On the mysterious Grand Line, the "Infinite Space" sailed steadily like a lone boat on the turbulent sea.
All around was the boundless ocean, with the sea churning, occasionally raising huge waves that crashed against the hull, creating a deafening sound.
The sky, which had been perfectly clear with sunlight scattering across the sea, reflecting shimmering light, suddenly changed.
Large, heavy dark clouds surged from the horizon, as if countless black behemoths were galloping and roaring in the sky.
Immediately following, goose feather-like heavy snow fluttered down, the snowflakes surprisingly large, like white spirits dancing wildly in the air.
The temperature also plummeted drastically; in the blink of an eye, it dropped several notches, and the chill, like countless tiny ice needles, penetrated everyone's clothes.
"The Grand Line's weather, why does it change so suddenly? It's freezing, phew."
Nami tightened her orange coat, her delicate face slightly red from the cold.
She constantly rubbed her hands, trying to warm herself, but the biting cold couldn't be driven away.
Karina and Nojiko were also freezing; they huddled together, and even with their coats for warmth, facing this sudden harsh weather, they found it hard to adapt and could only huddle, shivering.
Little Kong, however, seemed different; its body was covered in thick fur, giving it strong adaptability to temperature changes.
At this moment, it was not affected by the cold; instead, it was playing on the deck with great interest.
It skillfully used its small paws to shovel the accumulated snow, and in a short while, a cute snowman was built through its efforts.
The snowman tilted its head, with eyes made of pebbles and arms made of twigs, looking endearingly clumsy.
Yun Lie walked to Nami's side; a steady aura emanated from him, giving people a strange sense of security.
He looked at the Log Pose in Nami's hand and softly said, "We'll reach the next island soon, just hold on a little longer."
On this Grand Line, the magnetic field is extremely chaotic, rendering ordinary compasses completely useless, like a pointless decoration.
Only the Log Pose can be used normally; it is like a lighthouse in the dark, guiding navigators forward.
It can accurately record the magnetic forces attracting islands to each other, thereby indicating the location of the next island to everyone.
After a difficult voyage, the "Infinite Space" finally arrived at Cactus Island, Whiskey Peak—the only town on this island.
As the ship slowly approached the port, it immediately attracted a large crowd.
There was a buzz of discussion among the crowd, and curious gazes constantly fell upon the people on the ship.
However, when they looked closely at Yun Lie and his group and found no signs of bounties on them, they immediately lost interest, and the crowd dispersed like a receding tide.
Nevertheless, there were a few individuals in the crowd whose eyes showed a hint of greed; they stood still, their gazes occasionally darting towards Yun Lie and the others, seemingly plotting something.
Yun Lie suddenly saw a beautiful woman with a blue ponytail in the crowd not far away; that touch of blue was particularly striking in the crowd.
His expression shifted slightly, and he turned to the others, saying, "Don't run around on the ship; I'll be back after I take care of something."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished instantly like a wisp of smoke.
Nami looked in the direction Yun Lie disappeared, pouting her cheeks and muttering, "Huh? Seriously, how can he just disappear like that?"
Although somewhat displeased, she still listened to Yun Lie and gave up the idea of going ashore to play.
After all, she knew that they needed to stay on each island for a period of time; only when the Log Pose finished collecting the magnetic force could it accurately point towards the next island.
On the streets of the town, Yun Lie quickly found the beautiful woman with the blue ponytail—Princess Vivi.
At this time, Princess Vivi had just become a member of Baroque Works; she looked at the suddenly appearing Yun Lie with caution, her eyes full of wariness.
Yun Lie wore a mysterious smile on his face and said, "My beautiful lady, would you be interested in having a drink with me?"
Princess Vivi was startled by this sudden approach; she quickly retreated a few steps, while shielding her Running Duck in front of her, and asked loudly, "You're the one from the ship just now. What do you want to do?"
Yun Lie did not answer her question; instead, he flashed beside Princess Vivi, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Princess Vivi, you wouldn't want your identity to be discovered, would you?"
These words were like a bolt from the blue, causing Princess Vivi's pupils to constrict instantly and her face to turn pale.
She had gone to great lengths to infiltrate Baroque Works as an undercover agent, carefully hiding her identity, believing it to be foolproof, but she never expected to be discovered by this person in front of her.
"How... how did you know?"
Princess Vivi asked with a trembling voice, her heart filled with shock and fear.
Yun Lie gently stroked Princess Vivi's hair, releasing her long hair, and said with a hint of helplessness in his tone, "Such beautiful long blue hair, and the iconic Running Duck, Princess Vivi, isn't it obvious enough?"
He secretly wondered why Baroque Works had not discovered her undercover identity with such obvious features of Princess Vivi.
Of course, he also suspected that it might be Miss All Sunday (Nico Robin) who deliberately helped Princess Vivi conceal her identity; after all, with Nico Robin's sly personality, it was highly probable she would do such a thing.
Princess Vivi was still too young; upon having her secret known, her first reaction was not to think about how to solve the problem, but to ask in a panic, "What do you want to keep this a secret?"
Yun Lie was about to state his thoughts when Princess Vivi suddenly covered her chest and quickly retreated a few steps, a blush appearing on her small face, and she loudly declared, "No! Absolutely not!"
Seeing this, Yun Lie's face darkened, and he said helplessly, "No, what kind of person do you think I am? Do I look like someone who takes advantage of others?"
But the look in Princess Vivi's eyes clearly said: You don't look like it, you are!
Yun Lie sighed, no longer dwelling on the issue, and directly said, "Forget it, I'll tell you, the boss behind Baroque Works is Crocodile, Shichibukai Crocodile."
Upon hearing this news, Princess Vivi immediately denied it, saying, "Impossible! Crocodile is a hero of Alabasta, how could he be the boss of Baroque Works!"
Yun Lie ignored Princess Vivi's skepticism and continued, "Crocodile is a Logia Sand-Sand Fruit user. He used Dance Powder to gather rainwater from all over Alabasta to Alubarna, secretly spreading negative information about the royal family, stirring up conflict between the two sides..."
As he spoke, he looked towards a nearby corner.
Soon, a curly-haired man walked out of the corner; he was Igaram, the captain of the Alabasta Kingdom's Royal Guard, and also Princess Vivi's protector.
Igaram's face was solemn, his eyes filled with worry, and he asked, "Sir, is what you said true?"
Yun Lie glanced at Igaram and continued, "Of course, I believe you have also investigated such incidents. You already have a judgment in your heart about the information I've provided, haven't you?"
Igaram had always been loyal to the Alabasta royal family, and he had put in great effort behind the scenes for Princess Vivi to safely infiltrate Baroque Works.
Princess Vivi quickly asked Igaram, "Igaram, is what he said true?"
Igaram remained silent for a long time, then finally slowly spoke, "Princess, perhaps we really were deceived by Crocodile."
After saying this, it was as if all the strength had been drained from his body, and his entire spirit collapsed, his face terribly gloomy.
This news, for them, was undoubtedly a huge blow.