Later that evening, citizens of the city, who had been stunned by the wave of Conqueror's Haki, began to wake up one by one.
"What happened? Why did we suddenly faint?"
Many people stood up, confused and disoriented.
Their memories remained stuck on the earlier chaos, when they had been chased by Baroque Works agents disguised as the royal army.
"The despicable and shameless Crocodile! The evil Baroque Works! They slandered King Cobra!"
"Breaking news! One newspaper for one berry!"
The newspapers on the streets not only exposed Crocodile's conspiracy but also included a brief introduction to Caelan, explaining how he had uncovered the truth.
The newspaper workers shouted loudly, explaining the situation to countless confused citizens.
"Crocodile is the hero of Alabasta! How dare you slander him!"
One citizen shouted angrily, clearly a loyal supporter of Crocodile.
"Heh, see for yourself!"
The newspaper worker sneered and slapped a paper into the man's hands.
"What?! The three-year drought was caused by Crocodile?!"
"He ordered Baroque Works to provoke a civil war in the kingdom?!"
The citizens who had just been brimming with righteous anger were left stunned.
The crimes listed in the newspaper, which they had always blamed on King Cobra, were now clearly revealed to be the work of Crocodile.
At first, many still doubted the report. They wondered if this could simply be a lie from the royal family to shift blame.
But when the Marines arrived, working alongside the newspapers to spread the truth and publicly displayed the captured Baroque Works agents, their doubts began to vanish.
The truth could no longer be denied. Crocodile was the true mastermind.
"How could this be? How could this happen?!"
The eyes of countless citizens went blank with shock, then quickly burned with rage and hatred.
Because of Crocodile's selfish ambition, their country had suffered through a three-year drought without a single drop of rain.
Their lives had become unbearable, their families torn apart, friends and loved ones lost to famine.
They had been kept in the dark, worshipping the very man who had caused their suffering and turning their anger toward the innocent king.
Now that the truth had come to light, the people's hatred for Crocodile was fierce, and their guilt toward the royal family ran deep.
"Thank you, Caelan, for revealing the truth to us!"
Countless citizens expressed their gratitude.
Before this, they had never even heard Caelan's name.
But now, in their hearts, Caelan had become a hero.
"Caelan went to the capital to confront Crocodile. Can he really win?"
The people could not hide their worry.
Even though their hatred for Crocodile ran deep, they could not imagine defeating him themselves.
Crocodile's image as the desert's invincible hero had been deeply ingrained. He had crushed other pirates with ease, summoned sandstorms before their eyes, and turned into sand at will.
In the eyes of the people, Crocodile was like a god of the desert, untouchable and unbeatable.
Many citizens were filled with doubt and fear for Caelan's safety.
…
Alabasta's capital, Alubarna.
In a hidden base belonging to Baroque Works.
"Boss, several of the senior agents have been captured, and our entire plan has been exposed!"
The panicked report came through the Den Den Mushi.
Crocodile remained silent, listening to the bad news.
"Boss, I'm hanging up. The Marines are searching nearby!"
There was a brief flurry of chaotic sounds before the Den Den Mushi went silent.
Staring at the silent snail, Crocodile's face turned ashen. His clenched fists creaked with tension.
The image of his confident agents taking on their assignments flashed through his mind, their boasting still echoing in his ears.
"What were they saying just a few days ago?"
"All so full of confidence, bragging about how easily they would deal with that bounty hunter!"
"But as soon as Caelan showed up, they were all captured."
"Not even a day! Not even one day!"
Crocodile's voice trembled with rage, his entire body shaking.
If they had just held out for two more days, the plan would have been complete.
Could a bounty hunter from the East Blue, a newcomer to the Grand Line, really be this terrifying?!
Just days ago, Baroque Works had been thriving. His plan to seize the country was progressing smoothly.
Everything had been perfectly in place. Victory was within his grasp.
How had it all crumbled so quickly?
Years of careful planning, years of building power, destroyed in the blink of an eye.
His dream of seizing Alabasta in glory had completely collapsed.
His position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was as good as lost.
Years of hard work, now on the verge of ruin.
Crocodile's hatred toward Caelan burned so intensely that he wanted to tear him apart to relieve his fury.
"Boss… should we call off the plan?"
Nico Robin, standing nearby, looked at Crocodile calmly and asked.
She was not as angry at Caelan as Crocodile was. In fact, part of her felt a sense of relief.
She was secretly thankful that the Utopia Plan had failed.
Robin had no desire to bring so much suffering upon a country.
The only regret she held was not being able to read the Poneglyph.
"What nonsense are you spouting?! I haven't failed yet!"
Crocodile's bloodshot eyes stared at Robin as he roared in anger.
"The news hasn't reached the capital yet. Use everything we have to incite the rebellion immediately!"
"I'm going to storm the palace. I want to see the Poneglyph with my own eyes!"
"As long as I get Pluton, I'll rise again. I will become the new emperor of this sea!"
Crocodile was completely unhinged now, clinging to the hope that the ancient weapon Pluton could still turn his fate around.
"Nico Robin… Devil Child…"
"You'll cooperate, won't you?"
Crocodile narrowed his eyes, glaring at Robin. His tone was dark and threatening.
"Of course. I also want to see the Poneglyph."
Robin replied calmly, her lips curling into a slight smile.
But she had only promised to see the Poneglyph, not to share its contents.
If the Poneglyph did indeed hold the location of Pluton, she would rather take that secret to the grave.
"Hahaha… Good! That's more like it!"
Crocodile laughed wildly, his ambition reignited by the thought of Pluton.
As long as he obtained the ancient weapon, he believed he could recover everything he had lost, twice over.
"Caelan… I hope you come to me before I leave Alabasta."
"I'll make sure to give you a proper welcome."
Crocodile's expression turned sinister.
He knew that the Marines would surely dispatch an admiral after the plan was exposed. He would have to escape Alabasta soon.
But before leaving, he could not accept the humiliation of letting Caelan walk away unharmed.
If Caelan thought he could step on him to climb to the top, then he should be prepared to die for it.
(To be continued.)