The *Going Merry* cut through the calm seas of the Grand Line, the icy peaks of Drum Island now a distant memory. Yet the air aboard the ship felt heavy, charged with unspoken tension. Vivi stood at the bow, her fingers gripping the railing until her knuckles turned white. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon, but her mind was trapped in a storm of calculations: *How many days had they lost? Would Alabasta hold until they arrived? What if they were already too late?*
Luffy, perched on the figurehead, glanced back at her. He didn't need Observation Haki to sense her anxiety. Without a word, he hopped down and barked, "Hey! Gather up! Time to train Chopper!"
The crew snapped to attention. Zoro, mid-nap on the deck, cracked one eye open. Sanji, who had been preparing lunch, set down his knife. Usopp paused his tinkering with a new gadget. Even Nami looked up from her maps.
"Training? For *me*?" Chopper squeaked, clutching his medical bag.
"Yep!" Luffy grinned. "You're part of the crew now. Gotta learn how to survive. Zoro, teach him **Soru**. Sanji, **Geppo**. Usopp, help him with **Observation Haki** basics. Nami—!"
"I'll handle navigation," Nami interjected, already knowing where this was going.
Luffy nodded, then jerked his thumb toward the ship's interior. "Vivi, Nami—come with me."
Vivi blinked, pulled from her spiraling thoughts. "Wh-what?"
Nami sighed and linked her arm with Vivi's. "Just go with it. When Luffy gets that look, arguing's pointless."
The room was cluttered with maps, navigational tools, and half-finished sketches of Alabasta's coastline. Nami shut the door behind them, while Luffy plopped onto a barrel, his usual grin replaced by a sharp focus.
"Show me what you've got on Crocodile," Luffy said, his tone uncharacteristically direct.
Vivi hesitated, then pulled a folded leather satchel from her coat. Inside were documents stamped with Baroque Works' insignia, transcribed conversations between Mr. 0 and his agents, and coded ledgers detailing the smuggling of dance powder into Alabasta.
"This… this proves Crocodile's manipulating the civil war," Vivi said, her voice trembling. "He's funding both rebels and the royal army, creating chaos so he can seize power as a 'hero.' But… but it's not enough. The World Government would never believe a princess over a Warlord."
Luffy scanned the papers, his brow furrowing. Then, without warning, he pulled a Den Den Mushi from his pocket—a sleek, black-shelled one Vivi hadn't seen before.
"What are you—?"
"Calling my gramps," Luffy said casually, dialing a number.
Nami palmed her face. "Oh no. Here we go."
The Den Den Mushi's face morphed into the scowling visage of **Monkey D. Garp**, his voice booming through the room before the call fully connected.
"BRAT! YOU BETTER NOT BE CAUSING TROUBLE AGAIN—!"
"Hey, Gramps," Luffy interrupted, unfazed. "I'm with Princess Vivi of Alabasta. We've got proof Crocodile's trying to overthrow her kingdom. Thought you and *Fleet Admiral Sengoku* might wanna know."
Silence. Then rustling, as if the snail was being jostled. A new voice—deeper, calmer, but laced with steel—came through.
"This is Sengoku. Explain. Quickly."
Vivi's breath hitched. *The Fleet Admiral himself?!*
Luffy shoved the Den Den Mushi toward Vivi. "Tell him."
With Nami's encouraging nod, Vivi launched into a concise, impassioned summary: Crocodile's manipulation, the dance powder, the staged rebellions. Sengoku listened in silence, but when she mentioned Baroque Works' ties to the underworld, the snail's expression darkened.
"...And if the World Government ignores this," Vivi finished, her voice steadying, "Alabasta's destruction will be on your hands."
A gruff sigh. "Garp. Your grandson's as troublesome as you."
"BWAHAHA! Told ya he's got guts!" Garp's laughter rattled the Den Den Mushi.
Sengoku's tone turned icy. "Crocodile is a Warlord. Publicly condemning him without irrefutable proof would destabilize the entire system. The Government… cannot intervene directly."
Luffy snatched the snail back. "Then don't. *I'll* kick his ass. But afterward…" His grin turned razor-sharp. "You owe me a favor."
"A *favor*?" Sengoku hissed.
"Nothing big! Just… something small. Later. Win-win, right?"
Silence. Then, grudgingly: "...If you eliminate Crocodile *and* keep the Government's name clear, we'll… consider it."
"Deal!" Luffy hung up before Sengoku could retort.
Vivi stared at him, her mind reeling. "Your grandfather is *Garp the Hero*? And you just… *negotiated* with the Fleet Admiral?!"
Nami snorted. "Get used to it. Luffy's got a knack for dragging legends into his messes."
The crew trained Chopper relentlessly. Zoro drilled him in **Soru**, the reindeer's hooves blurring as he zipped between masts. Sanji demonstrated **Geppo**, kicking off the air to hover above the deck, while Chopper mimicked him in his Heavy Point form, crashing into barrels. Usopp lobbed pebbles at him, shouting, "Sense the *flow*, Chopper! It's like predicting where the next sneeze will—*OW!*"
"Sorry!" Chopper yelped, accidentally flinging a barrel lid at Usopp.
As dusk fell, Luffy emerged with Vivi and Nami. Vivi's posture was lighter now, resolve replacing despair.
"Next stop—Alabasta!" Luffy declared, pointing westward.
Nami adjusted the Log Pose. "Three days, if the weather holds."
Vivi clenched her fists. *Three days… Hold on, Father. We're coming.*
Unseen by the crew, a shadow trailed their ship beneath the waves—a sleek, black submarine, its hull marked with the emblem of a grinning jolly roger.
Inside, **Nico Robin** sipped coffee, her eyes on the Straw Hats through a periscope.
"Crocodile won't like this…" she murmured, a smirk playing on her lips. "How *interesting* you are, Monkey D. Luffy."
As the *Going Merry* sailed into the scarlet sunset, alliances shifted like desert sands, and the fate of nations hung on the whims of a boy who laughed at the storm.