Pirates: Your emperor has returned!

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze turned to the gravel soldiers beside Rowan.

He must be a superhuman, right?

How would a former emperor fight?

Rowan strode toward the oasis, with the gravel soldiers close behind him, and the royal army and Cobra and others following behind.

To Rowan's surprise, Crocodile actually approached him on his own initiative.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm just curious why a person who died eight hundred years ago would suddenly come back to life."

Crocodile, with a cigar in his mouth, had a slightly gloomy smile.

Rowan chuckled softly, "Little crocodile, your desires are too obvious."

Little crocodile...

Crocodile was clearly unhappy with this nickname.

Rowan continued, "You don't care how I live; you just want to test the limits of my strength and then adjust your plans accordingly."

Crocodile's pupils contracted, and he did not answer, but his heart was trembling.

Could the person before us really be an old monster resurrected from eight hundred years ago?

In any case, this man named Ryan Rowan is far more shrewd and calculating than Cobra and the others!

Even so, the superficial work still needs to be done.

Crocodile immediately laughed and said, "What plan? I am a Shichibukai recognized by the World Government, and I have been stationed in this country for some time now, protecting many people."

From behind, Vivi exclaimed, "Yes, the newspapers all say that Mr. Crocodile is a hero of our country!"

Rowan smiled and nodded.

He didn't say anything more, nor did he pay attention to Crocodile's thoughtful gaze.

……

The group arrived at an oasis not far away.

Here, the pirates are holding the high ground, confronting the king's army.

Upon seeing Cobra's return, the military commander in charge of the area appeared somewhat conflicted.

"Your Majesty, the pirates are holding a merchant caravan hostage, so we dare not launch a direct attack!"

Just as Cobra was about to answer, another voice spoke up.

"It's alright."

It was Rowan who spoke.

He stepped forward, leaning on his scepter, and with a gentle flick of his finger, the sand soldiers temporarily vanished from their spot, turning into several puddles of yellow sand.

Under the soldiers' astonished gazes, he strode down to the foot of the high ground and met the pirate leader's eyes.

The pirate captain felt extremely uncomfortable being stared at by this strange man who had suddenly appeared.

He first ordered his men to form a defensive line to ensure they couldn't be quickly overwhelmed, and then shouted:

"Don't come any closer! Prepare a ship and supplies for us to set sail. Once we're out of Alabasta's waters, we'll release them!"

The kidnapper's demands were very simple and straightforward.

But Rowan did not answer him.

With a scepter shaped like a spear, Rowan roared, "Soldiers, attack!"

The royal army members looked at each other in bewilderment.

Is he... calling us?

Obviously not.

Before Rowan finished speaking, the four sand soldiers reformed!

Armed with long spears, they launched a tremendous charge upwards from the heights!

Their movements were so synchronized that they were practically perfect!

Swish!

In an instant, the pirates' seemingly solid defense was shattered. Spear tips made of sand pierced through the pirates' shields and broke their formation!

In the chaos, the pirate leader arrived near the kidnapped merchant and brandished his sword, ready to strike.

Suddenly, the fifth gravel soldier darted out from the side, his spear tip piercing the pirate leader's hand, and then swept across!

"Ooh!"

The pirate captain screamed as he was sent flying and then captured alive by the swarming royal army.

Cobra had intended to cover Vivi's eyes, but the bloody scene he had anticipated did not occur, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He understood that Rowan was taking care of Vivi.

Weiwei couldn't help but exclaim, "Our ancestor was so amazing..."

"That's no longer at the 'powerful' level."

Crocodile stood beside Cobra, his brow furrowed, and a few beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.

As a user of the Sand-Sand Fruit, he can sense things much more than others!

"The abilities of Logia-type Devil Fruits are the most difficult to control. I've never heard of anyone being able to master elemental transformation to such a refined degree!"

Manipulating elements to create a human form? That's utterly unbelievable!

Crocodile became increasingly wary.

Ryan Rowan, regardless of whether this man was the founding emperor of eight hundred years ago, possesses overwhelming power!

That's a terrifying force that should never have appeared at the forefront of the Grand Line!

……

After dealing with the pirates, Rowan asked curiously, "This is inland, why are there pirates here?"

"They are not pirates; strictly speaking, they are a mutinous army."

Kobra said helplessly, "Their coup attempt failed, and they were driven out by the neighboring country. In desperation, they took the opportunity to infiltrate Alabasta and occupy an oasis station called Santana."

"That place is easy to defend and difficult to attack. We can only surround it and then wipe out any remaining enemies around it."

"Lord Ancestor..."

Cobra paused, then said solemnly, "I'm sorry."

Ultimately, Cobra believed it was all his fault.

But Rowan shook his head.

Times have changed; the era of warring states is over.

The Kingdom of Alabasta currently has a standing army of 600,000, but it is still primarily a country focused on commerce and trade.

It's easier to pass by the King of Hell than to guard against his underlings.

With such a vast coastline, it would be quite difficult to defend against a band of desperate rebels.

But eradicating them was not difficult.

“Bell has already scouted the area; there are no civilians there.”

Cobra explained, "But a direct assault would cause heavy casualties. They are just a rabble. We only need to besiege them for a few more days, and they will naturally surrender."

Rowan nodded approvingly:

"A very solid tactic, that's Nefertari's style."

Then, changing the subject, he added, "But that's not my style."

In an instant, Rowan's words reminded Cobra of the man recorded in history books.

That was an era of fierce battles and rivalries among maritime powers, and an immortal legend bearing the name of the Alabasta Empire!

Splash...

The gravel rubbed against the ground, and then began to float as Rowan's thoughts drifted.

One by one, the gravel soldiers rose from the ground.

They stood in neat rows, their expressions solemn, exuding an invisible pressure.

As the number of gravel soldiers increased, the oppressive force became stronger and more suffocating!

Gradually, the number of gravel soldiers increased to an exaggerated degree, far exceeding the imagination of Cobra and the King's army.

The last soldier stood up and stood frozen in place.

Their ranks were exceptionally neat, making it easy to estimate their approximate number.

Ten thousand people!

That was a massive army of ten thousand men, composed entirely of gravel soldiers!

huh... huh...

In the desert, only the howling wind could be heard, interspersed with the sounds of a few of the king's soldiers swallowing their saliva.

Many people are asking themselves whether they are capable of resisting such an army.

The answer is: No!

Such an army is powerful enough to wreak havoc throughout Alabasta!

Crocodile stared at the scene before him, his face stiffening for a moment, but then he regained his composure.

Cobra then recalled several historical accounts of Lane Rowan.

The simplest of them all consists of only four characters—

One person can form an army!

……

"It feels really good to stretch my muscles."