Inside the Oasis Hotel, the air was thick with the scent of stale dust and anxiety. Finn sat by the window, picking at a plate of withered vegetables and dry bread. He chewed slowly, his expression unreadable, before speaking in a tone that suggested mild inconvenience rather than concern for a collapsing kingdom.
"It seems the city is finally running on fumes," Finn remarked, tapping his fork against the plate.
"To be precise, supplies have vanished from the open market. Most citizens are hoarding whatever they can find to survive the coming storm," Hina replied, leaning back in her chair opposite him. She took a long drag from her cigarette, her eyes scanning the chaotic street below.
Only a few days ago, they had dined on fine roast lamb and vintage wine. Even with inflation skyrocketing, Finn's pockets were deep enough to ignore the cost. But now, money was useless. Fresh produce had become a myth in the capital of Alabasta.
"War is really..." Finn paused, smacking his lips as if tasting the word.
"Destroying everything," Hina finished for him, smoke curling from her lips.
"Yeah. That." Finn waved his hand dismissively. "Where is Vergo, by the way?"
"Gone to visit his 'girlfriend,'" Hina said, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Her name is Windsor, I believe. The Windsors are high-ranking nobles here. Vergo tried to persuade them to evacuate before the siege, but they hesitated too long."
Finn let out a sharp, cynical laugh. "I understand perfectly. He has too many assets tied up in the capital and can't bear to leave them unprotected. Whatever 'girlfriend' he has is likely just the key to the vault."
"Likely so. The situation is critical. The Rebels could breach the walls at any moment. Vergo claimed he was worried about her safety, so he moved to their estate..." Hina's voice dripped with amusement.
"What a thoughtful, dedicated boyfriend," Finn mocked, his eyes glinting with cold pragmatism.
Just as the words left his mouth, a violent tremor shook the floorboards. A deafening roar erupted from the streets below, not a direct hit on the hotel, but close enough to rattle the silverware.
Finn didn't flinch. He simply looked out the window.
The defensive line at the city wall had shattered. The artillery cannons, originally positioned to fire outward into the desert, were suddenly swiveled around, roaring toward the city center.
It seemed that even with the arrival of Belo Betty and her Fruit empowering the citizens, the Revolutionary Army's influence hadn't been enough to help the Royal Army turn the tide against the sheer numbers.
The breach expanded rapidly. What started as a crack became a floodgate. Under Finn's watchful gaze, the Rebel forces swarmed over the sandstone walls, forcing open the northwest gate of Alubarna.
"Alubarna," Finn murmured, taking a sip of water, "is finished."
Hina stood up and moved to the window, standing beside him. Together, they watched the heavy timber gates groan open, allowing a sea of screaming rebels mounted on camels to pour into the streets.
"Sixteen days," Hina said, her voice heavy. "The siege lasted sixteen days. And now it falls."
Outside, the atmosphere had shifted from war to slaughter. A million rebels had besieged the capital, attacking day and night. The stench of death was palpable even from their high vantage point. The relentless grind of the meat grinder had stripped the humanity from the attackers.
The rebels rushing into Alubarna were no longer soldiers fighting for a cause; they were demons. They slashed at Royal Army soldiers and fleeing civilians alike. In the madness, friendly fire was rampant.
Suddenly, the ground near the city gate erupted.
Hidden trapdoors and tunnels burst open, and soldiers of the Revolutionary Army surged out from the underground, intercepting the crazed rebels. The Royal Army, caught off guard, finally snapped out of their shock and rallied.
Street fighting erupted instantly. The scent of blood and gunpowder grew heavier.
"Follow me! Drive these thugs out!" Pell, the Falcon, roared as he descended from the sky, leading a squad of elite Royal Guards into the fray.
Pell raised his blade, cutting down a rebel soldier with a single fluid motion. But before he could issue another command, a sudden, primal chill gripped his spine.
It was the instinct of a warrior who had survived the desert—a sixth sense honed by weeks of brutal combat. Pell wasn't a top-tier combatant on the world stage, but the war had sharpened his survival instincts.
Without thinking, Pell threw himself forward, hitting the dirt.
Shing.
In the fraction of a second later, a colossal, invisible flying slash obliterated the space he had just occupied. It didn't stop there. The slash tore through rebels, royal guards, and stone alike, carving a path of absolute destruction.
Pell scrambled up, sweat pouring down his face. The attack hadn't been aimed at him; he was merely an insect in its path.
He looked toward the massive city wall. A clean, smooth incision had been carved through the thick stone, creating a new breach wide enough for three men to walk abreast.
"Impossible..." Pell whispered, his voice trembling. "One strike... destroyed the wall?"
From the settling dust and smoke, a figure walked slowly into the city.
He wore a wide-brimmed hat with a plume, a long black coat that billowed in the hot wind, and on his back was a sword that resembled a black crucifix. His golden eyes were sharp, terrifying, and utterly indifferent.
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea..." Pell swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Hawk-Eyes."
Dracule Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman, stepped over the rubble. He glanced at Pell casually, decided the falcon was not worth his time, and looked away. He wasn't here to massacre the weak; he was looking for Dragon.
On the top floor of the Oasis Hotel, Finn raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect Mihawk to be so proactive. What did Crocodile promise him to get him off his island?"
"Maybe he's just bored," Hina suggested.
As if hearing them, Mihawk paused. His Observation Haki flared. In the chaotic noise of the battlefield, he felt a gaze that was distinct from the fear and hatred around him. It was a gaze of assessment.
Mihawk turned his head, his hawk-like eyes locking onto the window of the Oasis Hotel.
Even across the distance, recognition flashed in his eyes.
A Marine Admiral? Here?
Mihawk frowned slightly. Why was a heavy hitter from Marine Headquarters hiding in Alubarna while it burned? Were the Marines planning to intervene?
But Finn made no move. He simply sat there, watching, his hand resting casually near his own blade, the Shindokutō.
Mihawk understood immediately. The Admiral wasn't here on official orders, or at least, not orders that required immediate action. Vacation? Watching the show? Or perhaps, like Mihawk, he was just killing time.
Mihawk's hand, which had drifted toward the hilt of the Black Blade Yoru, fell back to his side. He respected strength. If Finn wasn't drawing his sword, then Mihawk wouldn't force a confrontation that would level the entire city.
"Interesting," Mihawk muttered, a rare smirk touching his lips. "It seems this war has more players than I thought." He turned and walked deeper into the city, seeking a different path.
Following Mihawk's breach, the other Warlords began their descent.
Doflamingo strutted through the main gate, his pink feather coat vibrant against the drab desert tones. He twitched his fingers, invisible strings dancing in the air. Rebel soldiers and Royal Guards alike suddenly jerked upright, their bodies betrayed by the Parasite technique. They formed a human shield around him, marching in a forced square formation, taking bullets meant for the Heavenly Demon.
Doflamingo glanced up at the Oasis Hotel, a wicked grin stretching across his face, before continuing his twisted game.
Elsewhere, Boa Hancock and Jinbe breached different sections of the wall, their entrances unseen from Finn's vantage point, but the shift in the battle's noise confirmed their arrival.
The outer defenses of Alubarna had collapsed. The Royal Army began a desperate retreat toward the Palace, establishing a third and final defensive line. The city was burning.
...
Outside the city, atop a high sand dune.
Crocodile stood with his arms crossed, watching the smoke rise from Alubarna with deep satisfaction.
Next to him, Nico Robin adjusted her cowboy hat. "Aren't you going in?" she asked, her voice calm despite the carnage. "The walls are breached."
"Not yet," Crocodile rasped, biting down on his cigar. "Let's see if our 'friends' from the Government have made their move."
"Government?" Robin raised an eyebrow.
"The CP agents," Crocodile sneered. "Have they entered?"
Robin crossed her arms. "Cien Fleur: Wing." Eyes sprouted on distant surfaces, relaying information back to her. Her proficiency was far beyond what it had been, thanks to her secret training. She nodded. "They are moving in."
"Very good." Crocodile's hook glinted in the sun.
"You aren't planning to kill them too, are you?" Robin asked.
"How could I?" Crocodile feigned innocence. "I am a Warlord, an ally of the Government... right?"
Meanwhile, near the breached wall.
Spandine, wearing a heavy bulletproof vest and cowering behind a riot shield, crept into the city. Flanking him were the elite assassins of CP9: Who's Who, Kaku, and Kalifa.
"Hurry up! Organize your men and take the Palace!" Spandine barked, pointing a trembling finger toward the royal residence. "We must capture Cobra and that Princess Vivi alive!"
"Didn't we leave that task to Crocodile?" Kalifa asked, adjusting her glasses, clearly annoyed by the dust.
"Crocodile? That sand-brain is trustworthy?" Spandine spat. "If he gets Cobra and Vivi, he'll hold them ransom for more leverage! I won't let a pirate outshine CP9!"
"Understood," Who's Who said, his voice bored. He didn't wait for a second order. He kicked the ground and vanished instantly.
Kaku and Kalifa followed suit, disappearing in a blur of motion.
Spandine stood alone in the rubble, blinking.
"Hey!" Spandine looked around, panic rising in his voice. "You bastards! You didn't leave anyone to protect me?! I'm your Chief!!"
A stray bullet whizzed past his ear, and Spandine shrieked.
He scanned the area desperately. His eyes landed on the Oasis Hotel standing tall amidst the chaos.
If he remembered the intel correctly, his "Golden Thigh"—the one man powerful enough to ensure his safety—was staying there.
"Admiral Finn!" Spandine muttered like a prayer. He hugged the wall and began to scurry toward the hotel like a frightened rat.