Chapter 42 – Dante Voss Arrives
Alubarna.
The Royal Palace.
Vivi had wanted to stop the war, but a single person's strength is limited between two armies.
They never even saw her before the fighting began.
So Vivi despaired; she knew her plan to find Koza and end the war was already impossible.
Therefore, Vivi made a decision.
They came to the palace, found Chaka, and convinced him to order the Royal Army to use every last stick of dynamite to destroy the thousand-year-old palace.
Though her heart ached, Vivi's beautiful eyes were resolute; in her mind, the people's lives mattered above all else.
"As long as the palace is blown up, the public's attention will fall on me. Then, when we announce the truth, the entire kingdom of Alabasta will stop fighting."
Vivi clenched her fair fists; at this moment, for the sake of her country, she was willing to give up everything.
Zoro and the others looked solemn, likewise shaken by Vivi's decision.
They had never before seen a princess willing to abandon glory for her people.
Just as the Royal Army was about to light the fuse and blow up the palace—
a sudden swirl of sand struck them, instantly flinging them away and stopping the explosion.
"This is…"
Seeing the sand, Vivi and Zoro's group tensed up, their bodies tightening.
Sure enough, beneath everyone's grave expressions, the swirling sand slowly gathered, gradually forming into a man's figure.
"Crocodile!"
The Straw Hats felt their hearts sink at the sight of him.
Luffy had been fighting him—now that he was back, what had happened to Luffy?
Crocodile lifted King Cobra by the collar and sneered at Vivi,
"You really like doing dangerous things, Miss Wednesday. This place is going to be my home from now on!"
Vivi steadied the soldier who had been hurled aside, her face pale as she stared at him.
"Crocodile!"
Suddenly Vivi noticed something in Crocodile's hand and grew alarmed.
"Father!"
Chaka was likewise on edge; this Shichibukai was too powerful. Even as one of the kingdom's guardian deities, he had no confidence of victory.
Watching the anxious, fearful people below, Crocodile laughed.
"A palace is a wonderful thing—hahahaha—a perfect perch to look down on you trash!"
Robin stood beside Crocodile, calmly surveying the scene below.
Vivi's heart filled with hatred; she fixed her eyes on him, body trembling slightly.
"Where is Luffy!"
The Straw Hats worried more for Luffy's safety than for the country.
"Huh? That Straw Hat brat? A rare rookie—that guy is already dead! Hahahaha!"
Crocodile's mouth curved upward, clearly enjoying their despair.
Hearing this, Vivi's body shook, teeth clenched, wishing her glare could kill him.
"No, impossible! Luffy can't be dead—he's really strong!"
Nami's face turned pale; she refused to believe Luffy was dead.
"Right, Luffy can't be dead—he must be lying!"
Usopp likewise rejected the claim.
"Luffy's going to be Pirate King—there's no way he'd die here!"
Zoro, refusing to believe it, had already drawn his swords and charged at Crocodile.
Sanji took a deep drag from his cigarette and followed Zoro in attacking Crocodile.
Chaka, the kingdom's guardian, joined the fight, determined to rescue King Cobra.
Facing the three-pronged assault, Crocodile didn't move a muscle, his eyes growing ever more mocking.
"Truly pitifully weak."
With a wave of his hand, a sandstorm blasted out, sending Chaka flying.
"Swish!"
Against Zoro's slash he offered no defense, letting the attack pass through his body.
Before elementalization, he was invincible.
"Bam!!"
Meanwhile, Sanji's kick struck Crocodile but caused no harm, merely scattering a bit of sand.
"I almost feel sorry for you—even if I stand still, you can't hurt me."
Crocodile gave a sinister grin.
"I am invincible!"
"Sand!"
A mass of sand surged at the two, flinging them away to crash to the ground.
Everyone felt despair well up at the sight.
This Shichibukai was simply too strong; they couldn't harm him at all.
How could they fight this?
"Damn it!"
Even the steadfast Zoro was powerless,
facing an enemy he had no idea how to defeat.
"Crocodile!"
In desperation, Vivi gritted her teeth and rushed him.
With no way left to stop the war, she could only stake her life on a sliver of hope.
But she was no match for Crocodile; he effortlessly seized her by the neck.
"Such a naïve princess—did you really think you could change this country's turmoil? I've been preparing this plan for a long time."
Crocodile toyed with Vivi, looking at her as though she were hardly human.
Dragging her along, he stepped onto the rampart and gazed at the battlefield below.
"See? The war has begun; it can't be stopped. They're all my pawns, tools to clear away obstacles. Hahahaha!"
Inciting a kingdom's chaos delighted Crocodile; the feeling of superiority was intoxicating.
"Everyone, stop fighting—Crocodile is the enemy!"
Vivi shouted herself hoarse at the desperate melee below, but no one could hear her.
Look closer—
Crocodile had already used his power to whip up a sandstorm; sound could barely carry.
Vivi despaired.
"Die then, Miss Wednesday—perish along with this kingdom!"
Finding her no longer amusing, Crocodile opened his hand and dropped her off the wall.
"Vivi!"
Everyone on the scene cried out, eyes wide with shock.
"Whoosh!"
But a black blur shot in, catching the falling Vivi and lifting her back up.
Seeing who it was, Vivi's eyes widened and she whispered,
"Dante Voss!"
The Straw Hats finally breathed easy at Dante Voss's arrival.
Crocodile was too powerful; only someone far stronger—Dante Voss—could beat him now.
Crocodile regarded Dante Voss with interest.
"So you've arrived. Looks like my underlings were dealt with. Planning to challenge me again?"
Setting Vivi down, Dante Voss looked at Crocodile, a blood-thirsty smile on his lips.
"Yeah—this is the day I've waited for!"
As the capital of Alabasta, Alubarna is an oasis.
Though it hasn't rained in ages, it's still no desert.
Here, Crocodile's power can't reach its peak.
And as one of his main goals in traveling with the Straw Hats, Dante Voss can hardly hold back any longer.