"Achoo!"
Cobra suddenly sneezed, then rubbed his nose in annoyance.
"I wonder who's gossiping about me behind my back... Hmph, probably that Michael fellow!"
After casually shifting the blame onto Michael, Cobra returned to handling the government affairs before him.
Although Alabasta had adopted the so-called "Constitutional Monarchy" under his leadership, it hadn't been fully embraced yet.
For instance, the current Prime Minister still sent most important documents to his palace.
This was both a sign of respect and trust toward him.
Though he still felt exhausted, there was a small sense of joy in his heart.
...Of course, it would be even better if they stopped sending him documents and forcing him to work overtime next time.
"Father! I'm back!"
The eleven-year-old Vivi burst in with her blue hair—identical to Crocodile's—her energetic demeanor completely unlike that of Alabasta's sole princess.
But in Cobra's eyes, it was a vibrant display of life...
After all, back in the day, Crocodile had been even more spirited than her.
This was a good thing.
"Vivi, where have you been playing?"
"Well, the Revolutionary Army was running a Literacy Campaign, and since I had nothing better to do, I went to help them out..." Vivi clasped her hands behind her head. Despite being a pretty girl with long hair, she carried herself like a tomboy.
"The people who just moved to Alabasta from other countries were so surprised to see me!"
"Surprised? Of course they were!" Cobra said helplessly. "Who in their right mind would let an eleven-year-old teach literacy? I know you're capable of instructing those who've never had formal education, but did Dr. Clover ever consider the subconscious influence of appearances?"
"...Oh! That explains why they kept staring at me instead of the books when I was teaching!" Vivi belatedly realized.
"Oh no, does that mean I was holding them back?"
"Princess Vivi, you worry too much. The two families you taught actually learned quite well... They were just curious about you," Dr. Clover said, following behind Vivi at a leisurely pace as he entered Alabasta's palace.
"After all, anyone would be curious if a princess suddenly showed up to teach them literacy, wouldn't they?"
"Is that so?" Vivi pouted. "In that case, I'll cover my face next time."
"No, no, absolutely not," Dr. Clover said with a smile. "Right now, Princess Vivi is our nation's Living Signboard... Many of those who've moved to Alabasta with their families don't really understand—or even trust—this new 'Constitutional Monarchy' system. They're just here to try their luck, hoping to relocate to a more prosperous and safer place."
"But when they see the princess of this country doing the most basic work... Even if they don't understand the politics, they can tell that the Kingdom of Alabasta is completely different from anywhere else."
Listening to Dr. Clover's explanation, Vivi nodded in naive understanding.
Although the words were a bit convoluted, she had figured out one thing...
What she did today was right!
"Vivi, it's time for lunch now... Your mother is waiting for you."
"Oh! I'll go right now! I also want to tell Mother about what I did today!"
Vivi nodded and dashed out in a flash.
Cobra watched his daughter with loving eyes, but they were also filled with nostalgia.
"Are all the girls of the Nefertari family like this?"
"Your Majesty Cobra, it seems you're looking at someone else through Princess Vivi," Dr. Clover's wise eyes flashed with amusement.
"To be honest, you could always reach out to His Highness Crocodile..."
"In what capacity? As the useless older brother who failed to stand by her in her time of need?"
"While it's true you were the useless older brother who didn't help her through hardship back then, there are indeed ways you could assist Her Highness Crocodile now... You wouldn't believe it, but the last time I saw Her Highness Crocodile standing next to Michael, though Her Highness showed no outward reaction, her eyes were practically glued to Michael."
As the chief scholar of all Alabasta, Dr. Clover was surprisingly gossipy.
"And Michael is practically surrounded by wolves... You could help Her Highness Crocodile gain an advantage to mend the currently awkward sibling relationship."
Cobra was stunned.
From Dr. Clover's words, he only grasped one piece of information...
Crocodile!
And Michael!
Interesting!
"Ahhh! That bastard Michael! How dare he try to steal my precious little sister!"
"Your Majesty Cobra, pretending to rage and throwing documents into the air... I won't help you pick them up later."
....
"Everyone, listen up! Line up according to height and sit down properly!"
At Michael's command, the Seraphim, who had finally stopped throwing tantrums, immediately lined up and sat neatly before him.
Five pairs of innocent eyes blinked up at Michael.
"It seems that even though the Authority Chips have been overloaded, they still possess an innate command hierarchy," Vegapunk observed, looking at the Seraphim before them.
"The highest command sequence clearly belongs to Michael."
"And below that, it's the Lineage Factor donors and us Vegapunks, the creators," Shaka nodded. "It makes sense... But their intelligence seems to have regressed to match their childlike appearances, unlike the originally intended adult-level cognition."
"But for pure clones, isn't this better?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "This way, as they master their powers, we won't have to worry about malfunctions caused by overly rapid growth."
"Honestly, I'm not sure if the current Seraphim can be considered a research success."
"Of course it's a success..."
As Michael spoke, he seemed to sense something and turned to look at York, the embodiment of "desire," who was sound asleep nearby.
Seeing no movement from her, he chose not to expose her.
Instead, he turned back to Vegapunk.
"Vegapunk... isn't there still the Mother Flame?"
"Take me to see it." Michael paused, then continued, "Just the two of us."
"Of course... After all, this is Egghead Island's greatest secret. Even Stella and Crocodile have only ever guarded the perimeter."
After speaking, Vegapunk led Michael out of the Seraphim testing area, disappearing around the corner.
....
Meanwhile, something faintly peeked out from York's arms...
It was unmistakably a Video Transponder Snail.