Crocodile?
Boom!!!
The bomb expanded in the air, the fierce white light almost blinding the sky, even though it exploded at a very high altitude, the immense impact revealed under this white light also destroyed numerous buildings.
Including that huge Royal Palace, and the streets near the palace!
Although the explosion center was in the high sky, the shockwave also toppled all the buildings near Sage.
Rumble!
Haphazard debris slammed towards Sage, but his Haki protection shrouded in black fire repelled it.
Just in a blink, the position he stood on was littered with ruins.
"Are you kidding me!"
At this moment, he didn't care whether Smoker and Ace were blown away or buried under the debris.
His eyes flashed red, quickly charging towards a spot on the ruins, kicking away a rectangular building embedded in the rubble, reaching down and grabbing a familiar back collar, pulling out a blonde wave-haired beauty.
"Sa... Sage..."
Lily was still conscious, instinctively using her sword to guard herself, on the rapier blade, the dispersing dark color was clearly visible.
No time to talk to Lily, after putting her down, Sage rapidly grabbed from the ruins, pulling out one subordinate after another, compared to Lily, these subordinates had been knocked unconscious by the impact.
After placing down the subordinates, he dashed out again, his figure becoming a shadow, stomping circles of air waves at low altitude, using Moon Step to shoot to another place.
But just as he reached out, the ruins broke open, surrounded by hair strands like a cocoon, Marika extended her hand, let her hair return to normal, smiled at Sage: "Ah, Captain... no need to worry, got it under control."
He turned, grabbing around him, also pulling out seven or eight subordinates, then moved again, arriving at another ruins, pulling out a pink-haired infant.
"Sage!" Renedia shouted loudly.
Sage did not speak, after putting down Renedia, pulled out the subordinates from here again, besides seven or eight subordinates, there was also a completely charred, white-eyed Pearl, seemingly struck by lightning.
Lastly, his Observation sensed Gin's location, when he pulled out with the subordinates, this guy was clearly injured significantly.
"Captain Sage, I didn't fail, Mr. Sanji was blocked by me." Gin weakly said when pulled out.
"Who cares about that!"
Sage said irritably, kicking off straight to the highest clock tower in Albana, as the successive air waves dispersed, it took just ten minutes to reach where the large bell was placed.
At this time the surface of the clock was already opened, revealing a cavity, inside was a tear-streaked but resolute blue-haired woman, and a man clad in a white robe adorned with many black four-pointed symbols.
Beside them was a huge cannon barrel just slightly smaller than the gigantic clock.
Sage landed inside, surveying the blue-haired woman, then glanced at two frog-costumed figures lying on the ground.
What Old Sand brought up, seemed to be the special agents responsible for detonating the bomb, but now...
"Did you do it?"
Sage looked at the man.
As he appeared, the man had already shielded Vivi behind, staring warily at Sage but didn't reply.
This man, he certainly recognized him, the Wanted Order had long reached the Royal Palace.
Sage glanced at the cannon barrel, this thing had obviously shifted direction, not aiming at the original plaza position.
And the blue-haired woman was injured all over, whereas this seemingly strong man was unharmed.
That inferred roughly, this woman first tried to stop the explosion, getting into skirmish with the two special agents, clearly lost the fight, but seemingly made these two guys move up the cannon firing time.
After that, the man showed up, dealt with the two special agents, but obviously couldn't stop it, resulting in the explosion.
Though seemingly during the explosion, the firing direction was shifted and elevated, allowing it to shoot further away, hence didn't reach the original position.
So...
"Quite capable, named Vivi, right... Alabasta's princess."
Sage clicked his tongue: "Raised it towards the Royal Palace, huh? Because of the war, only there's no one, rather destroy the palace than harm the people, quite bold."
"People are the nation!"
Vivi wiped her tears, stood from Belle's back resolutely shouting: "The palace can be rebuilt, four-thousand-year history is crafted by the people, as long as the people exist, the nation does! Even if... even if I am not a princess anymore, as long as the nation remains!"
"Who cares about you!"
Sage rolled his eyes, didn't mind them, flipped off the clock tower, using Moon Step to dash to a location.
He just came to confirm why the explosion time advanced, as for how exactly, he didn't care.
On the contrary, it was Crocodile that he should be concerned about!
"Mr. Crocodile!"
"Why is Mr. Crocodile lying here?"
"No, why is he appearing in the Royal Capital..."
This was a small plaza, roughly thousands engaged in mixed combat, the gigantic explosion didn't affect here but made them halt fighting.