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"What... What in the world happened?!" Crocodile stared, eyes bloodshot, into the darkness.
The only sounds were the futile clicking and ringing of the Transponder Snails he kept dialing, met only by silence.
After losing contact with Nico Robin, Crocodile had immediately dispatched his ace agents—the Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger pair—along with the cunning Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek combo, straight to Little Garden.
Of course, unlike the original timeline, Crocodile possessed no intelligence whatsoever about Rowen and his crew.
With Rowen's Observation and Conqueror's Haki, the Unluckies (Baroque Works' intel gatherers) stood no chance of getting descriptions or information.
Rowen certainly wouldn't benevolently provide intel to Crocodile; letting the scheming fool operate blind suited Rowen just fine.
So why send Mr. 1 to Little Garden without intel? Because Crocodile had sent scouts to investigate Whiskey Peak after losing contact.
The bounty hunters there—wiped out.
Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, sent to eliminate Princess Vivi and Igaram—also wiped out.
Mr. 9 and Miss Monday—missing.
Nico Robin—lost contact at Whiskey Peak.
Clearly, Princess Vivi and Igaram weren't capable of this alone. Someone must have helped them.
Now aided, and likely aware of his identity, Vivi would surely head back to Alabasta. And the next stop from Whiskey Peak towards Alabasta—was Little Garden.
This was the extent of Crocodile's current knowledge.
Just as Rowen had told Vivi, Crocodile's entire scheme revolved around the Poneglyph in Alabasta detailing the location of the Ancient Weapon, Pluton.
Losing contact with Robin—the only one who could read the Poneglyph—threw even Crocodile's cold calculation into disarray. Without her, his plan was effectively dead before it began.
Thus, Crocodile dispatched the strongest forces available to him.
But now—not only had Robin not been recovered, but Mr. 1 and the others had vanished too!
Obviously—something had happened to all of them!
BANG!
Crocodile slammed his fist onto the table, his eyes burning red.
His top five ranked agent pairs—now only Mr. 2 and Mr. 4 remained!
His carefully constructed Baroque Works, built over years with numerous skilled agents—now reduced to just a handful of operatives!
And losing the Unluckies, vital for aerial reconnaissance, at Little Garden was the final straw!
Crocodile raged impotently—he didn't even know who his opponent was!
He, who always manipulated everything from the shadows, now felt like he was being played by an unseen hand!
Worse, without Nico Robin, enacting his plan now seemed utterly pointless. And with his enemies hidden while he was exposed, the situation was slipping from his control.
"If you chose to help Nefertari Vivi—then you must be coming to Alabasta!" After his initial fury, Crocodile forcibly calmed himself.
He rapidly issued new orders.
All remaining Baroque Works forces were to converge on Alabasta. All high-ranking agents were to gather there. He deployed numerous operatives along Alabasta's coastline—any sign of Nefertari Vivi or Nico Robin was to be reported immediately.
"I'll be waiting for you—right here!" Crocodile hissed, eyes bloodshot. The rage boiling within him was second only to the humiliation of his past defeat by Whitebeard.
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Little Garden.
Unlike the furious Crocodile, the Straw Hats were enjoying a feast.
The prehistoric ingredients were transformed into delectable dishes by Sanji.
All the remaining booze was consumed heartily by Brogy and Dorry. Zoro, still injured, was forbidden from drinking.
Luffy and Usopp, chopsticks stuck up their noses again, performed the bizarre 'nostril-chopstick dance' they learned from Johnny, their comical expressions sending everyone into fits of laughter.
Even the giants, Dorry and Brogy, slapped their massive thighs, roaring with laughter.
Delicious food, fine wine, joyous laughter—this was a pirate feast!
"GABABABA! This is great! It's been too long since we had a proper pirate party!"
"GEGYAGYA! Brings back memories! Haven't had this much fun in ages!"
Brogy and Dorry laughed uproariously.
The feast eventually wound down amidst cheerful camaraderie.
"Well then, we'll be taking our leave," Rowen said, smiling towards Dorry and Brogy.
"Oh! The biggest obstacle leaving Little Garden—you already cleared it out, Rowen! The path ahead is clear!" Dorry and Brogy escorted the Straw Hats back to the Going Merry.
"They will surely make names for themselves across the sea," Dorry commented, watching the Merry depart with a smile.
"Of course! Especially Rowen! His name will thunder across the entire ocean someday!" Brogy boomed confidently.
"Indeed! That way, if Rowen ever needs us, we'll hear of it quickly and rush to his side!" Dorry added with a grin.
"Now then! Time for the contest of wills! Dorry! GABABABA!"
"Bring it on, Brogy! GEGYAGYA!"
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"I still can't believe there are really goldfish as big as islands," Usopp commented with a smile aboard the Merry. Another one of his tall tales turned out to be true! The sea truly was vast.
"But if we're going to Drum Island, how do we get there without a Log Pose for it?" Nami asked.
Their current Log Pose was useless, still recording Little Garden's magnetic field. Until they reached the next island and it reset, it would only point back towards Little Garden.
The only other navigational tool they had was the Eternal Pose for Alabasta, taken from the Unluckies.
Vivi instinctively looked towards Rowen. In her eyes, there seemed to be nothing Rowen couldn't do. She had already begun to rely on him unconsciously.
"Which is why I said we should just go straight to Alabasta," Zoro grumbled from where he lay resting on the deck.
"Relax. When comrades are in need, I can handle anything. From here on, I'll take command of navigation. Head in this direction—and we'll reach Drum Island," Rowen stated calmly, pointing towards a specific bearing, his smile radiating absolute confidence.
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New Trait Acquired: Route (Path to Tony Tony Chopper's Location).
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(System Note: After bonding with the Straw Hat crew, the System can provide routes related to important plot points.)
"SUGEEEEE! Rowen!" Hearing Rowen's confident declaration, Luffy cheered loudly.
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—[Sun God (Apex Gold) Trait equipping progress increased.]—
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"Rowen, you..." Zoro closed his eyes, leaning back against the deck, saying nothing more. But behind his closed eyelids, his heart filled with gratitude.
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—[Asura Aura (Special) Trait equipping progress increased.]—
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"Full speed ahead! Get Zoro's injuries treated, find a ship's doctor! Then, our next destination—Alabasta!" Rowen declared, standing tall on the deck, radiating energy.
"OOOHHH!" The crew responded with a unified cheer.
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Sailing into a frigid, wintry sea region, a group of pirates suddenly boarded the Going Merry.
"Hahahaha! You're surrounded! I'm heading to the Drum Kingdom! Do any of you have a Log Pose pointing there?!" A ridiculously obese man with dark purple hair, a massive mouth, and a bizarre metal cylinder encasing his lower jaw yelled at Rowen and the crew.
"Hm? Surrounded us?" Rowen turned, looking at Wapol with his 'intimidating villain' expression.
"Y-You! What do you want?!" Wapol felt a sudden chill.
"C-Crap! Th-That man's face!" Wapol's advisor, Chess, stared fearfully at Rowen, clutching a wanted poster. "It's the 100 million Beri Super rookie—Sky Sovereign Rowen!" Chess shrieked in terror.
"Huh?!!!" Wapol's eyes widened in horror, staring at Rowen.
"S-Sorry! We took a wrong turn!" Wapol immediately backpedaled, sweating profusely, ready to flee.
When Blackbeard's crew attacked Drum Kingdom, Wapol had fled with his retainers without even putting up a fight. Wapol was the definition of a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong.
"Your chatter... is rather excessive. Pirates drawing weapons on other pirates—Is there really any outcome besides conflict?" Rowen asked, his expression turning utterly ruthless.
"We're not pirates!" Wapol screamed fearfully.
BOOM!
Conqueror's Haki instantly cleared the deck of Wapol's men.
"Plunder." Rowen commanded.
A stream of purple light flowed into Rowen's body. Wapol's physique energy yielded two Deep Purple Upgrade Materials.
And one more thing... the Munch-Munch Fruit.
"Wapol, former king of Drum Kingdom... scum who tormented his own people," Rowen stated coldly, looking down at the unconscious Wapol.
"Wapol?! I remember him! I saw him at the Reverie!" Vivi exclaimed, wide-eyed.
"Hey! Doctors on that ship! Treat my comrade!" Rowen called towards Wapol's strange, hippo-like submarine.
"Y-Yes! W-We are Doctor-20! N-No! We are doctors from the Drum Kingdom!" Twenty doctors emerged fearfully, approaching the Merry.
"Doctor-20? What a weird name," Luffy commented curiously.
"Some of you perform surgery on my comrade. The rest of you—explain the situation in Drum Kingdom to my crewmates," Rowen ordered.
"Y-Yes, sir!" Several surgeons quickly set up a makeshift operating area and began treating Zoro. The remaining 'Doctor-20' recounted the events on Drum Island to Luffy and the others.
They explained how Wapol had exiled all doctors except the twenty serving him personally (dubbed 'Doctor-20').
In the perpetually winter-bound Drum Kingdom, illness was frequent. Lacking access to doctors, the citizens were forced to submit to Wapol's tyranny to obtain precious medical care.
Hearing this, Luffy and the others seethed with righteous anger.
Learning further that Wapol had abandoned his country and people, fleeing without a fight upon sighting Blackbeard's crew... Vivi, deeply influenced by her father King Cobra's belief that the people were more important than the country itself, was absolutely furious.
"Rowen! Can I beat him up?!" Luffy yelled angrily, pointing at the unconscious Wapol.
"Scum like him—should be judged by the people he wronged," Rowen replied, his own eyes cold.
"Judged by the people... Rowen, those are powerful words," Vivi murmured, biting her lip, looking at Rowen with shining eyes.
Thud!
The surgeons who had finished treating Zoro suddenly knelt, performing a deep dogeza bow.
"W-We were cowards... submitting to Wapol—Thank you... Thank you for defeating him," one of the lead doctors sobbed, removing his mask, his face streaked with tears.
"Relax," Rowen replied gently.
He wouldn't demand impossible bravery from everyone. Succumbing to fear was a natural instinct. It was precisely because of this instinct that courage became humanity's greatest anthem.
"C-Can we... return to Drum Kingdom with you? Though we were forced to submit to Wapol... we never stopped studying medicine! We want to go back! Contribute to Drum Kingdom again... live out our remaining days serving the people," an elderly doctor pleaded, tears streaming down his face.
"We can take you back. As for whether the people of Drum Kingdom will accept you again... That, too, should be decided by the people there," Rowen replied with a smile.
Behind Rowen, Vivi watched him, her eyes blazing with admiration. Her heart pounded uncontrollably fast.
'Leaving judgment to the people...' Vivi felt Rowen's principles transcended even those of her own beloved, people-centric father.
In that moment, Vivi knew—she could no longer hide her feelings.
She, Nefertari Vivi, on this day at the age of eighteen... had fallen in love for the first time.
Nami watched Vivi's expression, her own unreadable. Finally, a small, knowing smile touched her lips.
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Under Rowen's command, the Going Merry soon arrived at Drum Island.
But upon entering the harbor, they were immediately met by a crowd of citizens aiming weapons at them.
"Pirates! You're not welcome here! Leave!" Warning shouts echoed across the water.
Having just suffered Blackbeard's attack, and abandoned by their king Wapol... the citizens of Drum Island were currently filled with intense hatred towards pirates.
"Calm down! It's us!" The 'Doctor-20' stepped forward, calling out to the citizens on shore.
"Doctor-20?!" The leader of the armed group, an incredibly sturdy man, recognized them instantly. It was Dalton, former Captain of the Drum Kingdom Guard, user of the Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Bison.
"We have returned to atone! Do not aim your weapons at our country's benefactors!" one of the elderly doctors yelled, kneeling on the deck, tears streaming down his face.
"Benefactors?" Dalton and the others looked confused.
Then, their pupils constricted in shock as they saw the figure held up on the Merry's deck.
"Wapol?!" Dalton gasped.
"Mr. Rowen defeated Wapol! And intends to hand him over—to be judged by the people! Mr. Rowen is our country's benefactor—Lower your weapons, You can judge us for submitting to Wapol out of fear—BUT PLEASE, DO NOT POINT YOUR GUNS AT MR. ROWEN!" the elderly doctor cried out desperately.
Clatter!
Weapons dropped to the ground all around.
"The tyranny... is over! It's finally over!" Dalton sobbed, tears of relief streaming down his face.
"It's over!" The citizens erupted in joyous cries, embracing each other.
"The judgment is yours to carry out. We are outsiders; we won't interfere," Rowen stated calmly, handing Wapol and his two main advisors over to Dalton.
"We don't know how to thank you! We deeply apologize for our actions earlier, Mr. Rowen!" Dalton said, then moved to bow deeply to Rowen.
But Rowen simply raised a hand, preventing Dalton from kneeling with seemingly effortless strength.
'Strong! As expected of Sky Sovereign Rowen!' Dalton, having recognized Rowen's identity as well, was awestruck. He was a Zoan Devil Fruit user himself, yet his strength felt childishly weak compared to Mr. Rowen's.
"Direct that passion towards your people. This country needs rebuilding, doesn't it?" Rowen replied with a smile.
"At the very least—allow us to host you properly, express our gratitude!" Dalton pleaded, deeply moved. He had never encountered pirates like these before.
"Do you have any local specialty dishes?" Rowen asked, his smile widening.
"Of course!" Dalton beamed, genuinely happy.
Behind them, Vivi's gaze never left Rowen.
"Vivi," Nami whispered, appearing beside her.
Vivi blushed slightly, unable to meet Nami's knowing gaze.
But Nami simply leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "You need to be brave, okay?"
Vivi stared blankly at Nami's encouraging smile, her face flushing crimson.
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