Marineford War: I Will Stand in the Sky

Unexpectedly, he happened to witness Enel's arrival.

"Is that the power of thunder? That's outrageous."

"He's acting like a madman. How can that guy attack the World Government's member states so openly and brazenly without worrying about a counterattack from the World Government and the Navy?"

“Look, everyone, including King Cobra, has been driven out of the palace by that madman.”

"This is bad. That madman's power is like a monster; even the celestial phenomena have changed."

……

Listening to the discussions of the high-ranking officials around him, Crocodile unconsciously quickened the pace of puffing out his cigar.

Compared to the vast majority of mindless pirates on the high seas, Crocodile is arrogant and ambitious, but after witnessing "Whitebeard" Newgate Edward and the power to burn the sea, Crocodile is now extremely cautious in his actions.

There's no chance of winning!

Crocodile witnessed Enel's exaggerated power and felt absolutely no confidence in his own abilities.

That's lightning! Compared to Crocodile's sand, it's one of the most violent forces in nature.

Although there is no obvious counter-relationship between sand and thunder, Crocodile has absolutely no chance of winning.

'Or perhaps we should give up on taking over the Kingdom of Alabasta?'

'After all, whether the Ancient Weapon Hades truly exists in the Alabasta Kingdom is still unknown, so taking such a risk might not be worthwhile...'

However, Crocodile's mind was made up again the next moment!

Whether it's seeking revenge against "Whitebeard" Newgate Edward or conquering the seas, the power of the Ancient Weapon Pluton is indispensable.

'Perhaps this is a good opportunity. Cobra doesn't fully trust me yet. If I can defeat that madman who calls himself a god, I'll surely gain Cobra's trust...'

'However, that madman's power is in no way inferior to the monsters of the New World, and I alone am no match for him.'

Immediately, Crocodile put the cigar he was holding in his mouth away, then placed it on the table and pressed it down hard, laughing as he muttered to himself.

"A helper? Isn't that readily available?"

Immediately afterward, Crocodile ignored the high-ranking officers in front of him who were completely ineffective against an opponent of Enel's caliber, and quickly turned into sand and headed out the window.

[Chapter 327: Response]

Meanwhile, on a street outside the palace, King Cobra and a large number of palace staff were gathered in a disheveled state, while the royal guards stood guard around them.

"That's really embarrassing..."

The Kingdom of Cobra clenched its fists, never imagining that the Nefertari family, the royal family of the Alabasta Kingdom for thousands of years, would be so humiliated as to be driven out of the palace.

This humiliation made King Cobra tremble uncontrollably with rage.

Even though the Kingdom of Alabasta still has a massive military force of over 600,000, King Cobra, looking at the thick, dark clouds that constantly loom over the sky, understands that under that level of power, ordinary numbers are meaningless.

Power...

King Cobra, who had always followed the principles of benevolence and righteousness, suddenly realized the importance of power at this moment.

Perhaps power cannot guarantee a happy and healthy life for the people, but it can ensure that their happy and healthy lives are not disrupted.

As King Cobra led Princess Vivi away from the palace with an unpleasant expression under the protection of his guards, Princess Vivi kept looking around, as if searching for something.

"Princess Vivi, what are you looking for?"

Just as Princess Vivi's expression grew increasingly anxious, a deep, familiar voice sounded behind her.

Princess Vivi turned her head and saw that it was indeed Yaen. She said with a hint of relief, "That's great, Teacher Yasuo. I was wondering if you had received the notification to evacuate the palace."

"Yes, I discovered that enemies had broken into the palace. Just as I was about to go to provide support, I noticed that you all started to evacuate, so I followed suit."

Yarn offered an explanation, then asked, "So what exactly happened? Is the enemy that powerful?"

Upon hearing this, King Cobra let out a long sigh of relief and said...

"That guy called himself God Enel, and was suspected to be a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. He was incredibly strong, and Bell and Jaka, the two lieutenants of the guard, fell down almost instantly."

Seeing the King of Cobra's expression, which was both wistful and grim, Yann couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since the King of Cobra had gone out to sea to truly understand the terror of the powerful beings of the ocean.

While Bell and Jakka are also Devil Fruit users, isn't it normal for them to fall instantly when facing truly powerful opponents? Why the outburst of such shock and disbelief?

However, King Cobra still needed to be given face, so Yann also spoke solemnly.

"If that's the case, then God Enel is no simple character. We need to come up with a good strategy."

(While quietly staying in the palace, Enel listened to the praise in Yann's words, and the corners of his mouth, which was biting into an apple, couldn't help but curl up, and he muttered something.)

"It seems the High Priest does acknowledge my strength. Hmph, but that makes sense, I am a god who controls thunder and possesses the power of retribution!"

Upon hearing this, King Cobra nodded and gradually calmed down before speaking. "Lord Yaso is right. I will contact the World Government and the nearest naval base to request support."

"Um, also..."

Yaen looked up at the still pitch-black clouds above, offering a subtle reminder.

"If Enel can really manipulate the heavens and unleash lightning at will, then once we are fully engaged in battle with that enemy who calls himself a god, the entire capital city may be affected."

Upon hearing this, King Cobra understood Yann's meaning, and his brows furrowed deeply. He recalled Enel's awe-inspiring appearance, how he casually manipulated massive amounts of lightning to strike down throughout the capital, and the terrifying thunder beasts, thunder birds, and thunder dragons.

King Cobra quickly made his decision and gave the order to Icarum, who was standing to the side.

"Ikalem, immediately arrange for a royal guard to attempt to leave the capital. If they are not attacked by lightning, immediately lead the soldiers to protect the citizens and evacuate the capital in an orderly manner. Also, order the surrounding cities to prepare the necessary supplies and settle the refugees."

As King Cobra spoke, Icarum, the captain of the kingdom's guard, changed his expression drastically and asked a question.

"Your Majesty, are we going to abandon the capital completely?"

“Protecting the people is the responsibility of the Nefertari family. As for the capital… we’ll talk about that later,” King Cobra said with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"Yes!"

Icarum's expression changed repeatedly, and he quickly led a squad of royal guards out of the capital.

Seeing King Cobra's arrangements, Yann couldn't help but feel a greater sense of approval for the king.

This man is indeed a rare king on this vast sea who values ​​his people.

In this way, the problem that was of great concern to Yann, which was the outbreak of conflict between Crocodile and Enel, and that the aftermath of the battle between the two Logia-type Devil Fruit users would cause a large number of civilians to suffer, can be considered resolved.

All that's left is to prepare to watch the show.

If Crocodile were truly brave and, in order to maintain his image as the "hero of the Alabasta Kingdom," brazenly challenged Enel head-on, then that would naturally be the most ideal outcome.

Even if Enel can't defeat Crocodile, the difference in their strength should be enough to drive Crocodile away from the Alabasta Kingdom.

If Crocodile chooses to avoid war, then the heroic image he wants to maintain, as well as his plan to secretly seize the Alabasta Kingdom, will be completely ruined.

If there's any shortcoming to this plan, it's probably that Enel would definitely be wanted by the World Government and the Navy afterward, and even hunted down.

However, as a user of the "Rumble-Rumble Fruit," Enel's speed is no less than that of Borsalino, the user of the "Glint-Glint Fruit."

In addition, Enel's special Observation Haki, "Mind Net," developed by combining the power of the "Rumble-Rumble Fruit," has an extremely large range, making it almost impossible for the World Government and the Navy to catch him.

Just as King Cobra was making various arrangements to deal with the situation, a gust of quicksand flew rapidly toward him.

Has it appeared?

While subtly preparing for a defensive posture, Yann showed no outward change whatsoever.

The next moment, Crocodile withdrew from his elemental state and appeared directly in front of King Cobra.

“Mr. Crocodile, you are actually in the capital? That’s wonderful.”

King Cobra was overjoyed to see Crocodile appear, as if he had seen a savior.

Crocodile took out a cigar, exhaled a puff of smoke with an air of nonchalance, and said...

"I noticed the unusual climate in the capital, so I rushed over here."

[Chapter 328 A Terrifying Flag]

King Cobra then gave Crocodile a general account of the matter, and Crocodile nodded in agreement.

"So, Mr. Crocodile, do you have any confidence in defeating Enel? The Nefertari clan will never forget your kindness," King Cobra pleaded.

"Whoo~"

Crocodile's expression was somewhat solemn, and he remained silent for several breaths before speaking.

"For the safety of the people of the Kingdom of Alabasta, I can try to take action, but..."

"King Cobra said anxiously."

"But what? Mr. Crocodile, rest assured, whatever the Kingdom of Alabasta can provide, we will do our best to meet your request."

Crocodile gave a subtle smirk, then shook his head and said.

"It's not about the reward, it's just that if I act alone, I'm not sure I can win completely, so I need someone to help me."

“Mr. Crocodile, you have a point, but…”

At this point, King Cobra couldn't help but show a somewhat troubled expression.

The strongest fighters in the Kingdom of Alabasta are Bel, the vice-commander of the Kingdom Guard, and Jaka, but both of them are currently seriously injured and unconscious, and have no fighting ability at all.

As for Icarum, the captain of the Kingdom Guard, he is actually not very good at fighting.

Therefore, the Kingdom of Alabasta today doesn't even have a single powerful figure to boast about.

However, Crocodile's initial target was not Bell and Jakka. Instead, he pointed at Yann, who was standing next to Princess Vivi, and said...

"I've heard he's a master swordsman. How about I have him assist me?"

This surprised Yann, who never expected Crocodile to go and assist him himself.

What's going on here?

Well... I'm the director. I'm just making an appearance as a bonus scene to wrap things up when I'm planning the ending.

King Cobra hesitated for a moment before explaining.

“Mr. Crocodile, Lord Yasuo is merely a guest of the Kingdom of Alabasta and Vivi’s teacher. I have no right to let him take such a risk.”

However, Crocodile's mind was perfectly clear.

The so-called "Wind Control Sword Technique" that Yaen had previously demonstrated was not weak. He not only easily defeated many of his senior officers, but he could even use the "Wind Control Sword Technique" to block the impact of the sand waves.

A swordsman of this caliber would be no insignificant figure even in the "New World" seas.

Meanwhile, in an effort to eliminate the unexpected factor of Yasuo, Crocodile had been gathering information about Yasuo and "Wind Swordsmanship" through various channels, but with almost no success.