"Bastard! I didn't give the order to fire! Who gave permission?!"
Above the Royal City, Chaka stood on the wall, his face filled with disbelief and panic as several cannons thundered from the King's Army.
His heart dropped.
No… now the Rebel Army will think we're declaring all-out war.
Those few cannonballs destroyed the last fragile hope for peace.
One of the soldiers who had fired knelt immediately, shaking with fear.
"Captain Chaka, I'm sorry! I… I panicked and fired by mistake!"
No one noticed the sinister smirk that briefly curled his lips as he bowed.
Heh… Mission complete, Mr. 0.
The other soldiers followed suit, falling to their knees.
"Forgive us, Captain! We were nervous—he fired first and we followed instinctively!"
Chaka clenched his fists. With the enemy fast approaching, he had no time to dig into what had really happened. He swallowed his fury and steadied his voice.
"I don't blame you. Everyone stay calm, await my command!"
He turned back to face the approaching army. The dust rising in the distance told him they were only moments away.
"Load the cannons! Prepare to fire! Wait for my signal!"
Chaka gritted his teeth, eyes searching the horizon.
Koza… please stop this. Don't make me give the order…
---
"Charge! Capture Alubarna! Take back our country!"
The Rebel Army had marched through the night. Though weary, their morale surged as they reached the capital's gates.
Two hundred thousand soldiers stood poised to bring justice—at least, what they believed to be justice.
For three years, the Kingdom of Alabasta had suffered. Their people endured drought, famine, and death while the King, they believed, remained idle.
Now, just one more push would reclaim their homeland.
Anger fueled them.
The air exploded with rallying cries:
"Take Alubarna! Reclaim our water!"
"The King is the traitor!"
"For the children of Alabasta!"
"Vengeance for our fallen loved ones!"
---
"No!"
Vivi scrambled up from a sand dune nearby, her ears ringing, the smoke choking her lungs.
She screamed toward the battlefield.
"Listen to me! Don't fight! You've all been deceived! Crocodile is behind this war!"
But her voice was a whisper against a storm.
Her cries were lost in the roar of hooves and cannon fire. Screams of war drowned out her desperate plea.
She searched frantically for Koza—but in the confusion and smoke, they'd already passed one another.
High above the chaos, someone was watching.
"Tsk… foolish girl. Still trying to stop a war by yourself?"
In the air just beneath the clouds, Shirogai Yamikuro hovered with calm indifference. Six obsidian wings flared from his back as he surveyed the battlefield below.
He was alone—no Luffy, no Pell—only Shirogai.
His sharp gaze took in the entire scene in an instant. With a sigh, he muttered to himself.
"Vivi… you disappoint me."
His voice was low, almost thoughtful.
"I warned you… one person can't stop a war. You're not just a girl—you're a princess, the representative of this kingdom. Your words carry authority, not just emotion."
He shook his head.
"You gave up your advantage. You could've ordered Chaka to open the gates. Met Koza directly. Used your title to command peace."
"But instead, you rely only on yourself. You cling to individual heroism, like a child playing at being a hero."
"Underestimating others, overestimating yourself."
Below him, the cannons roared again.
The Rebel Army charged in blind fury. The gates of the Royal City became a battleground. King's Army soldiers poured from the walls, clashing with the rebels in violent combat.
---
At the base of the walls, Vivi fell, struck by a rider charging through.
She hit the ground hard.
And then—
THUD! THUD! THUD!
A stampede of camels and horses bore down upon her.
"Quack!!"
Karoo dove into the fray, throwing himself over Vivi.
He braced against the hooves, shielding her body with his own trembling frame.
---
"Naive princess…"
Shirogai's silhouette faded into mist.
His voice echoed faintly through the sky.
"A general's incompetence leads to the death of thousands."
Only the strong can stand alone. The weak need unity to matter.
---
Swoosh!
Shirogai's six wings collapsed inward. With a thunderous burst, he vanished—breaking the sound barrier as he rocketed toward the ground.
A second later, he struck the sand like a meteor.
BOOM!
He exploded into a cloud of dark smoke, vanishing into the battlefield like a phantom. The smoke swirled around the fighting soldiers, unnoticed, yet everywhere.
---
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The Rebel Army trampled forward, chaos reigning.
Beneath their charge, Karoo grit his beak, still shielding Vivi with every ounce of strength.
"Quack!" (Help me!)
The poor duck whimpered under the hooves.
"Quack quack! Quack quack!" (It hurts! My wings are breaking! I'm still a virgin duck! I don't want to die!)
And then… silence.
Karoo blinked.
The pressure was gone.
The hooves no longer fell.
He opened his eyes, dazed and uncertain.
"Quack?" (Am I dead?)
Around him, a semi-sphere of black and gray smoke hovered protectively, forming a dome. It repelled the rebel soldiers, forcing them to go around.
Karoo sniffed the smoke and blinked again.
It was familiar.
"Quack?!"
He squawked in disbelief.
(Big Brother Shirogai?!)
The smoke condensed into a hand and gently patted Karoo's head.
Karoo burst into tears.
"Quack quack quack!" (I love you! I'll tell you dirty jokes next time!)
---
Vivi, sheltered under Karoo's wing, had hardly been hurt—just a few bruises. She lay still, numb with guilt.
I failed.
The sacrifices of the Straw Hat Pirates, the precious time they gave her, were wasted. She hadn't stopped anything.
Her heart ached.
But the ground had stopped shaking.
The thunder of hooves was fading.
Slowly, she lifted her head.
"Karoo! Are you okay?"
Karoo groaned, rolling over, eyes swirling. He panted, tongue lolling out.
"Mmm…"
Near them, Shirogai stood hidden within the sandstorm, his Sand-Sand Fruit ability blending him into the earth.
He watched the scene, amused.
"Heh… Karoo's a drama queen."
---
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