The square in front of the royal palace was crowded. Everyone watched silently, their attention fixed on Rolan.
"Rolan sama, can this truly be done?"
King Cobra's voice carried a trace of worry. Rolan had just declared that he could restore Alabasta's weather and bring normal rainfall back to the kingdom—something so miraculous that ordinary people could only dream of it.
Rolan gave a simple nod. "I don't lie."
He then turned to Nami. "Let's begin."
Nami hummed softly and transformed into a white cloud, rising into the sky. Rolan floated upward after her, electricity crackling faintly around him.
He believed he could do this. Weather was heavily influenced by the magnetic field of a region. As someone who had eaten the Electromagnetic Fruit, paired with Nami's Cloud-Cloud Fruit, adjusting Alabasta's magnetic field—and therefore its climate—was theoretically within reach.
"You all back up," he said calmly.
The moment he spoke, his body erupted with electromagnetic energy. Lightning wrapped around him, turning him into a living sphere of crackling current. Down below, everyone's hair stood on end as though electrified.
In the sky, Nami shifted into a dark cloud form, pulling other clouds toward Alabasta.
Rolan focused deeply, sensing the connection between the island's magnetic field and the mass of dark clouds. Through sheer force of will, he twisted the magnetic pattern of the land below.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Raindrops fell. Slowly at first, then heavier.
Soon the drizzle turned into a downpour. Throughout Alabasta, people rushed outside—some holding out containers, some drinking the falling rain, others dancing with joy.
Cobra stood in awe. Alabasta had not seen rain like this in centuries. And now, thanks to the two figures in the sky, the kingdom's future was changing.
Just as cheers filled the square, Rolan descended, carrying Nami in his arms.
Cobra hurried forward. "Rolan sama! Nami san! Are you both alright?"
Rolan took out two senzu beans, handing one to Nami before eating the other himself.
He exhaled lightly. "Didn't expect altering a small island's magnetic field to take this much effort. Without Nami generating synchronized electricity, it might've been impossible." His tone was casual, as though he hadn't just performed a miracle.
"But it's done. Give it two years at most. Alabasta will become a place people long to visit."
He glanced at the desert around them. "Though… you might want to appreciate the scenery while you can. The endless sand may disappear eventually."
Cobra shook his head. "That scenery only looks beautiful to outsiders. Those who haven't lived in the desert don't understand the harshness. And… Alabasta belongs to its people. Not to me."
Rolan smirked faintly. "Exactly. It's not your kingdom or mine. It's theirs."
Vivi, Cobra, Chaka, and the others felt admiration swell in their chests. This… is what a king should sound like, they thought.
Cobra bowed deeply. "Rolan sama, on behalf of all of Alabasta, I thank you. A banquet has been prepared. Please, join us."
---
The next morning, after a night of cleansing rain, the air was cool and fresh for the first time in centuries.
Rolan handed several booklets of instructions to Cobra, offered a few brief words, then left with the crew.
At the palace square, Vivi waved toward the distant white cloud that carried them away. Her eyes were filled with reluctance. Though her time with them had been short, she felt something she seldom experienced—true companionship.
Her childhood friends had always called her "Princess," keeping a wall between them as they grew older. Yet with Rolan and his crew, she had felt equal—just Vivi.
For a fleeting moment, she even wished she could sail with them.
A voice snapped her back. "Princess Vivi, you must prepare for your speech. Rolan sama said he would return in at most two years, did he not?"
She watched the last trace of the cloud vanish, then turned toward the palace. "I understand, Igaram. I'm coming."
Clenching her fists, she whispered, "Rolan sama… I may not be strong, but I will contribute to your dream in my own way."
---
"Sky Island… this is beautiful."
After departing Alabasta, the Ion Tempest crew traveled from Mock Town up toward the White Sea.
Lina marveled at the endless ocean of clouds. Nami nodded in agreement. "It really is a sea. Even our ship can sail through it!"
Crocodile grunted, unimpressed. "It's just white as far as the eye can see."
Lina rolled her eyes. "Old men really don't understand aesthetics."
Kuro stepped forward and patted Crocodile's shoulder. "Let the girls enjoy it. We've seen enough worlds."
Rolan spoke up calmly. "This isn't Sky Island yet. Sky Island is on the level above."
Lina tilted her head. "The level above?"
"Someone's coming." Rolan said.
Everyone took their combat stances.
A masked man wearing strange shoes slid rapidly across the cloud surface toward their ship. His approach was fast—too fast for an ordinary person.
"Oh? Looks like hospitality isn't their thing," Crocodile muttered, forming a miniature sandstorm in his palm.
Zoro loosened the guard of his sword, eyes sharp and focused.
Everyone except Robin had already mastered Haki, and among them, Kuro's Haki was particularly overwhelming. They could all sense the intruder's strength. It wasn't weak, but it wasn't threatening either.
The masked man shot forward, leaping into the air and spinning like a drill, aiming directly at Kuro.
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I'll be dropping a 50% discount code for my Patreon membership on the 15th, in celebration of the upcoming Christmas season.
The code will be active from that day until the end of the month.
Stay tuned