.
"He never would."
"You already knew." Robin looked at him.
"I did."
"Then why warn him?"
Arthur remained silent for several moments.
Finally, he spoke.
"Because every tragedy deserves one last chance to be avoided."
The sun slowly disappeared beneath the western horizon.
Darkness settled across the Kingdom of Sand.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Alabasta...
Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates continued racing against time alongside Princess Vivi. Their journey across the desert had been anything but easy. Endless heat, sandstorms, and repeated attacks from Baroque Works had tested both their strength and determination.
Even so, they never turned back.
Each town they passed revealed another piece of the kingdom's suffering. Wells had run dry. Entire villages were abandoning homes their families had lived in for generations. Rumors blaming King Cobra for the drought spread faster than the desert wind, while the rebellion continued to grow with every passing day.
The deeper they traveled into Alabasta...
...the more obvious it became that someone was carefully guiding the kingdom toward destruction.
Their only hope was to confront the mastermind before the country tore itself apart.
Following the clues left behind by Baroque Works, the crew eventually learned where their enemy was waiting.
Rainbase.
The city of endless luxury.
A glittering oasis standing proudly in the middle of a dying kingdom.
Unlike every town they had crossed, Rainbase overflowed with water, wealth, and laughter. Visitors crowded its streets, drawn toward the magnificent casino that dominated the city skyline.
Rain Dinners.
The headquarters of Sir Crocodile.
"We're finally here!" Luffy stretched both arms into the air.
"I thought that desert was trying to kill us..." Usopp nearly collapsed onto the sand.
"Let's finish this." Nami let out a long sigh of relief.
Hidden atop a sandstone cliff overlooking the city, Sugar lowered her telescope. A faint smile crossed her face. She reached for the miniature Den Den Mushi clipped to her belt.
"They've arrived."
"Good." Arthur quietly looked toward the western horizon.
"Everyone." He slowly stood.
"The waiting..."
"...is over."
Believing they had finally cornered the man responsible for Alabasta's suffering, Luffy and his companions headed straight for the casino.
But Crocodile had already anticipated their arrival.
Before they could confront him...
...the trap closed.
Hidden passages sealed shut around them. Steel cages dropped from the ceiling, imprisoning Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Vivi, Smoker, Tashigi, and the others deep beneath Rain Dinners. Above them, Crocodile calmly explained how every move they had made since entering Alabasta had unfolded exactly as he expected.
The Straw Hats had walked directly into the heart of Baroque Works.
And Crocodile had no intention of letting any of them leave alive.
Far above the underground prison...
Another story was quietly unfolding.
One Emperor had chosen to remain an observer.
Another young pirate was preparing to challenge the kingdom's false hero.
And somewhere beyond the scorching desert...
Fire Fist Ace continued walking toward the same inevitable destination.
The threads of fate were drawing closer.
Soon...
Every path would converge in Rainbase.
Above Alabasta, the first stars appeared one by one.
And somewhere beneath that same sky...
The first sparks of the war that would decide Alabasta's future had already begun to burn.