After his laughter subsided, Rowan spoke plainly. "Little girl, I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. Do you really think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours?"
"If you knew, then why did you do it? Hmph! You're the worst," Vivi retorted, snapping her head to the other side.
Rowan chuckled at the princess's indignation but offered no further explanation. Instead, he lit his pipe, took a deep drag, and exhaled slowly. His gaze drifted toward the horizon where a massive stone fortress shimmered amidst the desert haze.
There stood Alubarna, the capital of Alabasta.
At the very rear of their camel caravan, a heavy sack was lashed to a beast of burden. It contained the corpse of Sir Crocodile.
Crocodile was the fourth member of the Royal Shichibukai Rowan had encountered since his "resurrection," and the second he had personally terminated. The first, of course, had been the "Heavenly Yaksha," Donquixote Doflamingo.
However, while both were Warlords, killing Crocodile had only yielded 114 Justice Points—less than half of the 231 points Doflamingo had been worth. Even adding the points from Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger, Rowan's total Justice Points now sat at 469.
He was still nearly halfway short of the 800 points required to unlock the System's Third Phase.
Rowan wasn't in a hurry, though. With his current strength, he could already walk horizontally across the entire world. Besides, toppling the World Government wasn't a task to be finished in a day or two.
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing cry echoed through the sky. Rowan looked up to see a dark shadow diving rapidly toward them. Moments later, a giant falcon wearing human clothes touched down in front of the caravan.
Seeing the falcon, the sulking Vivi immediately spurred her Spot-Billed Duck forward, shouting happily, "Uncle Pell!"
This was, of course, one of Alabasta's two guardian deities: Pell the Falcon.
Pell landed and looked at the approaching princess with a softening gaze. However, he did not greet her first. Instead, he knelt on one knee before Rowan, speaking with profound respect.
"Pell, Vice-Captain of the Alabasta Royal Guard, welcomes the Great Lord Rowan."
Pell didn't yet know if the nation's existential threat had been resolved, but the fact that Rowan had brought Captain Igaram and Princess Vivi back safely in such short order was enough to earn his deepest gratitude.
After rising, Pell affectionately patted Vivi's head as she hopped off her duck. "Princess Vivi, do you have any idea how worried King Cobra was because of your reckless actions?"
Hearing the scolding, Vivi looked toward the palace and stuck out her tongue playfully. "I'm sorry, Uncle Pell. I won't do it again."
Pell shook his head helplessly. "You should worry about how you'll explain this to the King."
Vivi, however, wasn't worried about her father's lecture at all. She had returned bearing news that would change everything.
Guided by Pell, Rowan approached the colossal stone castle of the Alabasta Royal Palace for the second time. The palace high command was taking his arrival with the utmost seriousness. By the time Rowan reached the gates, the King himself, flanked by his ministers and officials, was there to receive him.
King Cobra felt a surge of complex emotions as he watched the dusty group approach. When he saw Vivi riding toward him, he could no longer maintain his royal composure. He rushed forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Father..."
Collapsing into Cobra's arms, the weeks of fear, exhaustion, and the horrors she had witnessed within Baroque Works finally burst forth. Vivi wept uncontrollably.
Cobra's prepared lecture died in his throat. He gently stroked her back. "It's okay. You're home. You're home..."
To his people, he was a sovereign. But to this girl, he felt like a failing father. Moreover, he knew Vivi had left specifically to try and save the kingdom he was struggling to protect. He had no right to scold a fourteen-year-old who had carried the weight of a nation on her shoulders.
Once Vivi had cried herself out, she wiped her eyes and looked up at Cobra with a weak smile. "Father, if it weren't for Mr. Rowan, your daughter might never have seen you again."
Though she was still annoyed about Rowan bringing Robin along, Vivi wasn't petty. In her heart, Rowan was the grand savior of her people, and he had personally saved her life. She held nothing back in her praise.
Cobra's heart skipped a beat, a wave of after-shock washing over him. If Vivi put it that way, her mission must have been even more perilous than he imagined.
He turned to Rowan, who was dismounting his camel, and bowed deeply. "Once again, I owe you everything, Mr. Rowan."
"Don't mention it. Eliminating evil and spreading justice is the duty of us Marines," Rowan replied with a casual smile.
"By the way, Mr. Rowan... regarding what you mentioned before...?" Cobra shifted the topic, asking tentatively.
"Relax. Since I gave my word, I'll see it through."
Rowan gave a sly grin and snapped his fingers. On cue, Zoro stepped forward, hauling a heavy burlap sack from the last camel and dropping it unceremoniously before Cobra and the ministers.
"This is...?" Cobra asked, confused.
"Inside this bag," Rowan said, lighting his pipe and exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, "is the mastermind behind the entire civil unrest."
With a flick of his finger, a tiny spark of sword intent flew out. The rope binding the sack snapped instantly, and the bag slumped open, revealing a head of tangled, dark hair.
When the face was fully revealed, even Cobra—with all his royal poise—felt his heart lurch. His eyebrows twitched violently.
"This is..."
As he recognized the features, the two guardian spirits, Chaka and Pell, stood frozen in disbelief. Behind them, the ministers couldn't contain themselves; a chorus of shocked screams erupted.
"The Shichibukai... Sir Crocodile?!" "He's... he's dead?"