Bonus for 400 PS.
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Everyone in the palace saw the massive commotion and rushed over.
Cobra, Vivi, Nami, Tashigi, Robin, along with the rebels and the royal army, all arrived.
"What happened here?"
"The desert turned into a basin, and even the sand was compressed into crystal!?"
Everyone stared in shock at the glowing crystal basin before them.
The battle between Crocodile and Caelan had been terrifying.
The environment within a radius of one kilometer had been completely transformed by their clash.
The generals of both the rebel and the royal armies were astounded.
They were just ordinary people with slightly more strength, and couldn't begin to comprehend how much power it would take to cause such catastrophic changes to the land.
Compared to this kind of battlefield, their swords and muskets were nothing more than toys.
This level of destruction could wipe out a hundred thousand troops with ease!
Everyone continued forward. Before knowing the final result, they were all anxious.
If Caelan had lost, they would all face extermination.
But when they saw Crocodile lying on the ground and Caelan standing with nothing more than slightly dirtied clothes, cheers erupted.
"The demon Crocodile is finally finished!"
Everyone looked at the gravely injured Crocodile and shouted excitedly.
This Crocodile, who had terrorized Alabasta for years and whose strength was once considered unmatched, had been defeated!
The invincible desert emperor was taken down by Caelan!
And Caelan wasn't even injured, just had some dust on his clothes.
Was Crocodile all hype?
It was understandable for them to doubt it, but the crystal basin beneath their feet silenced those thoughts.
This battlefield, like something out of the apocalypse, made it clear that the power on display was on a natural disaster level.
So, it wasn't that Crocodile was weak. It was that Caelan was too strong.
Strong enough to completely overwhelm him.
The soldiers of both the rebel and royal armies stared at Caelan with a mix of awe and admiration.
In their eyes, Caelan's heroic figure was as majestic as a god.
"God of War, Caelan!"
"Savior, Caelan!"
Countless soldiers shouted Caelan's name, their eyes filled with fervor.
The voices grew louder and louder, echoing into the sky.
Amid the crowd, Robin stood in stunned silence, murmuring to herself.
"Unbelievable. Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was defeated by him."
Having been forced to cooperate with Crocodile for years, she knew better than anyone how terrifying he was.
As the user of the Sand-Sand Fruit, Crocodile had refined his abilities to perfection.
Sandstorm, Desert Prison, Desert Spada, Erosion Cycle...
Every move Robin knew was fearsome in its own right.
Even a pirate with a bounty of tens of millions was nothing more than a chicken in front of Crocodile.
Yet Caelan had crushed him without suffering any real injury. It was terrifying.
"The title 'God of War' suits him perfectly," Robin whispered as she looked at Caelan.
If she followed him, could she survive?
Robin felt a glimmer of hope, but quickly extinguished it.
How could someone like her, shrouded in darkness, ask for protection from Caelan?
...
"Crocodile... defeated?"
Cobra stared at the gravely wounded Crocodile in disbelief.
Could the pirate who had plagued Alabasta for three years, a nightmare he could never dispel, really have been defeated today?
Cobra wiped his eyes, looked at Crocodile again and again, and finally confirmed it.
"It's over. It's finally over. Alabasta is saved!!!"
Cobra looked up at the sky, tears streaming down his face, his voice choked with emotion.
Three years of drought and chaos. Everything Cobra had endured, all the injustices and sorrow, came to an end at this very moment.
The dark cloud that loomed over the nation had finally lifted.
"Haha, 300 million Berries. Worth it. Completely worth it!"
"But it's not enough. I need to do more!"
Cobra was so overjoyed he could barely think straight, frantically considering how to repay Caelan.
He had cleared Cobra's name, saved both him and his daughter, and rescued the entire nation. Caelan had done too much.
Cobra felt that 300 million Berries wasn't enough to express his gratitude.
He wanted all of Alabasta to sing Caelan's praises.
He wanted to empty the national treasury and reward Caelan.
He wanted to host a grand celebration in Caelan's honor...
...
On the other side, Caelan, who was surrounded by three women, didn't feel great.
"Caelan, I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Caelan, thank you for saving my country."
Nami, Tashigi, and Vivi surrounded Caelan, chattering excitedly.
Over the past few days, they had constantly worried about Caelan's battle with Crocodile.
Though they had seen Caelan's strength before, they were still uncertain.
Crocodile was a notorious pirate with worldwide recognition and acknowledged power.
Caelan had just entered the Grand Line. His reputation was nowhere near Crocodile's.
But now, with Crocodile lying defeated before them, they fully accepted the reality.
Their Captain Caelan was that powerful, that overwhelming.
He had just entered the Grand Line, and already crushed Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Alright, alright, let's stop talking for now."
"Crocodile is still lying here. I'll take him back first."
Caelan said helplessly.
Three women, one dramatic situation. Old wisdom holds true.
Right now, he felt this was more troublesome than fighting Crocodile.
After hearing Caelan's words, the three women calmed down.
Caelan let out a sigh of relief, picked up the severely wounded Crocodile, and began to leave.
The soldiers thought Caelan was declaring victory and began to cheer again.
"God of War!"
"God of War!"
All the soldiers shouted with fanatic devotion, escorting Caelan as he walked at the front.
This was a hero who had saved the nation. He deserved the highest honor.
Caelan, walking at the front, was not embarrassed. He felt a sense of pride welling up in his heart.
(To be continued.)
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