บท 46: The "Hero" of Alabasta
Alabasta is a superpower located in the first half of the Grand Line.
The population exceeds 10 million, with a standing army of 600,000.The royal family was one of the 20 founding families of the World Government.
However, they did not move to Mary Geoise, choosing instead to continue ruling the Alabasta Kingdom and protect the Poneglyph.
The current king, Cobra, is a good ruler.
Moreover, since this family did not move to Mary Geoise, they are not considered Celestial Dragons.
Thus, Sanders had no intention of targeting him.
On this day, after ten days of sailing, Sanders finally arrived at the port city of Nanohana in Alabasta.
As soon as he reached the port, Sanders' ship was spotted.
"What is that?"
"A flying ship?"
"Are you kidding me? Ships can't fly. Did the alcohol from last night not wear off yet?"
"Whoa, it really is a flying ship!"
"The ship is descending. Will it crash?"
"Run!"
The people in Alabasta's port were in chaos.
They quickly moved away from the area where the flying ship was descending.
When the ship stopped about ten meters above the ground, the crowd cautiously approached.
A flying ship was too rare.
Not only had they never seen one, they had never even heard of such a thing.
As the crowd murmured in curiosity, Sanders poked half his body out from the ship and shouted toward the crowd:
"Can someone tell me how to get to Rainbase?"
Rainbase, the dream city of Alabasta.
It was also the headquarters of the Sand Crocodile, Crocodile.
The largest casino in Alabasta, Rain Dinners, was located there.
If Issho had appeared in Alabasta, he would certainly go to Rainbase.
The Devil Child, Nico Robin, might also be there.
"Just keep heading that way, and you'll reach Rainbase,"a kind person gave directions to Sanders.
"By the way, what brings you to Rainbase?"
Perhaps because Sanders seemed friendly, and since there was no pirate flag on his ship, the people in the port became a bit bolder.
"I heard there's a big casino there, and I want to try my luck," Sanders said casually.
"Oh, really? That's the casino run by Crocodile. I hope you have fun."
"Crocodile? The Warlord of the Sea?" Sanders asked, feigning curiosity.
"Yes, that's right. He's a great man. He often helps us deal with pirates. Many pirates are too scared to cause trouble in Alabasta once they hear he's here."
The man spoke with a look of admiration, clearly showing his respect for Crocodile.
Hearing this, Sanders raised an eyebrow.
It seemed Crocodile had already begun his plan.
Being familiar with the original story, Sanders knew that all of this was part of Crocodile's scheme.
What Crocodile really wanted was the Poneglyph that the royal family of Alabasta was protecting.
However, the fact that Crocodile had already started his operation was good news for Sanders.
It meant that Nico Robin, the only person who could read the Poneglyphs, had likely already joined his crew.
"That's quite impressive," Sanders said, playing along with the man's words.
"Of course! Crocodile is a pirate recognized by the World Government, with a bounty of 80 million berries!"
"If you head to Rainbase, you might even get to meet him."
The man continued to boast about Crocodile.
Sanders couldn't help but find it amusing.
A notorious pirate was being hailed as a hero of a nation. Anyone with sense could see that Crocodile had a hidden agenda.
Yet, these people seemed completely oblivious, blindly admiring him.
Did they really think someone who made a name for themselves on the Grand Line was some kind of saint?
"This is for you. Thanks for the directions,"Sanders tossed some berries to the man.
He then steered the ship away, gradually disappearing into the distance.
"One thousand berries?"
The man counted the money and realized it was actually ten thousand berries.
"Whoa! You're rich! You better treat us to drinks later."
"No wonder he's heading to Rain Dinners. He must be some big shot."
The people around him were full of envy.
Who would have thought that giving directions could earn them ten thousand berries?
If they had known, they would have given directions too.
"No kidding! He's obviously a big shot. Otherwise, why would he have a flying ship?"
"Speaking of big shots, don't you think that guy looked familiar?"
"Now that you mention it, he does seem familiar."
One of the men thought for a moment and started rummaging for a newspaper.
After searching for a while, he finally found an old newspaper from the corner.
When he looked at it, a memory suddenly clicked in his mind, and he began trembling.
"Hey, what's wrong? Are you sick?"
A companion patted his shoulder and glanced at the newspaper.
Then—
A scream erupted.
"Thor Sanders, a pirate with a bounty of 2.43 billion berries?!"
With that scream, everyone realized that the man who had been talking to them so kindly was none other than a pirate with a bounty of over 2 billion berries!
"Quick! Notify the king! Sanders is in Alabasta!"
The port officials, upon learning of the situation, immediately reported it to the higher authorities.
No one could predict what kind of destruction a pirate of that magnitude might bring to Alabasta.
Meanwhile, Crocodile's men stationed at the port also reported the incident.
At the Alabasta Royal Palace.
King Cobra sat in a chair, a desk in front of him, busy with state affairs.
A young girl with a blue ponytail sat nearby, pouting.
She was holding a book and reading it with great interest.
At that moment, footsteps echoed in the hallway.
The captain of the Royal Guard, Igaram, hurried into the room.
"Is there something wrong, Igaram? Has another pirate invasion occurred?"
Cobra looked up with a serious expression.
As Alabasta was situated on the Grand Line, pirate invasions were not uncommon.
The girl, Vivi, put down her book and looked curiously at Igaram.
"Your Majesty, we've received news from the port that a notorious pirate has arrived in Alabasta,"
Igaram reported.
His forehead was covered in sweat, and his breathing was heavy, indicating that he had run all the way here.
"Immediately mobilize the army and drive this person away. We must ensure the safety of our citizens,"
Cobra stood up from his seat, his expression full of worry, as he gave the order.
"Uh, Your Majesty, the pirate hasn't harmed anyone. In fact, according to those who spoke with him, he seemed rather friendly. He even gave a citizen 10,000 berries for giving him directions."
"If we recklessly mobilize the army, it might provoke him."
Igaram carefully explained the situation.
"Oh? That's a relief. You're right. We shouldn't be too hasty in deploying the army. If he's just here for sightseeing, there's no need to drive him away."
"But we still can't let our guard down. Order the troops to be on standby, ready to protect the citizens at any moment."
Cobra let out a sigh of relief after hearing Igaram's report.
He had encountered pirates with good tempers before.
Although most pirates resorted to looting and violence, there were still some who merely passed through.
"By the way, which pirate is it?"
Cobra asked casually as he sat down again and took a sip of water.
"Sanders."
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