As the sand and dust cleared, they looked up to see a young man descending from the sky, holding a beautiful girl in his arms, with a strange little beast perched on his shoulder.
"Protect the king!!"
Seeing them, the guards panicked as if facing a deadly threat.
"Relax, relax—I mean no harm."
Creed used Geppo (Moonwalk) to land safely on the ground, setting Ain down.
He then shot a sharp glare at the little beast on his shoulder, Falkor.
All its fault—when they were still about a thousand meters from the ground, it decided to play with the cloud mass.
Playing was fine—but using electricity to shock it apart? That caused the cloud to scatter and collapse, knocking them off course and sending their ship crashing downward. If not for Creed knowing Geppo, it could have been a disaster.
Ain's cheeks flushed red. In that critical moment, as the ship was about to smash into the earth, Creed had instinctively scooped her up and carried her with Geppo. He must have forgotten she herself had eaten the Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit).
Still, that instinctive act of protection warmed her heart.
"Bold intruder! What business do you have barging into the royal palace of Alabasta?!" someone roared.
Creed blinked, then looked toward the man surrounded by guards. Realization struck—he had landed directly in Alabasta's royal palace.
"I have no ill intent. I'm a Marine Rear Admiral," Creed replied, tossing over his Marine ID.
King Cobra examined it—it was indeed authentic.
"Stand down," he ordered, confirming Creed's identity.
"You came down from Skypiea, didn't you?" Cobra asked.
"That's right," Creed nodded.
Cobra, of the Nefertari lineage, was descended from one of the original twenty kings who created the World Government. Unlike the others, his ancestors had not lived in Mary Geoise, but had settled in Alabasta.
For many, Skypiea was but a myth. But for him, it was not so secretive.
…
"Wait—isn't he the one who killed several Supernovas in Sabaody, and even struck down the New World pirate Iron-Arm Madman? The one hailed as the strongest Marine of the new generation?" someone exclaimed.
The others recalled the events. Yes, it matched perfectly.
Those incidents had shaken the entire Grand Line.
With that, their suspicions vanished. This man was no enemy.
Creed glanced at the shattered remains of his ship and sighed. Forget it—he'd just buy another by the sea, or take one from a pirate.
…
Invited by King Cobra, Creed and Ain dined in the palace.
By afternoon, they took their leave, heading toward the coast.
Alabasta was a nation built in the heart of a vast desert, with three-quarters of its land engulfed by sand.
Walking under the blazing sun, even in the late afternoon, the heat was suffocating. Heat waves twisted the air, and the desert radiated mercilessly.
It was clear—life here was not easy.
Together with Falkor, they began the trek across the sands, toward the sea.
Two days later…
Dust-covered and weary, they spotted a lush green city in the distance—an oasis in the desert.
As soon as they entered, the scorching heat vanished, replaced by refreshing coolness.
The city was vibrant, full of greenery and blooming flowers.
Fountains lined the streets, spraying arcs of water into the air. Droplets splashed onto their faces, soothing and invigorating.
Falkor, the little dragon, immediately darted off to play in the fountains.
They reached a massive plaza.
At its center stood a colossal crocodile statue, majestic and fierce. From its mouth, streams of water sprayed skyward, falling back down as mist, filling the air with damp coolness.
On one end of the plaza stood a grand building, magnificent and resplendent, with the same crocodile emblem over its doors.
Through its glass, they could see a massive swimming pool, where people swam freely.
In the desert, water was life. But here, it was wasted extravagantly.
This city was called Rainbase.
For the people of Alabasta, Rainbase was a dream city—overflowing with precious water, safe from pirate raids.
Because it belonged to one of the Shichibukai, Crocodile.
The golden palace before them was his creation: Rain Dinners, a sprawling casino-hotel-entertainment complex.
Crocodile truly knew how to indulge himself, building such a city in the desert.
"Let's stay here tonight. Finally, a proper rest—and a real bath," Creed said.
They entered.
Inside was lavish beyond measure: diamond chandeliers, golden pillars, sheer extravagance.
They booked two rooms.
Creed soaked in a bath, feeling blissfully relaxed. Ice-cold drinks were provided—nothing could compare to sipping chilled fruit juice in such a climate.
And so… they spent the night there.
The next morning, Creed opened his door—only to narrow his eyes.
For someone was standing right outside his room.
…
(End of Chapter)
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