The shattered glass rained down like glittering diamonds, bouncing off the plush, imported carpets of the VIP lounge. The smoke from the explosion swirled in the heavy desert air, revealing the silhouette of a man standing casually on the destroyed balcony.
Sanji took a long, slow drag from his cigarette. He exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke, his visible eye locked onto the Warlord of the Sea.
"The name is Mr. Prince," Sanji said smoothly, adjusting the collar of his tailored suit. "And I'm here to crash the party."
Crocodile's eye twitched. The jagged scar across his face seemed to contort with sheer, unadulterated fury. For years, he had operated in absolute secrecy. He had manipulated an entire nation, built a flawless criminal empire, and maintained the perfect facade of a hero. Yet today, a group of ragged, no-name rookies was turning his pristine casino into a circus.
"You..." Crocodile growled, his voice dropping to a terrifying, lethal pitch. The golden hook on his left hand gleamed in the dim light. "You're the rat who destroyed my weapon shipments."
"Guilty as charged," Sanji smirked. "Though I have to admit, your security outside is severely lacking. I just flooded your entire casino floor, let the roulette tables drift out the front door, and told your guests the house was picking up their tabs. It's absolute pandemonium out there."
Crocodile's composure finally cracked. Veins bulged on his forehead. "Miss All Sunday!" he barked at Robin. "Watch these vermin. I am going to turn this 'Mr. Prince' into dried husk."
Crocodile's lower half instantly transformed into a swirling tornado of coarse yellow sand. With a deafening roar, he launched himself toward the balcony.
Sanji didn't blink. "Kai! Get them out!" he yelled, right before dodging a massive blade of pressurized sand that cleaved the balcony in two. Sanji leaped off the edge of the building, Crocodile flying blindly out into the night right behind him.
The VIP room fell eerily silent, save for the sound of the wind howling through the massive hole in the wall.
Nico Robin sighed softly, closing her heavy historical book. "My boss certainly has a short temper today."
Kai didn't waste a single second. He sprinted toward the gaping hole in the floor where the trapdoor had opened. "Vivi! Nami! Chopper! We have to get down there!"
"I'll go!" Chopper yelled, transforming into his muscular Heavy Point. He grabbed Nami and Vivi, leaping down into the dark, stone-walled basement. Kai followed right behind them, his sandy-tan desert cloak billowing like a parachute as he dropped into the gloom.
They landed on the cold, hard stone floor. The basement was massive, resembling an underground cavern more than a casino storage room. In the center sat the massive, imposing cage made of dark Sea Prism Stone.
Inside, Luffy was completely incapacitated, lying flat on his back with his tongue hanging out. Smoker sat in the corner, chewing aggressively on a cigar. Zoro was pacing like a caged tiger, while Usopp was actively weeping.
"Kai! Nami! You came!" Usopp sobbed, pressing his face against the dark bars.
"Stand back!" Kai yelled, tapping the glowing orange face of his Power Watch. "I'm going to break the lock!"
"I wouldn't bother, Kai," Bot's robotic voice buzzed from the watch speaker. "My sensors say that metal is tougher than diamond! Level One powers aren't gonna put a dent in it!"
"We have to try! Elemental Power: Earth!"
Yellow light flared from Kai's wrist. He pressed his palms to the stone floor outside the cage, summoning a jagged, solid pillar of rock. He directed it forcefully at the cage's heavy iron lock, intending to smash it to pieces.
CLANG!
The stone pillar shattered into a million pieces upon impact. The Sea Prism Stone lock didn't even have a scratch on it.
"I told you!" Bot whined.
"It's no use," Smoker grunted from inside the cage. "Unless you have the key, we're not getting out of here."
Suddenly, the heavy steel doors at the far end of the basement ground open. A terrifying, mechanical grinding sound echoed through the cavernous space.
"Oh my... what is that noise?!" Nami shrieked, backing away.
Robin looked down from the edge of the trapdoor above. "I should warn you. The boss doesn't leave loose ends. When he left to chase your friend, he triggered the basement's self-destruct sequence."
"Self-destruct?!" Usopp shrieked.
Water suddenly began to pour into the basement from massive iron grates on the walls. It wasn't just a trickle; it was a torrential flood. The crystal-clear water from the lake surrounding the casino was being violently pumped directly into the room. Within seconds, the water was up to their ankles.
"Oh, and one more thing," Robin added, a hint of genuine amusement in her voice. "The boss keeps his pets down there. Good luck."
With that, Robin turned and walked away, disappearing into the VIP lounge above.
"Pets?" Vivi gasped. The color drained entirely from her face. "No... he wouldn't..."
The water level rose to their knees in a matter of moments. From the dark, flooded tunnels connected to the basement, massive shadows began to glide through the water.
They were gargantuan. They measured at least thirty feet long, with thick, heavily armored green scales, massive, muscular tails, and jaws large enough to swallow a small boat whole. The most bizarre feature, however, was the large, yellow, banana-shaped growths protruding from their heads.
"Bananawani!" Vivi screamed in pure terror. "They're giant crocodiles! They're so fierce they prey on Sea Kings!"
"Ahhhh! Monsters!" Chopper and Usopp screamed in perfect unison.
"Hey, Kai!" Bot's voice buzzed frantically from the watch. "Those things have bananas on their heads! And teeth! Lots of teeth! My danger meters are completely maxed out!"
Five massive Bananawani surfaced, their cold, reptilian eyes locking onto the Straw Hats. They opened their terrifying jaws, revealing rows of razor-sharp, serrated teeth, and let out a deafening, bone-rattling hiss.
"Get behind me!" Kai yelled. The water was now up to his waist, soaking his desert pants. He tapped the interface of his watch. The glowing yellow light shifted to a vibrant, bright green.
"Elemental Power: Leaf!"
Kai thrust his arms forward. "Vine Whip!"
Thick, bright green vines erupted from the stone walls just above the waterline. Because his powers were only Level One, the vines weren't thick enough to completely crush the monsters, but they were fast. The vines shot forward like lightning, wrapping tightly around the snout of the lead Bananawani.
The beast thrashed wildly, its massive tail whipping through the water and sending a tidal wave crashing into the Sea Prism Stone cage. The vines strained, creaking under the immense physical power of the giant crocodile.
"I can't hold it for long!" Kai gritted his teeth, his boots sliding against the wet stone floor.
"Zoro! Do something!" Nami yelled at the cage.
"I'm locked in a magic box, you witch! What do you want me to do?!" Zoro yelled back, water pooling around his boots inside the cage.
Another Bananawani lunged toward Vivi.
"Get away from her!"
A figure suddenly dropped from the hole in the ceiling, plunging directly into the rising water. It was Sanji. He shot forward like a torpedo, his leg spinning with incredible kinetic force.
"Mouton Shot!"
Sanji's dress shoe collided squarely with the underbelly of the giant Bananawani. The sheer force of the kick lifted the thirty-foot monster completely out of the water, sending it crashing heavily against the far stone wall.
"Sanji! You're back!" Chopper cheered.
"I lost the sand-guy in the casino maze," Sanji panted, wiping wet hair from his eyes. He looked at the rapidly rising water and the trapped crew. "We need the key to that cage!"
"Vivi! Where would Crocodile keep the key?!" Kai yelled over the roar of the rushing water.
"He... he usually feeds the keys to the Bananawani!" Vivi cried out. "One of them has it in its stomach!"
"You've got to be kidding me," Sanji groaned. "Which one?"
"Does it matter?!" Zoro yelled from the cage. The water was now up to his waist. "Just kick all of them until they spit it out!"
"Don't give me orders, moss-head!" Sanji roared back.
The Bananawani Sanji had just kicked suddenly let out a sickening, hacking sound. Its massive jaws unhinged, and it violently regurgitated a massive, perfectly round sphere of white material into the water.
"Ew," Bot buzzed from the watch. "Gross."
The sphere bobbed in the water. It wasn't organic. It looked like a giant ball of hardened candle wax. Suddenly, the wax cracked open, revealing a man in a bizarre uniform with a number '3' shaped haircut, gasping frantically for air.
"Mr. 3?!" Vivi and Zoro yelled in unison.
"I'm alive!" Mr. 3 wept, clinging to the remnants of his wax ball. "Crocodile threw me to the beasts for failing at Little Garden! But my Wax-Wax Fruit saved me!"
Sanji's eye narrowed. He waded through the water, grabbed Mr. 3 by the collar of his shirt, and hoisted him up. "You. Wax guy. Can your fruit make keys?"
Mr. 3 blinked, terrified of the murderous glare the cook was giving him. "I... yes? My wax can harden as strong as steel, and I can shape it into anything—"
"Make a key for that cage right now, or I'm feeding you right back to the crocodile," Sanji threatened, his voice deadly serious.
"Okay! Okay!" Mr. 3 shrieked.
The water was rising dangerously fast. It was now chest-high on Kai. Inside the cage, Luffy was completely submerged, blowing bubbles from his nose while Zoro held him up by his collar to keep him from drowning. Smoker was floating on his back, glaring at the ceiling.
Mr. 3 scrambled over to the cage, pressing his hands against the intricate keyhole. White wax flowed from his fingers, filling the mechanism perfectly. With a sharp click, the wax hardened. He turned it.
CLACK.
The heavy Sea Prism Stone door swung open.
"Go! Go! Go!" Sanji yelled.
Zoro didn't hesitate. He hoisted Luffy's limp, rubbery body over his shoulder. He took one step out of the cage, then paused. He looked back at the Marine Captain floating in the water.
"What are you waiting for, Roronoa?" Smoker growled. "Leave me. You're pirates. I'm a Marine. If you let me out, I will hunt you down."
Zoro frowned. He hated Marines. But he remembered Luffy's firm, unwavering voice earlier on the ship. We don't let people die if we can help it.
With a heavy sigh, Zoro grabbed Smoker by the collar of his thick white coat and yanked him roughly out of the cage.
"Hey! Put me down!" Smoker yelled.
"Shut up. The captain said to save you, so I'm saving you," Zoro grunted, dragging both Luffy and the Marine Captain through the surging water.
"Everyone, hold on to each other!" Kai yelled.
He tapped his watch. "Elemental Power: Water!"
Cyan light flared brightly. Kai pushed his hands downward, syncing his energy with the massive volume of water rapidly flooding the basement. He couldn't stop the flood—it was millions of gallons—but he could ride it. He manipulated the currents, creating a localized, powerful updraft of water that surged upward, carrying the entire crew, Mr. 3, and Smoker straight up through the gaping trapdoor and into the VIP lounge.
They spilled onto the ruined carpets, coughing and gasping for air. Below them, the basement completely filled with water, trapping the Bananawani inside.
"We made it," Usopp wept, hugging the soggy carpet.
"Don't celebrate yet," Kai panted, his chest heaving. He dropped his Water form, returning to his soaked desert cloak. He looked down at his watch. The core chamber was vibrating violently again. The orange light flickered wildly, flashing a deep, aggressive red, and then a brilliant, unstable yellow.
"Kai, the cores are acting up again!" Bot warned, his voice sounding genuinely worried. "Your heart rate is spiking! You need to cool down before they overload!"
Kai gritted his teeth, forcing himself to take a deep, steady breath. The flashing red and yellow lights slowly subsided back to a steady, calm orange. Not yet, Kai thought to himself. I can't control whatever those are yet. I have to stick to the basics.
"Let's get out of this casino," Sanji said, kicking the VIP doors open.
They sprinted through the opulent halls of Rain Dinners, completely ignoring the screaming patrons and the chaotic, flooded main floor Sanji had left in his wake. They burst through the grand front doors and out into the blinding, scorching sunlight of Rainbase.
"Fresh air!" Chopper cheered.
Suddenly, a heavy, suffocating aura fell over the plaza.
A wall of thick, aggressive gray smoke slammed into the ground directly in front of them, blocking their path to the city gates. The smoke coalesced, revealing Captain Smoker. His jutte was drawn, and his eyes were locked fiercely onto the Straw Hats.
Zoro immediately dropped Luffy and drew his swords. Sanji raised his leg. Kai tapped his watch, ready to summon his Earth power.
Smoker glared at them. He looked at Zoro. He looked at Luffy, who was finally coughing up lake water and regaining his strength now that he was away from the Sea Prism Stone.
"Why did you save me?" Smoker barked, his voice rough like gravel.
Luffy sat up, tilting his head. "Because I don't hate you."
Smoker's eye twitched. The Marine Captain, a man who had dedicated his entire life to absolute justice and the eradication of pirates, looked at the goofy, smiling boy in the straw hat. The cognitive dissonance was staggering. They were criminals. But they had just saved his life, and they were actively trying to stop a Warlord from destroying an entire nation.
Slowly, Smoker lowered his jutte. He exhaled a massive cloud of smoke that parted to reveal the road out of the city.
"Go," Smoker growled, turning his back on them.
"What?" Usopp gasped.
"I said GO!" Smoker roared. "Just for today, I'll pretend I didn't see you. But the next time we cross paths, Straw Hat, your life is mine!"
Luffy grinned his massive, trademark smile. "Shishishi! Thanks, Smokey!"
"Don't call me that!"
The Straw Hats didn't waste another second. They sprinted past the Marine Captain, heading straight for the city gates. The capital city of Alubarna was miles away across the desert, and the rebel army was already marching. Time was running out.
"Wait!" Vivi yelled, skidding to a halt.
Standing perfectly still in the center of the massive stone bridge leading out of the city was Sir Crocodile.
His massive fur coat whipped in the wind. He looked completely unharmed, his golden hook gleaming in the harsh desert sun. He looked down at the Straw Hats with absolute, bored disdain.
"Did you truly think you could escape my city?" Crocodile sneered.
The crew froze. The pressure radiating from the Warlord was suffocating.
Luffy stopped. He looked at Vivi's terrified face. He looked at his exhausted crew.
"You guys go on ahead," Luffy said, his voice unusually low and serious.
"Luffy! Are you crazy?!" Nami yelled. "We have to fight him together!"
"No," Luffy said, pulling his straw hat down over his eyes. He stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "You have to get Vivi to Alubarna. You have to stop the rebellion. I'll take care of the crocodile."
Kai stepped up next to his captain. "Luffy, he's a Logia. He can turn into sand. You can't even touch him."
"I don't care," Luffy said stubbornly. He looked at Kai, offering a fierce, unyielding grin. "You keep them safe, Kai. Use your watch thingy to get them across the desert."
Kai looked at his captain's eyes. There was no changing his mind. Luffy was the heart of the crew, and right now, the heart was telling them to run.
"Alright, Captain," Kai nodded. He turned to the others. "You heard him! We move! Now!"
As the crew sprinted past the bridge, leaving their captain behind to face a monster, Kai looked back one last time. Luffy stood alone in the desert sand, facing down a Warlord of the Sea.
The real war for Alabasta had just begun.