The morning sun blazed high above the Grand Line.
After spending several peaceful days exploring one of Paradise's countless islands, the Athena once again sailed across the endless sea. Warm winds carried grains of sand long before land itself came into view, drifting gently across the deck and coating the polished railings with a thin layer of golden dust.
Standing at the bow, Arthur kept his eyes on the distant horizon.
Far in the distance, a vast coastline gradually emerged from the shimmering haze. Endless dunes stretched beyond the shore, interrupted only by scattered palm trees and the silhouettes of white buildings rising beneath the relentless desert sun.
"So that's Alabasta..." Robin stepped beside him, shielding her eyes from the light.
"The Kingdom of Sand." Arthur nodded once.
Behind them, the rest of the crew gathered on deck.
"So much sand... I already miss the last island." Sugar leaned over the railing with a disappointed sigh.
"It's... hot." Bepo wiped the sweat from his forehead before they had even reached the harbor.
"No," Hancock corrected with an amused smile as she opened an elegant parasol above her shoulder. "It's burning."
"I had a feeling we'd need these." Baby-5 chuckled softly while handing everyone chilled drinks she had prepared before sunrise.
Law accepted one with a quiet nod before returning to the newspaper in his hands.
"The air even smells different." Koala stretched lazily before taking a deep breath.
"Dry," Kuina replied.
"Very dry." Monet looked toward the cloudless sky.
"Not a single rain cloud..."
Robin observed the scenery without saying another word. She had visited many kingdoms during her years on the run. Yet something about Alabasta felt... heavy. Not because of what she could see. But because of what she couldn't.
As the Athena approached Nanohana Harbor, the peaceful atmosphere changed almost instantly. A lookout atop the watchtower suddenly froze.
"...A pirate ship!" His eyes widened.
Another guard raised a spyglass. Then his face turned pale.
"No..."
"It can't be..."
"The ART Pirates!"
Within seconds, alarm bells echoed throughout the harbor. Merchants abandoned their stalls. Workers stopped unloading cargo. Families hurried their children indoors. Dozens of kingdom soldiers rushed toward the docks, gripping their weapons despite the nervousness clearly written across their faces.
Whispers spread faster than the desert wind.
"An Emperor..."
"They're here..."
"I heard they defeated Marine Headquarters..."
"No... not an Emperor."
"An Uncrowned Emperor."
"The man worth over four billion..."
Even seasoned sailors instinctively stepped backward as the massive white vessel slowly entered the port, its elegant hull casting a long shadow across the water.
The golden emblem of the ART Pirates fluttered proudly against the sea breeze.
For several tense moments... silence swallowed the harbor.
The Athena lowered its anchor with a deep metallic rumble.
THOOOM...
No cannons fired.
No pirates shouted.
No one even drew a weapon.
Arthur simply stepped onto the bow, his long coat swaying gently behind him as he looked over the bustling port. His calm expression only made everyone even more nervous.
"Are... are they here to conquer Alabasta?" One of the older merchants swallowed hard.
"I heard Arthur never attacks civilians," another whispered.
"But he's still a pirate..." Nearby, a young soldier tightened his grip on his rifle.
"What if they attack the capital?" An elderly dock worker slowly shook his head.
"They won't." When several people turned toward him, the old man lowered his voice.
"...We have Sir Crocodile." At the mention of that name, the tense atmosphere eased ever so slightly.
"That's right." Another merchant nodded in agreement.
"Sir Crocodile protects this kingdom."
"He's defeated countless pirates."
"If anyone can stop an Emperor..."
"...it's our hero."
The anxious whispers gradually softened. The soldiers remained vigilant, but the panic that had gripped the harbor only moments ago slowly faded.
Robin listened quietly to every conversation.
Hero...
She glanced at Arthur. His expression remained unreadable. As though he had expected every single word. The gangplank slowly descended onto the pier. Arthur stepped forward first, followed by the rest of the crew. None of them paid any attention to the frightened stares surrounding them.
Instead...
Arthur looked beyond the harbor.
Past the bustling streets.
Past the distant desert.
Toward the kingdom hidden beneath the scorching sun.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"This country..."
"...is already dying."
No one answered.
Only the hot desert wind continued to blow across the silent harbor.
...
The desert wind followed the crew as they left the harbor behind.
Nanohana was alive with activity. Rows of merchants called out to passing travelers, spices filled the air with rich aromas, and colorful fabrics swayed gently beneath the relentless sunlight. On the surface, it looked no different from any prosperous trading city along the Grand Line.
Yet the closer they walked, the more cracks began to appear beneath that cheerful façade. Several shops displayed empty water barrels instead of fresh supplies. Long lines formed outside public wells.
Arguments erupted over the price of drinking water. Even the smiles worn by the townspeople felt forced, as though everyone was pretending tomorrow would somehow be better.
Robin observed everything in silence. She had learned long ago that a nation's true condition was never revealed by its palaces. It was reflected in the eyes of ordinary people.
Not far away, a little girl carefully filled a small clay jar from a public well. When she accidentally spilled a few drops onto the ground, her mother immediately knelt beside her, desperately trying to scoop the precious water back into the container with trembling hands. Neither of them spoke. They simply continued walking home.
Robin lowered her gaze.
"..."
Without realizing it, she had slowed her pace. Arthur noticed but said nothing.
Meanwhile, inside Alubarna Palace...
A kingdom guard hurried through the grand hall before stopping before the throne.
"Your Majesty." He knelt immediately.
"What is it?" King Cobra looked up from the documents spread across his desk.
"The ART Pirates have arrived."
Silence settled over the room. Pell and Chaka exchanged brief glances. Even Igaram's normally composed expression stiffened for a moment.
"...Confirmed?" Cobra asked calmly.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"They entered through Nanohana Harbor less than an hour ago."
"Their entire crew appears to be together." Another uneasy silence followed.
"Should we mobilize the Royal Army?" One of the younger officers stepped forward.
Cobra remained silent for several moments before shaking his head.
"No."
"No...?" The officer blinked.
"If they intended to seize Alabasta," Cobra replied quietly, "we would have known the moment they crossed our waters."
He rose from his chair and walked toward the palace balcony overlooking the distant city.
"Their captain is Phantasm D. Arthur..."
"...the son of the Anemone Family."
Pell studied his king for a moment before speaking.
"You still believe the old stories?" Pell looked toward his king.
"I believe character is not so easily erased."
Cobra folded his hands behind his back.
"The Anemone Family abandoned the Holy Land alongside our ancestors."
"They chose humanity over privilege."
He looked toward the endless desert stretching beyond the capital.
"If Arthur truly inherited even a fraction of that spirit..."
"...then he has no reason to conquer this kingdom."
He turned back toward his retainers.
"Maintain surveillance."
"Strengthen security around the capital."
"But under no circumstances are we to provoke them."
"Observe from a distance."
"If they request an audience..." He paused briefly.
"...they will be received as guests."
"Understood!" The guards saluted before leaving to carry out the order.
Only Pell remained beside Cobra.
"You trust him that much?"
"I trust the decision made by my ancestors."
"...and I hope they were right." Cobra smiled faintly.
Far away, back in Nanohana...
Arthur and the crew entered a modest restaurant near the marketplace. Unlike the frightened atmosphere at the harbor, the people inside merely stole cautious glances before returning to their meals. Fear remained. But curiosity had already begun to replace panic.
"Looks like they aren't running away anymore." Baby-5 smiled as she looked around.
"They're still watching us," Monet replied softly.
"Just from farther away."
Law took a seat near the window.
"They're waiting to see what we'll do."
"Exactly." Arthur calmly pulled out a chair and sat down.
The waiter approached with visible hesitation, nearly dropping the menu in the process.
"Thank you." Arthur accepted it with a polite nod.
The young man blinked in surprise before hurriedly excusing himself.
"I thought people would scream and run." Sugar rested her chin on the table.
"They almost did," Koala replied with a small laugh.
"I think... we're scarier than we realize." Bepo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
A faint smile appeared on several faces around the table. The tension eased. Outside, the scorching desert wind continued to sweep through the streets of Nanohana, carrying with it dust, heat, and the invisible weight of a kingdom slowly approaching its breaking point.
Robin looked out through the restaurant window toward the distant desert beyond the city walls. Then, without taking her eyes off the endless sea of sand, she finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind since they first caught sight of Alabasta.
"If you already know what's happening here..."
"...why don't we stop him?"
Robin's question lingered in the air. The lively chatter inside the restaurant seemed to fade into the background. Even Sugar stopped playing with the spoon in her hand. Law quietly folded his newspaper and set it aside.
No one interrupted.
Everyone wanted to hear Arthur's answer. Arthur remained silent for several seconds, his gaze resting outside the window where the blazing afternoon sun bathed the streets of Nanohana in shimmering heat.
"Because this kingdom doesn't need me." Finally, he spoke.
"...What?" Robin frowned ever so slightly.
Arthur picked up the glass of water before him and took a slow sip.
"If I walk into Rainbase today..."
"...and kill Crocodile..."
"...Alabasta will survive."
"But it will never truly recover."
He set the glass back onto the table with a soft click. The crew exchanged puzzled glances. Arthur continued before anyone could ask another question.
"The people will remember that an Emperor came from the sea..."
"...and saved them."
"Not themselves."
"They'll celebrate."
"They'll rebuild."
"They'll move on."
"And someday... another Crocodile will appear."
Silence filled the table once more. Arthur's calm voice never rose, yet every word carried unexpected weight.
"When that day comes..."
"...who will save them?"
No one answered. Robin slowly lowered her eyes. Arthur looked toward the bustling streets outside.
"A country cannot survive on borrowed miracles."
"It must learn to stand on its own."
"The people must choose to believe in their own future."
"They must remember that this kingdom was saved by its own hands."
"So you want the king to defeat Crocodile?" Robin looked back at him.
"No." Arthur shook his head.
"The king has already lost his people's trust."
"Then..." Robin hesitated.
"...who?"
"Someone who has nothing to gain." A faint smile appeared on Arthur's face.
The crew waited.
"He'll fight because someone asked for help."
"He'll risk his life for strangers."
"And when everything is over..."
"...he'll simply continue sailing."
"An unknown pirate..." Robin's eyes widened slightly.
"A very strange pirate." Arthur nodded once.
"You know him?" A brief silence followed before Sugar tilted her head.
"I know his grandfather." Arthur chuckled quietly.
That answer only made everyone more confused.
"His... grandfather?" Bepo blinked.
"I owe Vice Admiral Garp a small favor." Arthur leaned back in his chair.
"Garp?" Law raised an eyebrow.
Robin quickly connected the dots.
"Monkey D Garp... Monkey D... Luffy."
"I promised him I'd leave this one alone." Arthur simply smiled.
Nobody asked any further. If Arthur had decided not to explain, there was little chance of changing his mind.
"So..." Instead, Baby-5 rested her elbows on the table.
"...what exactly are we supposed to do while we're here?"
Arthur reached into his coat before unfolding a neatly drawn map of Alabasta across the center of the table. The kingdom stretched from Nanohana in the southwest to Alubarna far beyond the desert.
Rainbase.
Yuba.
Erumalu.
Katorea.
Each city was marked with careful precision. Arthur rested one finger on Rainbase.
"Before we split up..."
"You should understand what we're dealing with."
"This kingdom is suffering from a drought... " He paused.
"But the drought itself isn't the real problem." Everyone quietly listened.
"Crocodile has spent years building the perfect illusion."
"He presents himself as Alabasta's greatest hero while secretly creating every disaster the people blame on the royal family."
"How?" Robin folded her arms.
"He secretly supplies Dance Powder." Arthur pointed toward the western desert.
"A forbidden substance that forces rain to fall in one location by stealing moisture from neighboring regions."
"Rain falls upon the capital."
"Everywhere else... the land slowly dies."
"The people believe the king is using Dance Powder for himself."
"They lose faith."
"At the same time..." Arthur moved his finger toward another location.
" Years ago, Crocodile established a criminal organization known as Baroque Works."
"Its members don't know one another."
"They work only through codenames."
"They spread rumors."
"Carry out assassinations."
"Incite conflict."
"Manipulate both sides."
"They slowly push the kingdom toward civil war."
"A decentralized organization. If one member falls... the others remain hidden." Law nodded quietly.
"Exactly." Arthur nodded once.
"While the kingdom tears itself apart..." He continued.
"Crocodile waits."
"He doesn't need to conquer Alabasta."
"He only needs the people to destroy it for him."
"And after that?" Robin looked at the map.
Arthur's gaze shifted toward the distant capital marked on the parchment.
"When the kingdom collapses..."
"He plans to eliminate the royal family."
"Claim the throne as the nation's savior."
"No one will question him."
"He'll already be the hero who 'protected' Alabasta."
The restaurant became silent. Even Sugar stopped smiling. Arthur tapped one final location beneath the royal palace.
"But the throne isn't his true objective."
"And behind all of this... Crocodile is searching for something."
"Something?" Robin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Arthur nodded.
"I'll confirm that with King Cobra tomorrow."
"Crocodile doesn't care about the kingdom."
"He doesn't care about its people."
"Everything happening here..."
"The drought."
"The rebellion."
"The suffering."
"The starvation."
"The deaths."
"They're all nothing more than pieces on his chessboard." A heavy silence settled over the table.
"So... all these people..." Koala quietly lowered her eyes.
"...they're fighting because they've been deceived."
"They've become enemies without realizing they're victims of the same man." Arthur nodded.
"...He's worse than a pirate." Bepo clenched his fists.
"No. He is exactly what a pirate becomes..."
"...when ambition exists without freedom." Arthur looked toward the sunlit streets beyond the window.
Robin remained silent for several moments before asking one last question.
"If you know every step of his plan..."
"...then you also know how it ends."
Arthur's expression remained calm.
"I do."
"And that's why..."
"...we're going to let someone else bring his plan crashing down."
Arthur carefully rolled up the map.
Silence answered him.
Finally, Arthur broke the silence.
"That's why..."
"...we are not going to interfere."
"You already know how all of this will end." Robin looked at him.
"I do." Arthur nodded.
"And you're certain?"
"I am."
Robin remained silent for a moment. She had spent years believing history was impossible to predict. Yet the man sitting across from her spoke of the future as though he had already witnessed it unfold. It was unsettling... and strangely reassuring.
Arthur rolled the map closed before looking around the table.
"We'll remain in Alabasta for a while."
"The longer we stay together..."
"...the more attention we'll attract."
"So starting tomorrow..."
"...we split up."
The crew immediately became attentive.
"Law."
"You, Sabo, and Bepo stay in Nanohana."
The three nodded.
"Baccarat, Hancock, Monet."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Rainbase."
"The casino." Monet immediately grinned.
"I had a feeling." Baccarat laughed.
Arthur continued.
"Koala, Kuina, Sugar."
"Travel to Alubarna."
"Observe the capital."
"Keep your identities hidden."
The three acknowledged the order without complaint. Finally... Arthur looked toward Robin and Baby-5.
"You two are with me."
"Our destination?" Robin met his gaze.
"The royal palace." Arthur's eyes shifted toward the endless desert beyond the restaurant window.
"There are a few things I want to confirm with King Cobra."
The afternoon sun slowly drifted westward as the meeting came to an end.
Outside, Nanohana continued its daily routine, unaware that the fate of the kingdom was already moving toward an inevitable crossroads.
...
Meanwhile...
Deep beneath the dazzling lights of Rainbase Casino...
Far below the laughter of gamblers and the clinking of coins...
A hidden chamber remained shrouded in silence. The only sound came from the slow crackling of a cigar.
Crocodile sat alone behind a large desk, lazily exhaling a stream of smoke toward the ceiling. Stacks of reports lay scattered before him. The heavy iron door suddenly opened.
"Mr. 0." One of the trusted Baroque Works agents hurried inside before kneeling.
"What is it?" Crocodile didn't even look up.
"The ART Pirates have arrived in Alabasta."
Every conversation stopped. For the first time since the report began... Crocodile's hand stopped moving.
"...Confirmed?"
"Yes. They entered through Nanohana Harbor this morning. The entire crew is present."
The agent swallowed nervously.
"Our spies have confirmed Captain Phantasm D. Arthur among them."
Crocodile slowly leaned back in his chair. His sharp eyes narrowed.
"...Interesting." He took another slow drag from his cigar.
"So..."
"...the Uncrowned Emperor has finally come to my kingdom."
"Should we prepare all agents for combat?" The agent hesitated.
"Combat?" Crocodile let out a quiet scoff.
"If Arthur wanted to destroy me..." A faint smirk spread across his face.
"...he wouldn't have sailed into the harbor."
"Rainbase would've disappeared before I even knew he was here."
"...Then why is he here?" The agent lowered his head.
Crocodile remained silent for several moments.
"I don't know." His fingers rhythmically tapped against the desk.
"...and I despise uncertainty."
He slowly stood and walked toward the enormous window overlooking the casino floor above. Thousands of people laughed.
Played cards.
Won fortunes.
Lost everything.
None of them realized the kingdom itself was merely another game. Crocodile gazed at the bustling casino with cold eyes.
"My plan is almost complete."
"The rebellion grows stronger every day."
"The king continues losing the people's trust."
"Baroque Works controls every piece on the board."
He clenched his cigar between his teeth.
"I won't abandon years of preparation simply because one Emperor decides to visit."
Without turning around, he gave his next order.
"Increase surveillance."
"I want every movement of the ART Pirates reported immediately."
"If they interfere..."
He paused.
"...inform me before anyone else acts."
"Yes, Mr. 0." The agent quickly disappeared through the iron door.
Silence returned once more. Crocodile looked toward the distant desert beyond Rainbase. His instincts warned him that Arthur's arrival was no coincidence. Yet another thought lingered in his mind. If Arthur had truly come for Alabasta...
Why hadn't he made a single move?
"...Very well." A faint smile slowly appeared beneath Crocodile's cigar.
"I'll find out myself." The hook replacing his left hand gleamed beneath the dim light.
Outside... the golden sun continued to blaze over the Kingdom of Sand.
Neither Arthur... nor Crocodile... had made their first move.
Yet both men already knew.
The game had begun.
Far away across the sea...
A small pirate ship sailed steadily toward Alabasta, its weathered sheep figurehead cutting through the waves beneath a cloudless sky. No one aboard knew what awaited them. No one realized that an entire kingdom had already begun counting the days until their arrival.
Standing near the restaurant entrance, Arthur kept his eyes on the distant horizon. A gentle breeze brushed against his coat. His lips curved into a faint smile.
"Don't be late..."
The desert wind carried his words away.
And somewhere beyond the endless horizon...
The future had already begun sailing toward Alabasta.