Alabasta

"Pluton"

The executives sat in silence, contemplating the word "Pluton" as it echoed through the room. None of them knew any legends or myths connected to the name—no Hades, Osiris, or ancient gods. Yet something about the name struck them as powerful and majestic.

And it wasn't just Pluton. The other two rumored ancient weapons, "Uranus" and "Poseidon," carried an aura of mystery and strength that captivated them.

"So… what exactly is Pluton?" someone finally asked.

"No clue," admitted Richard Burns with a shrug.

The lack of details didn't dampen their interest. Even the name alone promised a weapon of unparalleled might.

Eyes gleaming, Richard continued, "One thing we do know is that Devil Fruit abilities reappear when the user dies. So, if we're going after Pluton, we should also make sure Crocodile doesn't walk away from this. That way, the Sand-Sand Fruit can be reborn, and we can capture it.

"Yes! A natural ability!" Matthew Hudson's gaze lit up. Pluton sounded intriguing, but it was Crocodile's Logia ability that truly held his attention. Its power had already been demonstrated in battle, and he had plans for it.

As it happened, the existence of Pluton was something Richard had stumbled upon by chance. His original target had been Crocodile, solely for the Sand-Sand Fruit. But during an encounter, his players had overheard Crocodile mention Pluton. Although Crocodile defeated them, they'd spread the word before respawning. John's game might clear a character's death, but players' memories were another matter.

"It's just a game character," one of them scoffed, laughing at their own wariness. "Why are we even worried?"

But their expressions betrayed a hint of unease. These were the top figures of the Dragon Kingdom's gaming industry, forced to strategize against a virtual character. A thrill mixed with discomfort at how real John had made this experience. No one could ignore the revolutionary programming in John's hands.

The ability to breathe life into game characters to this extent created a new reality they could hardly compete with. If John controlled this technology, he controlled the future.

"Any leads on finding the development team?" someone asked abruptly.

The room fell silent. They exchanged glances before Matthew spoke up. "Still nothing. It's like they don't exist. John rarely leaves his house, and our hackers can't find any connections to collaborators."

"No way he's done all this alone."

"That's impossible. It's only code; someone else has to be in on this."

"Alright, enough speculation," Richard cut in, shifting the focus. "First, let's deal with Pluton. Regardless of what it turns out to be, Mochizuki will take the biggest share."

Matthew nodded, already setting his sights on Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit. The others agreed, each solidifying their plans.

"Our target is Alabasta," Richard announced. "Our operatives have already infiltrated Crocodile's ranks to keep tabs on his movements. Since Alabasta is a desert, make sure to bring enough water. We move as soon as Crocodile makes his play."

With that, the five executives went their separate ways, mobilizing their teams.

Meanwhile, in the World of One Piece

Alabasta, the desert kingdom, had never been a prime destination for players. Sparse and hot, with few resources, it had only seen moderate player activity. But suddenly, John noticed a significant increase in the number of players converging on Alabasta.

"Huh? Why's everyone headed to Alabasta?" he muttered, curious. He had just finished handing a Devil Fruit to a promising player and was making his rounds in the game world when the surge of players caught his attention.

Alabasta wasn't known for anything special in the game, other than its location on the Grand Line. But now, the desert was swarming with players, many of them lugging large quantities of water and crafting unfamiliar tools—

"Water Guns!"

John chuckled. "Looks like they're gearing up to take down Crocodile with water attacks. Clever."

Bringing water into a desert kingdom? Their plan was obvious: neutralize Crocodile's Sand-Sand abilities by exploiting his weakness to water. This wasn't just a casual adventure—this was a coordinated raid.

But John wasn't the only one taking notice of the activity in Alabasta.

The Revolutionary Army Takes Notice

On the island of Baltigo, Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, listened closely to his informants' reports of a sudden influx of people in Alabasta.

"Alabasta?" he murmured, deep in thought.

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