One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

……

at the same time.

Dozens of naval warships were neatly deployed in the waters between Alabasta and Drum Island, completely blocking the entire shipping route.

On a naval flagship with a dog-head figurehead hanging on it.

"How many ships are there today, Bogart?"

Wearing a dog-head mask, Garp leaned back in a chair, his gaze lazily following another ship that had just passed inspection and was slowly sailing away from the blockaded waters.

He turned his head slightly and asked his adjutant, Bogart, who stood ramrod straight behind him like a statue.

"Reporting to Vice Admiral Karp, it's the eighth ship."

The adjutant, Bogart, responded immediately, his voice clear and calm, devoid of any emotion.

“Since yesterday, ships bearing the Baroque Works logo have been continuously passing through this area.”

"Including the seven ships recorded yesterday, Baroque Works has now granted permission for more than fifteen ships—perhaps more—to dock at the ports of Alabasta."

Garp remained silent for a moment, letting out a barely audible hum, a hint of impatience and doubt flashing across his rugged face.

“Hmph… Crocodile,” he muttered to himself, his voice deep, “is up to some underhanded tricks again.”

"And that bastard Sengoku, he even repeatedly emphasized that we must not lay a hand on the Seven Warlords of the Sea without permission."

"The older you get, the more timid you become!"

Karp couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath.

The claim that "the rebel forces in Alabasta are growing stronger, forcing the mobilization of manpower to protect the assets of the Workers" is false.

That kind of excuse wouldn't even fool a three-year-old.

Crocodile is definitely plotting something bad in the dark.

Garp certainly understood that Sengoku had his reasons and difficulties in doing so.

But as a dignified naval hero, he couldn't just stand by and watch pirates operate right under his nose...

If word got out, uninformed people would probably think that the navy and pirates were secretly colluding and working together.

"That damn redhead..."

Garp cursed inwardly as usual.

"If Luffy had obeyed and joined the Marines with me..."

That's all for now.

Karp didn't think about it any further.

It wasn't because he knew the reality that had already happened couldn't be changed, but because he genuinely didn't know... whether it was the right decision.

……

……

In the blink of an eye.

Two days have passed.

The enormous island whale, like a moving black mountain, crashed through the sea, its spray transforming into a fleeting rainbow under the blazing sun.

The Straw Hat crew stood atop Laboon's broad, damp roof, the salty sea breeze carrying the unique dryness of the desert land.

Their underwater movement plan allowed them to successfully bypass the navy's encirclement.

They even arrived a day earlier than originally planned.

"Is Alabasta just ahead...?"

Luffy manually shielded his eyes from the sun, his rubber neck stretching forward curiously, his eyes beneath his straw hat reflecting the distant, winding coastline and the faintly visible, earthen-yellow land beyond.

Weiwei stood beside him, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, her eyes filled with complex and indescribable emotions.

She took a deep breath, nodded slowly, her voice slightly tense: "Yes, that is Alabasta."

"This is the northeast coast of Alabasta, which is the opposite direction from the direction of the naval blockade."

"No navy personnel will detect anything unusual in the short term."

"Alright." V stepped forward from the crowd. "Then let's proceed according to plan!"

"The Navy may detect anomalies at any time; do not underestimate the World Government's intelligence network."

"Therefore, everything must be resolved quickly from now on!"

"no problem."

With a major battle imminent, the smiles on the Straw Hat crew's faces vanished instantly.

Even Robin, who had only joined the team two days prior, was looking very serious.

Before the operation, V went over the plan with everyone one last time:

"Then in a little while, Vivi, you and Chopper will go to the capital, Arubana, to inform King Cobra of our plans and prepare accordingly."

Chopper's reindeer form can carry Vivi for extended periods of high-speed movement.

With the "Effort Leads to Success" spell implanted in Chopper by V, along with various nutritional supplements, they were able to meet Cobra as quickly as possible.

"Robin, now summon all the high-ranking agents of Baroque Works and have them go to the designated location to formally meet their BOSS."

"Zoro, Sanji, you two are responsible for protecting Robin."

"If those agents behave themselves, everything will be fine..."

"If they don't know what's good for them, I still have plenty of empty beds in my ward."

"Understood." Zoro and Sanji's expressions suddenly sharpened.

Before even meeting the agents, their fighting spirit was already high.

They haven't encountered a worthy opponent in a long time.

"Mm." V nodded.

He doesn't need to worry too much about this team.

Having experienced the situation over the past few days, Mr.2, Mr.3, and others have long since realized that it's wise to be pragmatic and are willing to actively cooperate with V's actions.

Not cooperating won't work either.

If someone takes your heart and leaves only a mechanical heart, and that mechanical heart is then controlled by someone else to decide whether it beats or not...

Anyone would be indignant in this situation.

With Sanji watching over things, as long as Zoro and his group don't get lost, it's almost a certainty that Baroque Works will be brought under the Straw Hats' control.

"Nami, Usopp!"

V's prosthetic eye suddenly emitted a beam of blue light, projecting a map of the Alabasta Kingdom onto everyone's faces and marking several locations within it.

"This is the gathering place for the rebels provided by Robin."

"You two take the blueprints for the seawater filter and the large seawater filter, and find the leaders and chiefs of these rebel groups..."

"Tell them that the freshwater resources of the Kingdom of Alabasta have been saved."

"If they are willing to surrender peacefully, the past can be forgiven."

"If they remain obstinate and insist on fighting for that throne..."

V raised his head, looking coldly at Nami and Usopp.

"Then they are not ordinary Alabasta citizens; we must strike hard!"

"Yes!"

Nami and Usopp immediately accepted the order.

With their current setup, they probably can't compete in high-level matches.

But if the rebels are of civilian origin, having a large number of people is meaningless!

"very good!"

Seeing the crowd's high spirits, V's lips curled up slightly.

He looked up at Alabasta in the distance and said with a smile:

"Then... Luffy and I will only attack Rain Land and completely defeat Crocodile."

"As long as we act quickly enough, we can establish a firm foothold on the Grand Line before the Navy and the World Government can react!"

"Now... let's begin!"

Chapter 78 I've Received Your Efforts! (Please Read On!)

Rainland, the dream city of Alabasta.

Even as the entire nation is shrouded in drought and internal strife, this gambling city, protected by Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, remains brightly lit and extravagantly luxurious.

The massive crocodile-shaped "Rain Banquet" casino stands in the city center, reflecting a cold metallic luster under the scorching sun.

Deep underground in the casino, in a lavishly decorated office.

Crocodile sat in a large leather chair, the smoke from his cigar rising slowly in front of him.

His left hand tapped the table gently with a gold hook, making a rhythmic "click, click" sound.

"Miss All Sunday has been out of contact for three days."

Looking at the empty office before him, Crocodile's voice was low and cold, each word seemingly ground out from between his teeth.

His collaboration with Robin has been going on for quite some time.

As his deputy, Robin controlled Baroque Works' entire intelligence network and possessed extremely high authority...

For years, Robin had never escaped his control.

But just when they were surrounded by the navy off the coast of Alabasta, this woman, who had never been trustworthy, suddenly disappeared.

All of this made it impossible for Crocodile not to think about it.