"Oh, please rain soon. We can't hold on much longer."
A weary man wiped sweat from his brow as he stared at the endless sky. He had woken early to chop wood and light a fire, but the dry air and harsh sun made the task grueling.
"Huh?"
A flicker of movement caught his eye—a black dot hovering in the distance.
"Strange… what is that?"
Before he could get a clear look, the black dot streaked across the sky like a shadow.
Swish!
A black phantom sliced through the early dawn, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
The man blinked hard, rubbing his eyes.
"Maybe I haven't had enough water lately… hallucinations?"
He looked around in confusion, unsure if what he saw was real.
---
"It's already starting to get light," Shirogai said calmly.
He held Luffy in one arm and Pell—who had returned to his human form—in the other.
Pell spoke with remorse, head lowered.
"I deeply apologize. My speed wasn't enough. I dragged you down, Shirogai San. If I miss the chance to help Princess Vivi because of this… I'll never forgive myself."
"Hahahaha! Shirogai's speed is amazing!" Luffy laughed, the wind forcing his face into rippling flaps. "Look, Uncle Birdman, my cheeks are flapping backwards!"
Shirogai projected Armament Haki in front of him to cut through the wind. With a slight grin, he said, "Don't blame yourself. Believe in Princess Vivi—and believe in our crew. The Straw Hat Pirates aren't weak."
"They might goof around a lot," he added, "but when it matters, they unleash power that can change the world."
Luffy nodded in agreement, his voice loud with pride.
"That's right! Zoro, Sanji—they're strong! You'll see, Uncle Birdman!"
Pell still looked doubtful. "But as far as I know, all the top agents of Baroque Works have gathered in Alubarna. They're seasoned killers and spies, all ruthless and cunning. Are your friends strong enough to handle them?"
Luffy and Shirogai exchanged confident grins.
"Of course," Luffy said with a laugh.
"Absolutely," Shirogai added, eyes fixed on the horizon.
---
Alubarna — The Capital of Alabasta
"Death Blow: Smoke Star Barrage!"
A figure riding a Rapid Duck hurled several spherical smoke bombs toward the sand dunes.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
The bombs rolled and burst, releasing thick black-gray smoke across the area, blocking visibility.
Under the cover of the smoke, six cloaked figures split into three pairs, dashing off in separate directions.
"Damn it, they've split up!"
One of the Baroque Works agents shouted in frustration.
"One team's heading toward the Rebel Army!"
"The other two are making for the western city gates!"
Panic broke out among the chief commanders.
Miss Doublefinger reacted instantly.
"Form three teams! Follow each group! Remember: don't let Princess Vivi meet with Koza, no matter what!"
"Got it!" Mr. 1 called. "We'll take this pair!"
Without hesitation, he darted toward the team nearest to the West Gate. Miss Doublefinger followed him, shouting over her shoulder, "Don't waste time fighting! Our only mission is to find and eliminate Princess Vivi!"
Mr. 2 Bon Clay twirled in the air, then sprinted after a team racing toward the Southwest Gate.
"Don't run, darlings! Let this humble servant deliver your end, oh!"
"These two are heading toward the Rebel Army!"
Miss Merry Christmas narrowed her eyes and made her move.
"She must be among them! I'll intercept first! Mr. 4, hurry up, you big oaf!"
Transforming into her Mole-Mole Fruit form, she vanished beneath the sand, digging rapidly after the fleeing pair of ducks.
"You… got it…" Mr. 4 lumbered along behind her.
---
Each duck team now had an elite enemy on their tail.
Thanks to the Rapid Ducks' incredible speed, two of the cloaked pairs successfully entered Alubarna—one through the West Gate, the other through the Southwest.
But the third team, the one aiming to reach the Rebel Army, was being forced to divert.
Miss Merry Christmas, tunneling beneath the desert with ferocious speed, had gained on them quickly.
"Damn, she's faster than the ducks underground!"
The two cloaked riders swerved off course, heading toward an abandoned Gobi ruin.
From the sand, Miss Merry Christmas burst out and arced back into the ground like a mole missile.
"You can't run forever, Princess Vivi! As long as I'm here, you'll never reach Koza!"
---
"Hmph. Arrogant fools."
Inside the West Gate, Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger casually stepped over the bodies of the King's Army soldiers they had just cut down.
"They weren't even worth the effort."
"Nami," whispered one of the cloaked figures on a Rapid Duck ahead, "those soldiers… they were only trying to help us."
He looked back at the fallen men with a grim frown.
"Stop."
He pulled on the reins and leapt down gracefully.
"This is far enough. We've drawn them in."
"If we go further, more soldiers might attack them. They won't survive against that man."
Skrrrch!
Both ducks came to a halt.
On the second duck, a cloaked figure groaned and held their head.
"Idiot. Couldn't you have lured them just a bit farther?"
Miss Doublefinger perked up.
"There's a woman among them," she said, sharp ears catching the tone.
Mr. 1's eyes gleamed. "Princess Vivi, perhaps?"
The cloaked figure below reached to their belt and pressed a small object.
In a deliberately rough male voice, he said:
"Yes, I am Princess Vivi."
"… …"
The two chief commanders exchanged a look of disgust.
"Clown."
---
Clip-clop, clip-clop!
At the Southwest Gate, two ducks came to a screeching halt on a deserted street.
Their riders waited silently.
Behind them, Mr. 2 Bon Clay panted as he caught up, springing toward them in flamboyant leaps.
"Ugh! These ducks are too fast—it's unfair!"
He fixed his gaze on the two cloaked figures.
"Hey! One of you has to be Princess Vivi, right?"
From beneath one of the cloaks came a sweet, high-pitched voice.
"Hehehe… So you've figured it out! That's right! I'm Princess Vivi!"
"A woman's voice!"
Bon Clay's face lit up.
"Excellent! This humble servant has found her! I'll take your head and show it off to Mr. 1!"
Take… my head?
The cloaked figure shuddered.
Shirogai, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Chopper!
Come save me! This freak wants to behead me!
Wuuu… wuuuu…
In the capital, a master of ventriloquism was at work: Usopp, of course.
---
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