In the bustling city of Rainbase, the news of Mike's presence had spread like wildfire.
"Ace!"
Vista's voice called out, waving from a short distance away. "We're here!"
"Vista! Jozu!" Ace spotted the two commanders and quickly walked over, his tone carrying a hint of urgency.
"You're a bit late—Mike has already left for an oasis town called Yuba!"
"Sorry," Jozu said, his voice a low, steady rumble. "We came straight from the New World without stopping. We had to take a short break to get our bearings."
"No worries, let's head to Yuba now!" Vista said without a moment's hesitation, his eyes burning with a swordsman's anticipation.
"We can still make it."
"Alright, let's go," Ace nodded.
Just as they were about to set off, a familiar, jubilant voice called out from behind them, a sound that made Ace's entire demeanor change from a serious hunter to a grinning older brother.
"ACCCCCE!!!"
Ace spun around, his eyes instantly lighting up as a boy in a straw hat waved enthusiastically at him, a massive, ear-to-ear grin on his face.
"LUFFYYY!" he broke into a wide smile, responding with equal enthusiasm.
"Ace, I found you!" Luffy laughed, closing the distance between them.
"Hahaha, Luffy, you're looking good! You've gotten stronger!" Ace laughed, ruffling his younger brother's hair before clapping him on the shoulder.
He then turned to the rest of the Straw Hat crew and gave them a deep, sincere bow.
"Thank you all for taking care of my idiot little brother during this time."
He gestured to the two massive men standing behind him.
"This is Vista and Jozu, my crewmates."
The two Whitebeard commanders greeted the Straw Hats with friendly smiles, and the atmosphere instantly relaxed.
"By the way, Luffy, how about joining the Whitebeard Pirates?" Ace asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Our crew is super strong, you know."
Luffy just laughed. "No way! I want to be the Pirate King on my own adventure!"
"Hahaha, fair enough!" Ace chuckled. "But we're heading to Yuba right now."
"Yuba?" Luffy blinked curiously. "Isn't that the rebel army's base? What are you going there for?"
"We're looking for someone," Ace explained. "A Marine Headquarters Captain named Mike."
"Captain Mike?!" Vivi and Nami widened their eyes in shock, staring at Ace in unison.
"He's in this country too?!"
"Huh?" Ace was taken aback by their intense reaction.
"We ran into him back in Loguetown," Zoro interjected, his voice low and serious. T
he topic of Mike was one he was deeply interested in.
"What kind of intel are you looking for about him?"
"I heard he knows a completely new swordsmanship style," Vista said, his tone laced with a swordsman's curiosity.
"The East Blue News reported it, but I couldn't confirm if it was true..."
"No need to doubt it," Zoro's lips curled slightly, his gaze deepening with the memory of the sky-splitting slash.
"I can tell you for sure. He doesn't just know one new swordsmanship style."
"..."
The Whitebeard Pirates froze.
"More than one?" Ace asked, struggling to comprehend.
Zoro's expression was grimly serious. "One of his techniques can literally split the sky."
"Splitting the sky?!" Ace and Vista were stunned with a flicker of disbelief in their eyes.
That was a feat reserved for the likes of Emperors clashing.
How could a mere Marine Captain possess such power?
"Yeah!" Luffy declared with absolute certainty. "Ace, we all saw it with our own eyes! It was amazing!"
Luffy's earnest confirmation sealed it.
Vista's eyes burned with an intense, almost manic excitement.
"Mike... since you possess such swordsmanship... I won't hold back in our duel!" he vowed to himself.
"Let's set off for Yuba immediately!"
.....
Yuba, the former oasis and trading hub of Alabasta's western region, had been reborn.
Two transport turtles came to a steady halt before the city's pristine main gate.
The gate was broad, its majestic stone walls embedded with golden runes that shimmered faintly in the desert sun.
The city's new buildings were arranged in orderly yet vibrant clusters, a splash of life against the endless dunes.
Mike gently pushed open the carriage door and stepped out.
He stood in the spacious plaza, tilting his head slightly as he swept his gaze across the new, yet somewhat empty city.
It was clean, uniform, and well-built, but it lacked the chaotic, lively energy of a place that had been lived in. It felt like a movie set.
"Lacks a bit of soul, its just an empty place...." Mike remarked.
Just as he was observing the city, his eyes fixed on the group of travel-worn figures waiting for him.
At the forefront was Crocodile, covered head to toe in dust and sand, looking utterly exhausted but trying desperately to maintain his composure.
"Crocodile, what happened to you? You look like you just wrestled a sandstorm," Mike teased.
"Phew—" Crocodile lightly brushed the sand from his coat.
"The old Yuba was a bit outdated," he said, a hint of strained pride in his voice.
"We gave it a quick... makeover... overnight. To ensure you enjoys yourself to the fullest!"
He gestured to the army of exhausted Baroque Works agents behind him, who had toiled tirelessly through the night—2,000 laborers and over a dozen Devil Fruit users—to transform a wasteland into a paradise in less than twelve hours.
"Mike, please follow me," Crocodile said, leading him toward a newly constructed hot springs building.
It was a masterpiece of simple yet elegant design, blending seamlessly with the newly created natural landscape.
Verdant hills and a clear, man-made stream now surrounded the area.
"Mike, this is the finest hot springs in all of Alabasta," Crocodile introduced proudly, the exhaustion clear in his voice.
To ensure Mike's satisfaction, the entire Baroque Works organization had gone all out.
Even Admiral Aokiji, who had arrived in the middle of the night, had "contributed" by creating a stable, underground water source with his ice powers.
"Not bad, not bad at all," Mike nodded approvingly.
Of course, the most eye-catching feature was the stunning lineup at the entrance—a welcoming party of beautiful women from across Alabasta, all dressed in skimpy, colorful bikinis.
"Captain Mike, welcome!!!" they cheered in unison.
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