Chapter 45

"Jack!" Princess Vivi called out, her voice trembling with hope.

Crocodile's expression darkened. "You again?" He turned to Jack, irritation flickering across his face.

Jack remained unfazed. "King Nefertari Cobra, allow me to formally introduce myself." He straightened and saluted. "Jack, Captain of the Navy Headquarters." His gaze flicked to the king, who was still restrained by Robin, awaiting his forced departure.

Tears welled up in Vivi's eyes as she ran toward Jack, her voice breaking. "Jack—Luffy… Luffy was killed! by Crocodile!"

"Don't worry." Jack gently patted Vivi's head, his tone softer now. "Luffy isn't someone who dies that easily."

She was always so strong, so full of life. Seeing her like this tugged at Jack's heart. If not for the constraints of the moment, he would have killed Crocodile right then and there.

With a deep breath, he shifted his focus. "You're lucky," he murmured as he approached Chaka, who lay on the ground, severely wounded. Jack knelt and administered a dose of his life-restoring potion.

"What? Mr. Jack… is Chaka—?" Vivi gasped, rushing over and kneeling beside him, hands trembling as she reached for the royal guard.

"He'll be fine," Jack assured her. "Help him to rest. Leave everything else to me."

Once Vivi and the others moved Chaka to safety, Jack turned to King Cobra. "Your Majesty, though I have yet to receive your formal consent, I have already ordered the Navy to intervene in this war. Rest assured, our forces are here only to rescue civilians—we will not participate in the battle itself."

His voice was calm, unwavering. The chaos of war raged on outside, but for the first time in days, there was a glimmer of hope in Alabasta.

"That's… very considerate of you. Thank you," Cobra said sincerely, his voice laced with gratitude.

Just then, a voice echoed through the palace, filled with disbelief. "What's going on here?!"

A young man with a scar over his eye strode into the room, his gaze darting over the battered king, the fallen royal guards, and the chaos surrounding them. His expression twisted in confusion and anger. "Why is a supposed tyrant being tortured like this? Why are the elite guards of the king's army lying in their own blood? Why… why is any of this happening?"

"Kohza?!!" Vivi's eyes widened as she turned toward the newcomer, her voice trembling with a mix of relief and urgency.

"Vivi?!" Kohza's eyes locked onto hers, his voice raw with emotion. "Tell me what's happening! Now!"

Jack, observing the young rebel leader, smirked slightly. "It's quite obvious, isn't it?" He crossed his arms, his sharp gaze assessing Kohza. "You're the leader of the rebel army, correct? I heard you've had some… disagreements with my subordinates before." His tone carried an edge of knowing amusement.

Before Kohza could respond, a low, mocking laugh filled the air.

"Hahahaha… how interesting." Crocodile remained unshaken by the turn of events, his grin widening. "I never expected the key players from every side to gather here like this. What a spectacle."

Tears welled in Vivi's eyes as she clenched her fists, her voice laced with fury. "Kohza… Everything that happened to this kingdom—it was all because of him!" She turned to glare at Crocodile, hatred burning in her gaze.

Crocodile chuckled, completely unbothered by the accusation. "That's right. Everything you believed was the king's doing—every atrocity, every injustice—was orchestrated by me." He smirked, relishing the moment. "And I must say, Kohza, I truly appreciate your cooperation over these past two years. You played your role perfectly."

A cold, triumphant laugh escaped his lips, the weight of his deception settling over the room like a suffocating cloud.

"Don't listen to him, Kohza!" King Cobra coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood before mustering the strength to shout. "You must evacuate everyone from Alubarna immediately! The city will be destroyed in less than thirty minutes! Hurry—save as many lives as you can!"

Kohza froze for a moment, the weight of the king's words sinking in. But as soon as the realization struck, he turned, ready to carry out the order without hesitation. Now that he knew the truth—that the king was still the just ruler he had once believed in—there was no room for doubt.

"Wait, Kohza!" Vivi rushed forward, stopping him in his tracks. She shot a wary glance at Crocodile, who was still grinning smugly, before speaking in a hushed yet urgent tone. "We can't just run out there and announce everything! If the people learn the truth all at once, the panic will only make things worse. Our priority must be stopping the fighting first—only then can we evacuate properly!"

Crocodile chuckled, his amusement evident. "Impressive. That's quite the level-headed judgment, Ms. Wednesday." His smirk widened. "But unfortunately for you, it won't make a difference."

Without warning, he dissolved into a swirling mass of sand, surging forward to strike down both Vivi and Kohza.

"Did you forget something?"

A blur of motion—and then, a fist crashed into Crocodile's face, sending him flying.

Standing protectively in front of Vivi was Jack, his expression unreadable. The sudden turn of events left everyone momentarily stunned—Vivi and Kohza stared in shock, while even the injured King Cobra and the newly conscious Chaka could do nothing but watch in disbelief.

Crocodile slowly pushed himself to his feet, wiping a streak of blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes darkened with fury. "You dare interfere?! Are you looking to die?!"

Jack flexed his fingers, cracking his knuckles as he met Crocodile's glare with nothing but disdain. "If it weren't for the fact that Luffy needs to see the difference in strength for himself… do you really think I'd have let you stand here and keep running your mouth?"

Crocodile, who didn't even know how to wield Haki, was clearly a character deliberately set up by Oda to serve as an early stepping stone for the protagonist. Jack had no real intention of dealing with him himself—this was Luffy's battle, a crucial opportunity for him to gain experience. Once Luffy's bounty increased, Jack would find the right moment to challenge him, securing both recognition and a lucrative reward. With that, he could finally obtain an advanced secret skill.

"Alright, leader of the rebel army," Jack said with a smirk, turning to Kohza. "Now that you know the truth, it's up to you to stop the fighting. Leave this battle to me."

Kohza hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Vivi. Seeing her determined nod, he immediately rose to his feet and sprinted out of the palace to fulfill his duty.

Without wasting another second, Jack sprang into action. "Soru! Shigan!" He shot toward Crocodile with lightning speed—if he managed to take him down before Luffy arrived, well, that was just Crocodile's bad luck.

Bang!

Boom!

Crocodile staggered back, blood trickling from his forehead, his composure shaken. "Hah… Nico Robin! Take the king and leave first. I'll handle things here and meet you later," he ordered, his voice strained but resolute.

Robin simply smiled, then turned and departed with King Cobra in tow.

Vivi, realizing what was happening, moved to stop them—but Robin was faster. A sudden attack sent her reeling, and if not for Jack's swift intervention, she would have been knocked unconscious on the spot.

The close call gave Crocodile the brief opening he needed to recover.

"Tch… I'm sorry… I was useless," Vivi murmured, biting her lip as frustration welled up inside her.

"Silly girl, your greatest duty is to be a good princess, one worthy of your people. Leave the fighting to us professionals," Jack said with a reassuring smile, gently patting Vivi's head.

In the midst of rescuing her, he had taken a hit—Crocodile's hook had grazed his arm. He knew the weapon was laced with poison, meaning he had to end this battle quickly.

"Hahaha! Stupid marine, my hook isn't so easy to withstand. That wound of yours? It's laced with a deadly poison," Crocodile sneered, watching Jack's injury with satisfaction.

"Hmph. Such a cheap trick. What a waste of your position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea," Jack scoffed. Without hesitation, he tapped several pressure points on his arm to slow the poison's spread, then channeled his chakra to neutralize it.

"CROCODILE!!!"

Before Crocodile could press his attack, a voice rang out from above.

"Luffy-san?!" Vivi gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief as she saw Luffy descending from the sky, perched on Pell, who had taken his transformed form.

"Tch. Still alive? You're one persistent little ant," Crocodile muttered, his expression darkening. Then, with a smirk, he turned to leave. "But I have no time to waste on you. Farewell."

With that, he leaped out of the palace, his body dissolving into sand as he fled.

Jack moved to give chase, but before he could, Luffy landed with a heavy thud and called out, "Vivi! Leave Crocodile to me! You need to stop the rebels!"

Vivi's breath caught in her throat as she turned to the battlefield. At some point, the ceasefire Kohza had brokered had shattered, and the war had erupted once again.

"That guy actually ignored me?!" Jack frowned, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Mr. Jack, please—I need your help!" Princess Vivi pleaded, desperation in her eyes.

Jack let out a sigh, glancing in the direction where Crocodile had escaped. "Your Highness, it's not that the navy doesn't want to intervene. We simply don't have enough manpower. Right now, we alone can't stop this war."

"Then at least help us!" Vivi insisted stubbornly, refusing to back down.

Jack exhaled heavily, then nodded. "Alright, I understand. I'll gather my subordinates and have them temporarily follow the orders of the Nefertari royal family." Without another word, he leaped into the air, using Geppo to search for Lena.

As he exited the palace, a sudden crash caught his attention. A building in the distance had completely collapsed.

"What now?" Jack muttered, eyes narrowing as he scanned the scene.

His gaze landed on a familiar figure sprawled amidst the rubble. "It's you." He walked over to the fallen Mr. 1, Daz Bones, and hauled him up with one hand before continuing his search.

A short while later, Jack finally located Lena, who had set up a rescue station. Without ceremony, he tossed Mr. 1 at her feet.

"Lena, from now on, all navy personnel will temporarily follow the orders of the Nefertari royal family. Prioritize civilian rescues, and don't let any of the Baroque Works agents escape!"

"Understood, sir!" Lena snapped to attention and saluted.

With that settled, Jack turned on his heel and set off once more, hunting down the remaining senior agents of Baroque Works.

One by one, he subdued them, and with each capture, the system rewarded him with diamonds.

"Should I go after Crocodile or the bomb first?" Jack pondered for a moment before deciding on Crocodile. After all, in the end, Vivi would need the bomb to stop the war.

With his mind made up, he rushed toward the underground passage, only to find Crocodile and Luffy already locked in a fierce battle. Robin lay injured to the side.

"Soru—Shigan!" Jack didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, intercepting Luffy's fight.

"Jack! He's mine!" Luffy bellowed, glaring at him.

"Leave this to me!" Jack shot back. "Take the king and Robin and get out of here—Vivi needs your help! The bomb is in the clock tower!"

Luffy hesitated, then glanced at Crocodile. Without another word, he scooped up King Cobra and Robin before sprinting toward the exit.

"Did I say you could leave?!" Crocodile, blood streaking his face, growled menacingly as he locked eyes on Luffy.

"Your fight is with me now!" Jack declared.

With a series of rapid Haki-coated punches, Jack unleashed three consecutive moves. A massive dragon head materialized, surging forward before transforming into a colossal golden beast, hurtling straight at Crocodile.

Crocodile sneered. "Desert sword!"

Refusing to back down, he countered with his deadliest technique, launching a devastating sandstorm to meet Jack's onslaught.

Luffy, still carrying the others, had barely made it aboveground when a deafening explosion shook the cavern. Turning up, he found Crocodile flying into the air after the whole bedrock collapsed.

--------------------------------

AN: For the next 10 reviews or 100 power stones, i'll be posting a new chapter. So try to keep this story in popular list.🫡

Check out my P@treon For +30 extra chapters.

Thank You For your Support!!

www.p@treon.com/noviceauthor777