"My name is Taro. As for my identity, I'm sorry, but for certain reasons, I cannot tell you for the time being."
"I cannot get too involved in this incident," Taro said. Worried that Koza might think he didn't want to fulfill his previous promise, he immediately added, "Rest assured, I won't forget what I promised you."
"As for your later question..." Taro rubbed his temples with a headache, "Just assume the King told me... I told you, I met Your Majesty the King before I came here."
After he finished speaking, both of them fell silent. Taro slowly finished the food before standing up again and nodding to Koza. "Thanks for the hospitality. I believe your words, and I ask you to believe mine."
Taro steered the small boat toward the port, while Koza remained where he was, lost in thought with his head bowed.
"Leader Koza, that guy has left. Should we..." When Koza returned to the shore, his followers asked urgently.
Koza shook his head. "Let's go back first before discussing it."
...Capital City Alabasta, Royal Palace.
"Your Majesty the King, it is only a matter of time before the Rebel Army marches on the capital. Are we really going to..." The Guardian God of the Kingdom, Commander Chaka, hesitated.
"Chaka, since we already know this is Crocodile's conspiracy, how can we let the citizens shed blood? Order the troops along the route to retreat to the east coast immediately; they are not allowed to assemble at the capital!"
"But, Your Majesty, if this continues, the survival of the country will be..."
"So what? Are we to wipe out the citizens of this country? That is what would truly drive the nation into a corner!"
King Cobra spread his hands. "Listen well, the country is the people!"
Just then, Maga ran into the palace shouting urgently, holding a letter in his hand. "Your Majesty the King, Your Majesty the King, Super Spot-Billed Duck Karoo is back!"
Cobra snatched the letter, scanned it quickly, and then handed it to the two Guardian Gods of the Kingdom beside him. "This is indeed Vivi's handwriting..."
"Now that it's confirmed what Taro said is the truth, Chaka, go and pass the orders quickly!"
"As you command, Your Majesty the King!"
"Maga, gather the military officers of the capital. We are holding a pre-war meeting immediately to prepare for the evacuation of the capital's civilians to the north. We move at dawn tomorrow!"
"Yes!"
"Pell, you go to Rainbase immediately for reconnaissance!"
"As you command!"
...City of Dreams, Rainbase.
Straw Hat Luffy's crew and Captain Smoker finally arrived at Crocodile's headquarters, the "Rain Dinners" casino.
"Have these pirates already reached this city?" Crocodile picked up Luffy's photo from the pile on the table and asked contemptuously.
"Yes, we just received a report from the Millions." Robin, who had just rushed back to Rainbase, responded calmly.
Crocodile gave a sinister, cold laugh. "Then go and kill all these annoying rats!"
Using a floor trap, Crocodile easily captured Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and that old unlucky Marine, Smoker. The five of them were locked together in a cage made of Sea Stone.
Crocodile compared them to the photos one by one, then spoke. "You have one more companion, don't you?"
Luffy said in shock, "You actually know? Amazing! But I'm still going to send you flying!"
Crocodile didn't take Luffy seriously at all. He looked at Nami and Usopp, who were already screaming in terror at his title of "Seven Warlords of the Sea." "That companion of yours is a young man, isn't he?"
"Sanji?!" Usopp and Nami screamed out instantly.
"Are you two idiots?" Zoro roared at them.
"Ah, so his name is Sanji!" Crocodile thought of that black-haired, black-eyed fellow and revealed a cruel smile.
"I will kill him and send him to join you."
"Aaaah!" Usopp and Nami screamed in fright.
Luffy and Zoro also stared at him through gritted teeth.
"You really have a face that's even more disgusting than I imagined!" Captain Smoker, puffing on his cigars, looked at Crocodile with disdain.
"Oh? A mouth like a dog's, just like the rumors say, Smoker. I am one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, an ally to your Marines! You seem to have stopped treating me as one of your own a long time ago!"
Crocodile chuckled. "But it doesn't matter, Smoker. I'll just let you suffer an 'accidental' death."
"You fought hard against this little pirate wearing a straw hat; even if you die, you will die an honorable hero of the Marines."
"Miss All Sunday, take some men to capture Princess Vivi so she can reunite with them, and then continue to track down that fellow named Sanji."
As he finished, Crocodile burst into loud laughter.
Before long, Robin returned with Princess Vivi in custody, then left to track down "Sanji."
After a while, a Billions member ran in. "Mr. President! Mr. President!"
Crocodile's face darkened. The minion who ran in noticed Crocodile's expression; his legs trembled in fear as he stammered in a low voice, "Pre-President, the people in Katerea reported that there is a..."
"What did you say?" Crocodile was furious.
"Mr. President, the Vi-Vice President knows too. She said she would report to you personally..."
Crocodile grabbed the minion by the throat, his grip tightening as he hissed through gritted teeth, "Miss All Sunday!"
Tossing the minion, who had died from dehydration, onto the floor, Crocodile's grim face suddenly broke into a smile. "Since I already know the whereabouts of that fellow named Sanji, I'll go send him on his way now."
"You all can go on ahead!"
"Hahaha, Hahaha!"
After laughing wildly for a while, Crocodile finally stopped. "My 'Operation Utopia' will eventually be realized!"
"Operation Utopia? What's that!" Luffy and the others looked shocked.
"Since you're going to die anyway, there's no harm in telling you."
Crocodile then revealed his entire conspiracy: from the Dance Powder incident to posing as a national hero, and arranging for Mr. 2 to transform into the King to commit atrocities everywhere, inciting war between the Kingdom Army and the Rebel Army to ultimately destroy the country.
Then he laughed again. "How is it? Do you like it?"
"Listen closely to the wailing of Alabasta!"
"The two sides fighting to the death to protect Alabasta... how tragic and moving!"
Luffy shouted wildly, "I'm definitely going to send you flying, ah..."
However, the Sea Stone cage completely suppressed Luffy's powers. He soon grew weak and collapsed helplessly.
"Well then, farewell, little pirates, Smoker, and our lovely Princess!"
Crocodile pressed the trap's activation button. The floor opened up, revealing the entrance to an underground pool. The key to the Sea Stone cage was tossed in with a 'whoosh,' disappearing into the belly of a certain Banana Crocodile in the pool.
"I'll soon send that fellow named Sanji to join you! Hahahaha!"
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