The zombified piglins had disappeared. Completely vanished into the soul sand without a trace.
Marcus stood there in silence, staring at the spot where the creature had been consumed.
This explained why no monsters were spawning in the Soul Sand Valley. The soul sand was literally eating them alive, devouring anything that stepped onto its surface.
"Shit..." he muttered, swallowing hard. "When Nami made it through here... that was a fucking miracle."
The more he thought about it, the more disturbing it became. Soul sand in the game was just a minor inconvenience that slowed you down. Here in this reality, it was some kind of horror that could erase living beings from existence.
After testing it one more time to confirm it was harmless to him, apparently his Minecraft nature made him immune, he decided not to overthink the mechanics. In a way, this was beneficial. The soul sand created a natural barrier that kept the zombified piglin hordes contained.
But just to be safe, he built another Nether portal high in the air, encasing it completely in obsidian except for the entrance. Below the elevated platform stretched an endless sea of zombified piglins, all swaying mindlessly.
After stepping through the portal, he found himself back above the bedrock layer of his makeshift Nether hub.
He pulled out the quartz he'd mined and began crafting it into polished quartz blocks, then started construction on a structure around his refugee shelter.
Soon, a building had taken shape in the void. The architecture still felt too empty. After some consideration, he added decorative elements, like cherry blossom trees, hanging vines, and several varieties of exotic flowers that added color to the sad environment.
"Much better. This actually looks like a place people might want to live. Too bad I can't place water blocks here, or it would really have that peaceful garden atmosphere."
He paused, looking around at the expanded complex he'd built.
"Wait a minute... when did I become an architect? I came here to mine quartz, not start an interior design career... Time to get some sleep."
After finishing the decorative touches, he quietly made his way to the portal outside the quartz walls and returned to the ship.
It was already past midnight when he arrived. The crew was fast asleep, and the ship rocked gently in the harbor. After a brief check to make sure everything was secure, he headed to his own quarters for some much-needed rest.
---
While Marcus was sleeping off his exhaustion, Vivi had arrived at the transformed town of Drum Island.
Seeing the school complex that had appeared overnight, with massive iron golems standing guard, left her speechless.
"This is..."
She wasn't the only one in shock. The other townspeople were wandering around, trying to process what they were seeing. Entire buildings had materialized out of nowhere, constructed from blocky materials they'd never encountered before.
Dalton was everywhere at once, organizing the transition and explaining the new facilities to citizens who couldn't believe their luck.
Vivi made her way to the cherry blossom grove, where snowflakes were still drifting down from the sky. But despite the falling snow, she felt no cold at all. In fact, there was a gentle warmth emanating from the ground.
"This is truly incredible," she whispered, reaching out to touch one of the square tree trunks.
Children were already playing freely in the plaza paved with stone slabs. The sound of joy and hope made her heart ache for her own troubled kingdom.
As she watched, Dalton passed through the plaza accompanied by the Isshi-20.
"This will be our school from now on," he was explaining. "It's the foundation of our new kingdom. From now on, all children will receive basic education, not just learning to read and write, but gaining knowledge across multiple subjects."
He gestured toward the various buildings. "Besides medicine, they'll study ethics, science, and practical skills. Knowledge is the most important resource a society can have. And children are our future. So I need you to dedicate yourself completely to passing on medical knowledge. Don't worry about food or supplies, everything will be provided. Your only concern should be teaching the next generation. If you have time, we should also work on rewriting the medical texts that were destroyed."
"That building over there is the library, we can store all the books there."
He spoke with the passion of someone who'd found a new purpose.
Vivi listened to every word, and her expression grew more thoughtful with each passing moment.
"A school for everyone..."
In Arabasta, there had never been schools open to common people. While private tutors existed among wealthy families, they taught nothing more than basic literacy. Once you could read simple words and maybe write your name, that was the extent of education for most people.
Deeper knowledge, like philosophy, science, advanced mathematics, history, these subjects were reserved for nobility and the wealthy elite. The idea that commoners might benefit from such learning was almost revolutionary.
Looking at the community around her, she felt a deep longing stir in her chest. If only her own country could be like this...
But the challenges facing Arabasta were so much more complex. The civil war, the drought, Crocodile... there were crises that had to be resolved before any long-term rebuilding could begin.
She sighed heavily and turned to leave. She had her own responsibilities to face.
---
Drum Island was experiencing a renaissance of sorts.
Kureha had also arrived to see the changes for herself. She walked through the plaza with its cherry blossom trees, examined the unusual school buildings, and marveled at the wheat fields that somehow managed to glow golden even in the depths of winter.
"What an interesting fellow," she muttered, taking a swig from her bottle. "Building things like it's nothing."
After thinking about it all night, she had finally made a decision. She would properly say goodbye to Chopper before the Straw Hats left the island.
But she also had another plan in mind, something she'd been preparing for years, waiting for the right moment.
She found Dalton still busy with administrative duties. Despite his exhaustion from working around the clock, when Kureha explained what she wanted to do, he agreed immediately. He even offered to provide cannons from Wapol's abandoned ship.
Seeing his support, Kureha felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She would finally be able to show the results of decades of research and preparation in the most spectacular way possible.
---
When Marcus woke up again, another feast was underway, with the crew sharing stories and laughter over food and drink.
He scratched his slightly messy hair and headed for the bathroom to clean up. But as he opened the door, he nearly collided with Vivi, who was pacing nervously back and forth in the hallway.
The sound of the door opening made her jump like a startled deer, hastily stepping back. When she saw it was Marcus, her expression made it seem like he'd done something to upset her.
"What's wrong?" Marcus asked, not particularly bothered by her reaction. He went into the bathroom and began his morning routine.
Vivi took a deep breath.
"Are you a member of the Revolutionary Army?"
Marcus paused in his teeth-brushing, looking at her with confusion. "Why would you ask that?"
"It's just that your ideas are so... so progressive. They're extremely similar to Revolutionary Army ideology... though also somewhat different."
"Oh? Different?"
Marcus was curious. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't paid much attention to news about the Revolutionary Army, mainly because newspapers were unlikely to publish detailed information about the World Government's number one enemy.
"The Revolutionary Army advocates for freedom and equality. They want to liberate slaves and eliminate the World Nobles as a class. Their focus is on tearing down the existing system. But your vision is more advanced, in a way. It feels like you're already thinking about what comes after equality is achieved. You're focused on building a new kind of society from the ground up."
Vivi shared everything she'd observed and pieced together during her visit to the transformed Drum Island.
Marcus considered her words, then nodded thoughtfully. It made sense, actually.
What the Revolutionary Army was doing was essentially rebellion. It was an uprising born from generations of oppression. As for what came after the revolution, they might have some ideas, but in a world dominated by pirates and corrupt governments, pushing society forward would take time and careful planning.
And even if they succeeded in overthrowing the World Government, the future would still be challenging to implement. The world wasn't connected, it was scattered islands separated by dangerous seas. Because of that isolation, resources and ideas were difficult to centralize.
Building a unified development system afterward would be nearly impossible unless someone could somehow connect all the islands, eliminate the barriers created by the ocean itself.
"I'm not a member of the Revolutionary Army. But maybe my thinking happens to align with theirs in some ways."
"So that means..." Vivi hesitated again.
Betraying one's own class was never easy. Your position determined your perspective. That she was even considering these ideas showed remarkable character, it confirmed what Igaram had said about her potential to become a truly great queen.
But Marcus held up a hand, cutting her off before she could continue down that path.
"First, you need to be clear about something important: are you facing an internal strife or external enemy? Rushing to make major decisions right now isn't wise. This isn't the time for you to choose sides."
He wiped his face with a towel before continuing, "Drum Kingdom is a textbook example of internal strife. The king's stupidity led to widespread hunger and poverty, pushing people to the breaking point where rebellion became their only option. But your country? You need to figure out which problem you're dealing with first, or if it's both, before you can even think about solutions."
Vivi fell into deep thought.
What exactly was Arabasta's situation? Was it internal conflict or an external enemy pulling the strings?
She thought about the man behind Baroque Works, then about Koza, her childhood friend who now led the rebel army. Finally, she considered her father and all the ministers trying to hold the kingdom together.
So which was it? Internal or external?
"Still not sure? Let me help you work through this," Marcus said, leaning against the bathroom doorframe. "Just hear me out before you start arguing with me. Truth is, Arabasta has both problems. It's a kingdom with over ten million people, by any measure, that makes it one of the largest nations in the world. But here's the catch: it's a desert kingdom."
"Usable oases are limited. The capital might be fine, but everywhere else? As time passed and the population grew, you hit the absolute limit of what those oases could sustain."
Vivi's expression grew troubled as she began to see where he was going.
"Resource pressure forced countless citizens to leave their homeland and try to make it overseas. But when people go to sea looking for opportunities, they need food, water, and supplies. Eventually, they either turn to piracy or become bounty hunters. And let's be honest, piracy pays better and requires less moral flexibility. The birth of more pirates just made things worse. Now you've got people raiding the limited resources you had left, creating even more pressure on everyone trying to survive."
He looked directly at Vivi. "Arabasta was already walking a tightrope. Baroque Works was just the final straw that broke the camel's back."
Vivi remained silent, but he could see the gears turning in her head.
"If you want to stop this war, you need to handle two things. First and most important: resource distribution. Only after that should you worry about dealing with Crocodile."
"Because let's face it, if people can't survive, who's going to risk their neck in a rebellion just for the hell of it?"
Vivi opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again.
Marcus smiled. He remembered how the original story played out. Luffy and the crew defeated Crocodile, but the war didn't just stop, it escalated for a while. Sure, the Dance Powder eventually brought rain that seemed to end the conflict, but wars don't end that easily. The real reason it stopped was simpler and darker: so many people had already died that the population pressure had been relieved.
"But the Dance Powder prevented some regions from getting rain, so without water—" Vivi started to protest, then stopped mid-sentence as she recalled Marcus' words.
The first priority was resource distribution. If the water problem was solved, the rebels would lose their main motivation for fighting. And without that desperation driving them, would people who could actually survive really risk their lives in a rebellion just because someone was whispering in their ears?
So stopping the war wasn't about defeating the profiteer, it was about fixing the resource crisis. Even without Crocodile, the situation had already reached a breaking point.
"I understand," Vivi said quietly, but her expression showed she was still troubled.
Resources don't just appear out of thin air. How do you solve a problem that's been building for generations?
Marcus could see her thinking through all the complications. Without intervention, war was inevitable, with or without Crocodile. It was just a matter of time.
The only way to avoid it would be to somehow balance population and resources perfectly, matching consumption with production. But achieving something like that was incredibly difficult, especially in a desert kingdom.
The fact that Arabasta had managed eight hundred years of stable rule was already miraculous. Though when he thought about it, that made sense in the One Piece world. Individual power could override royal authority.
Even if there were voices of rebellion among the common people, if the ruler was strong enough, they could simply suppress any uprising. Just look at Drum Kingdom, the citizens wanted to revolt against Wapol, but without the power to do so, they remained under his rule until Luffy showed up.
Marcus could predict how that story would have ended without intervention. Wapol would have eventually squandered generations of accumulated wealth. When he could no longer maintain his army or pay his ministers, and especially when he couldn't afford the Heavenly Tribute to the World Government, he would have faced betrayal from all sides.
Unless, of course, he discovered his ability to create Wapometal. Then the kingdom might have undergone transformation, using that resource to regain World Government membership like in the original timeline.
But the cost would have been the deaths of over ninety percent of Drum Kingdom's innocent citizens. Only after that massive loss of life might he have gained some perspective and become a halfway decent ruler.
Without his Devil Fruit powers, though, he would have lost everything. Drum Kingdom would have become a non-member nation, vulnerable to any passing pirates until it was completely destroyed, just another unremarkable winter island with no population and no future.
"Don't worry," Marcus said, seeing Vivi's expression. "After everything I've just explained, you really think I wouldn't help?"
Vivi let out a breath.
The power Marcus had demonstrated was terrifying. Even as someone who wasn't yet heir to the throne, she could feel the sheer scope of what he was capable of.
Especially that endless supply of water. For a desert kingdom, it would be nothing short of divine intervention.
"Thank you... truly, Marcus. I don't have much money right now, but if you need—"
Before she could finish, Marcus pulled out a gold ingot and tossed it in his hand. "I'm not interested in money."
Vivi's mouth fell open.
Marcus grinned at her stunned expression. He'd always wanted to deliver that line, something he'd seen in movies and shows back home. Getting to say it himself felt pretty damn satisfying.
"Then... how should I repay you? If you need..." Vivi's cheeks flushed red as she lowered her head, unconsciously highlighting her figure in what could only be described as a very suggestive manner.
Marcus rolled his eyes. "Are you trying to test my willpower here? Because I'm not sure any guy could pass that kind of test."
He cut off whatever she was about to offer next.
"Have you seen me take anything from Dalton and the others?"
Vivi paused, realizing he was right. In all the time she'd observed him, Marcus hadn't asked for or taken anything from the people he'd helped.
Then the full impact of her behavior hit her, and her face turned crimson. "I'm sorry! I need to go calm down!"
She fled the hallway, leaving Marcus shaking his head.
"Well, that was interesting," came Alvida's amused voice from the doorway, where she stood sipping fruit wine and clearly enjoying the show.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough. So why didn't you take her up on it? She's going to be the queen of Arabasta someday. If you wanted, you could probably end up as king yourself."
Marcus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Hey, if she kept talking like that, I can't guarantee I would have been able to refuse either."
Hell, who hadn't fantasized about ending up with one of the female characters when watching One Piece?
"So why did you refuse?" Alvida was puzzled.
Given the abilities Marcus had demonstrated, honestly, if she'd been in Vivi's position, she would've latched onto him without hesitation. The guy could literally reshape kingdoms overnight.
"I'm not the type who helps people just to demand payback."
Marcus walked away after dropping that line, leaving Alvida deep in thought. She smiled while swirling the fruit wine in her glass.
"I suppose that's true. If he were the kind of person who only helped for personal gain, he wouldn't be so straightforward about it."
---
Back on deck, Marcus' arrival made the ongoing celebration even livelier.
At the moment, Luffy was enthusiastically teaching Chopper the holy art of the "chopsticks-up-the-nose dance," holding a tray and dancing around with the most ridiculous expression imaginable.
Chopper watched curiously, trying to imitate the captain's movements.
Then Usopp joined in, adding his own flair to the performance.
Finally, Marcus started dancing too, figuring if you can't beat them, join them.
The cheerful atmosphere was infectious. Between Luffy's boundless energy, Usopp's dramatic gestures, and Marcus' surprisingly enthusiastic participation, even Kira was eventually coaxed into joining despite her initial shyness.
"That's right, that's how it should be!" Usopp gave her an encouraging nod.
Luffy was grinning so wide his face looked like it might split in half.
Marcus clapped loudly.
Even Clucky tried to join in by picking up chopsticks with its wings. The poor chicken was struggling to get the hang of it when Luffy spotted it.
"Clucky! Come on, you can do it!"
It was physically challenging, but Luffy's philosophy of "if at first you don't succeed, use more force" prevailed.
With a pained cluck, the chicken lost its chopstick-nose virginity.
This joyful scene naturally caught the attention of Kureha, who had hurried over to see what all the commotion was about.
She stared at her shy little reindeer, who in such a short time had already been completely corrupted by Luffy's crew.
Should she laugh? Get angry? Probably both.
But seeing Chopper laugh so happily, she just stood quietly and watched. It had been years since she'd seen him so carefree.
That's when Dalton arrived on scene, attracted by the noise and laughter echoing across the harbor.
He was stunned at first by the absurd spectacle, then couldn't help bursting into laughter himself. The sight was so ridiculous he just couldn't keep it together.
But after laughing, he got dragged into the performance himself. The chopsticks-up-the-nose dance claimed another victim.
The laughter spread like wildfire, drawing even more people to join the madness.
Soon, curious townsfolk were gathering around to see what was happening. Even the iron golems Marcus had created earlier joined in, though they could only sway at the shoreline.
Seeing the golems' participation, Luffy frowned.
"What's wrong?" Marcus asked.
"Hmm... as I thought, what we're really missing is a musician!"
Marcus chuckled, but then something occurred to him. He leaned toward Kira, who still had chopsticks protruding from her nose, and whispered in her ear.
"Hey... I can't really sing..."
"Don't worry. Leave it to me."
"O-okay..."
Marcus activated his Soul Possession ability, swapping bodies with Kira temporarily.
"Now presenting the shining debut of singer Kira!" Marcus declared, using Kira's voice but with his own flair.
Inside Marcus' body, Kira watched herself speak so boldly and immediately squatted down, hugging her head in embarrassment at the secondhand awkwardness.
Marcus cleared Kira's throat, then activated the Devil Fruit powers. He didn't conjure anything unusual this time, instead, he altered the vocal cords, modifying them to mimic something he'd only read about in mythology.
The voice of a siren.
Then he began singing "Binks' Sake," the traditional sea shanty beloved by pirates across the world.
"Yo-hohoho Yo-hohoho"
The voice was hauntingly beautiful, accompanied by mysterious instrumental sounds that seemed to come from thin air.
This was the natural effect of the siren's song, a supernatural ability that created phantom accompaniment to enhance the performance.
Though the lyrics were simple, everyone listening heard countless instruments playing in perfect harmony. Violins, drums, flutes, even instruments that didn't exist in their world seemed to join the melody.
A festive atmosphere quietly spread around them. Without anyone realizing it, illusions of different worlds began appearing in their vision.
Fireworks bloomed in the sky above, neon lights flashed all around them, and the air seemed to shimmer.
The siren's voice drew everyone into its spell.
But happy moments never last long enough.
Marcus, or rather, Kira's body, had physical limits. After all, he didn't really understand the anatomical structure of a siren's throat. He was relying purely on imagination and Devil Fruit power to alter the vocal cords, and that kind of transformation was incredibly draining.
Just as his stamina was reaching its limit, cannon fire rang out from the highest peak of Drum Island.
Cherry blossoms bloomed, and pink petals drifted down like snow.
"It really is... beautiful," Marcus murmured, now back in his own body, gazing up at the petals falling from above.
At that same moment, Kureha walked up to Chopper.
"Take care of yourself, Chopper."
"Yes... Doctorine."
Chopper tried his best to hold back tears, but they flowed anyway. Leaving the only family he'd known, embarking on the adventure he'd always dreamed of, receiving Kureha's blessing... it was overwhelming.
If "adventure" was the opposite of "family," then gaining a parent's blessing for that adventure was perhaps the greatest fortune possible.
Finally, the Log Pose had stored enough magnetic force.
The Going Merry raised its sails, ready to continue their journey.
From the deck, Chopper waved at Kureha, tears streaming down his face.
The ship began to move, leaving Drum Island behind as they sailed toward their next destination: Arabasta.