Just like the original course of history, the Straw Hat crew met Princess Vivi along the way, and she eventually became their companion.
The Thousand Sunny's anchor crashed into the harbor.
Vivi finally set foot on Alabasta again. Staring at the distant outline of the city shrouded in yellow sand, she clenched the hem of her clothes so tightly her knuckles turned pale.
This country was crying… and she could do nothing.
Shinju followed behind her, expression calm.
His gaze passed over the anxious princess and sank deeper—toward the desert's farthest reaches.
The instant the ship docked, a series of cold mechanical chimes rang out in his mind.
[Ding! Detected system fragment: Key intelligence related to the ancient weapon "Pluton."]
[Key target locked: Shichibukai (Seven Warlords of the Sea), Sir Crocodile.]
[Intelligence parsing in progress… complete.]
[Conspiracy: Crocodile uses Dance Powder to create drought, incites rebellion, attempts to overthrow the royal family. Final objective: obtain the ancient weapon "Pluton" hidden underground.]
[Organization: Baroque Works. Member list loaded.]
[Mission issued: Seize or analyze Pluton intelligence.]
Rainbase.
On the top floor of the golden casino Rain Dinners, Crocodile lounged on a wide sofa. A massive cigar burned between his fingers, smoke curling through the air.
In front of him, a Den Den Mushi mimicked his savage grin as it relayed orders to his subordinates.
"Mr. 1, have Mr. 2 move according to plan. Cause chaos in Nanohana. Pull all the royal army's attention over there."
"Mr. 4's group—head straight for Alubarna. Prepare for the final stage."
"Operation Utopia must launch on time. I don't want to see any mistakes."
From the other end came respectful, feverish replies.
Satisfied, Crocodile ended the call and tossed the Den Den Mushi casually onto the table.
He stood and walked to the huge window, looking down upon the city he controlled.
The rebels' rage. The royal army's incompetence. The people's despair.
Everything was exactly as he'd calculated.
This country was like a beautifully prepared meal—tablecloth laid, knives and forks set.
Only the final step remained: eating.
"Cobra… Vivi… your little kingdom game is over."
He let out a low, pleased laugh.
In this world, no one could stop him.
In his mind, it was the perfect crime—god's own script.
He had no idea that, in the eyes of something higher-dimensional, his entire plot had already been dissected.
In the desert, Luffy's group ran into Crocodile by chance.
"Crocodile!" Luffy's fist clenched with a crackle. "I really don't wanna see your face again! Give the country back to Vivi!"
"Again? What nonsense are you talking about, brat?" Crocodile frowned, confused.
Luffy launched forward like a fired cannonball, rushing the man with the golden hook.
Crocodile didn't even move his feet—he only watched the charging Straw Hat with contempt.
"Gum-Gum Gatling!"
A storm of fists slammed into Crocodile's body… and passed straight through.
In an instant, his form became drifting sand, then reassembled in place.
"Ignorant little brat."
Crocodile's voice was distant, condescending. He extended his right hand toward the stunned Luffy.
"Sables Pesado (Desert Sunflower)!"
The sand beneath Luffy suddenly turned into a massive quicksand vortex. The suction pinned him in place, making it impossible to move.
"Damn it! Again? I still can't do it?!" Luffy struggled with all his might—uselessly.
Crocodile's figure appeared right before him, and his right hand pressed against Luffy's chest.
"Ground Death."
Something horrifying happened.
Luffy's strong body visibly shriveled. His skin dulled, his muscles withered, and he became like a mummy drained of every last drop of moisture.
His life force plummeted.
"Luffy!" Vivi screamed in absolute despair.
She tried to rush forward, but Zoro and Sanji held her back with all their strength. They could feel the terror radiating from that man.
Crocodile removed his hand. The dried-up Luffy collapsed limply onto the sand and lost consciousness.
"The weak don't even have the right to choose how they die," Crocodile said, drawing back his hand. The golden hook reflected cold light under the sun. "This is what happens when you challenge a Warlord."
He turned to leave, intending to abandon these clueless intruders to die here.
Then a calm voice spoke.
"Too slow."
Crocodile stopped.
He turned—and saw Shinju standing some distance away with the others, as if they had appeared there without warning.
"Oh? Another batch coming to die?" Crocodile pointed the hook at Shinju. "Or do you want to taste what it's like to be dried out?"
Shinju didn't respond to the provocation.
He only glanced once at Luffy's corpse-like body, then lifted a hand and snapped his fingers lightly.
"Luffy, this fight, we'll handle it. Let's speed things up."
There was no distortion of space, no flash of light.
And yet—
A figure appeared beside Shinju out of nothingness.
Dark red Warring States armor.
Long black hair falling behind his shoulders.
A gentle expression on his face.
Hashirama.
"Shinju," Hashirama asked in a steady, powerful voice, "are we joining the battle this time?"
Crocodile's brow furrowed.
How did this man appear?
And yet… he couldn't sense anything special from him at all. It was like looking at an ordinary person.
"Hashirama-sama," Shinju said calmly, "the man in front of us claims he controls sand."
Hashirama looked at Crocodile, then at the boundless desert around them, interest rising on his face.
"Oh? That's a fun ability."
Crocodile was enraged by the sheer disregard.
"Insolent fools!" he roared, slamming his right palm into the ground. "Sables Tempesta (Sandstorm)!"
A violent sandstorm instantly formed, blotting out the sky, carrying power sharp enough to slice steel as it swallowed Shinju and Hashirama.
Vivi, Usopp, and the others stumbled back in panic.
Hashirama didn't move at all.
He brought his hands together and closed his eyes.
"Playing with sand in front of me?" he said, still gentle. "Friend, you've got a lot of training to do. You're a hundred years too early."
"Mokuton: Jukai Kotan (Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence)!"
The ground shook violently.
Under Crocodile's stunned gaze, towering trees burst out of the sand at a mad pace.
Their roots dug deep beneath the desert, locking the flowing sand into place.
In the blink of an eye, the raging sandstorm was torn apart by the expanding forest.
The endless desert became a thriving primeval woodland.
Crocodile's attack was neutralized… effortlessly.
"W-what… what kind of power is this…?" His voice even trembled.
Hashirama opened his eyes and looked at him, expression still warm.
"Your sand comes from the earth."
"My trees also come from the earth."
He took a step forward, and the entire forest seemed to respond with a deep, rumbling roar.
"But in front of me, any sand… is nothing more than nourishment for trees."
The arrogance and confidence on Crocodile's face vanished completely, replaced by a heaviness he'd never felt before.
He could sense it—an absolute suppression radiating from this man, something far beyond a Logia's "natural" advantage.
Princess Vivi stared blankly at the miracle before her—at the man who turned desert into forest, and then at the boy who had remained calm from beginning to end.
In her chest, where despair had been choking her, a spark of hope ignited again.
From this moment onward…
Alabasta's fate had broken free from its original path.
(End of Chapter)
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