Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were knocked unconscious and quickly tied up.
However, regular ropes weren't very effective—after all, both of them were Devil Fruit users, meaning they could break free if they woke up.
To solve this, Carl took out a Seastone bracelet and secured it on them, ensuring they wouldn't be going anywhere.
Tashigi puffed out her chest proudly and looked up at Zoro.
Her expression practically screamed: See? I'm totally fine!
Zoro stared at her, and for some reason, the image of Kuina flashed in his mind.
That same smug, confident look—the one Kuina always had after beating him in a match—was now staring right at him from Tashigi's face.
It made him extremely uncomfortable.
Why do they look so damn similar?!
"Mr. Carl, Mr. Swordsman, and Tashigi—thank you!" Vivi said sincerely, bowing in gratitude.
Carl and Zoro simply shrugged it off.
Tashigi, however, responded formally, "Your Highness, no need to thank me! As a Marine, it's my duty to protect you!"
Hearing this, Vivi's suspicion deepened.
Tashigi is really a Marine? But… why is she traveling on the same ship as the Straw Hat Pirates?
Before she could ask, Nami arrived with Igaram, a satisfied smirk on her face. Seeing Vivi safe, Nami was already thinking about how to use this situation as leverage.
Coincidentally, Luffy appeared at that moment, his stomach round and bloated from overeating. Jango trailed behind him.
"Hey, everyone! You okay? Turns out this whole island is full of bounty hunters, and their target was us all along!" Luffy announced loudly.
Carl, Zoro, Nami, and Tashigi all stared at him, speechless.
So you actually knew?!
Then why did you eat like a glutton and sleep like a log before?!
Jango stepped forward and explained, "I noticed something was off, so I used my hypnosis to put a few of them under and interrogated them. Once I figured out the truth, I woke up Captain Luffy and filled him in."
Carl and the others suddenly understood.
Ah… That makes more sense. There's no way Luffy figured this out on his own!
Nami, however, didn't care about the details. She immediately turned to Igaram and pressed for payment.
"Captain of the Alabasta royal guard, we upheld our end of the deal and rescued the princess. That means the promised one billion Berries should be ours now, right?"
Vivi's eyes widened in shock.
"One… ONE BILLION BERRIES?!"
Igaram immediately said, "We don't have the money on hand right now. You must escort the princess back to Alabasta first—only then can we pay you!"
Vivi shook her head. "Igaram, they saved my life. We can't deceive them like this. The truth is… even if we return to Alabasta, we can't afford to pay that much money."
"Your Highness..." Igaram looked troubled.
"What? A country as big as Alabasta has no money?"
Nami wasn't buying it. She thought Vivi was just trying to get out of paying the reward.
Seeing Nami's skepticism, Vivi sighed and explained everything.
Nami's eyes widened in realization. "I see… So Alabasta has been thrown into civil war because of a conspiracy, and now you can't afford the payment."
Vivi nodded. "Yes. But if you don't mind, I do have a personal savings of 100,000 Berries."
Before Nami could respond, Tashigi quickly interjected, "I saved the princess as a Marine. It was my duty—there's no need for payment!"
Nami immediately bared her teeth. "You're the one hitching a ride on our ship! Don't act all high and mighty!"
Carl and Zoro exchanged speechless glances.
Nami's obsession with money was honestly impressive. The country was in chaos, and she still wanted to collect a fee.
At this moment, Luffy—now back to his normal size—tilted his head and asked curiously, "Hey, do you know who's behind all this?"
Vivi hesitated for a moment before quickly shaking her head. "I won't say. I don't want to drag you all into this!"
"Isn't it Crocodile?"
Carl yawned as he casually dropped the name.
"Eh?! Teacher Carl, you knew?" Everyone was shocked.
"It's not hard to guess," Carl replied lazily. "The most powerful pirate in Alabasta is Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. I already told you about him before."
"Ah, now that you mention it..."
Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Jango recalled Carl's earlier lesson.
He had given them a rundown of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and their known activities.
Crocodile was the one operating in Alabasta. And to successfully orchestrate a civil war, the mastermind would need immense power, connections, cunning, and ambition—traits that fit Crocodile perfectly.
Vivi and Igaram were completely stunned.
Thinking about it, Carl's reasoning made sense, but Vivi and Igaram still hesitated to accept it.
After all, Crocodile had been Alabasta's hero for years. No one wanted to believe that their hero was actually the mastermind behind the kingdom's turmoil.
Regardless of whether Carl spoke the truth, they were already involved. There was no backing out now—eventually, they would have to face the Sand Crocodile.
At that moment, a large bird and a sloth landed on a nearby wall. The sloth held a drawing board and pen, rapidly sketching portraits of the group.
"What are you drawing?!"
Without hesitation, Nami swung her Clima-Tact, sending a bolt of lightning straight at the bird and sloth.
The two creatures—known as the Unluckies—were Baroque Works' reconnaissance team, responsible for spying and delivering messages.
Carl had originally planned to intercept them, but Nami acted faster, likely deciding that it was too much of a hassle to let them report back.
Carl, on the other hand, had been concerned that if Crocodile learned the Straw Hats were involved, he might flee. And if that happened, Nico Robin wouldn't get the chance to join them.
Nami picked up the drawing board, glanced at it, then snorted and tore the sketch to pieces.
Tashigi clenched her fists and said angrily, "The Seven Warlords of the Sea are legally recognized pirates under the World Government and Marine.
Why would Crocodile do this? Doesn't he realize that overthrowing a government and seizing power would provoke the full wrath of both the World Government and the Marines?! He's courting death!"
Luffy, Zoro, and the others blinked, completely lost.
Vivi and Igaram, however, looked grim. The World Government and Marines hadn't taken any action despite the civil war in Alabasta. Their inaction only proved how untouchable Crocodile felt.
Carl sighed leisurely. "Tashigi, this is why I say your perspective is too narrow. It's not the first time a Warlord has overthrown a kingdom."
He glanced at the group before continuing.
"Dressrosa, in the New World, is currently ruled by another Warlord—Doflamingo. He pulled off the same stunt. Took over the kingdom ten years ago, and guess what? He's still sitting on the throne."
"NANI?!!"
Everyone was shocked.
Even Vivi hadn't known. She was too young at the time.
Igaram, on the other hand, had heard rumors but had never been sure.
Now that Carl confirmed it, the sense of crisis within Vivi and Igaram deepened.
Crocodile was following Doflamingo's example?!
Could a pirate truly become king? Would the people actually accept it?
Then, it struck Vivi—Crocodile had been building his reputation as a hero all these years.
Maybe… he had been preparing for the throne all along!
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