Chapter 318: The Straw Hats Who Want to Challenge Wood

After finally enjoying the long-lost luxury of the royal baths in Alabasta, Wood and Robin, with Princess Vivi accompanying them, left Alubarna.

However, before leaving, Wood received a gesture of gratitude from Alabasta. In return for the help he provided during their time of crisis and to strengthen the kingdom's defenses against future pirate invasions, Alabasta placed a large order for weapons from Wood's company.

While Alabasta had been struggling financially, even to the point where Vivi couldn't afford to pay Nami the promised reward, Crocodile's defeat had revealed a treasure trove of wealth left behind by the former Warlord.

As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile had amassed a fortune during his time in Alabasta, even though his wealth didn't quite rival that of an entire nation.

According to the agreement between Wood and Crocodile, all of Crocodile's riches would belong to Wood after Crocodile's downfall.

But instead of taking the treasure for himself, Wood informed Princess Vivi and King Cobra that the riches would be used to cover the costs of the weapons Alabasta was purchasing, as well as solving their water crisis.

Yes, before leaving Alabasta, Wood had even gone to several major cities and cast high-level water magic to provide the kingdom with some much-needed relief.

Even though Crocodile had been defeated, Alabasta's three-year drought was not something that could be easily solved in a day.

Alabasta's economy relied heavily on the few oases on the island. Yet, now, even Yuba, the former commercial hub, had been reduced to desert. Restoring the kingdom to its former glory was going to take a long time, even without Crocodile's interference.

Currently, the kingdom could barely sustain its population, but that wasn't the only challenge they faced. Looming on the horizon was the impending payment of the "Heavenly Tribute" to the Celestial Dragons.

Becoming a member nation of the World Government and receiving their protection wasn't free. In addition to attending the Reverie every few years, member nations were required to pay this so-called "Heavenly Tribute."

The tribute, in essence, was nothing more than a protection fee paid to the World Government in exchange for their "protection."

Since Crocodile's arrival in Alabasta, the kingdom's income had plummeted. For the past few years, they'd been draining their reserves just to pay the tribute.

But this year, Alabasta simply wouldn't be able to make the payment.

Cobra had come to realize that despite paying the tribute every year, the World Government had failed to protect them from the devastation brought by Crocodile, one of their own Warlords.

After what happened with Crocodile, Cobra understood that for a kingdom to truly be strong, it had to rely on its own strength.

So, in secret, Cobra and Wood formed a partnership.

If Alabasta stopped paying the tribute, they would lose the protection of the World Government, so they needed to bolster their own strength.

Weapons were an essential part of that plan.

As Wood and Vivi traveled through the various cities of Alabasta, casting water magic to provide relief, Wood was also surveying the land for something specific.

And finally, in a remote town, he found what he had been looking for.

"You've done so much to help Alabasta," Robin said, her curiosity piqued as she watched Wood examine a strange, black liquid. "Even allowing them to order weapons on credit, and helping to rebuild their cities. Was it all for this?"

Wood chuckled as he examined the dark, viscous substance in his hand. "Black-brown in color, with a greenish glow, a pungent odor, and a thick, oily texture..." He snapped his fingers, and the liquid ignited, burning like a powerful fuel.

"Yup... No doubt about it. This is crude oil."

Seeing Wood confirm that this was indeed what he had been searching for, Princess Vivi breathed a sigh of relief.

In this world, no one helps others for no reason. Both Vivi and King Cobra, as members of the royal family, understood this truth well.

For someone as influential as Wood, his help was either due to ulterior motives or because Alabasta had something of value to him.

Wood, after all, wasn't like the Straw Hat Pirates—a small group of idealistic dreamers. He was a major figure in the underworld, with a vast and powerful organization behind him.

If he had no interest in Alabasta, they would've had more reason to be worried, suspecting some hidden agenda, unless he really was a distant relative of the Nefertari family.

As it turned out, Wood's generous terms were all contingent on the fact that Alabasta held something he had been looking for. Now that he had found it, Vivi felt genuinely happy for him.

"So, this is what you were after all along?" Vivi asked. "The locals call it 'black oil.' They consider it a bad omen because of its foul smell, and prolonged exposure to its fumes makes people sick."

Wood wasn't surprised. This world already had more advanced technology like gunpowder, which overshadowed the utility of crude oil.

And for a desert kingdom like Alabasta, crude oil couldn't be used as water, and it posed a danger in the heat. So it made sense that the locals kept their distance from it.

However, Wood knew that if refined properly, crude oil could serve as the best energy source, much more than a simple fuel for burning.

It was a resource that could propel an entire era forward!

With oil as a fuel, along with the advancements made by his weapons company, who would need pirate ships made of wood anymore?

Once massive steel warships hit the seas, even the fleets of the Four Emperors would be nothing compared to their destructive power.

And if oil was available as fuel, the idea of planes in this medieval world wasn't far-fetched either.

Steel ships dominating the seas, planes ruling the skies—conquering the Grand Line would be child's play.

Oil, after all, forms deep within the Earth's crust, derived from ancient biological matter. It's why Wood believed that Alabasta, with its ancient deserts, might have oil hidden beneath its sands.

"Princess Vivi, this is indeed what I was searching for. I suggest you consider establishing a new city here.

"As long as you have this 'black oil,' our weapons company will buy as much as you can produce. I guarantee that in no time, Alabasta will not only overcome its current difficulties but also become one of the wealthiest kingdoms on the Grand Line."

Of course, Wood wasn't going to explain how to refine crude oil into petroleum to Princess Vivi. But the price he offered for the raw oil was more than generous.

As long as Alabasta wasn't foolish, they would realize that partnering with Wood was in their best interest.

This "black oil" had little value to them or anyone else, but in Wood's hands, it was priceless.

Upon returning to the royal palace in Alubarna, Princess Vivi, on behalf of Alabasta, signed a series of agreements with Wood, formalizing their partnership.

Meanwhile, as Wood and Vivi had been searching for crude oil, the Straw Hat Pirates had fully recovered from their injuries.

Wood couldn't help but marvel at the resilience of people in this world. The Straw Hats had fought Crocodile and the Baroque Works agents to near death. Some were poisoned, others critically injured, and even Nami had been left covered in wounds from Miss Doublefinger's attacks.

Yet in just a few days, they had all bounced back to full health—something even healing magic couldn't achieve so quickly in other worlds.

"Wood! Fight me!" Luffy declared, his eyes burning with determination.

Upon waking up and learning from his crewmates that the person who had helped them was the infamous ex-Marine Wood—the very man he had dreamed of defeating—Luffy couldn't help but feel like he had missed his chance.

Now that Wood had returned and Luffy's injuries were healed, there was no stopping him from challenging the man he had always wanted to face in battle.

As usual, warnings about the difference in their strength were the furthest thing from Luffy's mind. He was just like the little kid who used to challenge Shanks—eager to fight someone he admired.

"No, Luffy, you can't beat him!" Nami and Usopp shouted as they tried to restrain him. "That Marine Captain Smoker who kept chasing us couldn't even last three moves against him!"

Having barely survived their encounter with Crocodile, Nami and Usopp had no desire to pick a fight with someone even more dangerous.

Besides, Crocodile had been a clear enemy—he was threatening their friend Vivi and her kingdom. But Wood had done nothing but help them. Why provoke someone like that?

"I can beat him! It's just like with Crocodile! You never know the outcome until the battle is over!" Luffy insisted, his confidence unwavering.

During the fight between Wood and Smoker, Luffy had been unconscious, so he had no idea just how easily Wood had defeated the Marine. Even if he had known, it wouldn't have made a difference—Luffy believed in his own strength.

"This could be interesting," Zoro said, unable to suppress a grin. "If we're talking about a duel with a master swordsman, I'm in. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to cross swords with a real blade master!"

"Zoro! I'm the one who's going to fight Wood!" Luffy shot back.

"Fights don't have a queue, idiot! Besides, Wood's clearly a swordsman, so what's a brawler like you doing challenging him?"

And just like that, Zoro and Luffy were at each other's throats, bickering over who would get to fight Wood.

Things escalated further when Sanji joined in. Learning that both Luffy and Zoro were planning to challenge Wood, Sanji couldn't resist getting involved—not to mention trying to impress Robin, who was standing nearby watching.

"Well, if all three of you want to fight me, why don't you come at me together?" Wood suggested, an amused smile playing on his lips. "That way, you might last a little longer.

"Swordsmanship, martial arts, leg techniques—I know a bit of everything. So I should be able to give you a good challenge."

While Luffy was upset about having to share his fight, Zoro and Sanji had no objections. Luffy, on the other hand, was already plotting to be the first one to land a blow on Wood.

In the royal training grounds, Wood stood calmly at one end, while at the other stood the three strongest members of the Straw Hat Pirates: the rubber man captain, the directionally challenged swordsman, and the love-struck cook.

"Vivi, do you think they have a chance of winning?" Nami asked, looking excited as she turned to Vivi.

After hearing about the upcoming sparring match, Nami had set up a little betting pool, and King Cobra, along with the royal guards, had placed quite a few bets.

Since Vivi hadn't been able to pay Nami's reward for saving Alabasta, Nami figured this little betting pool would help her make some extra cash.

"I think… they can do it," Vivi replied, though her voice was hesitant. The Straw Hat Pirates weren't just Alabasta's saviors—they were her dear friends. So, despite knowing Wood's strength, she couldn't bring herself to bet against them.

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 400+ at p@treon.com/Betek (@->a)