The Konoha Pirates were serious.
Because they were even helping Kizaru treat his injuries.
Unfortunately, there was no doctor on this pirate ship, so the Science and Technology Mechanical Forbidden Technique Trio could only roughly help bandage him up, and took a few vials of blood from Kizaru while they were at it.
This was the power of the Flash-Flash Fruit!
If they could make use of Kizaru's ability, it would be a huge boost to the combat strength of the Science and Technology Mechanical Forbidden Technique Trio, and they couldn't wait to start researching and experimenting!
The only one who could help heal Kizaru, Otsutsuki Kaguya, was completely unwilling to lift a finger because of Kizaru's sly, crafty nature.
"Bear with the pain for a bit…"
Uchiha Madara stood to the side, watching Kizaru at his leisure. Grinning, he said, "Give it a little more time, someone will come over to heal you…"
Kizaru didn't really mind. He just felt the blood still flowing from his body. "I feel like one of these bandages isn't wrapped tight enough right now…"
"I'll help you."
Aokiji took the initiative to rewrap his colleague's bandages.
After being captured, Kizaru's mindset was very calm. He even took the initiative to ask his colleague, "When did you join the Konoha Pirates?"
"Last time."
Aokiji didn't care and replied, "I was captured by them in Log Town. By the time Marshal Sengoku traded me back using Clown Buggy, I was already their undercover agent…"
"Something like that…"
Why didn't Sengoku say anything about it?
Kizaru's eyes narrowed, then quickly returned to that lazy look. "Looks like Marshal Sengoku still wants you to serve as the next Navy Admiral…"
"..."
Aokiji fell silent and said nothing.
For anyone with a heart of justice, becoming the Navy Admiral meant their political ideals could be realized. Both he and Akainu had that ambition.
Akainu's thinking was far more extreme. He upheld absolute justice and wanted to wipe out all pirates in the world through violent means, at any cost.
Aokiji's thinking was comparatively mild. He didn't know how exactly he should carry out justice, but he felt that Akainu's way of enforcing justice demanded too great a sacrifice.
However…
Talking about that now was pointless.
The Konoha Pirates were like a mountain pressing on Aokiji's heart, forcing him to consider this world-shaking pirate crew before he did anything.
"I've agreed to join you."
Kizaru didn't have any psychological hang-ups about becoming an undercover agent in a pirate crew. He only cared about whether he could do what he wanted. "So when can we leave this place?"
"I already told you."
Uchiha Madara turned his head to look at the endless desert of Alabasta. "Once someone comes to heal you, you can all leave…"
The center of the Alabasta desert.
After Akihara Kagura and Karin left the warship, they arrived at the heart of this desert. The place was full of quicksand, and even the people of Alabasta rarely dared to approach it.
"Let's do it here!"
Akihara Kagura raised his palm.
As the Sand-Sand ability activated, the yellow sand all over the desert began to move, surging like dragons and rapidly converging toward Akihara Kagura!
Akihara Kagura's control over the Sand-Sand ability far surpassed that of the true Sand-Sand Fruit Ability user, Crocodile. The sand seemed like living beings!
Akihara Kagura suddenly slapped his hand onto the ground. Under his control, the sand quickly piled up, forming a massive pyramid-shaped palace!
Of course.
This was just the beginning.
Akihara Kagura raised his palm again.
"Magnet Release: Golden Sand."
All the placer gold buried beneath the desert was drawn up by a terrifying magnetic force, and even the magnetic field of this island suddenly intensified at that moment!
Every Log Pose in the Alabasta Kingdom that was waiting to store the magnetism of the next island stopped working at that instant, all affected by the magnetic force;
Every Log Pose on the neighboring islands near the Alabasta Kingdom was also being tugged by this magnetic power, involuntarily drawing in Alabasta's magnetism!
No…
This wasn't Alabasta's magnetism…
It was magnetism released by Akihara Kagura!
The port city of Alabasta.
Nami of the Straw Hat Pirates was the first to notice that something was wrong with the Log Pose!
This genius Navigator had always been extremely sensitive to the weather. She simply felt a jolt of dread in her heart and subconsciously looked at the Log Pose on her wrist.
"The Log Pose is acting up…"
Nami stared at the wildly shaking needle.
That needle should have been slowly absorbing the magnetism of the next island and gradually pointing toward its direction, but right now it was pointing straight toward the desert of Alabasta!
"What's wrong, Nami?"
Princess Vivi looked over in surprise.
"The magnetism's off…"
Nami frowned tightly, staring at the Log Pose in her hand.
It wasn't just their pirate crew; even everyone else's Log Poses were pointing toward the center of Alabasta's desert. All the magnetism was being distorted at this moment!
The center of the Alabasta desert.
Akihara Kagura manipulated clumps of golden sand to drill up from underground. Under the distortion of the magnetic force, they clung tightly to the sandy palace, turning it into a Golden Underground Palace that glittered blindingly under the sunlight!
"Let's go."
Akihara Kagura waved his hand and opened a gate on the Golden Underground Palace, then stepped into the golden palace with Karin. The moment his foot crossed the threshold, a series of strangely shaped human statues sprang up from the ground, lining both sides of the path inside the palace!