Scholar of Strawhat Pirates

As the crew neared the Kingdom of Alabasta, Douglas remembered a key moment from the original timeline—before the Straw Hats docked, they would encounter one of the most beloved characters in the One Piece community: Mr. 2 Bon Clay. Though originally introduced as a villain, Bon Clay would become one of Luffy's closest allies, even sacrificing himself to save Luffy in Impel Down.

Knowing this meeting was close, Douglas kept a sharp eye on the waters ahead. It would be a sign that they were truly near Alabasta.

About thirty minutes later, the Going Merry approached a sea hotspot—an area where steam from an underwater volcano created a thick fog, obscuring visibility. While Luffy and Usopp were fishing off the side of the ship, they caught something… strange. It wasn't a fish, but a flamboyant man with eccentric clothes and theatrical makeup.

As they hauled him onboard, Douglas immediately recognized him—Bon Clay. Just like in the original timeline, Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper quickly befriended him, amused and entertained by his personality and antics.

Bon Clay wasted no time revealing his powers. Using the abilities of his Clone-Clone Fruit, he touched the faces of several crew members—Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper among them—and immediately transformed into their likenesses. Vivi refused to let him touch her, and Sanji remained in the kitchen, unaware of the interaction. Douglas also kept his distance, knowing the consequences.

After some playful mimicry and bonding, Bon Clay's ship arrived to retrieve him. Before leaving, he struck a dramatic pose.

"We are all nakamas now!" he declared, earning cheers from Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper.

But once Bon Clay was gone, Vivi's expression turned serious. A memory had resurfaced.

"I remember now… He's Mr. 2, the faceless assassin of Baroque Works," she said urgently. "No one ever saw his real face until now. He's the partner of Mr. 1—and his ability allows him to perfectly imitate the faces of anyone he touches."

The entire crew fell silent, the gravity of the situation setting in.

"No way…" Nami muttered. "Then he could disguise himself as any one of us. He can even copy voices and body shapes?"

"Exactly," Vivi confirmed, troubled. "He could cause chaos if he infiltrates the palace or military ranks."

"Hmmm… so that's why…" Douglas said quietly, drawing the crew's attention.

"What are you thinking?" Usopp asked curiously.

Douglas nodded and stepped forward. "If Crocodile is manipulating Alabasta behind the scenes, then it's not just brute force he's using—he's orchestrating a political and social collapse. Think about it: the people believe the king is responsible for the drought. Crocodile steps in as a hero with Baroque Works to 'save' them, all while secretly sabotaging the kingdom."

The others nodded, seeing the logic in his theory.

"Vivi, can I ask you something?" Douglas continued. "Is it fair to say the lack of rain is one of the main reasons your people are rebelling?"

Vivi nodded somberly.

"Then that leads me to Crocodile's weakness," Douglas said. He already knew it from the canon, but needed to reveal it logically to the crew.

"Wait—seriously?" the Straw Hats said in unison.

"Crocodile has eaten the Sand-Sand Fruit, a Logia-type Devil Fruit. It allows him to become sand itself—immune to regular physical attacks. But even Logias have natural counters," Douglas explained. "One is Seastone. Here, Luffy, hold this."

He handed Luffy a small chunk of Seastone embedded in his staff. As soon as Luffy touched it, his strength faded, and he collapsed, weak and confused.

"Seastone emits the energy of the sea, which disables Devil Fruit powers on contact," Douglas said as he took the staff back. "But there's another, more natural weakness—elemental opposition. Just like fire can be countered by ice, sand has its own counter."

He turned to the crew.

"Sand, when mixed with water, clumps together and becomes heavy. It loses its flow, its defensive capability. Crocodile has deliberately kept Alabasta in a drought—he's made sure it stays dry so that no one can use water against him in battle. That's also why he wanted to eliminate any chance of rain."

Everyone stood in stunned silence. It made perfect sense.

"He created the drought… to protect his invincibility," Nami said softly.

"So, with the device I've crafted, we can make it rain over the entire Kingdom of Alabasta," Douglas said confidently. "That way, when Luffy fights Crocodile, he won't be at a disadvantage."

Vivi looked at him skeptically. "But… can you really make it rain across the whole kingdom? Alabasta is massive—an entire desert landmass."

Douglas smiled. "Of course I can. If I wanted to, I could alter the entire island's weather system. The machine just needs a bit of time to deploy and stabilize the atmospheric conditions."

The crew nodded, impressed—though still cautious.

Zoro folded his arms. "Alright, that's good, but we still haven't figured out how to counter Mr. 2's mimicry. If he copies one of us, he could sneak in and sabotage everything by pretending to be part of our crew."

Douglas nodded in agreement. "That's true. But there's a way to outsmart him. He can only copy the physical appearance of someone at the exact time he touches their face—he can't replicate changes made after that moment."

Everyone looked at him curiously.

"So here's what we'll do," Douglas continued. "Each of us should draw a unique mark on the back of our left hand. Then wrap it with a bandage or glove to keep it hidden. That way, if someone shows up without the mark, we'll know they're the imposter."

Zoro gave a nod of approval. "Smart. Simple, but effective."

"Just make sure the mark stays hidden," Douglas emphasized. "If Bon Clay sees it later, he might draw it on after transforming. We want something he doesn't know to look for."