121 Finally Meeting Luffy
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"Let's head to Alabasta first."
After mulling it over, Brontes made up his mind.
His connections were few and far between across the vast seas. His journey wasn't one of piracy or seeking thrilling adventures; it was purely for the sake of exploration.
With that spirit of discovery guiding him, Alabasta was the first destination on his list.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Brontes, CP was on high alert, scouring the planet in a frantic search for him.
Only the World Nobles seemed to take joy in this development; Brontes's sneaky exit was seen as neglecting his duties—an act they exploited to apply pressure on the Five Elders and carve out some amusement for themselves in the outside world.
Before Brontes had set off from Mariejois, he had meticulously prepared a series of permanent pointers, markers to guide him to the places he aimed to visit.
Among these destinations was Skypiea—Brontes was intrigued by the fate of Enel after he had acquired the Rumble-Rumble fruit.
Having taken the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which originally belonged to Enel, Brontes couldn't help but wonder how, or if, Enel's path in life had shifted.
It was clear that Brontes's actions had left marks across the world, with Enel standing as perhaps the most significantly affected.
However, the time to ponder these thoughts would come later.
For now, Brontes's heart was set on Alabasta. It had been an age since he last saw his adopted daughter, their lines of communication having gone silent previously.
At a World Conference two years ago, he had learned from Cobra about the internal troubles plaguing his kingdom. Brontes had offered his assistance, but Cobra had declined, insisting on handling the matter himself.
As the airship soared through the skies, Brontes clutched the directional pointers to Alabasta tightly in his hands, his pace quickening as he neared his much-anticipated destination.
...
About two days after setting off, Brontes found himself arriving in Alabasta.
His journey was swift, thanks to the aerial route he took and the guiding assistance of his permanent pointers. There was only a brief pause due to a storm, but beyond that, it was smooth sailing.
Alabasta was familiar territory for Brontes, a kingdom he had visited during his travels around the world.
It was here he formed a strong bond with Cobra, the kingdom's leader. Their friendship was built on mutual respect to each other.
Upon entering Alabasta, Brontes knew he had to avoid detection by the Marine or the Revolutionary Army.
He carefully maneuvered his warship directly into the desert, finding a suitable hiding spot for it.
Clad in a brown cloak, Brontes ventured into the desert. With a single step, he disappeared from sight.
However, Brontes was unaware that his arrival coincided with the onset of conflict in Alabasta's capital, Alubarna.
The reason he hadn't picked up on the war, despite his potent Observation Haki, was primarily due to the vast size of Alabasta. He was simply too far from the conflict zone, having just entered the kingdom's borders.
...
"Boom! Rumble!"
Suddenly, the peace was shattered by the explosions and the clashing sounds of battle emanating from the city ahead.
"What's happening?" Brontes wondered aloud, shocked by the sudden commotion.
"What the hell happened in the past a few days?"
Alabasta was known for its rains, but lightning was uncommon. This noise was different; it signified conflict.
Brontes hadn't anticipated such a rapid escalation of events. When he snuck out of Mariejois, Alabasta had been at peace. He surely didn't expect to find a war upon his arrival.
The kingdom's army, numbering sixty thousand strong, usually had its forces spread out, with about thirty thousand stationed within coastal cities. At that moment, however, a significant force, along with the rebel army, had amassed within the city itself, totaling over fifty thousand soldiers.
The cacophony created by the clash of these forces was intense. It overwhelmed Brontes's senses to the point where focusing enough to utilize his Haki became almost impossible.
Trying to make sense of the normal chatter in a bustling capital like a kingdom's was already a tall order for Brontes, let alone attempting to discern specific sounds from a battlefield hosting fifty thousand soldiers. Distinguishing any detail of what was occurring internally was beyond him.
"Booom!"
An intense explosion pierced the chaos, followed by an eerie silence before the battle resumed.
"ZliZli!"
It was in this brief hush that Brontes caught a familiar voice. Reacting swiftly, his body transformed into a bolt of lightning and vanished from view.
...
Gliding across the ground as a charge of electricity, Brontes quickly found himself in an underground area beneath the royal castle.
"Oh, what a big gathering?" He exclaimed, genuinely taken aback by the scene unfolding before him.
To his surprise, Brontes spotted Luffy here, somewhat ahead of the timeline established in the original anime.
This deviation didn't concern him much; his entrance into this world had already altered many events, so one more anomaly seemed insignificant.
The clash between the opposing forces was so intense that nobody seemed to notice Brontes's comment.
However, during a momentary lull in the fighting, both Luffy and Crocodile became aware of the new arrival.
"Who is that?" Luffy asked, turning in surprise.
"Hm?" Crocodile also shifted his gaze toward the unexpected visitor.
Both were visibly battered, their bodies telling tales of the fierce battle they'd endured.
Brontes gave Luffy a thorough look, finally got a clear view of his face, noting how closely it matched the Luffy from the original anime.
Without acknowledging Crocodile, Brontes turned his attention entirely to Luffy and, with a chuckle, said: "You must be Monkey D. Luffy. You look very much like someone I know, Hahaha!"
Brontes's laughter boomed through the underground palace, capturing the attention of everyone present.
"You...?! Why?! How could you come …?!!" Crocodile's disbelief was palpable, his words trailing off into silence. He was rooted to the spot, completely petrified.
"Who are you?" Luffy questioned, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by a look of serious confusion at the sight of Brontes.
Not far from them, Cobra said in surprised and happy voice: "Brontes!! How come you are here?"
"It's now!" The moment was tense, filled with anticipation.
Before Brontes could offer any explanation, Crocodile leapt into action, his golden hook slicing through the air towards Luffy. Brontes, however, hesitated due to a peculiar feeling, holding himself back from intervening.
That hesitation proved unnecessary. As Crocodile's hook was about to strike, Luffy adeptly countered, his foot connecting with Crocodile's abdomen and sending him skidding backward.
"Boom!"
"Sandstorm!"
Crocodile retaliated, launching a sandstorm at Luffy.
"Gomu - Gomu No Balloon!" Luffy countered effortlessly, inhaling deeply as his stomach ballooned, his body twisting to deflect the sandy assault.
Watching the exchange, Brontes couldn't help but be fascinated. The battle felt familiar, yet he realized he had forgotten the specific details of Luffy's strategy against Crocodile, the only Shichibukai who wielded the power of a Logia type fruit.
"Huphh!"
Luffy exhaled sharply towards the ground, propelling himself through the air towards Crocodile.
The two locked eyes midair, the tension between them palpable.
"Gomu - Gomu..."
"Sand…"
"Storm!"
"Adamantine Blade!"
Crocodile attacked, conjuring four blades of sand aimed directly at Luffy.
The climax of their clash drew near as Luffy's fist met Crocodile's sandy blade head-on.
The excitement escalated as Luffy's fist crashed through Crocodile's sand blades, striking directly at Crocodile's midsection.
"Boom! Boom!"
This was merely the opening act. Luffy's onslaught intensified, his punches falling like relentless raindrops in a storm, each one targeting Crocodile's stomach with increasing ferocity.
Watching the spectacle, Brontes suddenly recalled the method of Luffy's victory over Crocodile, prompting an outburst of laughter.
"Hahaha, so it's like this, blood, that also works!" He exclaimed, amused by the memory of Luffy's strategy.
"Boom! Boom!"
The sounds of Luffy's relentless attack drowned out Brontes's laughter.
Luffy's barrage drove Crocodile up against the ceiling, the force so great that the ground above started to bulge outward.
"Booom!"
Finally, Brontes witnessed Crocodile being flung aside by Luffy, who then flashed a triumphant smile.
The duel concluded with Crocodile's defeat, and amidst the aftermath, Brontes suddenly appeared in front of Luffy.
"Hey, do you still have the strength to move?" Brontes asked, crouching down with a look of curiosity beside the weary Luffy.
"Hm!" Luffy, puzzled by this stranger who had appeared out of nowhere, blinked back in curiosity.
"Never mind, you look exhausted. Just wait for your teammates to come." Brontes said with a smile, deciding that Luffy needed rest.
He then assisted in moving Luffy and Cobra away from the immediate vicinity, his attention shifting towards the ancient Poneglyph that had caught his eye.
"This thing always attracts disasters." Brontes lamented, casting his gaze towards a shadowy figure gradually rising from the darkness.
"You can come out now." Brontes said, a playful smile playing on his lips.
"F-Fleet Admiral Ragnarok..."
"I wasn't expecting someone like you to show up in Alabasta." The figure spoke from the gloom, coughing up a mouthful blood.
"You're quite lucky to have lived for twenty years. Kuzan spared you once, but unfortunately, Saul perished in that operation." Brontes remarked with a sorrowful shake of his head.
"I understand your stance from before, but I don't regret it at all." Robin declared firmly as she emerged from the shadows, her voice tinged with a hint of fear.
"A-Are you here to... to a-arrest me?"
"Don't worry, I'm not here for you. If Kuzan chose to let you slip away, it's his business. As a survivor of the Ohara incident, I'm intrigued by the path you'll have in the future." Brontes reassured her, a smile softening his features.
"Phew! So, did you come to take care of Crocodile then? I always thought his ambitions would lead to ruin." Robin sighed in relief, a touch of bitterness in her tone.
"No, that kind of scum isn't worth my personal attention. I'm simply here to see my daughter. This visit is off the record; I didn't come as Fleet Admiral Ragnarok." Brontes said with a hint of disdain.
"T-Thank you." Robin whispered softly.
Intrigued by her gratitude, Brontes asked: "For what?"
"For not apprehending me." Robin replied earnestly.
"Hahaha, there's no need to thank me. If Kuzan wishes to send you to Impel Down, that's his decision." Brontes chuckled heartily before leaving the underground palace.
