Finally, they burst out into the open air, the crumbling tomb behind them. Mario gently set the king down on the rain-slicked stone. The world had transformed.
„Ah? It started to rain?" said Luffy, looking up at the sky, his face turned towards the heavy, dark clouds. A downpour was washing over Alabarna, its steady drumming a symphony of renewal.
Mario tilted his head back, fully embracing the downpour. The cool water was a blessing, washing the dust of battle and the cloying scent of sand from his skin. It felt like a purification.
King Cobra stood in stunned silence, his own awe eclipsing his exhaustion. He held out a trembling hand, watching the raindrops collect in his palm—a simple miracle that had been stolen from his country for years.
This was the final, undeniable proof of Crocodile's defeat. The rain was washing away the artificial drought, the worries, and with hope, the pain and confusion that had stoked the flames of civil war.
„I think you have somewhere to be," Mario said softly to Cobra, nodding toward the main square where the distant sounds of the conflicted crowd could still be heard.
„What about you two?" Cobra asked, his voice thick with emotion. „I must give you my thanks. I owe you both… everything."
Luffy waved a hand dismissively, his signature grin bright even in the gloom. „Don't worry! We'll just find our friends. The king can't be seen with pirates after all."
Cobra nodded, understanding the wisdom in those simple words. With a final, profound look of gratitude, he turned and hurried toward his people, a monarch returning to his kingdom when it needed him most.
The moment Cobra was out of sight, Luffy's formidable energy finally gave out. His knees buckled, but Mario was ready, catching him effortlessly.
„You fought Crocodile twice, ran across a desert, and haven't slept for a whole day while racing to Alubarna… right?" Mario said, his tone gentle but knowing.
„I'm just a bit exhausted," Luffy mumbled, his body leaning heavily against Mario's. „I haven't eaten in two days. TWO! Can you believe it?"
Mario's sharp eyes then caught the faint, angry discoloration on Luffy's arm, a thin graze from the poisoned hook. „And it seems in your last ditch effort, you also grazed his poisoned blade."
„Yeah, well… a bit."
Mario couldn't help but laugh, a warm, relieved sound. He adjusted his grip, pulling Luffy's arm more securely over his shoulder, taking his full weight.
„It's fine. Chopper will deal with that. Lean on me." He looked at his captain, the boy who had just toppled a Warlord, and his voice softened with genuine pride. „You did great…"
„Of course! That sandbag had no chance!" Luffy declared, his smile radiant as the sun breaking through clouds. Mario's heart swelled with relief. All those grueling training sessions with Zorro, the shared discipline had paid off. It seemed their relentless drive had rubbed off on the whole crew, hardening their will just enough to see them through.
Supporting his captain, Mario guided them through the back alleys, away from the main chaos. And soon, a welcome sight emerged through the curtain of rain: their crew. Nami, Sanji, Usopp, Zorro, and a frantic little reindeer were running towards them. Mario smiled. They were battered, bruised, and soaked, but they were all there.
None were seriously injured. They were together, and the war was finally over.
„Luffy! Mario!" a voice yelled from the group. An orange blur shot ahead of the others, faster than even Sanji.
„Oh, Nami!" Luffy started, opening his arms for a hug, but was unceremoniously shoved aside, tumbling into a waiting Chopper.
„Why?" Luffy asked, tears of betrayal welling in his eyes as he fell.
„Gyaaah! Nami, be careful, he's hurt!" Chopper cried, transforming to cushion Luffy's fall.
Nami, meanwhile, collided with Mario with enough force to nearly knock the wind from him, her arms wrapping around his torso in a vice-like grip.
„Miss me?" he asked with difficulty, his own arms encircling her.
„Mn," she mumbled, burying her head into his chest. „I was worried…." Her voice was small, a rare admission of vulnerability she reserved for these quiet, desperate moments after the storm had passed.
Mario gently patted her head, his touch soothing. Over her shoulder, he took quick stock of the crew. They were a sight, but a beautiful one. Zorro had a network of fresh, shallow cuts—trophies from his dance with Mr. 1—but nothing his monstrous constitution couldn't handle. S
anji moved with a slight stiffness, his suit torn and bruises blossoming from his encounter with Mr. 2's kicks. Chopper and Usopp, however, were a different story. While the reindeer looked fine, Usopp was a walking bandage. His shoulder was heavily wrapped, a faint red stain seeping through the white gauze.
„What happened to you?" Mario asked, arching an eyebrow at the sniper.
„To me… I'LL TELL YOU WHAT!" Usopp started, his anger overriding his pain. „First, me and Chopper defeated Mr. 4 and that crazy mole lady! It was an insane, life-or-death struggle! And after that, we looked for the bomb that you told me about. After searching like a madman, we found it in the clock tower… but," he paused for dramatic effect, pointing an accusing finger, „you did not tell me that it was guarded by another TWO agents!"
Usopp was gritting his teeth, the memory fresh. „The frog-man… he SHOT ME!" he wailed, tears of genuine trauma and self-pity in his eyes.
„Oh, come on, it's just a gunshot wound," Zorro said with a grunt, though his eyes held a flicker of respect. „And the bullet went straight through. Clean."
„And we avenged you, didn't we?" Sanji added, offering a reassuring smile as he lit a cigarette.
„You monsters!" Usopp cried, before remembering his triumph. „Oh, yeah, we found the bomb. But you didn't mention it needed to be disarmed! That thing could have exploded at any moment! My heart can't take that kind of pressure!"
„But you did disarm it?" Mario asked, a proud smile tugging at his lips.
„Me and Nami, yes!" Usopp puffed out his chest with pride for a split second before shaking his head violently. „But that is not the point! Do you have any idea how nerve-wracking that was???" he cried, his voice reaching a hysterical pitch.
Mario couldn't hold back his laughter. „I knew you could do it… Ouch!"
Nami had pinched his side, glaring up at him with fiery eyes. „You could have said something!" she scolded.
Rubbing his side, Mario's smile softened into something genuine and warm as he looked at his crew. „Like I said," he repeated, his voice full of unwavering faith, „I had full confidence you could do it. And i did not know...."
Mario had never been truly worried about the bomb. Usopp, for all his bravado and fear, was insanely skilled when it counted. The sniper's mind was a treasure trove of crazy contraptions and improbable solutions. Mario was confident he could handle it. And if not… well, they'd have to improvise. This time, unlike the frantic rush against the clock in the tomb, they had time.
The sound of frantic footsteps echoing in the alley broke the cheerful atmosphere. Everyone turned, hands instinctively going to weapons, only to relax as Princess Vivi skidded into view, her chest heaving. Her eyes, once clouded with the weight of a nation, now shone with pure, unadulterated relief.
„Guys!" she cried, running towards them, her smile so wide it seemed to brighten the dreary alley. She stopped before them, panting, her gaze sweeping over each of them as if to sear the memory into her mind.
„You are all alright!"
„More or less," Nami said with a warm smile, stepping forward to grasp Vivi's hands. Mario could see the deep, genuine friendship that had blossomed between them during their harrowing journey.
Vivi's eyes then fell on Luffy, being propped up by Chopper. „Luffy seems hurt!" she asked, her voice laced with renewed worry.
„Poison… and malnutrition," Luffy declared, raising a hand weakly into the air as if it were a badge of honor.
„The poison first! Drink this until I can make something better!" Chopper ordered, forcing a small vial of strange, bubbling liquid past Luffy's lips.
„Ugh! Bitter!" Luffy complained, his face scrunching up in disgust.
The shared laugh that followed was a cathartic release, a sound that finally, truly, signaled the end of the war. The rain continued to pour down in a relentless, healing curtain, soaking them to the bone, yet no one cared. They were together, safe, and victorious.
Vivi's expression softened into one of deep, heartfelt gratitude. „Come, let me take you to the castle. The Marines are coming, and I need to stay. I… I can't join you right away," she said, the words carrying the heavy weight of her duty, „but you can rest in the royal rooms. You must be exhausted."
It was an offer of sanctuary, a final act of care for her friends before the complexities of the world—the Marines, her duties as a princess—would inevitably force them apart.