Lacking the most crucial condition to incite rebellion among the people of Alabasta—the prolonged drought—Crocodile knew that if he wanted to spark an uprising, his current efforts were far from sufficient.
Alabasta was a massive nation with a standing army of 600,000. Without at least an equivalent number of rebels, there was no way to overthrow the regime.
Thus, the plan needed to change.
Port City of Nanohana.
"Your Majesty…"
The citizens of Nanohana watched as several Kingdom Guards escorted King Cobra to the port, seemingly waiting for something.
Many people wanted to approach and ask the king about the recent destruction of waterways, canals, and oases across multiple cities.
However, for one, these incidents were officially attributed to sandstorms. And for another, Cobra's prior call for water conservation had earned him public gratitude, making many hesitant to question him outright.
As a result, when the Kingdom Guards forbade anyone from approaching, the people chose to stand back.
Moments later, a sudden shout echoed through the crowd:
"A massive ship is coming into port! It's… It's not slowing down!"
"What?!"
Before anyone could react, a colossal cargo ship crashed straight into the harbor, reducing the port to ruins!
"His Majesty! The King is still there!"
Panic erupted among the people. Remembering that Cobra and the Kingdom Guards were at the port, they rushed forward—only to hear the king's furious roar:
"Damn it! How could such an accident happen?!"
"Your Majesty! The cargo hold has been breached! That substance… it's spilling everywhere!" a Kingdom Guard reported in alarm.
"Dispose of it immediately! This matter is of utmost importance—it must never be discovered!"
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!"
"...It's too late! The crowd is approaching! Burn it all—hurry!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The Kingdom Guards set fire to the ship's cargo hold. In no time, raging flames obscured the civilians' view.
"What's that? Why are they burning it?"
"What could be so important that they'd rather destroy it than let us see it?"
"The sky… it doesn't look right?!"
The people rushing toward the port were halted by the blaze, only able to see King Cobra's grave expression through the firelight.
RUMBLE—
Thunder rumbled as the sky darkened, and Cobra's face changed drastically.
"Damn it!"
"...It's raining?!"
"A heavy downpour!"
Although Nanohana was a port city and rain wasn't uncommon, the timing was…
The king had just ordered the destruction of an unknown cargo, and immediately after, rain began to fall…
"Could it be… 'Dance Powder'?!"
The crowd was stunned. The only substance known to produce such an immediate rainfall effect when burned was the infamous, banned Dance Powder!
"The King was transporting Dance Powder, and upon being discovered, he ordered it burned—only for the rain to expose him?!"
No matter how one looked at it, this seemed like the most reasonable explanation.
"But… King Cobra… how could he do such a thing?"
"I… I don't believe it!"
Even with Cobra standing right there, most people refused to accept what they were seeing.
Cobra was simply too beloved by his people!
But then…
Cobra spoke coldly: "Kingdom Guards! Arrest all witnesses! Destroy this city—this matter must never be revealed!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"What?!"
The so-called "Kingdom Guards" raised their weapons, sneering at the panicked civilians.
"By royal decree! You've seen what you shouldn't have—surrender now!"
"Has His Majesty gone mad?!"
"Run—run for your lives! They're coming!"
The people were utterly dumbfounded—but their survival instincts kicked in at the sight of drawn blades and firearms.
"Hahaha! Accept your fate!"
BANG—
CLANG—
A sharp, ringing sound pierced the air. The bullets fired at the civilians were suddenly sliced in half, falling harmlessly to the ground.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the "Kingdom Guards."
"AHH—!"
Screams filled the air as those who had just fired on the crowd were sent flying by a series of swift, precise slashes!
"What's going on…?"
"Hahaha… What a spectacular performance—I almost believed it myself."
The wind settled, revealing a striking figure before the civilians.
A man, holding a vibrant rose in his left hand and a jewel-encrusted longsword in his right, stood before them with an elegant pose.
With his handsome face and captivating smile, he radiated an irresistible charm.
Cavendish.
"He's… so handsome!"
The women murmured, enchanted. To be saved by such a dazzling, powerful, and elegant man—it was like a dream. Was he an angel?
"You… You killed the Kingdom Guards?! Who are you?!"
The so-called "King Cobra" narrowed his eyes in shock.
"Kingdom Guards?"
Dressed in Alabasta's traditional attire, Cavendish scoffed, his expression filled with disdain.
"That man over there—the so-called 'King'?"
"Don't make me laugh! His Majesty is in the palace right now, teaching Princess Vivi. He doesn't have time for such theatrics!"
The imposter's expression changed drastically before turning to flee!
"What?! The King is in the palace? Then who is this?!"
"Who is he? Is he telling the truth?!"
The crowd was left in a daze by Cavendish's declaration. Before they could react, Cavendish became a whirlwind once more, intercepting the fleeing "King" with impossible speed!
"Beautiful Sword: Blue Bird!"
A fierce surge of sword energy carved a deep scar into the ground as Cavendish's famed sword, Durandal, unleashed a powerful thrust straight at the shocked "Cobra"!
The "King" let out an eerie chuckle.
"Wahaha—So I've been exposed! My, my, I truly didn't expect this!"
With an unnatural, fluid motion, his limbs bent into a bizarre arc, his face began to contort—and in an instant, he somersaulted midair to meet Cavendish's blade.
"Ballet Kenpo: Swan Arabesque Kick!"
BANG—!
The force of the clash sent a shockwave rippling through the area. The "King," now revealed, had transformed into a man with exaggerated makeup, a slipper-shaped face, and a prominent, rounded chin.
"Showing your true colors at last?"
"The Baroque Works agent, Mr. 2, Bon Clay—Bentham!"
The crowd gasped once more—the King was an impostor!
This dashing stranger had unmasked the deception!
"Baroque Works?! That notorious crime syndicate?!"
"His Majesty has been fighting against them for so long… They impersonated the King to frame him?!"
"They used Dance Powder to incriminate the royal family? That means… the destroyed waterways, the drought—was it all their doing?!"
"We were almost deceived!"
"Damn it! I doubted His Majesty—these scoundrels must pay!"
"We have to help!"
As the people rallied, Cavendish raised his voice: "No need! Spread the truth across the nation—Baroque Works' scheme ends today!"
His eyes gleamed—this mission would make him a hero in the great kingdom of Alabasta!
A true superstar!
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