The voice appeared without warning—
so sudden that even Vivi, lost in the depths of despair, was startled.
She instinctively turned her head and saw a tall, handsome young man standing behind her, wearing a gentle smile.
"Y-you are…?"
Vivi asked blankly.
But then she remembered what the stranger had just said—
He said he would help her stop this war.
Like a drowning person clutching at the last piece of driftwood, Vivi grabbed onto that hope without hesitation.
Even if she had never met him before.
Even if he harbored ulterior motives.
As long as he could truly help Alabasta, she didn't care.
With bloodstained hands, Vivi hurriedly clutched the hem of Luo Xing's trousers, her voice hoarse as she begged,
"Please… help me. Help Alabasta!"
"As long as you can stop this war, I'll do anything—anything at all!"
Seeing her pain, her desperation, Luo Xing couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Saving a pitiful girl in distress—
a righteous man like him naturally couldn't refuse.
Besides,
he didn't want any payment.
Having the girl herself was more than enough.
A very fair price, wasn't it?
A warm, gentle smile appeared on Luo Xing's face as he helped Vivi to her feet.
He took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the blood from her slender fingers, speaking unhurriedly,
"Don't worry. I always keep my word."
Vivi froze.
This man was… strange.
At a time like this, he was calmly wiping the blood from her hands, speaking slowly, as if he wasn't in a hurry at all.
Yet for some reason—
It was precisely this calm, unhurried demeanor
that soothed Vivi's chaotic, desperate heart.
Her breathing gradually steadied, and a bit of clarity returned.
After taking several deep breaths, she gathered her courage and asked,
"Who… who are you?"
"And how are you going to stop this war?"
"The one behind all of this is Crocodile—a powerful Shichibukai."
"If he isn't defeated, the war will never truly end."
Vivi wasn't foolish—far from it.
Otherwise, she could never have infiltrated Baroque Works as a spy for so many years.
She knew that Crocodile was the root of all of Alabasta's suffering.
Without removing him, even stopping the fighting in the capital would be meaningless.
Then why was she still begging the rebels to stop?
Because she knew she could never defeat Crocodile herself—
she couldn't even get close to him.
Compared to that, persuading the rebel army had a higher chance of success.
Hearing the fear hidden beneath Vivi's serious tone, Luo Xing smiled faintly.
"I understand that better than you do," he said calmly.
"Relax. I'll take care of everything."
He finished wiping her fingers clean.
Letting go of her left hand, he kept hold of her right.
Lost in her thoughts, Vivi didn't notice.
Holding her hand, Luo Xing led her straight toward a raised platform.
In the next instant—
A vast, overwhelming presence erupted from his body.
Below them, the soldiers of the Royal Army and the Rebel Army suddenly felt as if a mountain had descended upon them.
Their bodies grew heavy.
Even standing became difficult—let alone fighting.
At the same time, a calm yet commanding voice echoed in their ears.
"If you want rain to fall from the sky,"
"choose a representative and come with me to the royal palace."
Both armies looked toward the source of the voice.
There stood two figures—
Princess Vivi, and a completely unfamiliar man.
The pressure bearing down on them, the voice that silenced the battlefield—
it all came from that man.
Shock rippled through the crowd.
Who was this man?
His presence felt far more terrifying than Crocodile's!
After speaking, Luo Xing didn't wait for their reaction.
Still holding Vivi's hand, he turned and walked toward the palace.
Whether loyal to King Cobra or filled with hatred toward the royal family, both sides exchanged bewildered looks.
"What's going on…?"
One rebel muttered,
"Who is that man? Is he royal reinforcements?"
"He said if we want rain, we just have to go to the palace—do you believe that?"
"It's obviously a lie! He must be Cobra's trick!"
Many rebels didn't believe him.
But Koza, their leader, was a man who had seen the world.
He understood clearly—
A man who could immobilize tens of thousands with sheer presence had no need to lie.
"Enough arguing," Koza said decisively.
"I'll go to the palace and see what they're really up to."
On the Royal Army's side, the captain of the guards, Igaram, was also dispatched.
The two followed after Luo Xing toward the palace.
Left behind without their leaders, both armies stood there in confusion, unsure whether the battle should even continue.
…
Meanwhile—
Inside the royal palace of Alabasta.
The ferocious Blackbeard Pirates ran straight into Crocodile and the forces of Baroque Works.
The moment the two sides met, the air grew dangerously tense.
Crocodile clenched a cigar between his teeth, his gaze cold and disdainful.
"Blackbeard Teach," he sneered.
"A nobody from Whitebeard's ship dares to trespass on my territory."
"Are you ready to become a mummy?"
"Zehahahaha!"
Crocodile was arrogant—but Blackbeard was even worse.
Grinning with his broken teeth, Blackbeard laughed loudly.
"Sand Crocodile! It's been almost twenty years, hasn't it?"
"I still remember very clearly how miserable you looked when you challenged my old man and lost!"
The deepest scar of his life was ripped open.
Crocodile's expression instantly darkened, killing intent surging.
His left golden hook rose as his lower body dissolved into sand—
He attacked without hesitation.
"Shut your filthy mouth forever, you insignificant nobody!"
Overconfidence and recklessness—
those were Blackbeard's greatest flaws.
He never expected Crocodile to strike so suddenly, just like Ace had once done.
Especially now that Crocodile had consumed a Monster Cell, his speed was terrifying.
In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Blackbeard.
Before Blackbeard could react, he was sent flying by a brutal swing of the hook.
"Agh—damn it, that hurts! That really hurts!"
Blackbeard rolled on the ground, howling in pain.
His abnormal sensitivity to pain made it even worse.
"Is that all?" Crocodile sneered.
He moved in again, intending to finish Blackbeard on the spot.
Interrogating Cobra and obtaining Pluton's location was his real priority—
he had no time to waste here.
But this time, Burgess and the others blocked his path.
Blackbeard struggled to his feet, staring at Crocodile as naked killing intent flooded his face.
Thick, black smoke began to pour from his body.
"Sand Crocodile," he growled,
"I'll be the one to take your Shichibukai seat!"
"Dark Void!"
Blackbeard slammed both hands into the ground.
Pitch-black darkness surged outward like a curtain, swallowing the floor.
Crocodile's expression finally changed.
"What the hell is this…?"
"This," Blackbeard laughed wildly,
"is the power I gained after killing Thatch—the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
"Enjoy it, Sand Crocodile!"
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