Borde had encountered many who possessed Conqueror's Haki before.
But never in his life had he witnessed such overwhelmingly powerful Conqueror's Haki Coating.
And this became the final thought that flashed through Borde's mind.
Then, consciousness sank completely into the abyss of darkness, never to rise again.
"Killed... just like that?" Joy Boy, who had been watching the battle from the sidelines, had been ready to step in when Michael was surrounded by enemies.
He knew Michael was strong, but he never imagined he was this strong...
At the very least, Joy Boy currently had no way of quickly defeating someone like Borde, a member of the Lunarian Race.
Yet such a formidable opponent, even with the assistance of four slightly weaker warriors, had been obliterated by Michael in a single, earth-shaking display of Conqueror's Haki Coating.
Joy Boy's own Conqueror's Haki wasn't lacking in quantity compared to Michael's, but his mastery of Conqueror's Haki Coating was still far from refined.
Michael's action didn't just leave their own side stunned.
The soldiers who had come to Alabasta for the shift change were also dumbfounded.
The mighty warriors they had relied on...
Had been taken out with just one move!?
Weren't they the ones who called themselves "gods"?
Then what did that make this being with six pristine white Wings?
A God-King? Or the Holy Father?
Watching the mangled corpse of the Lunarian Race member fall from the sky, and then glancing at the opposing army that outnumbered their own...
"We... surrender."
The new garrison commander sighed deeply.
He really had the worst luck in the world.
And as soon as the word "surrender" was uttered, the departing garrison had already been drifting at sea for a while.
Just like that, they had taken Alabasta's capital, Alubarna, without a single casualty.
Lily stared wide-eyed as Michael slowly descended to the ground.
"Wait..."
"Did I just... restore Alabasta and reclaim the old capital?"
"I didn't even do anything! Can I at least have some sense of participation!?"
"I'm supposed to be the actual queen of Alabasta from now on, right!?"
Lily's outburst was somewhat unreasonable.
And she clearly knew it too, because without waiting for anyone to respond, she had already begun directing her subordinates to hoist the flags of the Nefertari family, the Naronna family, and the rebel army atop the highest point of the palace.
From this day forward, the Rebel Alliance officially entered a state of war with the Great Kingdom!
...
The many tasks of reclaiming the old capital kept Lily running all over Alubarna.
Truth be told, the citizens of Alubarna were in a state of utter confusion.
Where were they? Was this still the Alabasta that had been relentlessly exploited by the Great Kingdom?
Why was the familiar Nefertari family flag now flying over the palace?
They had just gone to sleep, preparing to face another day of oppression...
Only to be told that the Great Kingdom's garrison had been defeated, and a descendant of Nefertari had returned with an army!?
At first, the people of Alabasta couldn't believe it, but after explanations from the rebel soldiers, they finally understood what had happened.
Then came endless silence.
Until a faint but unmistakable sob broke the stillness.
And then, the dam burst.
Every Alabastan living in Alubarna wept with overwhelming joy.
After the rebel forces had calmed the civilians, they recruited over a dozen guides from among them.
These guides were natives of various cities in Alabasta and held some local influence.
Each of them would lead a group of soldiers to other parts of Alabasta, spreading the good news and working to eliminate the remnants of the Great Kingdom's influence.
They had plenty of time.
Under the cover of night, they subdued the new garrison.
Not a single piece of information leaked out.
At least until the Divine Council of the Great Kingdom personally inquired about Alabasta's affairs, they could rest easy.
Five days later, Imu, who had received Michael's message, arrived in Alabasta using the most discreet means possible.
When she entered the Alabasta palace, she saw Michael standing before the commander of the Great Kingdom's army.
Michael looked up at Imu.
"You've arrived just in time, Queen Imu."
"Except for the first time you called me that sincerely, I feel like every time after has been dripping with sarcasm, hasn't it?"
"Misconception, all misconception!" Michael grinned slyly. "These trivial details really don't matter... What's important is this gentleman right here."
"What about him? Is he some council member's illegitimate child from the Divine Council?"
"No, no, if it were just that, I would've already disposed of these guys." Michael's lips twitched. "You must have read the battle report I sent along with the message... Among the new garrison forces the Great Kingdom sent this time, there were also five powerful members of the Lunarian Race accompanying them... And they weren't here to consolidate control over this desert nation—they were searching for something."
"Searching for something?" Imu was taken aback and also looked down at the kneeling commander, who didn't dare raise his head.
"But he's neither from the Divine Council nor a resident of God's Nation. Could he really know about the Lunarian Race's internal plans?"
"Since the Lunarians are searching for a needle in a haystack in this desert country... they wouldn't just order the garrison to look. They'd mobilize all of Alabasta's civilian resources to search for this thing." Michael shrugged. "As they say, many hands make light work."
"But after all this, what exactly are they trying to find?"
"That's what we need to ask our friend here on the ground."
Michael pointed cheerfully at the prostrate commander.
"I'll talk, I'll tell you everything... Though I don't know the full picture, I do know that Borde's mission this time is highly prioritized. Almost all other actions within the Lunarian Race are being sidelined for this." The commander sighed and cautiously raised his head to look at Michael.
"The Lunarians received word... that the Op-Op Fruit has appeared in Alabasta."
Michael froze.
What?
The Op-Op Fruit?
The one Law ate?
Are these Lunarians trying to use its abilities to reduce war casualties, or is some high-ranking Lunarian just seeking immortality?
After all, the most valuable aspect of the Op-Op Fruit is the so-called "Perennial Youth Operation."
A Devil Fruit user sacrifices their own life to modify someone's lifespan to a near-immortal level.
For the aging high-ranking officials of the Great Kingdom, this was nothing short of perfect gospel!