"Why?"
Ross eyed the young woman calmly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"May I have your name?"
"Name's Dodo! Captain of the Alabasta reclamation squad!"
Dodo puffed out her chest, beaming with pride.
"Dodo."
A spark of recognition flickered in Ross's eyes. She wasn't one of his plants, but he could use someone bold like her stepping up.
"Dodo, stand down!"
The royal guard captain surged forward from beside the hearse, his voice booming with fury.
"If not for Saint Ross, that monster would've slaughtered everyone in Alubarna. You have no clue how terrifying he was!"
The captain tore open his shirt, exposing a nasty purple-black bruise across his chest. Gasps rippled through the crowd.
He'd only caught the battle's shockwaves—debris alone had done this. Up close? He'd be dead ten times over.
"How strong?" Dodo blurted.
The captain shivered, memories of yesterday's chaos flooding back. His voice trembled as he spoke.
"King Cobra fell to the legendary pirate, Red the Aloof—the one who could've razed all of Alabasta single-handed."
"His casual strikes level a hundred meters like it's nothing."
It was the first public reveal of Red the Aloof's identity. Only a handful knew he'd hit Alabasta yesterday... and ended up slain by Ross.
"Red the Aloof?!"
"That guy on Whitebeard's level? Roger's equal?"
"Why target us?"
"..."
Murmurs erupted around them. Even on the Grand Line, tales of titans like him spread far. To these folks, he outmatched any Marine Admiral.
"Then why didn't you stop him...?" Dodo's gaze shifted to Saint Ross, her tone softening.
No one expected a Celestial Dragon to play hero against a living legend. Halting a killer like that from claiming an innocent life? Near impossible. This wasn't on Ross.
Ross shot Dodo a cool glance before striding past her, Sakazuki at his side.
Zephyr urged the Super Spot-Billed Duck cart forward, the ice coffin holding Red the Aloof's body trailing behind.
Dodo's mouth hung open, words caught in her throat. Then the guard captain's grim voice cut in.
"How d'you know Saint Ross didn't try? Red the Aloof moved like lightning. We barely blinked before he was on King Cobra."
"Only Saint Ross and Lady Gion reacted in time. One blow from that fiend hurled Gion over a hundred meters—smashed right through dozens of homes."
"Saint Ross stepped up too, but Red's power was overwhelming. The shockwaves alone shattered the whole platform. King Cobra didn't stand a chance."
"And you got no right to question Saint Ross!"
"After the king fell, he battled Red the Aloof head-on, shielding the rest of Alubarna."
Stunned silence gripped the crowd, faces twisting in disbelief.
A Celestial Dragon fighting a pirate legend? Defending commoners? It shattered everything they thought they knew.
"What happened to Red the Aloof in the end?" Dodo pressed, urgency edging her voice.
"You'll see soon. Head to the palace gates first."
The captain watched Ross and Sakazuki's backs with reverence, eyes gleaming with fanatic awe.
"Huh?"
"What really went down?"
Some grumbled at the cryptic answer, but sharper minds pieced it together. Excitement lit their faces.
Dodo was among them. She whipped around, spotting the corpse-frozen form in the ice coffin atop the duck cart.
Tears welled up as she dropped to her knees, sobbing.
"Yes! King Cobra, vengeance is yours!"
She kowtowed wildly toward Ross and Sakazuki, raw emotion pouring out.
The crowd caught on fast. Cheers and bows swept through them like a wave. They fell in behind Ross's group, marching toward the palace with eager steps.
Word of the king's avenger spread like wildfire through the capital. By the time Ross arrived, hundreds of thousands packed the square before the gates—a sea of faces buzzing with anticipation.
Ross and his group now stood atop the palace walls. Yesterday's shock still hung heavy; today marked King Cobra's state funeral.
Princess Titi—recently wed to the late king—approached the wall, lips pressed tight. Sorrow flickered in her eyes, but calm held firm.
She'd sensed trouble brewing for Cobra, but not this soon. Not in such a freak ambush.
Word had reached her yesterday: Red the Aloof, Cobra's killer, lay dead by Saint Ross and Sakazuki's hands.
In a twisted way, Ross had balanced the scales.
For that alone, handing Alabasta to him felt... fair.
Titi let out a bitter chuckle. Days ago, she'd grasped the truth: Royalty or not, without strength, you were just prey.
Like her old life, helpless against Ross.
Like Cobra yesterday, no match for Red the Aloof.
They'd thrived before because the strong stayed idle, order holding by whim.
"Titi, your cue."
Sora—King Cobra's trusted advisor—gently took her hand, voice soft.
The funeral rites demanded the princess's lead.
"I know..."
Below, the throng quieted. Titi drew a steadying breath and stepped to the wall's edge, a storm of emotions swirling in her gaze.
But trust won out. With Ross's backing, Alabasta could rise stronger.
She chose to believe.
"Today, I stand before you with heartbreaking news."
"Your king—my husband—was slain yesterday in Alubarna."
"My grief mirrors yours..."
Titi slipped into the role seamlessly, her voice carrying the weight of shared loss.
From his vantage, Ross scanned the masses. Sorrow etched every face; bitter tears flowed freely for many.
It spoke volumes of Cobra's sway with the people.
Pity, then. In a world ruled by might, hearts meant squat without an army.
For the mighty, crushing the meek was child's play.
—