Chapter 71: Arrival in Alabasta

At this moment on Saint Ding Island, a band of pirates was rampaging through the port city of Rapeseed, robbing and pillaging. Suddenly, a gust of sand swept through, and a man with the air of a mafia boss appeared atop the central rooftop of the town.

This man wore his hair slicked back and bore a long, horizontal scar across his face, a cigar clamped between his teeth. Draped in a black fur coat, his right hand incessantly caressed the golden hook on his left, his expression one of utter disdain for all mankind.

The civilians, held hostage by the pirates, watched his arrival with wild fervor, their fear instantly replaced by ecstatic hope. An elderly man pressed beneath a pirate’s blade wept tears of joy. “It’s Mr. Crocodile! You always save us from disaster!”

A lavishly dressed woman cried out, equally moved, “Mr. Crocodile is so cool! You are the guardian deity of Alabasta!”

“Silence, citizens! I am here to claim the heads of these pirates!” Crocodile declared with commanding force.

The pirates, hearing his thunderous voice, raised their eyes to the rooftop. Their captain muttered inwardly, “The Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile?” But aloud he sneered, “You government lapdog who sold your soul for power—what heroics are you pretending at here?”

“Do you really think you can take us all on alone?”

He and his men raised their blades, preparing to face Crocodile head-on.

“I won’t allow you to run amok in this nation, you foolish pirates!” Crocodile announced. He leapt from the rooftop, charging straight for the pirates.

“Kill him! Once he’s gone, all the gold and treasures here will be ours!” the pirate leader rallied his crew, swinging his blade at Crocodile.

In an instant, four steel swords plunged into Crocodile’s chest.

“Hahaha, so this is the strength of a Warlord…”

Yet before the sentence was finished, Crocodile’s body dissolved into sand, and a whirlwind of dust swept through the town.

When calm returned, the pirates’ corpses lay buried beneath the golden sands.

Crocodile, having stripped their bodies of valuables, strode away from the town alone.

He muttered to himself, “Pirates, all the same, but their strength varies wildly—a bunch of fools!”

…

Two hours later, the Juventus appeared in the coastal waters of Saint Ding Island.

At that moment, a massive feline emerged from the sea, its head towering above the prow of the Juventus.

Lily spotted the strange, enormous creature, her eyes sparkling with stars as she raised her fork, eager to hunt it.

But Vivi sternly stopped her. “Hands off! You can’t eat it. That’s a Sea Cat, a sacred creature of Alabasta. Seeing it means we’re not far from Alabasta itself.”

No sooner had Vivi finished speaking than Buffon noticed an island silhouette on the distant horizon.

Reiju, stepping beside Lily with a smile, said, “Lily, there’ll be delicious food at the port. Don’t rush. With Vivi leading us, there’s nowhere in Alabasta we can’t go.” She exchanged a meaningful glance with Vivi.

Buffon caught the gesture, thinking to himself, “Looks like these two women have reached some secret understanding I’m not privy to.”

But for the Sage, none of this mattered. With the vast knowledge in his mind and his current strength, others came for adventure—he was here for leisure!

Of course, his greatest purpose remained healing the sick and saving lives.

As the shore drew closer, Buffon surmised they had arrived at Rapeseed Port in southern Alabasta.

According to the original story, Ace passed through here. He wondered if his earlier actions might alter Ace’s journey.

If they met, he’d mention Luffy.

And there was Smoker, too.

“Lily, check our food and fresh water supplies. Make sure we replenish here. Then we’ll go straight to Yuba, and from there to Rainbase.”

Buffon laid out the itinerary clearly, leaving Vivi momentarily bewildered.

“That’s exactly the route I had planned… Could it be…?”

“Princess Vivi, do you have any objections?” Buffon’s inquiry snapped Vivi from her reverie.

“None at all. We’ll follow Captain Buffon’s plan,” Vivi replied, delighted to have his guidance.

Her original plan was to reach Yuba first, find the rebel leaders, and halt their uprising, sparing the people the suffering of war.

And there was another matter: she needed Karoo, who was undercover in Baroque Works, to deliver intelligence to her father, the king.

Karoo, lively and lovable, had become the pet of everyone aboard since Vivi’s identity was exposed.

Especially Lily, with her girlish heart; she loved riding Karoo around the Juventus, reenacting warriors charging into battle. Karoo enjoyed playing along.

Lily nodded, mounted Karoo, and went to the ship’s hold to check the provisions. But as she rounded the mast, a protruding nail caught Karoo’s wool hat.

At first, Karoo didn’t notice, but as the yarn was nearly torn away, he realized what was happening.

Seeing his beloved windproof hat ruined, he cried out in distress to Vivi.

Buffon, turning to see the half-destroyed hat, felt an uncomfortable pang rise within him.

He strode over, removed the remaining third of the hat, and quickly began unraveling it.

Just as Vivi was about to speak, Reiju stopped her.

Once the hat was completely undone, Buffon, as he had done for Chopper, reinforced the yarn with threads from the Stitch-Stitch Fruit, and in a flash, restored Karoo’s hat to its original state.

Knowing Karoo would soon endure a long journey, the Sage also knitted him a cape.

Vivi tugged at Karoo’s newly restored hat and cape, verifying they were not illusions, before thanking Buffon. “Thank you, Captain Buffon.”

Buffon nodded, gesturing to the cape. “Do you need one?”

At last, Vivi understood where the crew’s attire had come from during their encounter with the navy—it was all crafted by their omnipotent captain!

“Thank you, Captain Buffon!” Vivi said gratefully.

Reiju, stroking Karoo’s exquisite hat, exclaimed, “Captain Buffon, if you ever stop being a pirate, you could open a tailor’s shop and make a fortune!”

Just then, Lily emerged from the hold and chimed in, “Or a restaurant—business would boom!”

“Yo-ho-ho! You’d make a fine undertaker, too! Anyone of status who passes away across the sea would surely require your services!” Brook added with a laugh.

Buffon thought the exchange had ended, but then Saul spoke up, “You should be a doctor. No matter where you go, your reputation would surely outshine the local king.”

Realizing his words might be inappropriate, Saul quickly apologized to the two princesses.

Reiju burst into laughter, calling Saul adorable.

Vivi waved off the concern, though inwardly she mused, “With Buffon’s godlike medical skill, if he truly practiced in Alabasta, even if his fame surpassed Father, Father would surely be pleased!”

As they chatted, the Juventus reached the shore at Rapeseed Port. Before Buffon could speak, Baggio leapt down from the lookout and reported, “No navy ships in sight, but two pirate vessels are docked, though there’s no sign of activity aboard them.”

Buffon nodded, and the group donned their cloaks before disembarking. As usual, Saul and Sarong, the two conspicuous giants, remained on board to guard the ship.

The cloaks were not for disguise, but essential attire in Alabasta’s desert climate.

No sooner had they set foot ashore than they heard from locals that Crocodile had fought a fierce battle with a gang of pirates in the town center just hours ago.

In the end, Crocodile gained a surge in reputation and a haul of treasure before departing.

Hearing this, Vivi clenched her fists. The higher Crocodile’s standing among the people, the slimmer her hope of defeating him.

“What a man of ambition and cunning!” Buffon silently admired.

But now was not the time for such concerns. Where there is battle, there are wounded. Where there are wounded, doctors are needed.