The Formation of the Thunder God Pirates!

The news of Crocodile's defeat quickly spread as the onlookers passed it on, reaching other places. The first to receive the information, naturally, was King Cobra of the Alabasta Kingdom.

At that moment, Cobra sat on his throne, his brows tightly furrowed after hearing the report from the kingdom's guard.

"One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile, was defeated? And not by Thunder God Saunders? Who is this blind swordsman?"

The captain of the royal guard, Igaram, shook his head.

"I've had people scour newspapers and bounty posters from recent years, but there's no trace of this man. He must be a hidden master from among the common folk."

"A hidden master among the common folk? That's unbelievable!" Cobra exclaimed with amazement.

Since the beginning of the Great Pirate Era, most people with even a hint of ability had gone out to sea in search of fame and fortune. Who would have thought there were still such hidden talents in the general populace?

"What's Crocodile's current situation?" Cobra asked.

"Our people have discovered that Crocodile is actively recovering from his injuries, while his subordinates are preparing a ship, as if they're getting ready to leave."

"Leave?" Cobra's eyebrows shot up, and a delighted expression crossed his face.

"This is good news for Alabasta."

Though Crocodile had helped them repel pirate invasions, Cobra had always felt uneasy. Could a pirate, recognized by the World Government, truly be that kind-hearted? Cobra didn't believe it. But since Crocodile hadn't done any direct harm to Alabasta and had even gained significant public support, Cobra hadn't dared to move against him hastily.

Now that Crocodile seemed to be leaving, Cobra was naturally overjoyed.

"Send someone to make contact with Crocodile's subordinates and confirm whether he's really leaving. If he is, the kingdom can offer some assistance—whether it's Berries or supplies, don't be stingy on this matter."

Cobra thought for a moment before giving these instructions. Doing so would not only ensure Crocodile left quicker but might also win him some favor with the public. It was a win-win situation.

"I understand. I'll issue the order right away."

"By the way, where did Saunders and his group go?" Cobra asked again.

Although Crocodile had coexisted with them peacefully for a while, Saunders was different. With a bounty of 2.4 billion Berries and a crew member capable of defeating Crocodile, Cobra couldn't rest easy without knowing whether Saunders had left Alabasta.

"We're not sure. Their ship can fly, and right now, we have no idea where it went," Igaram replied, somewhat helpless.

"A flying ship? I've never heard of such a thing. If only we had one!" Cobra remarked wistfully. Flying had always been a long-held dream of mankind, but apart from a few Devil Fruit users, sustained flight was nearly impossible.

"For now, have Pell patrol the capital more frequently," Cobra ordered.

Pell, the vice-captain of the royal guard, possessed the Bird-Bird Fruit: Falcon Model, which allowed him to transform into a falcon. With Saunders' whereabouts unknown, having Pell patrol the skies was a good way to ensure the capital's safety.

"I've already sent Pell," Igaram said with a smile.

Just then, Pell himself hurried in, looking somewhat grim.

"Your Majesty, Saunders has arrived in Alubarna," he reported.

"What?"

Cobra shot up from his throne, his expression instantly becoming anxious.

"Is he here to invade the capital?"

"Igaram, if Saunders attacks the palace, you must take Vivi and flee. Inform the army and prepare for battle. Have the deadly waters ready. If Saunders harms any civilians, we must protect the people, even if it costs us our lives!"

Cobra issued orders rapidly. The "deadly waters" were a toxic substance that could temporarily boost strength but would result in certain death afterward. Alabasta wouldn't use such a thing unless absolutely necessary.

"Uh, Your Majesty, please calm down. Saunders and his crew haven't made any dangerous moves. They're shopping," Pell quickly clarified.

"Shopping?"

"Yes, they've been buying a lot of daily necessities—clothes, shoes, bedding, and food," Pell explained.

Upon hearing this, Cobra sighed in relief. Shopping? Fine. As long as they weren't attacking. He'd even let them take all the supplies in the city if it meant they didn't invade. Alabasta wasn't limited to just one city, and as long as the citizens were safe, they could always resupply from other towns.

"Tell the soldiers in the capital not to act rashly. As for the spies, have them stay far away. As long as Saunders and his crew don't make any threatening moves, act as though they aren't even here," Cobra instructed, his voice steady once more.

Meanwhile, Saunders and his crew were indeed busy shopping. Since his ship had previously been his alone, all the provisions were only sufficient for him. With Robin and Issho joining, it was only natural they needed to stock up on more supplies.

"Are you sure you don't want to head directly to the Poneglyph?" Saunders asked Robin as he casually picked through items.

"There's no need. Since the captain already knows where the Poneglyph is hidden, there's no need to make a big scene," Robin replied. "After all, that's where the royal family of Alabasta has rested for generations. We can go quietly at night."

"Alright, whatever you say."

Saunders shrugged indifferently.

"Uncle Issho, how about I buy you a couple of new outfits?" Robin called out to Issho.

After spending a short amount of time together, the three had quickly become comfortable with one another. Robin was no longer as tense and confused as before. In her own words, there was no point in running away or betraying them when she was with a man who could defeat an admiral and another who had bested a Warlord of the Sea. She was better off just staying on the ship.

Besides, both Saunders and Issho were easy to get along with.

"Me? I'll leave it to you to choose," Issho said with a warm smile. Aside from the clothes he was wearing, he didn't have anything else. It was always useful to have spare clothing while sailing, but since he couldn't see, he had to rely on others to help him shop.

"Hey, Robin, you didn't say anything about buying clothes for me, the captain," Saunders joked, pretending to be dissatisfied.

"Uncle Issho can't see, so of course someone else has to choose for him. You can buy your own clothes, can't you?" Robin retorted, rolling her eyes.

Saunders laughed heartily. He was merely trying to help Robin integrate into the crew more quickly—nothing more.

"At least I'm paying for everything. Couldn't you show me a little appreciation?" Saunders teased.

"Consider it a gift to the new crew members, Captain. After all, you've got plenty of treasure and Berries in your storage room," Robin said nonchalantly. "There's still a ton I couldn't carry off that Celestial Dragon's yacht. You wouldn't believe how rich they are—just one piece of furniture was worth millions of Berries!"

"Well, that's… something else…"

The group continued to joke and chat as they bought an enormous amount of supplies, changing their outfits completely in the process. Issho even sported a new sunhat.

After loading all their purchases onto the ship, Saunders noticed that several Alabasta royal guards were stationed around the ship, keeping watch from a distance. They were likely sent by Cobra, who didn't want any foolhardy thieves to approach and provoke Saunders' wrath.

After dropping off their haul, the trio returned to the city. Issho headed to the casino, saying he planned to buy some gambling equipment in case they got bored on the ship. Meanwhile, Robin went to the bookstore to buy some books, with Saunders tagging along to carry them.

As they left the bookstore, Robin turned to Saunders, who was carrying hundreds of books.

"Captain, the pirate flag is almost ready. Should we go pick it up?"

Previously, since Saunders had been alone, he hadn't bothered to declare himself a pirate crew. But now that there were three of them, it was time to fly their pirate flag.

As for the name of the crew, he had lazily chosen to go with the name the Marines had given him: Thunder God Pirates. Even the ship now had a name—Thunder God.

When they arrived at the shop, the owner came out cautiously to greet them.

"The items you ordered are ready."

Saunders hadn't asked for much—just a pirate flag and a sail with a skull design. The design was simple: a bolt of lightning striking down onto a skull.

After paying, Saunders and Robin returned to the Thunder God. Issho hadn't returned yet, so while Robin tidied things up, Saunders hoisted the pirate flag and painted their symbol onto the ship.

By the time Issho came back, laden with gambling gear, they all sat down for a nice meal on the ship, preparing to head to Poneglyph under the cover of night.

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T/N:

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