"First, they quell the unrest in the capital, and immediately after, they send assassins to attack Kohza and Farafara!"
"This is a conspiracy through and through!"
"They aren't just targeting us; they are slandering the hero of Alabasta, Mr. Crocodile!"
"Who has protected our country from the predations of pirates all these years?"
"It was Mr. Crocodile!"
"And has he ever asked for anything in return?"
"No, nothing! Mr. Crocodile asked for nothing; he gave of himself in silence just to protect us!"
"And yet now, the hero is called a demon!"
"Can you accept this?!"
A rebel officer, who was also one of the Billionss under Baroque Works, was currently roaring at a crowd of tens of thousands in the camp.
The emotions of the rebel soldiers were whipped into a frenzy. They roared back in unison.
"We cannot!"
Seeing this, the Billions nodded and spoke again.
"The doctor just informed me that Farafara has fallen. Furthermore, our leader, Kohza, is so severely wounded that he likely won't survive the night. Tell me, what should we do?"
"Revenge!"
The roar erupted once more. The eyes of every rebel soldier were bloodshot. In this moment, they were willing to cast aside their lives and fight any opponent to the death.
"Very well. Previously, Leader Kohza found a wealthy but kind-hearted individual. Upon hearing about the situation in Alabasta, this person gave away their entire fortune to procure a shipment of munitions for us."
"Originally, Kohza was meant to distribute these weapons, but now..."
"Bring them out!!!"
Soon, hundreds of men carried one crate after another before the assembled rebels and flung them open.
'Hiss...'
When they saw the contents, everyone gasped.
Weapons. Mass quantities of weapons!
Countless rifles, and even over a hundred machine guns. The sheer volume of ammunition was enough to blind anyone who looked.
Although Alabasta had a Royal Army of hundreds of thousands, anyone familiar with the situation knew that they possessed almost no firearms; the vast majority used cold weapons.
The reason was simple: Alabasta was too poor. Forget equipping hundreds of thousands of soldiers with guns—they couldn't even afford to arm a few thousand. The total number of firearms in the entire kingdom likely didn't exceed a thousand.
Yet, the arsenal now laid before the rebels numbered no less than ten thousand.
Perhaps in a world where the strong rule, firearms aren't of much use against top-tier powerhouses. But one must not forget that both the Royal Army and these rebels were within the realm of ordinary humans. In that bracket, firearms completely overwhelmed cold weapons.
Therefore, even with only ten thousand rebels, as long as they were equipped with these hot weapons and fueled by rage... the fifty thousand Royal Army soldiers in Alubarna would truly be no match for them.
As for the Royal Army stationed elsewhere, it would take time for them to reach Alubarna. By the time they arrived, everything would already be over.
Afterward, the entire kingdom would plunge into chaos, potentially devolving into a bloody war between various warlords.
For Crocodile, the country itself wasn't the true goal. He only needed to force the location of the Poneglyph out of Cobra. Whether Alabasta fell into chaos or not didn't matter to him. In fact, the more chaotic Alabasta became, the more advantageous it was for him. The turmoil would draw everyone's attention, ensuring no one noticed his true movements.
"Everyone, step forward and claim your weapons. We move in one hour!"
"Target: The royal capital, Alubarna!!"
'''
At the same time, inside the royal palace of Alubarna.
Sean was in the middle of discussing several matters with Cobra. Just then, a guard entered the room.
"Your Majesty, a masked woman has arrived outside the palace. She claims to be Rear Admiral Sean's adjutant and requests entry to the palace!"
"Then why not just let her in?" Cobra blinked, slightly confused. Why was this being reported to him specifically?
"Your Majesty, the woman is not wearing a Marine uniform, nor does she possess any identification. The guards outside did not dare let her pass without authorization."
Hearing this, Cobra nodded. Given that they had just experienced a period of unrest, it was only natural for the guards to be cautious. He then looked toward Sean.
Whether she was legitimate or not, Sean was right here.
"King Cobra, let her in. She is indeed my adjutant. Because she was conducting a covert investigation into Baroque Works, she isn't wearing her uniform and isn't carrying any identification."
"I see. Go and bring her in!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The guard nodded and left the room.
"King Cobra, regarding the proposal I just made, do you think—"
'Bru-bru-bru-bru...'
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi on Sean's person began to ring.
"Excuse me, I need to take this!"
"Please, Rear Admiral Sean, be your way!"
"This is Sean," he said, answering the call.
"Rear Admiral, this is Jabra!"
"What happened?"
"Fifteen minutes ago, the rebel leader Kohza was attacked in Katreya. He is currently in critical condition and is not expected to survive the night. Subsequently, individuals suspected to be from Baroque Works began inciting the rebels and distributed over ten thousand firearms and a sufficient supply of ammunition. They are expected to march on Alubarna shortly."
"What!!!"
Before Sean could even respond, Cobra, who was standing beside him, bolted upright in shock and shouted.
Sean couldn't help but shake his head. This was the problem with Den Den Mushi—they were essentially on speakerphone.
Still, it didn't matter; there was no point in keeping Cobra in the dark. However, if Kohza actually died, that would be a genuine problem.
It wasn't that Sean feared ten thousand gunmen; it was because of Kohza's influence. With Kohza as a martyr, those ten thousand men would likely fight with a suicidal frenzy. If he tried to suppress them by force, there would be massive casualties.
Even if he stepped in and used his absolute power to take them all down, what would happen next?
Would they suddenly believe in Cobra? No, they wouldn't.
He couldn't kill them all, but he couldn't simply let them go either. That would be a genuine nightmare.
"Jabra, Kohza cannot die. Contact Blueno and have him extract Kohza immediately. Bring him directly to the palace in Alubarna!"
"As for the rebels, continue monitoring them. Do not engage for the time being!" Sean ordered after a brief moment of deliberation.
"Rear Admiral Sean, ten thousand armed rebels... this is..."
"King Cobra, wait a moment. There's no rush!"
'No rush?'
'How can you say there's no rush?! I'm dying of anxiety over here!'
Cobra was left utterly speechless.
Just then, a tall, masked woman entered the room, led by the guards.
"You're here?"
"Yes."
"Do you know how many Baroque Works agents are embedded within the rebel army?"
"I do. There are four Billionss among the officers, and eighty Millions among the rank-and-file soldiers."
"Give me a list!"
"Right away."
Listening to their exchange, King Cobra let out a sharp intake of breath. He had just heard from Sean that this woman had been sent to investigate Baroque Works, but she had actually uncovered this much? She even knew exactly how many moles were infiltrating the rebels.
Sean's subordinates were truly an elite force!
A short while later, Robin produced a large sheet of paper filled with names. Following this, she pulled a booklet from her person. This was no ordinary notebook; it was the official Baroque Works registry. Beyond basic information on every member, it even included photographs. After all, Robin was the one primarily managing Baroque Works now.
"King Cobra, please cross-reference this list and have someone print out the detailed files for these individuals from the registry."
"Alright, I'll have—"
Cobra nodded, but he was cut off mid-sentence. A brilliant blue portal of energy had suddenly manifested before him.
A moment later, the door opened, and a man at least eight feet tall stepped through, carrying another person over his shoulder. Startled, Cobra instinctively began to call for the guards, but the newcomer's words immediately stopped him.
"Rear Admiral, I've brought Kohza!"
"Good. Put him on the ground; I'll handle it."
"Yes, sir!"
Blueno nodded and gently laid the man down. Sean then turned his gaze toward Cobra.
"King Cobra, once the documents are printed, just hand them to him."
"O-okay!"
"Blueno, take the information King Cobra gives you to Jabra. Tell him to secretly eliminate everyone on that list—leave no one alive."
"Yes, Rear Admiral!"
"He doesn't need to worry about anything else. Even if the rebels march on Alubarna, he is only responsible for tracking and surveillance."
"Understood."
Having finished his instructions, Sean looked down at Kohza. As expected, he was barely breathing; he likely wouldn't last much longer.
"It looks like he's beyond saving. He might last another hour at most," the masked Robin remarked from the side.
However, Sean ignored her and knelt on one knee. He pressed his left palm firmly against the site of Kohza's gunshot wound.
In the next instant, a green glow emanated from his hand.
Robin was stunned. In a single heartbeat, the bleeding from Kohza's wound stopped. Then, a bullet slowly emerged, as if being pushed out by the body itself, before clattering onto the floor.
What was even more incomprehensible to her was that the wound began to slowly knit itself back together. Although the progress was gradual, Robin was certain it was regenerating. Simultaneously, Kohza's breathing stabilized, and a faint hint of color returned to his deathly pale face.
'Sean... just how many secrets are you hiding?'
Watching Sean treat Kohza, Robin found herself becoming increasingly curious.