Chapter 146 - Alabasta 15.
[Chapter Size: 2000 Words.]
Third Person POV
Alabasta, First Half of Grandline.
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...
Before Luffy defeats his adversaries or even enters the phase to dominate the fight, elsewhere in the city, Zoro, Reiju, and Lami, having overcome the Marine commodores and some agents of Baroque Works, moved in different directions to assist the other members of their crew. Zoro, with his swords still unsheathed, advances with a firm purpose. His imposing figure and the determination in his gaze cause any remaining agent of Baroque Works or sailor to hesitate before facing him. By his side, Reiju, with the grace and lethality of a predator, kicks the air, using Geppo to move quickly and locate the next opponents. Lami, after deactivating her "Room", follows them, her confidence and skills unshakable, ready to use the Ope Ope no Mi to disorient and defeat anyone who dares challenge them.
As they approach other confrontations, the presence of each turns the battle that was already easy into a massacre. The opponents, already tired and overwhelmed by the other members of the Straw Hats, now face a new wave of relentless adversaries. The agents of Baroque Works and the remaining sailors, realizing that the tide has irrevocably turned against them, begin to retreat, their morale broken by the overwhelming force of the Straw Hats.
At that moment, in the city center and looking at the unconscious bodies on the ground, Luffy opened the shop and bought some chains to imprison his fallen enemies, he quickly put Seastone on Crocodile and surrounded the vice-admiral with so many chains that he could not break with his Haki, after that, he picked them up and started to walk towards Crocodile's casino to wait for the others, he might not have observation Haki yet, but he knew that his crew would easily deal with the opposing forces.
As the dust settles over the city's battlefield, the intensity of the fights begins to wane. The explosions, the screams, and the clash of steel against steel give way to a heavy and expectant silence.
"Let's meet at the casino, I'll be waiting for you," Luffy speaks on his untraceable den den mushi to the entire crew.
Quickly, the members of the Straw Hats, one by one, begin to head to the designated meeting place, using Geppo to find Luffy in front of the location, who had already undone his transformation, giving way to the usual carefree captain. The streets marked by the battles now serve as a silent path for the victorious to meet.
"You finished them off..." Reiju commented, looking at Luffy's prisoners.
"It was a fun fight... I learned a lot from them," Luffy was satisfied with the battle he fought.
"Damn captain, he should have left one for me... especially the swordsman..." Zoro still complained that Luffy took the two at once to fight.
*Crack*
The giants arrived at that moment.
"HEY, shall we go in there? What do you think, Dorry?"
"I think the captain should shrink us, Broggy!"
"Come here, let's bring you to an acceptable size," Luffy spoke, waiting for the giants to approach to activate his abilities of the moa moa no mi.
Vivi, and Shirahoshi, the mermaid princess, also join the group. Ironically, Vivi was carried in the air with Shirahoshi using Geppo with Megalo at her side. Despite not having directly participated in the fights, their concerns for their companions were evident.
"Luffy-Sama! Are you okay?" Shirahoshi asked approaching Luffy with her innocence and kindness, looking at Luffy with eyes full of admiration and concern. Her question about his well-being is loaded with genuine concern and relief at seeing him safe and victorious.
"I'm fine, Shira. Were you okay on the boat?" Luffy asked her.
"Yes, Luffy-Sama. Some bad men tried to attack us, but Chouchou-sama defeated them all!" She said excitedly.
"That's good, I see that the desert princess is emotional." Luffy turned to Vivi in tears as she looked at Crocodile, the Desert Lord who controlled the shadows of Alabasta, now lying powerless and unconscious, with special chains reinforced with Seastone wrapping his body.
"Thank you, Luffy, you defeated him, now will Alabasta be safe? Did you save the country?" Vivi, with tears streaming down her face, is a mixture of relief, gratitude, and a bit of sadness for what her country had to endure. She goes up to Luffy and hugs him, being emotionally overwhelmed. The sight of Crocodile, her greatest enemy and the source of so much suffering for her people, now defeated and chained, is almost too much for her to process.
"Well... for now everything is settled, if nothing strange happens, I believe it's all resolved," Luffy replied with a smile. Now without Crocodile, there was no reason for the rebels to start an attack, so Luffy thought.
"You really defeated him..." Robin approached, looking at Crocodile alongside Momonga.
"I told you. I didn't even need to use his weakness," Luffy smiled at the woman.
The situation calmed down, and the fights stopped throughout the city, but the residents, realizing that the criminals controlled everything with the marines and the men of the "kingdom's hero," Crocodile, were shocked and feared for the future of the city as they locked themselves in their homes.
"Should we inform the people about the real crimes of Crocodile?" Vivi asked, feeling the city's atmosphere.
"No, that won't help at all. Let's wait to hand over the evidence to the marines, and speaking of evidence, Robin, can you lead the way to the casino?" Luffy turned to Robin at that moment.
"Yes," she calmly replied and followed with Luffy and the others through the entrance doors.
The group of Straw Hats, led by Nico Robin, entered Crocodile's casino, they enter the casino, the doors opening to reveal a luxurious interior, now silent and empty except for the frightened employees who were caught off guard by the sudden invasion. The employees, some still in elegant uniforms, look at the pirates with fear and confusion, not knowing what to expect.
Luffy barely notices their presence. His mind is focused on the place reminiscent of Las Vegas for Luffy.
'I should have had some fun before starting this fight if it was possible...' Luffy murmured, imagining a bit of fun betting on games and laughing with his women in this place.
'Anyway, there's still Gild Tesoro's Gran Tesoro in the new world...' Luffy thought of another famous gambling house.
His goal is to find what Crocodile hid, something he suspects to be of great value or importance. He turns to Robin, who remains calm and composed, despite the charged atmosphere.
"Robin," Luffy says, his voice firm. "We need to get to the vault room, or wherever Crocodile keeps his most valuable treasures and documents. Do you know where it is?"
Robin nods. "Yes, I know the way. The vault is in a fortified room on the lower levels of the casino. It's where Crocodile keeps not just money, but also information and items he considers important." Her voice is serene.
Ignoring the frightened employees who shrink at their passing, the group moves through the casino. They pass by empty gaming tables, silent slot machines, and extravagant decorations - all testimony to the wealth and power Crocodile accumulated through his nefarious schemes.
As they descend to the lower levels, the atmosphere becomes darker and more oppressive. Dim lights illuminate the narrow corridors, and the silence is almost deafening. Robin, however, does not hesitate; she knows this path and what it leads to.
Usopp, always the most vocal and expressive, can't contain his surprise and alarm when he comes across a crocodile lurking inside an aquarium. His exclamation echoes through the corridors, briefly breaking the oppressive silence. "What is that?!" he shouts, instinctively recoiling with Megalo and Bepo.
Reiju, on the other hand, stares at the crocodile with a calculating look and a comment about the animal's potential culinary use. "Looks good, it must make great meat..." She doesn't show fear or surprise, just a cold and practical assessment, typical of her nature.
As they continue, passing what appears to be Crocodile's secret office, filled with documents on the table with maps. And then, finally, they arrive in front of a massive and reinforced door. It is clearly different from all the others they have encountered so far.
"It's here." Robin stops in front of it and turns to her companions, Luffy, with a knowing look, turns to Zoro. "Zoro..." he says, confident in the swordsman's ability.
Zoro, with a smile that shows his enthusiasm for the task, steps forward. He unsheathes one of his swords, the blade faintly gleaming in the dim light. With precise and powerful movements, he attacks the door. Slash Slash - the sound of metal cutting through wood and metal of the door resonates, a testament to his strength and skill.
The door splits in two as he finishes, and the treasure room is revealed to the group. The interior of Crocodile's vault is a cave of wonders, filled with piles of money, bags of shining coins, glittering jewels, and rare artifacts. It's the result of years of manipulation, extortion, and power of Crocodile over Alabsta and beyond through Baroque Works.
Luffy enters, "Crocodile was swimming in money!"
"How much is here...?" Kuina asks, looking at the place.
"If Nami were here, she'd have said it in a second..." Nojiko commented.
"Let's take everything," Luffy decides, looking around the vault. "I'm not putting this into the system, let's clean this place out and take it to the ship!" Luffy had decided that as much as he didn't have money in the system, he wanted to keep a considerable amount in the ship's vault to use with the crew.
One by one, the crew members begin to fill their bags and pockets with the treasure from the vault.
In a short time, the vault, once filled to the brim with the wealth accumulated by Crocodile, is emptied.
"The money's gone, now let's go for the documents..." Luffy comments, and Robin begins to pick up some of them.
"There's a lot here, but it doesn't prove everything, Crocodile always made sure to destroy any evidence. But I have my own documents hidden in this city, let's pick them up as soon as we leave." Robin mentions, and Luffy nods satisfied.
As the group walks toward the abandoned church, the air is charged with a mix of tension and relief. The city of Rainbase, once bustling with the energy of Crocodile's casino, is now eerily silent, a mute witness to the recent battles.
Upon arriving at the church, Robin moves with a quiet grace, retrieving the hidden documents. She hands them to Vivi, who accepts them with trembling hands. "These documents prove everything," Robin says softly, her tone serious and firm. "Extortion, bribery, plans to overthrow the kingdom... Everything Crocodile did is here."
Vivi leafs through the papers with a look of shock and sadness. "I knew he was behind everything, but to see it in black and white..." she murmurs, her voice almost getting lost in the vastness of the church.
Luffy, watching the interaction, places a comforting hand on Vivi's shoulder. "Now you have what you need to end all the conflicts in Alabasta, Vivi."
Vivi looks up at Luffy, her eyes shining with renewed determination. "Yes, we'll end them all!"
The group then heads back to the Black Pearl. The energy is a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction for some. "I guess we can finally take a rest, right? Like no training..." Usopp comments, trying to relieve the tension.
"We never rest," Zoro responds dryly, checking his swords.
Chouchou, the loyal dog that has been a valuable member of the team, is among those who stayed behind, guarding the Black Pearl with the seriousness and dedication that only a guard dog can offer.
"Good boy, Chouchou," Luffy says, giving an affectionate pat on the dog's head. "You took good care of our ship."
The other crew members smile and pet Chouchou, who enjoys the attention and recognition of his efforts. With everyone on board and the evidence secure, the Straw Hats prepare to set sail. It was time to head to the kingdom's capital, Alabarna.
"Let's set sail, guys!" Luffy announces, and the Black Pearl begins its journey.
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