One Piece Chapter 172: Rebellion

In the port town of Nanohana, chaos erupts as a massive ship crashes violently into the docks, destroying buildings and sending debris flying. The townspeople panic, shouting, "IT'S CRASHED AGAINST THE PORT!" and "WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS SHIP!?" Amidst the destruction, a man wielding a sword rallies the citizens, yelling, "THE ROYAL GUARDS SET FIRE TO THE TOWN! WE'VE GOTTA PUT IT OUT!" Another person urgently cries out, "QUICKLY! PUT THE FIRES OUT!" Smoke and flames begin to rise from the buildings as the citizens scramble to respond to the sudden disaster.

Miss Doublefinger walks away from the burning town, her hips swaying exaggeratedly with a "kune, kune" sound effect. She says, "Now then, we should leave this town, and meet up with Mr. 2..." Nearby, Mr. 1 touches his lip, looking stoic as he replies, "Our next job's at Alubarna... I'm looking forward to it already..." Meanwhile, Mr. 2 Bon Kurei spins around joyfully in his swan coat, laughing loudly. "GAHAHAHA! UNCERTAINTY! OH, HOW I LOVE THAT WORD! 'UNCERTAINTY!' JUST LIKE MYSELF, WHOSE GENDER IS UNCERTAINTY! OR THE KING OF THIS COUNTRY, WHOSE SANITY REMAINS UNCERTAIN! NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL UNCERTAINTY! OR AN OCTOFAIT, WHERE IT'S UNCERTAIN HOW SOFT THE OCTOPUS IS!"

Hiding behind a corner at the western edge of the town, the young shoeshiner boy, Kappa, watches the Baroque Works agents. He spots Mr. 2 Bon Kurei in the distance and thinks, "Where's Banchi? At the western edge of the town, Mr. 2 Bon Kurei! The king transformed into a weird crossdresser...?" As he processes what he just saw, a look of sheer terror and realization washes over his bruised face. He concludes, "THAT KING... WAS AN IMPOSTOR!" Knowing the truth, he turns and runs as fast as he can, desperate to warn the others. "OH NO! Everyone's been duped! I've gotta tell them!"

Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger notice the fleeing boy. Miss Doublefinger remarks, "What a naughty boy... Did you find out about something you're not supposed to know...?" Mr. 1 cracks his knuckles, stating, "That stupid queer slipped up big-time...!" The boy stops, trembling in fear as he asks, "Who are you...?" Mr. 1 coldly replies, "Guess there's no point in asking you to keep your mouth shut, huh..." A sudden slashing impact strikes the boy, and he screams "AGHH!" as he falls. Meanwhile, the citizens of Nanohana are desperately trying to extinguish the spreading fires. They shout for more water, but panic sets in. "HEY, WAIT! THAT'S MY STORE'S GOODS YOU'RE USING! ARE YOU GONNA PAY FOR THAT OR WHAT!?" one man yells. Another retorts, "YOU DUMBASS! THIS ISN'T THE TIME FOR THAT! THE TOWN'S BURNING!" The situation worsens as they realize, "DAMN IT, IT'S NO GOOD! THE FIRE'S SPREADING TOO FAST! RUN AWAY!"

Koza rushes to the injured boy, Kappa, who is lying on the ground bleeding. "KID, ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?" Koza asks urgently. A nearby rebel is shocked, exclaiming, "MY GOD! DON'T TELL ME... THE ROYAL GUARDS HURT A LITTLE KID!?" The boy coughs up blood and struggles to speak. "N... NO... COUGH! N... NO... YOU'VE ALL BEEN TRICKED! YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG IDEA...!" Koza holds him gently, advising, "Don't worry, we'll stop the bleeding soon! Don't try to talk or you might make it worse!" Another rebel curses, "Damn those bastards! How could they hurt a little kid!?" The boy manages to reveal, "THOSE WEREN'T THE REAL ROYAL GUARDS!" Around them, the chaos continues as people shout for medical help. "The hospital's on fire! We need a doctor over here! Hang in there, kid! Are you alright!?" Someone calls out Koza's name as he kneels over the boy.

Koza kneels silently over the injured boy, his face shadowed and tense. A rebel calls out to him, "Kouza!" Koza slowly looks up, his eyes hidden behind his tinted glasses, sweat dripping down his face. With grim determination, he declares, "It's time... To put an end to this country...!" Hearing this, a rebel immediately orders, "Contact all detachments, and tell them to prepare for the final battle..." However, another rebel expresses concern, pointing out, "But Kouza! We still don't have enough weapons!"

A rebel excitedly reports to Koza, "Not quite! The huge ship that just crashed into the port was a trade ship stocked full of weapons and munitions!" Koza looks surprised, asking, "Seriously?" The rebel adds, "It's like a sign from the heavens..." Meanwhile, in the desert, Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas are riding in a cart pulled by Lassoo, the gun-dog, and a giant mole. Miss Merry Christmas laughs uproariously, "GAHAHAHA! What, some brat saw me!? Well, excuuuuuse me, princess!" Mr. 4 slowly says, "Now then," as Miss Merry Christmas continues, "As long as Mr. 4 and his partner have done their job... Don't worry, that fatass and cranky granny can pull through when it matters! Abducting the King was probably a piece of cake for them!"

Koza stands atop a makeshift platform before a massive, roaring crowd of the Rebel Army. He raises his sword high, his face fierce with resolve. "LISTEN UP! THE ALABASTA YOU KNEW AND LOVED IS NOW DEAD!" he shouts to the thousands of armed men. "WE WILL LAUNCH A FULL-SCALE ATTACK ON THE CAPITAL! AND THE TIME TO SWEEP AWAY ITS ROTTING CARCASS HAS COME!" The rebel soldiers erupt in a deafening cheer, raising their swords, spears, and rifles into the air. They roar in agreement, shouting, "RIGHT ON! BRING THE KING TO JUSTICE!" The sheer scale of the army is overwhelming as they prepare to march.

The scene shifts to the Alabastan Capital, Alubarna, a grand city situated on a plateau. Inside the palace, Chaka is in disbelief at the reports he's receiving. "THAT'S RIDICULOUS! THERE'S NOT A CHANCE THE KING WOULD DO SUCH A THING! THAT REPORT MUST BE A MISTAKE!" he yells angrily. A frantic soldier replies, "BUT THE KING'S BEEN REPORTED MISSING FOR EXACTLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, AS IT WOULD TAKE FOR ONE TO GET FROM ALUBARNA TO NANOHANA! THERE ISN'T ANY VALID EXCUSE WE CAN GIVE AT THE MOMENT!"

The soldier continues his dire report to Chaka, "NOT ONLY THAT, NEWS OF THE INCIDENT AT NANOHANA HAS ALREADY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE KINGDOM, AND THE REBELS HAVE GROWN EVEN MORE OUT OF CONTROL AS THEY VOICE THEIR OUTRAGE! EVEN MANY CITIZENS WHO'VE BELIEVED IN THE KING UNTIL NOW, HAVE TURNED THEIR BACKS ON KING COBRA AND RAISED ARMS!" Chaka listens, his expression growing darker. The soldier adds, "THE WHOLE POPULACE IS READY TO STRIKE AT ALUBARNA! IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP THEM FROM ATTACKING! WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS TO SUPPRESS ALL THE REVOLTS! THE FLAMES OF REBELLION SHOW NO SIGNS OF STOPPING!"

Outside the palace, rows of Royal Guards kneel before Chaka, pleading with him. "PLEASE, SIR! YOU MUST GIVE THE ORDER TO MOBILIZE THE ARMY! WE SHALL GLADLY FOLLOW YOUR EVERY LAST ORDER!" Chaka stands silently, sweating profusely as he wrestles with the situation. He thinks to himself, "THIS IS AN ABSURD TURN OF EVENTS... THE KING'S WORDS I HEARD ONLY THE DAY BEFORE ARE ALREADY TURNING HAZY IN MY MIND...! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO...!? WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE IN...?" Finally, he makes his decision. He clenches his fist tightly and declares with a stern face, "Fine, if it's come to this, then so be it! We are Alabasta's Royal Guards!"

Chaka draws his large sword with a swift motion, addressing the massive assembly of the Royal Army. "WE CANNOT ALLOW THE KINGDOM TO FALL JUST BECAUSE THE KING IS ABSENT! WE SHALL DEFEND THE TRUTH WE SEE WITH OUR OWN EYES! WE SHALL DEFEND THIS KINGDOM!" he proclaims loudly. He raises his sword high and gives the final command: "ALL TROOPS WILL HEREBY MOVE OUT, AND ENGAGE THE REBEL ARMY!" The thousands of soldiers gathered in the courtyard raise their weapons and let out a thunderous battle cry, "OHHHH!" ready to defend the capital.

The Rebel Army marches aggressively across the desert dunes, heading straight for the capital. A narration box states, "The rebel force is apparently mounting a full-scale attack on the capital! The rebellion's leader Kouza was shot! To think the King and the Royal Guards would dare to come out like that..." Meanwhile, the Royal Army mobilizes, riding out on horses and giant spot-billed ducks. Soldiers shout, "LET US TAKE THE KING'S HEAD! DOWN WITH THE KING AND ALUBARNA! ALL SOLDIERS PREPARE FOR BATTLE! YES, SIR!" The scene then cuts to the Rain Dinners casino in Rainbase, where Crocodile's sinister laughter echoes from within: "KUHAHAHA! HAHAHA!"

Inside the Rain Dinners casino, Crocodile stands outside the seastone cage, laughing mockingly. "HAHAHAHA! So it's begun..." Inside the cage, Nami, Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro glare at him with intense anger and frustration. Crocodile continues, "Baroque Works' grand plan in which even you participated in has now reached its finale... If you listen carefully, you can almost hear Alabasta's death throes! And the masterstroke is how those tearing Alabasta apart, Are sincerely thinking of protecting Alabasta!" Nearby, the real King Cobra is chained to the wall. He screams in despair, "WE WILL DEFEND ALABASTA! WE WILL DEFEND ALABASTA! STOP THIS MADNESS! NOOO!"

Zoro glares at Crocodile and mutters, "...Depraved is the perfect word to describe this lunatic." Crocodile smirks and replies, "Hahaha! Doesn't that bring a tear to your eye? Their love for their country, Is what will bring it to its destruction!" Inside the cage, Luffy furiously bites the bars, yelling, "DAMN IT! IF IT WEREN'T FOR THIS CAGE, I'D..." Crocodile ignores him and reminisces about his long-term plan. "Haha... Looking back, I've had to do so many things to get to where I am today... I had to recruit hundreds of members and have them hunt bounties so that I could raise enough money to buy silver, the key ingredient in manufacturing Dance Powder... Secretly sabotage irrigation canals, Teach men how to act the part of a Royal Guard, And slowly build up the citizens' trust in me as their faith in their King whittled away..."

Crocodile continues his monologue, asking, "Do you know why I've put myself through all this trouble and try to take over your country, Ms. Wednesday...?" Inside the cage, Smoker sits quietly, looking annoyed, while Robin stands nearby. Crocodile suddenly yells, "What an ill-mannered princess you are... HOW WOULD I KNOW WHAT GOES ON IN THAT WARPED HEAD OF YOURS!?" He notices Vivi, who is crawling on the floor outside the cage, struggling to move. "Hm? What do you think you're doing, Ms. Wednesday?" Vivi pushes herself up, her face bruised but determined. "I'LL STOP YOUR PLANS! I CAN STILL MAKE IT! IF I HEAD EAST RIGHT NOW..." Luffy and the others watch her from inside the cage as she declares her intent to stop the rebellion.

A map illustrates the positions of Nanohana, Rainbase, and Alubarna, showing the Royal Army and Rebels converging on the capital. Vivi thinks to herself, "I MIGHT JUST BE ABLE TO REACH ALUBARNA BEFORE THE REBELS DO! THERE'S STILL A SMALL CHANCE THAT I CAN STOP THE REBELS!" Crocodile interrupts her thoughts, saying, "Oh, what a coincidence! My associate and I, Are also going to be on our way to Alubarna, To ask your father a question...!" Vivi looks alarmed and demands, "Wha... WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO WITH MY FATHER!?" Crocodile holds up a key attached to a small float. "Concerned? I wonder what's more important to you... Your father or your people? In any case, whether you come along or not is your choice..."

Vivi stares at the key in Crocodile's hand. "A key!? Is that the..." Crocodile confirms, "THAT'S THE KEY TO THIS CAGE, ISN'T IT!?" Luffy yells from inside, "HAND IT OVER, YOU BASTARD!" Instead, Crocodile casually drops the key onto a trap door in the floor. "DROP," he says as the key falls. Vivi gasps in shock, "AHHH!? Wha!? A trap door!?" The trap door suddenly opens with a loud "CLANG!", dropping the key into the water below. Beneath the floor, massive Bananagators are seen swimming around. Crocodile smirks and tells Vivi, "You're free to choose, Miss Wednesday..."

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