One Piece meme: Starting with eight extraordinary skills

Deep within the palace, a middle-aged man closed his eyes in deep thought.

The middle-aged man had a weathered look on his face. His hair was neatly combed back, perhaps even waxed, making it look shiny and oily – the standard hairstyle for a successful person. He had a scar on his face, running horizontally across his nose. It was said to be a scar from when he challenged a white-bearded man, but no one could confirm it.

With gold earrings adorning his earlobes and a cigar habitually dangling from his lips, the cigarette tip glowing red and emitting a delightful aroma, Crocodile leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, his left hand unconsciously tapping the table with a "thump-thump" sound.

"Admiral Shura's sudden visit to the Alabasta Kingdom, could it be that the Marine Headquarters has already discovered the plans I've been orchestrating behind the scenes?"

Crocodile was known worldwide for his ingenuity; intelligent people like to think things through.

Moreover, the admirals of the Navy Headquarters are usually at the mercy of the Navy Headquarters. Unless there is a major mission that requires them, they rarely travel in such a swaggering manner, making it known to the whole world. There must be a deeper meaning behind this.

"To be on the safe side, the work of Baroque Works should be temporarily suspended for the time being. Let them all go into hiding to avoid being caught by that Shura General. Otherwise, my plan that I have been working on for many years will be in vain."

As he pondered, Crocodile's brows furrowed with seriousness, filled with deep apprehension towards the Shura General, whom he had only heard of but never seen.

No wonder this Shichibukai is so wary of Yang Ming. Just think about what Yang Ming has done this past year.

Annihilate the Beasts Pirates.

He encountered Whitebeard and escaped unscathed.

Which year's events weren't major enough to shock the world?

When Crocodile was young, as one of the Supernovas of his generation, he had challenged Whitebeard and knew best how terrifying the old man was.

Otherwise, Crocodile wouldn't have accepted the World Government's offer and would have been hiding in the Alabasta Kingdom, all in an effort to find and excavate the legendary ancient weapon, Pluton. Only by possessing Pluton could he have the confidence to challenge Whitebeard.

Little did Yang Ming know that Crocodile's little scheme was exactly what he had expected.

Yang Ming deliberately sent someone to spread the news, using this indirect approach to intimidate Crocodile, so that he could better make arrangements in the Kingdom of Alabasta.

The steel warships cut through the white waves and sped along at high speed.

Following the artificial waterways excavated by the Kingdom of Alabasta, steel warships entered the waterways from the sea and traveled all the way to the capital, Albana.

Near the river port, all irrelevant personnel had been cleared out, leaving only the solemn-looking Wang *** team on guard duty. A father and daughter stood at the front, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the steel warships from afar.

Cobra was dressed in simple royal robes. Judging from his simple attire, he was either putting on a show or genuinely caring for his people.

Beside her stood Princess Vivi, graceful and fair-skinned, her skin as white as snow, a stark contrast to the brown skin of the others around her. It was clear that she rarely wandered outside and spent most of her time in the palace, which explained her silky smooth skin.

"Father."

Princess Vivi raised her head, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a strange light.

"I've heard that General Shura always sets incredible records and possesses all sorts of amazing abilities. Do you think he can solve our country's predicament?"

Chapter 279 Name Your Price for the Trouble

The Kingdom of Alabasta is a country with a total area of ​​120 million square kilometers and a coastline of 3100 kilometers. It has a large area of ​​desert, and only a few oasis clusters can be used to build cities. The more well-known cities include Yuba, the western trading center; Rapeseed Flower, a port city; Rainfield, an oasis under the rule of Crocodile; and Albana, the capital of the Kingdom of Alabasta.

The mother river that runs through the Kingdom of Alabasta is called the Santo River, which means "a gift bestowed by heaven."

The Santo Doe River has been widened by human intervention several times, and is over 5000 kilometers long. It flows from its source into the sea, and not far from the capital Albana, it splits into several channels.

Over the years, the river has carried down a large amount of nutrient-rich soil from upstream, gradually forming an alluvial plain. The terrain is relatively flat and low-lying, and the soil is relatively fertile, making it suitable for growing drought-resistant cash crops such as cotton.

As the steel warship sailed along, Yang Ming could see flowerbeds stretching for several kilometers on both sides of the river, where large areas of cotton were planted. As far as the eye could see, it was a vast expanse of white, like a snow-covered desert, draped in a white frost.

When Yang Ming, as a naval admiral, personally visited, he was immediately warmly received by members of the royal family, represented by King Cobra.

Yang Ming and his entourage walked ahead, followed by a group of royal guards. The captain of the royal guards, Ikaram, was in charge of directing the procession of civilians blocking the way. The civilians, kneeling on both sides of the road, all had their heads bowed and dared not look up.

Bel, the vice-commander of the Kingdom Guard, is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user with the "Bird-Bird Fruit - Falcon Type". He has now transformed into his beast-man form and is currently hovering in the sky, protecting the entire team from high above. No movement in the city can escape his sharp eyes.

If any rebels attempt to assassinate the king, they will be attacked by the Falcon Bell as soon as they show themselves.

It's worth mentioning that the name Cobra means cobra in the Kingdom of Alabasta.

Although the meaning of the name seemed a bit strange, Cobra was a monarch who seemed to be very enlightened. As soon as Yang Ming stepped off the warship, Cobra enthusiastically took him around to tour the sights and introduced his daughter, which seemed to be an attempt to match the two of them.

Yang Ming put on a professional smile, responding to Kobra's enthusiastic hospitality while glancing at the capital, Albana, out of the corner of his eye.

Listen to their words and observe their actions.

Only then can one truly know the character of a monarch.

The Kingdom of Alabasta is a resource-based country. Because the royal family controls more than 90% of the copper, silver and gold mines in the country, the economy is not developed. Even the people in the capital Albana mostly dress simply, wearing large headscarves and long robes, with black, white, gray and brown as the main colors, made of light and breathable striped cloth.

Slightly wealthier people preferred to wear a small round-brimmed hat, a brown long-sleeved shirt and trousers with gathered cuffs, and a small red vest. They would then adorn themselves with silver breast ornaments, face ornaments, forehead ornaments, earrings, bracelets, and anklets to distinguish themselves from others.

It must be said that once people have a little money, they will start to show off, compare themselves with others, and feel superior, thus creating class differences.

Loose robes and headscarves can cover more than 90% of the skin, preventing direct exposure to the scorching sun and thus avoiding large-area ultraviolet radiation that could cause serious skin damage.

At the same time, the wide sleeves also served a purpose. When a person walks, the sleeves sway back and forth, allowing air to flow into the sleeves and circulate freely throughout the garment through the wide structure, carrying away a large amount of heat from the body surface and bringing a touch of coolness to the locals, thus preventing heatstroke and death due to the excessively hot weather.

Seeing Yang Ming walking under the scorching sun without changing into these clothes, seemingly unaffected by ultraviolet rays, both Cobra and Princess Vivi were secretly astonished.

In the capital city of Albania, distinctive buildings can be seen everywhere.

These buildings are mostly constructed from stone, without a single piece of wood, to prevent them from spontaneously combusting due to the rising temperature caused by exposure to direct sunlight.

The architecture of the Kingdom of Alabasta is mostly majestic and robust, grand and solid, with a strong sense of order and geometric aesthetics. The angular stone buildings stand on the earth, blocking out most of the light and heat, making the indoor temperature not as high as one might imagine.

It must be said that the Kingdom of Alabasta is a bottom-tier country among the member states of the World Government.

Yang Ming has only one suggestion for the people living here:

Run.

Well, poverty and hardship cannot sway one's principles.

The people here suffer enough hardship and toil, and may never leave their hometown in their entire lives, making it even less likely for them to know about the outside world, and they are basically unable to escape.

Perhaps it is precisely because of the unique geographical and cultural environment here that the Kingdom of Alabasta has rarely produced pirates since records began, because they all became sand bandits, a type of robber and bandit who lived in the desert.

I have to say, this is a dark joke, the kind that's not funny at all.

Poor neighborhoods, market areas, entertainment districts, wealthy neighborhoods, aristocratic neighborhoods.

The vast capital city of Albana is artificially divided into large and small areas, each separated by wide roads. The slums and the rich districts face each other, yet there seems to be a chasm between them, which cannot be easily crossed. This is especially true between the rich districts and the aristocratic districts.

Led by Captain Icaram, the royal guards stand guard day and night in the noble district. The soldiers, armed from head to toe, are well-equipped. They may not be able to deal with the notorious pirates, but they are more than capable of handling some of the more powerful ones.

Upon entering the aristocratic district, the entire environment became completely different.

Tall palm trees serve as street trees, planted on both sides of the road. The palm tree has a cylindrical trunk, round leaves, and numerous branches and leaves. When the large branches and leaves spread out in all directions, they cast large shadows on the road, sheltering pedestrians from the wind and rain.

The artificial spring bubbled and gushed forth clear water, accompanied by a beautiful rainbow.

Along the way, Yang Ming chatted and laughed with Cobra and Princess Vivi as they entered the magnificent palace together.

The entire kingdom covers more than 300 acres and is surrounded by a high stone wall. The buildings behind the wall are decorated with the Nefertari family crest and strange patterns.

It's like carving the rise and experience of a family onto a stone slab. However, due to eight hundred years of wind and rain, it has become slightly blurred, and the contents are not clearly visible. One can only feel a sense of antiquity and weight from afar.

The palace has a distinct Persian architectural style, with brass columns, arched gates, and marble paving. It also features different sections such as the reception hall, tower palace, and residence palace. The entire building is arranged in a staggered manner and is nestled among the green palm trees, giving it a rustic yet elegant and grand appearance.

Inside the palace, ice blocks purchased at high prices from other kingdoms emitted a refreshing coolness, driving away the desert heat, just like having air conditioning on—it was incredibly comfortable.

After inviting Yang Ming into the reception hall, Kobra sat in the main seat and clapped his hands.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

As the applause subsided, a group of beautiful and slender dancers filed in, and accompanied by melodious music, they began to sing and dance, performing an alluring dance.

Meanwhile, dishes prepared by the chefs were already served to everyone on their tables.

Fermented fish, served with herring, pita bread, and scallions, has a unique aroma.

Pita bread paired with chickpeas and yogurt, the red, white and black colors are very appetizing.

Bread pudding combines baked pastry with milk and sugar to create a delicious and flavorful pudding. It is topped with nuts, raisins, coconut flakes, butter, and whipped cream for a rich and aromatic taste.

Beside Yang Ming, Princess Vivi personally poured him a glass of wine.

The Kingdom of Alabasta truly lives up to its reputation as a culinary desert; even the dishes it produces are unique.

Yang Ming and his group were used to eating fresh seafood, so they really couldn't get used to the unique cuisine of the Alabasta Kingdom. Fortunately, Yang Ming didn't care. He didn't care about anything else; as long as he could eat it, that was enough. He didn't need to worry about whether the taste suited his palate or not.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Cobra put down his toasting glass, his brow furrowed, adopting a posture of concern for the country and its people, and said:

"Lord Yang Ming, in recent years, our Alabasta Kingdom has rarely seen rain, leading to reduced grain production in many areas. Many people have already starved to death. I have long heard of your profound wisdom and the demeanor of a marshal from the Warring States period. I wonder if you have any way to help me?"

"If Lord Yang Ming can help the Kingdom of Alabasta overcome this calamity, I will never forget your great kindness, and you will be able to gain the friendship of the Nefertari family."

Upon hearing this, Yang Ming secretly rolled his eyes, feeling a pang of longing in his heart.

You live in a mansion, enjoying ice-cold air conditioning, but you've never been to the grassroots level or experienced the hardships of ordinary people. What are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty?

Are they worried that the people will starve to death?

Are you worried that the starving people will defect to the rebels and overthrow the rule of your Nefertari family?

Only the Straw Hat Pirates would be fooled by you!

Of course, Yang Ming would only think these words in his heart and would not show any attitude.

Meeting the expectant gazes of Cobra and Princess Vivi, Yang Ming put down his knife and fork, placed his hands clasped under his chin, and narrowed his eyes slightly, like a cunning little fox, and said:

"As a member of the Navy, it is my duty to uphold justice."

Name your price for the trouble you've caused.

Chapter 280 Princess Weiwei becomes Yang Ming's concubine?

The Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Alabasta is a classical-style building with a facade that follows the standard classical tripartite division, dividing the interior into three sections. The building is symmetrical and has a neat, solemn, and majestic outline.

On the steps leading up to the throne sat a middle-aged figure.

Kobra's expression was solemn, his brows furrowed, clearly pondering the deeper meaning behind Yang Ming's words.

What price would he have to pay to persuade Yang Ming to take action and resolve the drought in the Kingdom of Alabasta over the past few years?

While Kobra was agonizing over the matter, Yang Ming held a golden spoon and gently stirred the milk tea in his cup, creating a small vortex clockwise.

It has to be said that the people of the Alabasta Kingdom are living in dire straits, while the Nefertari family, as royalty, lives in luxury. Look at this golden spoon and silver teacup; if it were Beli, it would probably be enough for a family of three to live on for a week.

"Ding!"

"Congratulations, host, for reciting a classic line from Honor of Kings. You have been awarded one chance to draw a prize. Would you like to start the prize wheel?"