This is the 43rd chapter. I don't own the series of One Piece.
Terrifying Banana Gators and Mr. Prince!
In three years, not a drop of rain has fallen in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, the Land of Oasis. Desperate for rain and prodded by outside forces, the kingdoms people have taken up weapons. A fake King Cobra appeared before Nanohana and claimed that he was responsible for the lack of rain. To add insult to injury, he ordered the city to be destroyed and its citizens attacked. Unaware of the deception engineered by Crocodile, the peoples anger exploded. The intense flame of rebellion spread like wildfire across Alabasta. Ready for the final showdown, the rebel army head to the capital city of Alubarna. Meanwhile, Luffy and his friends still remained in the Rainbase prison cell as Crocodile's captives.
Alabasta, Alubarna
Before the final fight begins in the capital city of Alubarna, Chaka and his men gathered the royal army to prepare for a fight against the rebels since the people have turned against the King after losing faith to him. However, neither of them has realized that Crocodile and the Baroque Works were planning all of this from the beginning. One of the royal guards approaches Chaka.
"The rebel army is fast approaching us, men!" Chaka declared. "Listen, we must protect Alabasta with our own hands! Do not fear death! Fight them with everything you've got! We must stop the rebels! Take up intercept position!"
And with that, the royal army let out a war cry as they get ready for a battle against the rebels.
While outside of Alubarna, the rebel army galloping their way toward the capital city through the desert to get ready for a fight against the royal guards.
"Alubarna is going down!"
The rebels let out a war cry while riding toward Alubarna. Koza winced while holding his shoulder, where he was shot by one of the Baroque Works agents a while back before they ride out. One of the rebels approaches to Koza.
"Are you okay, Koza? Your wound!"
"It's nothing, I'm fine!" Koza assures him. "Besides, if we keep riding at this pace, we'll reach Alubarna by daybreak! We can't stop for anything, just keep riding!"
"Yes, sir!"
"We attack...at dawn!" Koza ordered as they kept riding towards Alubarna.
Alabasta, Rainbase
Meanwhile, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Smoker were still inside of the prison cell and Vivi was very angry after hearing of Crocodile's true agenda of the plan, Operation: Utopia. Though, the rest of the Straw Hat pirates were still outside of Rain Dinners, fighting against the Baroque Works and the Marines while try to meet up with the others. However, they're not making it easy for the Straw Hat pirates and Pell is still waiting for the others to meet up at the entrance of Rain Dinners while fighting against the Baroque Works.
"You can quit fooling around now." Crocodile said with a sneer while Vivi tried to free herself. "What a coincidence, we were just about to head to Alubarna ourselves, Ms. Wednesday. If you'd like to come with us, princess, then please do, or you can try and save them."
Just when Crocodile turns to Vivi, he showed them the key.
"The key..." Vivi muttered in shock when she saw the key.
"The key to this cell!?" Luffy exclaims. "Hey! GIVE IT!?"
Crocodile then moves his arm to his right side, but Vivi knows what he was planning as she tries to free herself from those binds. However, Crocodile finds this amusing when Luffy demands the key which he obviously refused to give to him as he drops the key, leaving Ms. All-Sunday impatient. Vivi was able to free herself when she was about to get the key, Crocodile pressed the button on the floor with his foot, opens up the trapdoor as the key fell down to the lower floor.
"NOOOO!" Luffy yelled with his eyes budged out.
"What?! A trapdoor!" Vivi exclaims shockingly.
Just as soon as the key landed on the floor, the giant crocodile with a banana growth on its head revealed itself which it got Vivi widen her eyes with dread.
"It won't be too long until the rebels and the royal forces begin their battle to the death." Crocodile sneered. "Even if you hurry to Alubarna from here, who knows if you make it in time. To stop the rebellion, you need to leave at once, Ms. Wednesday. Will you do that or try and save your friends instead? It's your choice, but if you choose the latter, it doesn't help that I accidentally drop the key into the bananagators den."
That causes Luffy, Usopp, and Nami scowled at Crocodile, knew that he just drops the key into the bananagators den on purpose. Vivi then look down, watch the bananagator approaches the key with a gasp.
"Bananagators!?" Vivi exclaims with dread.
"What are those things?" Luffy asks curiously, noticed the water is filled with bananagators. "Ah! Look at the window! There's an alligator growing out of that banana!"
"In case you haven't noticed, that's the only one!" Nami exclaims.
"It looks like we're in the aquarium." Usopp states. "I hope we're not the fish food."
"Weird bananas." Luffy muttered.
"You idiot! Look closer, they've got bananas growing out of them!" Usopp points out. "They're weird gators, not weird bananas!"
Just as the bananagator sniffs the key, thinking its food, took a bite and swallowed it.
"What now?" Luffy demands. "Vivi, what happened?!"
"A big bananagator just swallowed the key to your cell!" Vivi answered.
"Well then go down there and make 'em spit it out!" Luffy ordered which it's very stupid.
"I wouldn't stand a chance!" Vivi points out, turns to him. "They're alpha predators at the top of the food chain! They're do ferocious, they even prey on Sea Kings, Luffy! Get near one of them and they'll devour you in one bite!"
"Sorry, you might've had the key if I hadn't accidentally...dropped it." Crocodile mockingly apologizes, never sorry to begin with. "And now there's no telling which one of my pets swallowed it."
"Crap!" Luffy cursed, scowled at Crocodile.
"Thanks a lot, you jerk!" Nami growled.
"Dammit! If we can just get out of here, I can handle those overgrown reptiles!" Zoro said, readied his katana.
"Huh, man you're really dumb, Zoro. We can't get out because the key got swallowed." Luffy points out, turns to him.
"I know that, you stupid idiot!" Zoro scoffs with annoyance.
"Oh well..." Crocodile said as he turns to Vivi and snapped his fingers, causing the doors to open. "I'm sorry, but we must be going, time is of the essence. Oh, and speaking of time, this room will be destroyed in exactly one hour. It served me well, but it's no longer have any use. Soon, the waters of Rainbases lake will fill this room, and unless there are fish on one of my gators, anyone left in here won't survive. Well, it's either one million innocent citizens or a mere four pirates who have no future? It's time to choose, but to be honest, the odds are quite low for both. I hope you like gambling, Ms. Wednesday, because like they do at the tables upstairs, you're going to have to roll the dice. Just like I did with this country, which was simple, thanks to all of the fools here. People like those juvenile rebels and that old man digging in Yuba."
Then, Luffy realized who is Crocodile meant about the old man digging in Yuba, which was Toto.
"You don't mean that dried up old guy, do you?!" Luffy demands with a gasp, turns to Crocodile.
"Of course. Even though, everyone else has abandoned, that old fool keeps pecking away every day in the oasis that's long dead." Crocodile admits with a sinister. "Even as he's plagued by constant sandstorms, he still digs away."
"Shut up!?" Luffy growled.
"You don't know much about sandstorms, do you, Straw Hat Luffy?" Crocodile rhetorically asks. "Ever wonder how one can hit a town perfectly every time?"
Luffy and Vivi then gasp, realizing that Crocodile was the one who causes the drought along with the sandstorm hitting Yuba, and having Toto digging up the sand alone.
"No wait, you mean..."
Crocodile smirked, raising his hand as he conjures a mini-sandstorm. Luffy and Vivi now realizes the reason why Yuba is covered in sand and Alabasta had a drought years ago was all because of Crocodile.
'A dream of Yuba can't be beaten by a lousy sand. I know the water will come; you'll see. I'll dig out the sand as many times as it takes.'
"IT WAS YOU!? YOU DID IT!?" Luffy snarled in pure anger, causing Crocodile chuckled and Vivi widen her eyes with horror after Toto's words have echoed in their minds.
'Whatever it's worth, Vivi dear, I have faith in you and his majesty. He's a good man, a King who would never betray his country.'
These words have echoed through Vivi's mind, staring at Crocodile with pure anger.
"I will kill you!?" Vivi snarled.
Crocodile then left with a chuckle while Ms. All-Sunday look at Vivi and the Straw Hat one last time before following her partner. Suddenly, the trapdoors opened and the water spouts out, starts to flood the underwater base.
"THE ROOM IS STARTING TO FLOOD! OH NO!" Usopp yelled with panic. "We're all gonna drown if we don't do something really quick! Vivi, help! Get us outta here! I wanna live a lot longer than just one hour!"
"Hey, stop freaking out!" Zoro said with annoyance.
"ARE YOU CRAZY, ZORO?! HOW CAN I NOT FREAK OUT AT A TIME LIKE THIS?! WE'RE ALL GONNA DROWN LIKE RATS IF WE DON'T GET OUT OF HERE! DON'T YOU GET IT?!" Usopp yelled with white eyes and shark-like teeth.
"So, it's either my kingdom or my friends...?" Vivi questions with anger, bit her lower lip. "All you're done is take, Crocodile, so I know you won't give me either choice. Even if I left for Alubarna, you'd kill me before I reached it. The only real choice...the only way to end this nightmare is to take out the one who started it! Monster, you don't know a thing! Not anything...about this countries people...its history...a way of life!"
Vivi then remembered what has happened in Alabasta during her journey with the Straw Hat pirates, remembered of Igaram being killed in the explosion, the ruins of Erumalu, and Toto digging the sand out of the canal in Yuba. Vivi was about to ready her peacock slashers while Crocodile and Ms. All-Sunday kept walking towards the exit. However, Vivi cried and stopped, didn't even have the will to fight against Crocodile because she was in a serious conflict and her mind is in turmoil.
"Vivi!" Luffy called her. "Get us out! You can do it! I know you can!"
"How, Luffy?" Vivi questions when Crocodile and Ms. All-Sunday stops.
"Ah, so you're finally starting to beg for your life, eh, Straw Hat Luffy? There's no shame in that." Crocodile mocks. "It's only natural, everyone is afraid of dying."
"I'm not begging!" Luffy remarked angrily. "It's just if I die, who else is gonna be able to kick your ass?!"
Vivi couldn't help but gasp with shock, turning her head to Luffy. Crocodile then turns to Luffy with a smirk on his face.
"Don't flatter yourself, you small fry." Crocodile taunts.
"You're a small fry who thinks he's a big shot!" Luffy retorted.
Then, Crocodile snapped his fingers as the trapdoor opens when the bananagator revealed itself, which it got Vivi and the Straw Hat pirates, except Zoro and Smoker widen their eyes with fright.
"You're right, Ms. Wednesday, I would've had you killed if you had left for the capital and of course, I'm planning on doing the same here." Crocodile states with a chuckle as the bananagator approaches Vivi.
"That thing is so gigantic..." Vivi muttered, looking at the size of the bananagator.
"Vivi, you show that gator!" Luffy shouts with determined face, causing Nami dropped her jaws.
"Are you crazy?! It's too big!" Usopp yelled with shark-like teeth, turns to Vivi. "Vivi, don't listen to this kook! Get outta there! But uh, get us out too!"
"She only has to beat one of them!" Luffy points out.
"No, look out the windows!" Nami ordered.
Usopp then looked at the windows, noticed the number of bananagators about to head inside of the base which it got him screamed.
"They're all waiting in line to eat us!" Usopp yelled.
"At least we won't drown like rats." Zoro states.
"Yeah, but getting eaten by a ginormous alligator isn't the way I want to go either!" Usopp points out.
Just as the bananagator roared at Vivi as she was about to attack, but the bananagator didn't give her a moment to fight as it charges after her and bites the stairs which the princess was able to dodge it just in time, but barely.
"That thing is fast! Strong too! It chomps through those stone stairs as if they were cardboard!" Usopp exclaims with shock.
The bananagator turns to Vivi and swiped her with its tail.
"VIVI, NO!" Luffy yelled.
"Can you hear us?! Please, say something! Tell us, are you all right?!" Usopp yelled with worry.
Vivi only responds with a grunt in pain, tried to pull herself when the blood is dripping down from her forehead.
"Vivi, get up!" Luffy yelled.
"Run!" Nami yelled.
"VIVI, GET OUT OF THERE! IT'S GONNA EAT YOU!" Usopp yelled.
Just when the bananagator was about to bite Vivi, they heard a transponder snail which it got their attention.
"Someone's calling." Ms. All-Sunday said, pulls out the transponder snail. "Yes?"
"Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?" The voice of Sanji asks, using the transponder snail.
"Yes, we can hear you." Ms. All-Sunday answered. "You're a 'Millions', right?"
"Hey, pal, is this thing working alright? I've only used a transponder snail once before." Sanji asks one of the Baroque Works agents which it got Ms. All-Sunday confused.
"It's working fine, they can hear it. Talk to it."
Nami and her crew were wondering who was it on the transponder snail, knew that voice which it was Sanji. Crocodile approaches Ms. All-Sunday.
"What do you want?" Ms. All-Sunday demands.
"Hurry up and state your business, what is it?" Crocodile adds, not in the mood to talk.
"Oh, now I know I've heard that voice before." Sanji said, leaving Crocodile confused. "Yeah, hello there, you're reached the Crap Cafe."
"The Crap Cafe?" Crocodile repeats.
"Does that ring a bell?" Sanji asks. "It should, but in case it doesn't. Maybe this will jog your memory, Little Garden."
Crocodile then remembered a while back when he uses the transponder snail to inform Mr. 3 at Little Garden, but failed to realize that it was Sanji using it instead. Also, he remembered the meeting with his fellow Baroque Works and Mr. 3 told him he never uses the transponder snail.
"We have four of the six Straw Hats inside that cell, based on what Mr. 2 showed us." Crocodile states, remembered Mr. 2 using his Devil fruit to copy each of the pirate crews faces. "The only two that's left were Ventus and their pet. Did they have other members we don't know about?"
It got the Straw Hat pirates surprised that it was Sanji using the transponder snail.
"Did you hear that?" Usopp whispers with a question.
"The voice was unmistakable." Nami states with a smirk.
"SAN-"
"Shut up! They don't know about him, let's keep it that way!" Usopp suggests, holding Luffy's mouth to prevent him from shouting. "He was in the cabin when Mr. 2 showed up, so they never met. He's our ace in the hole. So, zip it!"
"Oh that's right, Sanji and Chopper didn't get capture. They're still outside, along with Ventus, Anna, Ace, Ivan, Pell, and Shanise." Vivi muttered surprisingly, realized that Ventus, Sanji, and Chopper are still outside of the casino.
Crocodile couldn't help but scowl at the transponder snail.
"Ah yes, mind telling me who you are?" Crocodile questions.
"Me? Well, just call me Mr. Prince." Sanji/Mr. Prince answered.
"Very well, Mr. Prince. Mind telling me something else? Like where you are?" Crocodile questions again.
"I'm afraid I can't say." Sanji/Mr. Prince refuses. "If I did, you'd just come running and get rid of me. Even though, I highly doubt you could get rid of me, I'm not about to do so. I'm not stupid. I never give up information easily, unlike you just did, Mr. 0."
"MR. PRINCE! HURRY! COME ON! IF YOU DON'T HURRY UP, WE'RE ALL GONNA END UP AS GATOR BAIT! WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!" Usopp yelled.
Luffy joins in, pleading Sanji for help which he was outside of Rain Dinners along with Ace, Ventus, Anna, Shanise, Pell, and Ivan.
"That's my loudmouth crew alright, thanks for letting me know they're with you. All I have to do is find you and-UGH!"
Before Sanji could finish his sentence, the sound of gunshot fired by one of the Baroque Works agents. The Straw Hat pirates, except Zoro, gasp in shock when they heard the gunfire.
"Not so tough now, are you? We've got him, sir! Don't worry, he won't be going anywhere in the condition we've put him in."
"Not Sanji...Oh no." Vivi muttered with dread.
"So, where are you?" Crocodile questions. "Speak up."
"I'm at the front of the casino with the gator on top at Rainbase. Rain Dinners!"
Usopp then yelled in panic while Luffy's face was pale as a sheet of paper. Zoro grunts with a scowl in his face.
"If he's not dead, he's going to wish he was." Zoro growled. "Cuz' I'm gonna kill him the next time I see him."
"NO, SANJI!" Luffy yelled.
"That poor guy." Nami said in teary eyes.
Smoker was the only one who stays calm, knew something was off. Crocodile however, just chuckled with a smirk on his face.
"Stay right there." Crocodile ordered, walks away. "Well, we shouldn't leave the man waiting."
"Is this wise?" Ms. All-Sunday questions skeptically. "The 'Millions' still don't know the actual identity of their boss."
"Aside from the number agents, no one knows who you and I truly are." Crocodile declared. "Everyone thinks I'm a local hero who also owns this casino. There's nothing suspicious about a proprietor going to see what happen in front of his building, our secret will be safe."
Vivi took the opportunity to meet up with Sanji and the others outside of the casino, but it got the bananagators attention as it tried to bite her which it chomp the stone rubble instead.
"VIVI!" Luffy yelled in dread when Crocodile slightly turns to Vivi, noticed she was climbing. "HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"We still have time before this room fills completely with water. I'm going outside to help you-know-who." Vivi answered, turns to them.
"Gotcha! There's no way he kick the bucket, not this guy." Usopp states. "If you can get him free, then I'm sure he can us free."
"And Chopper, Ventus, Shanise, Iva, Ace, and Pell are out there too." Nami adds. "So, we might actually have a chance of getting out of here."
Soon as Vivi manage to climb at the top of the stairs, Crocodile uses the Devil fruit to conjure a sand, hurling at her when he grabs hold of her neck with the golden hook.
"VIVI!" Luffy called out when Vivi screams as Crocodile pulls her down to the floor.
"I've had enough of your nonsense." Crocodile states as the golden hook retracts his arm as the water rises faster.
Both Usopp and Luffy screams Vivi, tried to get her to regain her senses, but she's still unconscious.
"Since you care for your friends that much, Ms. Wednesday, you can just die with them." Crocodile said with a smirk when he and Ms. All-Sunday were at the top of the stairs. "Which thanks to the rising water and my hungry pets outside, should occur very very soon. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to drag Mr. Prince back here to join you. I hope you don't mind corpses."
And with that, Crocodile and Ms. All-Sunday left the underwater base with a sinister laugh when Luffy called his name with anger.
As soon as Crocodile and Ms. All-Sunday were at the casino, one of the staff members approaches the two.
"Oh my, Mr. Crocodile, sir! Have you what's happening at Nanohana?"
"Yes, tragic." Crocodile answered without care, walking out of the door along with Ms. All-Sunday.
"The whole town-No, the whole country is in an uproar! Everyone's talking about it! It appears the royal army and the rebel army...they're finally about to clash!"
"Oh well, I'm not surprised, the King does let pirates attack the cities." Crocodile states. "I always thought that something like this might happen if Cobra kept letting this country suffer."
Suddenly, the people inside of the casino turned their attention to Crocodile, cheering for him as their hero, but they failed to realize that he was the mastermind of the deception and cause the drought years ago. Crocodile and Ms. All-Sunday are making their way towards the door while ignoring the people.
"Seems you're as popular as ever." Ms. All-Sunday states, but Crocodile didn't care.
Alabasta, Alubarna
Meanwhile, the Baroque Works are making their way towards to the capital city, riding inside of the wagon that was dragged by Banchi.
"Wipe that gloomy look off my face." Mr. 2 mocks, copied Mr. 1's face which it got him irritated.
"Damn you! I don't remember you touching my face ever." Mr. 1 growled, causing Mr. 2 to smirk as his face returned to normal.
"I didn't, silly. I punched it or have you forgotten." Mr. 2 taunts with a chuckle. "I guess your muscles are bigger than your brain, huh?"
"What?!" Mr. 1 snarled when he grabbed him, had enough of Mr. 2.
"Oh, bring it on." Mr. 2 challenged him, dare to start a fight.
"Knock it off, you two. Save your energy for the real battle." Ms. Double Finger suggests with annoyance, causing the two to break up.
"You guys are no fun, why does the fun person like me have to work with you unfun people?" Mr. 2 questions with his bored tone.
"You won't be cooped up with us for much longer." Ms. Double-Finger told him, turns to the window and looking at Alubarna. "That's Alubarna right outside of the window."
"WHAT?! Let me see! Let me see!" Mr. 2 exclaims excitedly, pushing the two aside and look through the window. "So that's Alubarna with this little old promise gonna unfold. The place where Mr. 0's plan will blossom like a flower in the desert!"
Alabasta, Rainbase
Meanwhile after Crocodile and Ms. All-Sunday left the underwater base, the bananagator turned its attention to Vivi.
"VIVI!" Luffy called her as Vivi regained her consciousness.
"They've been there for me all this time...They never let me down." Vivi grunts, pulling herself up. "So I cannot let them down...and I won't let them die like this!"
The bananagator makes it move when it openned its mouth, about to chomp Vivi when she managed to counter with her peacock slasher, causing it to growl in pain. Vivi then leaps in midair, lands on its back as she jumps up to the stairs and rushed up.
"Oh right, she got away." Nami said with a relief.
The bananagator then tried to get to Vivi, but she managed to make a run for it, and it bit the stone stairs instead. Suddenly, the windows break as the water rises faster, began to flood the base.
"Things have just gone from bad to worse!" Nami exclaims in panic.
"At the rate its flowing. we don't even have an hour left! We'll be lucky if we have 20 minutes!" Usopp points out.
"Vivi, are you okay?!" Luffy questions with a shout.
Just as the dust cleared out, Vivi was able to escape from the bananagator as she turns to them.
"I'm fine." Vivi answered. "I'm going to get help, so just hold on! I will get you out of there, I'm not going to abandon any of you! I promise! I'll be right back with help, okay?!"
"Okay, you can do it, Vivi!" Luffy and Usopp shouts as Vivi ran up the stairs, leaving the Straw Hat pirates and Smoker alone in the cell.
At the lobby entrance, Crocodile and Ms. All-Sunday just made it out of Rain Dinners and saw the Baroque Works were either killed or knocked out which it got him furious.
"What the hell is this?!" Crocodile growled.
"There were the remaining 'Millions' we had in town." Ms. All-Sunday explains, looking at the Baroque Works. "If you include those that Pell 'the Falcon', 'Fire Fist' Ace, and 'Raging Dragon' Ventus took down, every last one of them have been wiped out."
"Hey, who did this?" Crocodile questions, pushing one of the Baroque Works agents with his foot. "Tell me!"
"Those guys...were 'Fire Fist' Ace...Ventus...Their ranger friend, Anna...Two of our former Baroque Works agents...Pell 'the Falcon'...and a guy who calls himself, Mr. Prince..."
"But I thought you idiots caught him." Crocodile points out. "So, where the hell did they go?"
"I don't know where the others...but I know where he was...he headed toward the south part of town...he just left..."
"South?" Crocodile repeats, but noticed Chopper running. "I see. Run then! Run all you want, but you can't escape me."
"You could forget him." Ms. All-Sunday suggests.
"Oh no, I've always killed those foolish enough to cross me." Crocodile points out with a sneer. "And that's not a habit I'm quitting anytime soon!"
And with that, Crocodile then uses the Devil fruit power to chase after Chopper. Little did they know that Ace, Pell, Ivan, Shanise, and Ventus were watching him pursuing after the reindeer from the different buildings.
Inside of the casino, Vivi pulls out her cloak to cover her face while try to find help, but the people heard a rumbling sound when the ground tremors. They were wondering what happen, but they heard that the bridge collapses and they're left stranded inside of the casino, not to mention neither of them from the outside of Rain Dinners can't gamble. Vivi was shocked when she heard the bridge collapsed, about to leave.
"I didn't do it to keep you in, I did it to keep those Baroque Works creeps out, gorgeous." Sanji told her, making Vivi stopped and he plays the slot machine. "It's one part of the play, you see?"
Vivi then turns her head to Sanji, who now wears a sunglasses.
"The other part is Chopper running around town as a decoy while having Ventus, Ace, Pell, Shanise, Ivan, and Anna keep them busy in case things get hairy." Sanji continues. "If we're going to stop the civil war that's about to run in this country, we've got to hurry."
"Sanji!" Vivi exclaims with a smile when Sanji stood up.
"Think you can tell me where our friends were at, will princess?" Sanji suggests with a smirk when they heard the slot machine deposit the number of coins, meaning he won.
That's it for the 43rd chapter.