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In the side hall of the royal palace, King Cobra, Vivi, and Logan were deep in conversation.
Nami had gone off to use her Weather-Weather Fruit powers to clear away the Dance Powder, and the other girls followed to help.
"Logan, thank you for everything you've done for Alabasta. If it weren't for you, we never could've defeated Crocodile," Cobra said sincerely.
"I told you, I was just helping Vivi," Logan replied casually, waving it off.
Besides, he'd never been able to stand that arrogant bastard Crocodile anyway.
When Vivi heard Logan say he did it for her, she immediately covered her face, her cheeks turning red like a ripe apple.
Cobra's expression twitched as he glanced at his daughter, a bad feeling creeping up on him.
He knew something was going on between the two, but… surely it hadn't gone that far yet?
No way! Absolutely not!
Cobra tried to comfort himself with that thought.
"Don't celebrate too early. Alabasta's not out of danger yet," Logan said, smoothly changing the subject to save Vivi from embarrassment.
"You mean the rebel army?" Cobra's face darkened at once.
He was right.
Even though Crocodile—the mastermind behind it all—was dead, the chaos across the country was still spreading, dangerously close to spiraling out of control.
By now, tens of thousands of rebels had gathered throughout Alabasta.
The sheer size of it was enough to crush Cobra's heart with dread.
The situation hadn't improved at all.
"I already sent Robin to Katorea to negotiate with the rebels. We should hear from her soon," Logan said calmly, sipping his tea.
"The rebel headquarters?!" Cobra blinked in surprise.
Buru buru, buru buru—
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on the table started ringing.
Logan picked it up immediately. "How's it going?"
Robin's calm but heavy voice came through the line. "Logan, things aren't looking good. This war might not be stoppable anymore."
Vivi shot to her feet, eyes wide. "Robin! What happened?!"
If the royal army and the rebels actually went to war, Alabasta would drown in blood.
She couldn't bear to imagine it.
Robin's voice carried quiet frustration.
"Kohza was assassinated by Baroque Works agents."
"Kohza?!"
Cobra's pupils contracted sharply at the name.
Kohza was the rebel leader. His death would only make the rebels believe he—the king—was behind it.
"Kohza?!" Vivi's voice trembled.
"Vivi, you knew him?" Robin asked, catching on instantly.
She could tell from Vivi's tone that the name meant something deep to her.
"Yeah… we've known each other since we were kids," Vivi said softly.
He was her childhood friend. She'd never wanted to fight him—much less see him hurt.
And now, the next time she heard his name… it was news of his death.
"...I'm sorry."
After a pause, Robin went on, "Crocodile planned this. He sent assassins after Kohza just to inflame the rebels' hatred of the king and spark the full-scale war he's been waiting for—to tear Alabasta apart."
Crocodile's real goal had always been the ancient weapon, Pluton.
He couldn't have cared less what happened to the kingdom afterward.
"Robin, what's the rebels' situation now?" Logan asked.
"They've completely lost control."
"They all believe the king ordered Kohza's murder. The army's already mobilizing—they're marching on the capital to avenge their leader."
The calm words hit Cobra like a blast of cold air.
The thing he'd feared most… was happening.
Robin added quietly, "Captain, their rage can't be contained anymore. If they reach the capital…"
She didn't finish—but Cobra could already feel the chill crawling up his spine.
They wouldn't stop until he was torn apart.
With Kohza dead, the rebels had lost the last of their reason.
Now they had only one goal: execute King Cobra.
"Robin, don't worry about it anymore. Head back," Logan ordered before hanging up.
"Logan…" Vivi's eyes were red as she grabbed his hand. "You'll fix this, right? You'll save everyone?"
Right now, all her hope rested on him.
"Relax," Logan said, giving her a reassuring look. "I wanted Robin to negotiate because I'd rather solve this peacefully. But if that doesn't work… we'll have to use force."
As he spoke, Logan mentally pulled up his system panel.
[Host: Logan]
[System: Goddess Recruitment System]
[Body Type: Big Mom's Iron Balloon Physique]
[Swordsmanship: Golden Lion's Dual-Blade Grandmaster Style]
[Rokushiki: Beginner]
[Observation Haki: Intermediate]
[Armament Haki: Intermediate]
[Conqueror's Haki: Intermediate]
[Special Ability: Teleportation]
[Devil Fruits: Healing Fruit, Weather Fruit]
[Navigation Skill: Hand of the Tide]
[Special: Body – Essence Refinement]
[System Inventory: 41 Observation Haki Fruits, 41 Armament Haki Fruits, 19 Conqueror's Haki Fruits, Three-Haki Training Manual, millions of Berries, miscellaneous items]
(Haki levels: Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced → Supreme)
Following the manual's training method, Logan had managed to push all three types of Haki to the intermediate level.
Especially his Conqueror's Haki—he'd been using dream cultivation to train it, and the results were insane.
He still had a long way to go before reaching the advanced "infusion" stage, but wiping out a few hundred thousand rebels? Easy.
Lost in thought, Logan suddenly felt Vivi squeeze his arm a little tighter. "Logan… if it's possible, please don't use your lightning on them."
Her eyes were full of worry.
If he unleashed that power, too many people would die.
The rebels might be enemies now, but they were still just ordinary people tricked by Crocodile.
"I'm not planning to hurt them. I'll just knock them out with Conqueror's Haki," Logan said, smiling at her anxious face.
Vivi blinked, remembering what Logan had told her before when he gave her those two Haki Fruits—about the nature of Conqueror's Haki.
After replaying it in her mind, her face finally relaxed.
"Logan, I'm sorry to trouble you again," Cobra said, a trace of guilt in his voice.
First Crocodile, now the rebels—everything that had gone wrong with his kingdom, and yet it was Logan who kept fixing it.
"Don't mention it. Compared to what Vivi's given me, this is nothing," Logan said lightly.
Cobra blinked, confused.
"What Vivi's given you?"
What could Alabasta possibly have that a man like Logan would care about?!
Vivi instantly ducked her head, pretending to be calm while her face burned red.
Why does he have to say everything out loud?! she thought, mortified.
"Your Majesty!"
The urgent voice of Captain Igaram echoed from outside as he rushed in and bowed quickly.
"Get up," Cobra said, snapping back to the moment. "What's happening with the rebels?"
Igaram's face was grave. "Your Majesty, according to the latest intel, the rebel army has fully mobilized. They've already departed from Katorea. At their current pace, they'll reach the capital in two to three days!"
Cobra's expression hardened. "Notify Pell and Chaka immediately. Gather all royal troops and prepare for battle."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Igaram saluted and hurried off.
Cobra trusted Logan—but as king, he couldn't just sit and do nothing while his kingdom faced annihilation.
When Igaram was gone, Cobra turned back to Logan, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Logan… after this is all over, you're planning to leave Alabasta, aren't you?"
Logan nodded.
"Yeah. Once the rebellion's crushed and the Dance Powder's cleared, I'll take the girls and go."
By his estimation, it wouldn't take more than a few days.
Cobra glanced at Vivi out of the corner of his eye, then sighed softly. "And… what about Vivi?"
"Vivi's part of my crew now," Logan said without hesitation. "Of course she's coming with me."
Cobra's face clouded over.
He already had his suspicions about their relationship.
As a father, he wouldn't interfere with Vivi's choice—especially when Logan had done so much for their country.
But still…
"Vivi, is there something you want to tell me?" Cobra asked, looking between them.
She tilted her head, puzzled. "Father? What's wrong?"
Cobra let out a weary sigh. "Logan… to be honest, I'm not in good health. These years of ruling Alabasta have worn me down. I'm getting weaker every day."
"I understand you want to take Vivi with you, but she's my only child—and the princess of Alabasta. If something were to happen to me one day—"
Swish!
Before Cobra could even react, Logan suddenly vanished and reappeared right behind him.
A warm, gentle light wrapped around Cobra's body as Logan's healing powers kicked in.
Cobra's eyes widened in shock. He could feel the discomfort that had plagued him for years quickly fading away. Even the old chronic pain that no doctor could fix was gone.
"I've healed all your old injuries and illnesses," Logan said calmly. "You don't need to worry about anything anymore. Just focus on being the king your people need—Alabasta still depends on you."
He smiled slightly. "As for Vivi, I'll take good care of her."
Everything happened so fast that Cobra was still frozen in confusion by the time Logan finished speaking.
Pfft—
Vivi couldn't help laughing out loud.
Seeing her father fully healed made her genuinely happy. Now she could follow Logan on his adventures without a single worry.
Cobra snapped out of it and forced a wry smile. He checked himself again—sure enough, his body felt lighter, stronger, and completely pain-free.
Another power he couldn't begin to understand.
He looked at Vivi, who was staring at Logan with sparkling, lovestruck eyes, and all he could do was sigh helplessly.
So this is what they mean when they say you can't keep your daughter at home forever.
Meanwhile, preparations for the massive uprising were underway.
Under Cobra's orders, tens of thousands of residents near the city gates had been safely evacuated within two days, anticipating the rebel army's arrival.
On the third day, the ground trembled. The sound of countless hooves thundered across the plains as hundreds of thousands of rebels, consumed by fury and hatred, finally reached the capital.
"Charge! Capture Cobra!"
"Make the royal army pay!"
"Revenge for Koza!"
"Kill them all!"
The shouts merged into a single roar of rage.
Driven mad by Koza's death and years of bottled-up anger, the rebels had completely lost control. If the king wouldn't spare them a future, they'd carve one out with their own hands—by slaughtering every royal soldier and executing Cobra himself.
From atop the city wall, Logan watched the sea of rebels surging toward them.
Behind him stood Cobra, Vivi, and several Alabasta ministers.
Even though they trusted Logan completely, the sight of hundreds of thousands of furious enemies charging toward them still made their hearts pound.
As the rebels drew closer, their screams and war cries echoed through the sky, filling the air with raw hatred.
"Cobra! Get down here and die!"
A leading general on horseback raised his blade and pointed it straight at the king.
Every rebel looked up at once, and in an instant, tens of thousands of bloodthirsty eyes locked onto Cobra.
Cobra flinched under the weight of those murderous glares.
"Your Majesty!" Igaram quickly stepped up to steady him.
"I'm fine," Cobra muttered, waving his hand.
"Brother Logan… it's all up to you now," Vivi said nervously.
Logan smiled and gently ruffled her hair. "Don't worry."
The moment he said it, his Observation Haki spread out, blanketing the entire rebel army.
Then his eyes snapped open.
In that instant, an overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from his body like a stormy sea, crashing down on the entire battlefield.
Within the range of that invisible pressure, everyone felt it—pure, unstoppable dominance.
Those with weak wills didn't even stand a chance. They were instantly knocked out cold.
It was like a hurricane sweeping through the front lines. The leading units were seconds away from reaching the city gates when the crushing pressure slammed into them.
In a heartbeat, tens of thousands of soldiers and their horses collapsed where they stood, eyes rolling back.
As the wave of Haki expanded, the rest of the rebel army fell one after another.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Bodies hit the ground in an unending rhythm.
In less than ten seconds, the furious army of hundreds of thousands lay unconscious, completely silent.
Logan looked down at the battlefield now covered in fainted soldiers and nodded with satisfaction. "All done."
Behind him, Cobra, Vivi, and the others stood frozen in disbelief.
That's it? It's over?
He just took down hundreds of thousands of people—instantly?
Even though they knew he was powerful, seeing it with their own eyes left them utterly speechless.
Cobra took a few slow steps forward and peered over the wall.
Below, the rebels were piled on top of each other in a chaotic mess, eyes white, weapons scattered across the ground.
"So this is the legendary Conqueror's Haki," Igaram whispered in awe. "Truly terrifying…"
"I've only heard stories about it," Pell said beside him. "Seeing it in person… it's beyond anything I imagined."
Logan just smiled and didn't respond.
If his Haki hadn't recently leveled up, even he wouldn't have been able to take down this many people so easily.
And this was just the beginning. True mastery—infusing Conqueror's Haki into attacks or using it alongside Observation Haki—was on a completely different level.
For now, he could only use it for crowd control.
"I've done what I came to do," Logan said, turning away. "The rest is up to you."
Cobra immediately began issuing orders.
First, collect all the rebels' weapons.
Second, move the unconscious soldiers somewhere safe.
Third, once they wake up, calm them down and explain the truth.
Everything proceeded in an orderly manner, though it would take time to finish.
At least Logan didn't have to worry about any of it.
Elsewhere, Nami had finally managed to wash away every trace of the Dance Powder.
With that cursed substance gone, Alabasta would never again have to fear drought.
Now that Crocodile was dead, the rebellion crushed, and the skies cleansed, it was only a matter of time before Cobra led the kingdom back to its former glory.
"....."