Chapter 131: The Spark of Rebellion
Deep within the labyrinthine dungeons of Alubarna's palace, King Nefertari Cobra strained against the heavy iron chains binding him to a stone pillar. The air reeked of mildew and blood, the flickering torchlight casting grotesque shadows on the walls. Across from him, Mr. 4 leaned against his massive four-ton bat, his face obscured by a beige hood, while Miss Merry Christmas giggled, her mole-like claws digging into a half-eaten leg of lamb.
"Y'know, Your Majesty," Miss Merry Christmas said through a mouthful of meat, "you really shouldn't have trusted that'advisor who led you here. Baroque Works has eyes everywhere."
Cobra's voice was hoarse but defiant. "What do you want with my kingdom? Why this charade?"
Miss Merry Christmas spoke, her voice a an annoying which like cackle rumble. "Mr. 0's orders. Alabasta's civil war is… profitable. Your people will destroy themselves. We're just… helpers."
Miss Merry Christmas scurried closer, her beady eyes gleaming. "And once the rebels rip you apart, Crocodile will be the hero who 'avenges' you! Isn't that hilarious?"
Cobra lunged against his chains, teeth bared. "You monsters!"
A swift swing of Mr. 4's bat silenced him, the king's head snapping back as blood trickled from his temple.
"Quiet," Mr. 4 droned. "The show's starting."
---
In Nanohana's central square, the air buzzed with unease. Townsfolk and rebel sympathizers crowded around a makeshift stage where "King Cobra" stood, his regal robes immaculate, his voice booming with faux sorrow.
"My people!" Mr. 2 Bon Kurei proclaimed, flawlessly mimicking Cobra's cadence. "I confess… I have betrayed you!"
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Koza, the rebel leader, stood at the front, his scarred face tightening.
"For years," the fake king continued, "I hoarded Dance Powder to steal Alabasta's rains for Alubarna! Our capital thrives… while your children thirst!"
The crowd erupted. "Liar!" someone shouted. "How could you?!"
Koza leapt onto the stage, his dagger drawn. "This isn't you! What's really going on?!"
Mr. 2's eyes hardened—a flicker of malice beneath the act. "You dare question your king? Guards!"
Royal soldiers—Baroque Works agents in disguise—surged forward, but Koza dodged, grabbing the impostor's arm. "Who are you?!"
Mr. 2's grin turned feral. "Such… loyalty."
Bang.
A gunshot rang out. Koza staggered back, clutching his shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers. The crowd screamed as soldiers dragged him off the stage.
"Let this be a lesson!" Mr. 2 bellowed. "Nanohana will burn for its insolence! Tear it down!"
At Nanohana's port, Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger watched as a colossal warship, its hull packed with explosives and crates of weapons, drifted toward the docks.
"Pitiful," Mr. 1 muttered, his blade-covered arms glinting. "They'll blame the king for this too."
Miss Doublefinger twirled her spiked hair. "Crocodile's plans are flawless. Let's give them a show."
With a flick of her wrist, her hair hardened into a massive drill, piercing the ship's hull. Mr. 1 slashed the mooring ropes, and the vessel careened into the port, its keel screeching against stone.
BOOM.
The explosion lit up the night, swallowing warehouses and market stalls in a fireball. Townsfolk fled, their screams drowned by the crackling inferno. A child's cry pierced the chaos—Kappa, a scrappy 10-year-old, gaped as "King Cobra"'s face shimmered, revealing Mr. 2's true features for a split second.
"You're not the king!" Kappa began.
Mr. 1 appeared behind him, a blade pressed to the boy's throat. "Curious children don't survive wars."
Slice.
Kappa crumpled, blood pooling beneath him as Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger vanished into the smoke.
Hours later, rebel scouts found Kappa barely breathing in an alley, his small hand clutching a royal insignia torn from Mr. 2's cloak.
"Th-the king…" Kappa rasped before falling unconscious.
The rebels erupted. "He massacres his own people?!" one roared.
Koza, bandaged and pale, rose amidst the furious crowd. "Enough! Cobra's poisoned this land with greed! Alubarna will answer for Nanohana's blood!"
"It just so happened that a ship full of the weapons we needed crashed into the port," another rebel revealed. One working for Baroque Works.
A chorus of swords unsheathing echoed through the ranks. "To Alubarna!" they chanted. "For our families! For justice!"
As the rebels marched, Mr. 2 watched from a dune, his face reverting to its true form. "Poor little lambs. Right into the slaughterhouse."
Miss Doublefinger smirked. "Crocodile's waiting. Let's give him a front-row seat."
Far below, the rebels' torches flickered like a serpent of fire winding toward Alubarna—a city already drowning in lies.
---
The desert sun blazed mercilessly as the Saiyan Pirates fled Rainbase, their lungs burning with every breath. Behind them, the ruins of Rain Dinners collapsed into a swirling tomb of sand, but Goku's Kamehameha had carved a path through the avalanche, buying them precious seconds.
"Move! Move!" Nami shouted, her voice raw as she dragged Vivi forward. The princess's eyes were wide with terror, her mind replaying Crocodile's taunts.
Zoro brought up the rear, his swords drawn, while Usopp and Chopper scrambled over the dunes. "Where's Goku?!" Usopp yelped, glancing back.
"He said he had to check something out!" Zoro barked. "Keep running!"
A thunderous roar echoed behind them, another sandstorm devouring the horizon.
Ahead, a towering desert crab scuttled across the sand, their armored shells glinting in the sunlight. Chopper skidded to a halt, his hooves sinking into the dunes. "Wait! Maybe they can help!"
The crew stared. "Please talk to it so that we can get a ride!" Nami pleaded.
Chopper shifted into his Brain Point, approaching the largest crab with cautious chirps and clicks. The creature tilted its head, pincers snapping. After a tense exchange, the crab lowered its massive claw, gesturing for them to climb.
"He'll take us to Alubarna!" Chopper exclaimed.
"No time to argue!" Zoro hoisted Vivi onto the crab's back as the others clambered up. The creature lurched forward, their legs a blur as they tore across the desert.
Suddenly Crocodile emerged from nowhere like a vengeful god, his hook gleaming. "Running won't save you, Princess!"
Vivi screamed as a tendril of sand lashed toward her, but Goku dropped from the sky, slamming a fist into the attack. The sand dispersed, but Crocodile reformed instantly, his smirk cruel.
"Go!" Goku barked at the crew. "I'll catch up!"
"Goku, no!" Vivi reached for him, but the crab surged forward, leaving him behind.
Crocodile chuckled. "Sacrificing yourself? How noble."
Goku cracked his neck, fists glowing with ki. "Nah. Just tired of your face."
Goku unleashed a barrage of ki blasts, each explosion cratering the dunes. Crocodile dissolved into sand, reappearing behind him. "Desert Spada!"
A blade of compressed sand sliced toward Goku's arm. He dodged, but the attack grazed him, desiccating his skin. Gritting his teeth, he yanked a water barrel from his belt, dousing the dried flesh. "Not today, scarecrow."
Crocodile's eyes narrowed. "You've learned nothing."
He raised his hand, summoning a vortex of sand that engulfed Goku. "Sables!"
Goku erupted from the storm with a roar, a attack shredding the attack. "I'm done playin' around!"
A cold laugh cut through the chaos.
"Still reckless, Eto."
Goku froze. Standing atop a dune was Ria, her pink dress clinging to her curves, cleavage accentuated, her smile venomous. Beside her, Fullbody adjusted his striped suit, lighting a cigar.
"Y-You…!" Goku's voice trembled. Memories flooded back: the Baratie, her touch draining his strength, the night she'd murdered him on Earth and trapped his soul in this world.
Ria vanished.
Poof.
She materialized behind him, her hand closing around his shoulder. "Miss me?"
Agony seared through Goku's veins as his ki evaporated. He collapsed to his knees, muscles screaming. "H-How…?"
"You didn't think you'd escape me forever, did you?" Ria purred. "Crocodile and I share… interests."
Crocodile strode forward, hook glinting. "A fitting end for a meddler."
With a flick of his wrist, Crocodile conjured a massive sandstorm. "Watch closely, boy. This is for Yuba."
The storm roared eastward, toward the crumbling village where Toto, Vivi's loyal ally, struggled to survive. "Every day, I've sent these storms," Crocodile sneered. "Today, I'll bury that old fool alive."
"Stop!" Goku lunged, but Ria's grip sapped his strength. Crocodile's hook plunged into his gut, lifting him off the ground.
"Begging suits you," Crocodile mocked, twisting the hook. "But don't worry, you'll die knowing you failed everyone."
He hurled Goku into a pit of quicksand, the mire swallowing him to his chest. Ria knelt, tracing a finger down his face. "Goodbye, Eto. Again."
As they vanished into the sands, Crocodile's laughter echoed. "Enjoy the view, Saiyan. Yuba's end begins now."