Rainy Season  

Desert rains were a force to be reckoned with.

One might assume that a region with such little rainfall wouldn't experience much during its rainy season, but the reality was quite the opposite. Torrents of rain, like buckets overturned from the heavens, would pour down in short bursts. This caused the Sandora River to swell and overflow, leading to flooding and other water-related disasters.

"Our work is done, but it seems the Royal Army will remain stationed here in case of emergencies," George remarked.

"The payment documents are still with us. We won't get paid unless we return to the capital, Alubarna."

Kanata and George, with nothing particularly pressing to do, chatted idly while listening to the rhythmic drumming of the rain.

The heavy downpour made traversing the desert nearly impossible, essentially trapping them on the island for the next two months. The Log Pose had accumulated enough recordings during their two weeks of labor, so they could technically leave anytime. However, with their payment still pending, departing wasn't an option. Both sighed in contemplation, wondering what to do.

"Staying here too long makes me nervous about the Navy catching wind of us," George admitted.

"Don't worry, they already know," Kanata replied nonchalantly.

"They do?... Huh?!"

It wasn't the Navy who knew, but rather the upper echelons of Alabasta, including Cobra and Igaram.

Initially, Kanata had interacted with them out of habit, a leftover from her merchant days. However, now that she was a wanted criminal, such actions inevitably led to her identity being exposed. While she had donned various layers to shield herself from the sun, her face remained uncovered, rendering any disguise pointless.

They seemed somewhat skeptical due to her boldness, but based on Kanata's intuition from their lengthy conversations on the first day, she was certain they knew.

"Then why haven't the Navy come after us?" George questioned, puzzled.

"I don't know. I considered the possibility that they might report us to the Navy after using us for labor to avoid payment, so I've been keeping an eye on the surroundings with Observation Haki, but... there's been no significant movement."

Alabasta was vast, so covering the entire area was impossible. However, at least within Kanata's range of perception, there were no signs of the Navy.

If there were opponents strong enough to defeat her, she wouldn't have considered earning money here in the first place. The real concern was the possibility of them calling for reinforcements. Having Garp show up would be a nightmare.

"I thought a year would be enough for the news to fade and my face to be forgotten, but I was naive," Kanata admitted with a hint of self-deprecation.

"Well, you did kill a Celestial Dragon. That's not something people do every day," George pointed out.

A deed that feared even the Gods, one might say. As an atheist, Kanata's only response to that would be, "What Gods?" However, there was no denying the immense power they wielded.

Still, she had assumed that with the complete disappearance of eyewitness accounts and the passage of a year, the topic would have died down. It seemed the effectiveness of wanted posters was not to be underestimated.

Kanata had calculated that unless they were Celestial Dragons, they wouldn't remain vigilant for long. However, being exposed so quickly, even considering Alabasta's affiliation with the World Government, was unexpected.

"...You're surprisingly thoughtless sometimes," George remarked with a slight chuckle.

"Perhaps. If anything, I want to do something big enough to get in the newspapers," Kanata replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Please spare me. If we clash with a Navy Admiral, I'm prepared to die," George pleaded dramatically.

"Z, the 'Black Arm' Zephyr. I hear he upholds the justice of 'not killing' even criminals... but the extent of his strength is unknown."

"Since he's a Navy Admiral, wouldn't he be stronger than Sengoku, the one you fought?"

"The Navy's placements are surprisingly haphazard... Just because Garp is a Vice Admiral doesn't necessarily mean he's stronger than others."

"...That's true."

Zephyr, Garp, Sengoku, Tsuru - they were all from the same generation, renowned for their exceptional strength.

The fact that Z had once attempted to reduce Marx Island to ashes was a headache-inducing thought. He possessed the power to wipe out entire nations, not just destroy them.

Kanata, having fought Sengoku firsthand, understood his strength best, and Junshi, who had once exchanged blows with Garp, was also well aware of his power.

The fact that Z held the position of Navy Admiral despite those two being around meant he was no pushover.

"It's also strange that Garp, the hero who ended an era of pirates, isn't a Navy Admiral... He's a man whose thoughts are hard to decipher. Perhaps he simply doesn't want any more authority."

"No, no, no, there's no way he wouldn't become an Admiral for such a reason..."

There was. It was a fairly well-known story within the Navy. Every time former Fleet Admiral Kong recommended him for promotion to Admiral, Garp would decline, saying, "I don't need a higher position to do things my way."

He possessed the strength to corner even Roger, yet his rank didn't reflect that. It must have been a headache for Kong as well.

"If the Navy isn't coming, then all the better. I'd like to slam the invoice down and get paid as soon as possible, but..."

"We can't exactly go directly to Prince Cobra and demand payment, can we?"

"He did ask us to wait a few days, so maybe there's a way to cross the desert even during the rainy season."

They likely intended to pay. They were just signing the payment documents because they didn't have the actual money on hand.

"What if they requested reinforcements from Marine Headquarters?" George asked with a hint of worry.

"What to do... If we find out that reinforcements have arrived, it'll be too late. We'll have no choice but to tuck our tails and run."

It would mean working for free, but their lives were more important.

Neither Prince Cobra nor Igaram seemed like the type to do such a thing, but... Kanata's intuition wasn't always reliable, so she couldn't be sure.

"So that's how it is... As the one in charge of the finances, this job was quite profitable..." George lamented.

"Either way, all we can do now is wait."

There was nothing else to do. During this time in Alabasta, even moving between towns was impossible.

(...There is something that bothers me, though...)

Within the Sandora River, there was something with an exceptionally strong presence that Kanata could sense. She had been aware of it during the construction work, but since it was moving slowly and showed no signs of leaving the river, she had left it alone. However, it was now moving actively.

With the heavy rain, the Sandora River was overflowing. If its range of movement increased, it could become problematic.

***

With Samuel holding an umbrella over her, Kanata observed the overflowing Sandora River from atop the levee.

Although she had been warned of the dangers on the way here, unlike other Devil Fruit users, falling into the river wouldn't kill Kanata. The one in actual danger was Samuel, holding the umbrella.

However, with Kanata around, he knew he could be rescued instantly, so he walked alongside her without much concern.

"Hey boss, why are we on the levee?"

"There's something I'm curious about," she replied, fixing her gaze on the rushing water.

About a week before their arrival in this country, they had been told about cracks found in the levee.

Cracks in a levee reinforced with sandbags and bricks. She hadn't inquired about the extent of the damage, but seeing it in person would tell her everything she needed to know.

Stopping their walk, Kanata squinted through the rain to examine the levee.

"...Look at this," she said, pointing towards a specific spot.

"This is..." Samuel muttered, seeming startled.

Despite the murky water making it difficult to see clearly, there were cracks in the levee.

Observing the massive cracks marring the newly constructed levee, Kanata placed a hand on her chin, deep in thought.

(This could be troublesome...)

Whether it was a single impact or multiple collisions was unclear, but... there was definitely something out there.

Something capable of causing such extensive damage to a levee reinforced with sandbags and bricks.

Did the Royal Army know about this?

"Cracks in the levee. The Royal Army being mobilized for construction and not returning even after the rainy season began. The prince personally overseeing the project..."

Perhaps everything was connected after all. In that case, the existence of 'something' should have been known even before the rainy season started. However, there was a possibility that it hadn't been clearly identified.

If the cracks existed before the rainy season, it wouldn't be surprising if it could move on land. Finding suspicious shadows somewhere would explain the Royal Army's mobilization.

"Let's go. We have business with Prince Cobra," Kanata declared, turning away from the levee.

Accompanied by Samuel, she descended and headed towards the construction headquarters, which was still set up.

The construction workers were nowhere to be seen, and the Royal Army, including Prince Cobra, were moving about in a flurry of activity.

Noticing Kanata and Samuel, Igaram hurried over, asking with a superficial smile, "Is something the matter?"

"There's something that's been bothering me," Kanata replied seriously.

"Bothering you?"

"I just inspected the levee and found cracks. They're located directly east from here."

His face paled instantly. He quickly relayed the information to someone nearby and then rushed off towards the back of the headquarters.

After a short wait, Igaram emerged with Cobra. He expressed his desire to hear more and led them to a corner of the headquarters, where a map of the surrounding area was laid out on a table.

"Can you tell me where you saw the cracks in the levee?" Cobra inquired.

"If the headquarters is located around here... then it should be roughly around this area," Kanata replied, pointing to a specific spot on the map.

"...I see, then it must be..." Cobra muttered grimly.

"Does the Royal Army know what's out there?" Kanata pressed.

Cobra hesitated, seemingly reluctant to answer. However, he must have felt it would be disingenuous to remain silent. He slowly opened his mouth and uttered a single word, "Snake."

"Snake? Were there any sightings?"

"Yes. Recently, there have been sightings of a massive shadow slithering on the ground. There shouldn't have been any such creatures in Alabasta originally, so it must have drifted in from some sea..."

The Grand Line was a sea that defied common sense. While anything could happen, the idea of a giant snake washing ashore was still hard to believe. Moreover, despite coming from the sea, it was lurking within the Sandora River.

The fact that it could also move on land made it even more bizarre. At least its presence in the river suggested it wasn't a Devil Fruit user, but that was about all they could say for certain.

"The Royal Army can't just leave it be. I came here to personally lead the subjugation effort, but... it never appeared during the construction work," Cobra explained.

"I see..."

Kanata didn't know why it hadn't appeared during the construction, but the cracks in the levee were undeniable. It would likely show itself soon. Or perhaps, she thought, this could be a business opportunity.

"Prince Cobra, I have a proposition," Kanata stated.

"A proposition?"

"If you agree to the price we set, we'll take care of that monster for you," she offered with a confident smile.

It might seem greedy, but as the captain, she had a duty to provide for her crew. If they could earn money with their honed combat skills, then so be it.

Cobra's expression became troubled, and just then, the ground shook.

Rumble!

A thudding sound, as if something massive had collapsed, and screams could be heard from outside.

Ignoring Cobra and Igaram as they rushed out of the headquarters, Kanata used her Observation Haki to grasp the situation.

"It seems it's appeared. I thought it might be a business opportunity, but at this rate, the Royal Army will take care of it," she said with a hint of disappointment.

"Can't we defeat it and demand money?" Samuel suggested.

"They won't pay us without a contract," Kanata pointed out.

In that case, they would just have to stock up the ship's food storage a little more. They had a small crew, so there were plenty of spare rooms, which could be used as makeshift freezers to store food that would last for a while.

"This time it's a bust," Kanata muttered as she exited the headquarters alongside Samuel.

At that moment, both of their eyes widened in disbelief.

"...It's huge. What is that?"

"Don't ask me. I heard it was a giant snake, but I didn't expect it to be this big..."

A gigantic white snake, easily over two hundred meters long, lay before them. It looked capable of crushing even a giant.

Was it a type of Sea King? Certainly, if something like that collided with the levee, it wouldn't stand a chance.

The Royal Army was desperately fighting back, but their efforts seemed like a drop in the bucket against such a colossal foe. There appeared to be two Devil Fruit users among them, but Zoan types that turned into animals were at a disadvantage in this situation.

"Should we help?" Samuel asked.

"It's the Royal Army's job to protect the country. Not mine," Kanata replied firmly. However, at this rate, they would be caught in the crossfire.

Muddy water was surging from the collapsed levee, and the giant snake was raising its head, flicking its tongue menacingly. HiSSS

Whether or not the Royal Army could handle a monster of this level remained to be seen. She had intended to observe their capabilities, but it seemed that wasn't an option anymore.

"Speaking of which, they're in a pinch," Kanata observed.

With their footing unsteady in the torrent of water, the Royal Army soldiers were being sent flying by the snake's charge.

A hawk occasionally attacked from the sky, and a jackal launched assaults from the ground, but their efforts were futile.

Unable to predict where the snake would appear, they couldn't establish defensive positions, and the heavy rain rendered firearms like cannons useless.

Furthermore...

"Run away! It's dangerous here!"

"But my child is still inside the house!"

Several houses stood a short distance away from the levee. The people who had come out to check the situation after the earlier earthquake were now panicking at the sight of the giant snake.

People were running, searching for children they had been separated from, and despairing as they witnessed the Royal Army being overwhelmed.

While it was none of Kanata's business, it wasn't a pleasant sight to behold.

Cobra, at the forefront, was commanding the Royal Army, but they seemed unable to inflict any significant damage due to the sheer difference in scale.

"Do not falter! We have people to protect behind us!" With Igaram by his side, Cobra raised his sword and rallied the Royal Army.

The snake, spotting Cobra's conspicuous position and his loud voice, opened its massive jaws wide and lunged to devour him first.

Whoosh!

It slithered across the ground with unexpected speed for its size. At that moment, as Igaram attempted to shield Cobra with his own body...

"──A prince shouldn't be on the front lines. It would be troublesome if you died," Kanata interjected, effortlessly catching the snake's massive body with a single hand.

A sound like the air itself rupturing echoed through the area as the impact sent shockwaves rippling outwards, but Kanata didn't budge an inch.

Brushing aside her soaking wet black hair in annoyance, she addressed Cobra once more.

"If defeating this monster can be settled with money──what will you do?"

"...Yes, if money can save lives, then I have no choice."

"Deal."

In an instant, with a crack, not only the giant snake but even the surging muddy water froze solid, blocking the flow. Kanata had focused her power to avoid harming the Royal Army, so only the area around the snake and the levee was frozen.

Her breath turned white as the drastically lowered temperature chilled her wet body.

"I've frozen it to the core. The rest is up to you to dispose of the snake and make emergency repairs to the levee. It won't melt for at least a week," Kanata declared.

"Ah... yes..." Cobra stammered, still in shock.

Leaving behind the army, who now looked upon her with a mixture of awe and fear, Kanata, with Samuel in tow, turned and headed back to the ship with her wet clothes clinging uncomfortably to her body.