Nefertari Cobra, the 12th King of the Arabasta Kingdom

In the Kingdom of the Desert, a palace looms magnificently in the midst of glistening sand that undulates softly under the scorching heat of the sun. The palace is a stunning example of stunning harmony between traditional architecture and contemporary luxury, and it is set against the backdrop of expansive sandy views.

The palace walls are constructed out of specially compressed sand, resulting in a surface that is both smooth and reflective when exposed to light. The skilled hands of local craftsmen are displayed along the edges of the walls in the form of intricate carvings that feature intricate detail. The various hues of sand, ranging from yellow to brownish-reddish, give the palace structures an interesting visual dimension.

The owner of all this glory, Nefertari Cobra, the 12th King of the Arabasta Kingdom, reflected on a person beyond his reach while sitting on a garden bench. The image of a powerful king is not visible in him. Rather, all visible is the image of a worried father concerned about his daughter.

"My King, how could you fall this down? As acting captain of the royal guard, I feel like a failure," muttered a tall, imposing man with dark skin and black hair of a medium length. He had a long, broad nose that resembled that of a jackal.

Chaka, who is one of two head guards in the Arabasta Kingdom and serves Igaram, was utterly heartbroken when he saw the state of his king. Even if he had to walk all the way around the world to find Princess Vivi, he wouldn't mind doing so as long as his king could be happy and resume being the regal and dignified ruler he was used to.

"My King, the ministers are already waiting for you in the hall," When Chaka saw that the king was surprised by his presence, he sighed with concern, 'he didn't even realize I was standing behind him.'

"Ohh, Chaka, I see. I'm relieved to hear that you made it home without any problems."

"I don't deserve your concern, my King..." Seeing Chaka, who remained silent without completing his sentence, caused Nefertari Cobra's heart to feel like it was being squeezed because he had previously given the command to his most reliable head guard to investigate issues that had arisen in different parts of his kingdom.

"What's the matter? Have you come across anything?"

"About that, My King... aside from strange climatic conditions that are taking place all over Arabasta, I discovered that Mr. Crocodile seems to be plotting something harmful for our kingdom."

Nefertari Cobra sat back down on the bench limply. His expression also showed a mix of despair and anger because his daughter had also warned him a year ago when that man came, but he didn't pay attention and instead believed that man carried good intentions for the future of his kingdom.

Chaka tried to persuade his king to concentrate on their primary objective when suddenly, a guard dashed towards them, carrying a message that seemed of the utmost importance. Chaka then made it possible for the guard to speak because the king did not utter a single word.

"I beg your pardon for my brazenness, but I just got word from the port in Nanohana that there are many pirate ships anchored-"

Chaka was too knowledgeable to realize this was not just a minor issue. However, the king, who was in a foul mood, could not see this and immediately interrupted the guard while saying:

"What's different from before? All those pirates come and go as they please, but the only thing they ever seem to bring this kingdom is chaos... You should take Pell with you if you want to drive them away, Chaka."

After that, Nefertari Cobra walked away in solitude, which caused this guard to become anxious because he thought he had upset the king. However, Chaka quelled his anxiety and continued to question him before this guard provided an explanation:

"The issue is that there are so many pirates that even their presence there seems unnatural... at first, we were afraid that they would immediately cause chaos, but for some strange reason, none of them got off the ship."

As Chaka rubbed his chin and contemplated the report in depth, he said to himself, 'I'll never know if I don't see it in person, as the king said, I'd better take Pell with me.'

-

*Explosion!

Following the loud bang that could be heard, smoke could be seen rising into the air. The intensely dark color of the smoke overpowered the mist that covered Cactus Island, allowing everyone to see it very clearly.

As a result of Kaiser's insistence on bringing Igaram along for the ride, the one and only bar in Whiskey Peak is currently in disarray due to the fight that broke out between his crew and these lowly bounty hunters.

After finishing off a bounty hunter with a few punches, Captain Hina immediately grabbed one by the collar and asked, "Do you know where Miss Valentine and Mr. 5 are?"

When he heard her question, his consciousness, which was on the verge of vanishing, returned. At that moment, the only thing that he could smell was the odor of blood mixed with iron in his mouth. He didn't even pay attention to Captain Hina's beautiful face in front of him.

"I don't know... *cough... instead of that, aren't you afraid that Mr. 0 will find out what you guys are doing... I'm sure that not even your superiors in Marine would risk getting in trouble for messing with him…"

"Listen, you worthless piece of shit! If I wanted to kill you right now, no one would know or care about a lowly bounty hunter like you!"

This was only a threat coming from Captain Hina, as she had no intention of actually carrying it out. The death of a bounty hunter who works with the world government to apprehend pirates could bring her reputation crashing down, but she is not ready to give up. As she was about to approach another bounty hunter, she noticed Luffy leaving the bar with Makino and Nami.

He was dragging the unconscious Igaram in his hand while the bar behind him was also engulfed in flames, casting their shadow in a reddish hue. Several bounty hunters also gradually emerged from the flames of hell, dragging their frail bodies away from the inferno that was about to consume them.

"Come, our work is done… next, we will go to Arabasta Kingdom."