Chapter 46

As the dust settled and silence reclaimed the battlefield, Luffy stood on the ground, staring in astonishment at the underground mausoleum—now blown open by the sheer force of the battle. The clash of their attacks had torn straight through the ancient structure.

"Why are you still here?" Jack's voice broke the quiet. His captain's uniform did not have even a blemish, his hands bloodied, but in his grip was the unconscious body of Crocodile.

"He's dead already?" Luffy asked, blinking in surprise.

"Dead? Do you think one of the Shichibukai goes down that easily?" Jack scoffed, shaking his head. "He's just unconscious." Then, with a nod toward the battered king, he added, "Leave Cobra to me. You go help Vivi. I'll take His Majesty to the navy's medical station."

Luffy nodded, adjusting Robin on his back before dashing off.

As Jack carried Cobra, the king spoke weakly, "Thank you, truly… Jack-san, we owe you everything this time."

"It's just my duty," Jack replied with a small smile.

Before long, he arrived at the rescue point—just in time to see a massive bomb soaring through the sky, launched from the clock tower.

"What the hell is that?!" One of the marines gasped, staring up in horror.

"Captain!" Lena rushed to Jack's side, urgency in her voice.

King Cobra, his eyes heavy with exhaustion, let out a weary sigh. "Even after defeating Crocodile… we still couldn't stop it?"

Jack's gaze remained fixed on the bomb. Then, in a low but resolute voice, he murmured,

"No. It's not over yet."

"What?" Cobra asked, his voice filled with surprise as he looked into Jack's determined eyes.

"The bomb… it's rising," Jack said, his gaze narrowing.

"Why?" Cobra asked, bewildered.

Without answering immediately, Jack leaped into the air, using Geppo to ascend before landing gracefully. Turning to Cobra, he smirked slightly. "You have some remarkable subordinates, Your Majesty. I saw a large bird in a white robe lifting the bomb into the sky."

"Pell...?" Cobra's voice trembled with a mix of shock and hope.

And then—

"BOOM!"

A deafening explosion tore through the sky, sending shockwaves across the capital. A cloud of dust erupted, obscuring the city below. On the bell tower, Vivi, who had been calling out desperately just moments ago, collapsed to her knees in stunned silence. But then, summoning every ounce of strength, she cried out once more:

"Please, stop fighting! The war is over!"

Her voice rang out, cutting through the fading echoes of destruction.

"Please, stop fighting! The war is over!"

Again and again, she repeated the plea, tireless and unwavering.

And suddenly, beside her, a familiar figure appeared—a young man in a straw hat. Without hesitation, he joined her cry.

Below the clock tower, the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates followed suit, their voices rising in unison with Vivi's.

For a moment, only the lingering hum of the explosion filled the air, leaving the battlefield in eerie silence. Then, as the ringing in their ears faded, the soldiers—the rebels, the revolutionaries—began to hear her. Weapons trembled in their hands.

And as the dust settled, soft raindrops began to fall from the sky.

The battle that had raged for so long… was finally coming to an end.

"Royal Army! Lay down your weapons!" Chaka, battered and bloodied, struggled to his feet, supporting the wounded king as they emerged from the navy's rescue point. His voice, though hoarse, carried across the battlefield.

"Lord Chaka?! Your Majesty?!"

The soldiers of the King's Army froze in shock, eyes widening at the sight of their sovereign.

"Rebels! Stand down!" Igaram shouted as he emerged, supporting Kohza while cradling a child in his arms.

"Captain Igaram? Leader Kosa?!"

The rebels, just as stunned, turned to see the familiar figures before them.

Then, in the hushed silence, the child in Kosa and Igaram's arms spoke—recounting all they had seen. The truth unraveled before them, and regret weighed heavy in their hearts.

Cobra stepped forward, his voice steady despite his exhaustion. "It is natural to feel sorrow and regret. We have lost so much, yet gained nothing." He paused, surveying the faces of his people, grief and guilt etched upon them. "But this too is part of growth. The war has come and gone. No one can change the past—but what truly matters is how we move forward, how we rebuild after the destruction."

A murmur spread through the crowd.

"Your Majesty..."

"Your Highness..."

One by one, the rebels dropped their weapons, tears streaming down their faces. The King's Army, too, laid down their arms, some wiping their eyes in quiet relief.

Cobra took a deep breath and raised his voice, his spirit unbroken.

"People of Alabasta! We must stand together and rebuild our home!"

For a moment, there was silence. Then—

"Long live the King! Long live Alabasta!"

A unified cry erupted across the battlefield. The war that had ravaged the desert kingdom was finally over.

—

"So, does that mean you've reported everything truthfully to headquarters, Jack-san?" In the palace, King Cobra had arranged a resting chamber for Jack, Lena, and the others.

"Of course. An event of this magnitude can't be hidden." Jack nodded.

"But, Captain, you handled everything exceptionally well and successfully thwarted Crocodile's conspiracy." Lena furrowed her brows in confusion.

Jack leaned back on the sofa with a relaxed smile. "That's beyond my control. Higher-ups will do as they see fit. For now, let's rest before setting sail again."

Lena hesitated before speaking. "Aren't we going after the Straw Hat Pirates?"

Jack shook his head. "Not yet. Besides, we owe them this time. Without their help, things could've turned out much worse."

"Understood, sir." After everything that had transpired, Lena's perception of the Straw Hats had shifted. They weren't like the typical ruthless pirates that wreaked havoc wherever they went.

Just then, a marine rushed into the room. "Report!"

Jack glanced up. "What is it?"

"Captain, the warship from headquarters has arrived at the port. Should we head there now?" the soldier asked, standing at attention.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Already? That was fast. Very well—inform everyone that the break is over. Gather all the pirates. We leave for the port first thing tomorrow."

As Jack stood, Lena quickly retrieved his "Justice" cloak and draped it over his shoulders before following him out the door.

"Lena, head to the base, gather the soldiers, and wait for me at the South Gate tomorrow morning!" Jack instructed as he strode toward the palace hall.

Lena hesitated for a moment but quickly straightened and saluted. "Understood, captain!"

\

Meanwhile, Jack sought out King Cobra, and the two spent an entire day discussing matters in the study.

On the other side of the palace, Luffy was suffering from both exhaustion and the lingering effects of Crocodile's poison. Although Jack had intervened in the battle, the toll on Luffy's body had been immense. After assisting Vivi, he had collapsed from sheer fatigue.

Inside the Straw Hats' quarters, an argument was already brewing.

"Zoro! Are you training again?" Chopper, the ship's doctor, shouted in frustration as he saw the swordsman lifting weights.

Zoro waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, I know my own limits."

Chopper nearly lost his mind. "That's exactly what I'm worried about! I'm telling you NOT to train right now!"

Just then, a familiar voice broke the tension.

"Ahhh~ That was the best sleep ever!" Luffy stretched with a satisfied grin as he finally woke up.

The crew turned to him in excitement.

"Oh! Luffy, you're awake!" The Straw Hat Pirates cheered at the sight of their captain back on his feet.

Luffy blinked in confusion. "Wait… I was out for three days?! That means I missed fifteen meals!" he yelled in horror.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Hina!" Jack remarked as he led his troops into the port, only to find Captain Hina from Navy Headquarters waiting for him.

Hina gave him a knowing smile, as if she knew something that others were oblivious of. "Hina is here to congratulate you. Not only did you take down one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but you also earned a promotion. Things are going surprisingly well for you!"

Jack chuckled and leaned back on a nearby recliner. "Oh? Are the higher-ups suspicious of me? No need to worry—everything is clearly documented in my report. I didn't exaggerate anything. I can only say I got lucky."

As a staunch opposer of the Shichibukai system, Jack's stance on them was no secret. This was precisely why he hadn't immediately reported his actions against Crocodile—if the justification wasn't airtight, headquarters might have recalled him and assigned someone else to handle the situation.

But once Crocodile deployed his senior agents, the outcome was inevitable. On top of that, with Nico Robin involved, neither the World Government nor the Navy could afford to turn a blind eye.

Hina exhaled a puff of smoke and tossed a sealed document his way. "This is your promotion letter. I suppose I should be calling you Commodore now."

Jack glanced at the letter but waved it off with a smirk. "Forget the formalities. Since you're here, I'll leave Alabasta in your hands. I need to head back to headquarters."

With that, he stood up and headed straight for the cabin, leaving Hina to handle the aftermath.

"Apologies, Captain Hina," Lena said, looking slightly embarrassed.

Hina sighed. "Hina understands, but Hina is still very annoyed. I was the one who first took that guy out to sea on a mission, and now he's climbed right over my head." She watched Jack's retreating figure, her expression calm, before turning back to Lena with a smile. "That aside, congratulations to you as well—Lieutenant Lena!"

Lena saluted. "Thank you, Captain Hina. But to be honest, I didn't contribute much this time. As the Commodore said, it was that group of pirates who led the charge."

Hina chuckled and flicked away her spent cigarette. "I'd love to steal you away from that bastard Jack and have you transferred to my command. But I doubt he'd let you go... and I suspect you wouldn't want to leave, either."

Lena remained composed. "You're joking, Captain."

"Well, I'll leave it at that. You all carry on." Seeing that all the prisoners had boarded the ship, Hina waved a hand in farewell and headed back to her warship.

Meanwhile, in his cabin, Jack was busy tallying his gains from the Alabasta incident. Altogether, he had collected 27,500 diamonds—combined with the 11,549 diamonds he had left unspent, his total now stood at 39,049 diamonds.

The breakdown was clear:

Nico Robin had earned him 7,900 diamonds.

Mr. 2 Bon Clay (the user of the Clone-Clone Fruit) and Mr. 3 Gal Dino (who wielded the Wax-Wax Fruit) had contributed 3,200 diamonds each.

Mr. 1 Daz Bones, with his Supa Supa no Mi (Dice-Dice Fruit), had added 5,100 diamonds.

Crocodile himself had yielded 8,100 diamonds.

Finally, completing the mission had rewarded him with an additional 10,000 diamonds.

With a satisfied nod, Jack closed his records, already planning his next move.

"Should I save them or keep drawing?" Jack found himself caught in indecision. With all the senior agents of Baroque Works—along with Crocodile—now aboard his ship, he was responsible for escorting them to Impel Down. This also meant returning to headquarters, ensuring that he wouldn't be earning any more diamonds for the foreseeable future.

"Forget it. I'll deal with it when I get back. My strength has improved significantly this time—I need to take some time to consolidate it," Jack mused, stroking his chin in thought.

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