The air on the defensive wall was thick with tension, a palpable dread as the royal soldiers watched the approaching dust cloud solidify into a sea of angry faces and raised weapons. Cannons were primed, rifles were loaded, and every finger rested nervously on a trigger. Mario's eyes, sharpened by training and paranoia, scanned the ranks around him. He didn't have to look hard; several soldiers had made only a token effort to hide the Baroque Works tattoos on their wrists or forearms.
"Sir Chaka," Mario murmured, his voice so low it was almost swallowed by the desert wind.
Chaka didn't turn, but his head tilted a fraction, his warrior's instinct recognizing a covert communication.
"Listen well," Mario whispered, his lips barely moving. "There are traitors in your ranks. Baroque Works agents are mixed in with your men."
Chaka's eyes widened for a fleeting second before his expression hardened back into stoic resolve. He gave a nearly imperceptible nod.
"They have tattoos. You can spot them," Mario added, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the rebel army was now a distinct, charging mass. "My friend is keeping an eye out to stop them from doing anything stupid. If something happens, know that it's him."
Chaka's eyes subtly scanned the line of soldiers, and Mario knew the veteran guardian was now seeing the enemy within. A small, worried crease formed on his brow, but he trusted Mario's warning.
Soon, the thunder of hooves and the war cries of the revolutionaries filled the air. It was a tidal wave of fury, and Mario knew words alone would never stop it. His eyes then caught a smaller, desperate movement—a single figure on a super spot-billed duck, racing on a suicide mission to intercept the army's vanguard.
"And there she is," Mario sighed, a pang of admiration for Vivi's courage striking him.
"Princess Vivi?" Chaka gasped, his composure breaking for a moment.
"Well, that's my cue to go," Mario said. Before anyone could react, he pushed off the wall, vaulting into the open air.
"Wait!" Chaka cried out.
THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!
From a distant rooftop, a volley of perfectly aimed metal pellets sang through the air. One by one, ten soldiers—those with hidden tattoos who were maneuvering towards the cannons or raising their rifles—clutched their arms or legs and crumpled, their treacherous actions foiled before they could fire a single shot.
Chaka stared in bewildered awe at the fallen men, then back at the falling Mario.
"Good job, Usopp," Mario smiled to himself as the wind whistled past his ears.
Geppo! Soru!
He kicked against the air, arresting his fall and propelling himself forward in a blur. He soared over Vivi's head, placing himself directly between the princess and the thousand-strong spearhead of the revolutionary charge, led by a furious Koza. The army was mere seconds from overrunning Vivi.
Mario took a deep breath, channeling all his power into his right arm. It was time for the ultimate test.
RANKYAKU!
He swung his arm down in a devastating arc. A colossal, crescent-shaped blade of compressed air, hundreds of meters long, screamed towards the earth. It struck the ground with the force of a meteor impact, gouging a deep trench and hurling a massive wall of sand into the sky between Vivi and the charging army. Horses and camels reared in terror, their charge breaking into chaos as if they slammed into an invisible, shrieking barrier.
Mario landed softly beside a stunned Vivi, the settling sand dusting his shoulders.
"Miss me?" he asked with a cocky smirk.
"M-Mario!!!" Vivi exclaimed, her voice a mixture of shock, relief, and sheer disbelief.
His smile vanished as he turned to face the stunned but still-hostile army. He stepped in front of Vivi, shielding her completely as he drew a deep, grounding breath, gathering his will. This required more than a show of force; it required absolute dominance.
"STOP!"
He unleashed his Conqueror's Haki at its maximum intensity for the first time since his breakthrough. An invisible wave of pure, suffocating willpower radiated from him, crashing over the front lines of the revolutionary army. Dozens of rebels' eyes rolled back into their heads as they collapsed unconscious.
Every single horse and camel in the first three rows buckled and fainted. The relentless charge ground to a dead, eerily silent halt. Even Vivi, shielded from the brunt of it, stared at Mario's back with a mixture of horror and awe.
Koza, thrown from his fainted mount, scrambled to his feet, his face a mask of terror and confusion.
"What the hell...?" he stammered, looking at the carnage around him.
Mario's intense aura remained, a palpable pressure in the air. He offered a calm, yet intimidating smile.
"Hello, Mister Revolutionary. I think I have someone who would like to have a word with you."
He stepped gracefully to the side, revealing Princess Vivi, who stood tall, her expression a complex tapestry of grief, determination, and hope.
"Princess?!" Kohza's eyes bulged, his revolutionary fervor shattered by the impossible display of power and the sudden, direct presence of the friend he believed he had lost. The battlefield stood still, held in a tense, breathless silence.
"Koza! Are you okay?!" Vivi's fear for the kingdom was instantly replaced by concern for her childhood friend. She rushed to his side, ignoring the stunned soldiers who were too cowed by Mario's display to even move.
"Princess, what are you doing here?" Koza asked, dazed, as Vivi helped him to his feet.
"I'm here to stop this madness!" Vivi said, her voice cracking with emotion, tears welling in her eyes. Seeing that the immediate crisis was averted and the revolutionaries were pacified, Mario allowed the crushing pressure of his Haki to recede. He flexed his hand, the strain of the massive Rankyaku and the Conqueror's Haki leaving a dull ache, but it was a small price to pay.
"Vivi, before you begin," Mario interjected, his voice calm but urgent. "Is everyone okay? Did the whole crew arrive safely?" He needed that confirmation more than anything.
Still reeling from the emotional whiplash, Vivi nodded rapidly. "Everyone is fine! We encountered Crocodile on the way. Luffy, Zorro, and Sanji fought him and were almost beaten, but then we discovered his weakness with Nami's help! After that, Crocodile was on the ropes the but the coward ran away! Even Miss All Sunday was there; she told us about some of his plans but didn't fight."
Mario's eyes widened in genuine surprise. They made Crocodile run? The timeline had shifted dramatically for the better. The near-fatal impalings and dehydrations had been avoided. This was fantastic news.
"We tried to get here as fast as we could," Vivi continued, panting, "but Crocodile killed the sand crab we were riding. We only made it this far thanks to the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troop!"
The update was music to his ears. "Good," Mario said, a weight lifting from his shoulders. "Listen, this will be over soon, but I need to go. Where is the crew now?"
"They're battling the Baroque Works officers east of the town! Luffy ran ahead to the palace itself. He said he's going to take down Crocodile for good!"
Mario nodded, his new objective clear. "Take care of things here. Get the revolutionary army to stand with the royal guards. Have them reinforce the west gate—the Baroque Works billions will attack from that side."
He began to turn away, then paused, looking back at Vivi with a proud, reassuring smile. "You did it, Vivi. You saved your kingdom."
With those final words, he vanished in a burst of speed, the air cracking with the sound of Soru.
Tears of pure, unadulterated relief and happiness streamed down Vivi's face. "Un!" she nodded, a wobbly smile breaking through.
Koza, still shell-shocked, stared at the empty space where Mario had stood. "Who... who was that?"
Vivi wiped her tears, her smile radiant. "A good friend."
Mario was a blur of motion, a force of nature cutting through the streets of Alubarna. He passed Chaka, who was leading a contingent of loyalists towards the main gate, a look of profound relief on his face at the sight of Vivi. The guardian captain only registered a gust of wind and a fleeting shadow, his head snapping around in shock, but Mario was already gone, his singular focus burning like a laser.
His mind mapped the city, plotting the most efficient path. First, Usopp. He needed to redirect their sniper.
Chopper, brave but facing multiple Baroque Works officers alone, needed backup. And then, the bomb. Pell would not sacrifice himself today. Not on his watch.
And after that... after ensuring his friends were safe and the city was secure... it would be time. Time to corner the desert warlord. Luffy had the main event, but Mario would be the insurance. He would ensure Crocodile had nowhere to run, no more tricks to play.
His face, set in lines of absolute determination, was a mask of grim promise. The final act of the Alabasta saga was beginning, and he was ready to rewrite its tragic ending, one saved life at a time.