The aftermath of Whiskey Peak was messy, but the Straw Hats were getting used to that. Bodies were cleared, Zoro and Kai were cleaning their gear, and Luffy was laughing like it had all been a game.
Kai, still half-asleep, sat on a barrel with his camera snail, streaming the morning chaos.
[Stream: LIVE — "After the Hangover"]
[Viewers: 7.6M]
[Chat: "Zoro casually committing war crimes 💀" / "Kai looks dead inside lol" / "Luffy eating corpses?? oh wait it's meat 😂"]
He muttered, "Chat, if you ever wake up surrounded by assassins, just… don't."
Nami threw him a towel. "You could help instead of narrating everything."
"I am helping," Kai said. "I'm providing moral support and quality content."
Sanji snorted. "You're providing laziness."
Kai shrugged. "Semantics."
That's when she appeared.
A girl in a cloak, blonde hair peeking out, moving nervously across the docks.
Zoro's eyes narrowed. "Another assassin?"
Kai shook his head. "No… something else."
The girl stumbled, tripping over a crate and landing flat on her face.
Luffy laughed immediately. "She's funny! Let's keep her!"
Kai groaned. "We can't just collect people, Luffy."
Luffy grinned. "Says who?"
[Chat: "VIVI!!!" / "ALABASTA ARC STARTS!!!" / "Kai about to simp again 😏"]
When she finally introduced herself, it came out between nervous laughs and half-truths.
"My name's… Miss Wednesday," she said awkwardly.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "That's definitely a code name."
Nami crossed her arms. "And you're definitely lying."
Before the girl could answer, a giant duck burst from behind the hill, quacking angrily.
Everyone froze.
Luffy screamed in delight. "A DUCK! A GIANT DUCK!"
Kai blinked. "I swear this world runs on caffeine and chaos."
Moments later, Baroque Works agents appeared — Mr. 9 and Miss Monday — chasing the girl.
Luffy didn't even hesitate. "Let's help her!"
Kai sighed. "Of course we are."
[Stream Title: "Operation Save Wednesday"]
[Viewers: 8.9M]
[Tips: +1.2M Berries]
The Straw Hats fought off the attackers easily — Zoro slicing through them, Sanji kicking like a storm, Kai using Momentum Burst Lv3 to sweep multiple enemies at once.
Miss Wednesday stared at them in awe. "You're all… incredibly strong."
Kai smirked. "We get that a lot."
[Quest Complete: "Save the Stranger."]
[Reward: +300K Berries | Mini-Quest Chain Unlocked: "The Desert Kingdom's Secret."]
Later, when the dust settled, the girl finally dropped the act.
"My real name is Vivi," she said quietly. "I'm the princess of Alabasta."
The crew froze.
Luffy blinked. "Princess? Like, actual princess?"
Vivi nodded. "My country is in danger… and I need your help."
Kai's camera snail tilted toward her.
[Chat: "VIVI ARC BABYYY" / "Kai's expression = priceless 😂" / "Nami's already jealous 😏"]
Kai ended the stream for privacy.
"Okay," he said softly, leaning forward. "Start from the beginning."
Vivi explained everything — Baroque Works, the rebellion, the mysterious leader called Crocodile.
By the time she finished, everyone was silent.
Luffy clenched his fists. "We're going to Alabasta."
Nami sighed. "Of course we are."
Kai smirked faintly. "You know what? Fine. A desert vacation sounds… deadly."
Vivi smiled gratefully. "Thank you. Truly."
As night fell and the Merry drifted quietly toward their next destination, Kai reopened the stream.
[Stream: LIVE — "New Passenger, New Trouble"]
[Viewers: 9.3M]
[Chat: "Vivi joined!!" / "Kai's flirting arc incoming 😎" / "Alabasta journey begins!!"]
He glanced toward Vivi, who sat at the railing, staring into the sea.
"You sure about this?" he asked softly.
She nodded. "I have to be. My people need me."
Kai smiled. "Then we'll make sure you get there — in one piece."
[System Notification: Bond Established — Vivi (Ally)]
[New Feature: "Stream Partner Mode" — Ally interactions can now trigger temporary buffs.]
Kai grinned. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."
He turned the snail back to the horizon. "All right, chat. New quest: protect the princess, survive the desert, and maybe… don't die."
[End of Chapter 19 — "The Princess and the Streamer."]