Chapter 193 - Finally Returning
[Scene Change]
So after discussing everything, we finally returned to the carriage. And the carriage gradually rolled through the hot desert sand, and after three hours we reached the capital of Alabasta.
We had already notified the Royal Guard and the butlers through Den Den Mushi that we were arriving. So as soon as we reached the city gates, a large crowd was waiting to welcome us.
"All hail Hero Alex!!"
"All hail Hero Alex!!"
"All hail Queen Titi!!"
"All hail Queen Titi!!"
There were thousands of people lined on both sides of the road while chanting our names. They were welcoming us with grand fanfare.
And it was not surprising. After all, we had truly solved the rain problem across the entire country and saved Alabasta from a devastating drought. Not only had the economic condition of the kingdom improved thanks to the water, but it would not be wrong to say that I had saved thousands upon thousands of lives.
And if I take manga into consideration. Then it would not be wrong to say that I stopped the whole rebel army.
I saw that the people were not stingy with their praise. Some even were throwing flowers at us as we passed.
It felt like I was worshipped like a God. I didn't want to admit it, but I was feeling quite pleased with the scene.
The queen also leaned out of the carriage window and waved at the people. The cheers grew even louder.
"All hail Hero Alex!!"
"All hail Hero Alex!!"
"All hail Queen Titi!!"
"All hail Queen Titi!!"
After waving to the massive crowd the entire way, we finally reached the royal palace.
As soon as we arrived, my girls were already there waiting for me. They looked like they had really missed me. There was longing clearly visible in their eyes as they looked at me.
I stepped down from the carriage and opened my arms wide.
"Girls, shouldn't you come hug your husband?"
The girls came running toward me. The most excited ones were Lily, Nami, and Kaya. Kuina, Robin, and Vivi followed behind, though they seemed a bit embarrassed to hug me in public. But I could see they were just as excited as the others.
"Alex, you finally returned. I missed you so much."
"Yeah, it was really boring without you."
"Next time, whether it's hot or cold, I'm following you."
All the girls hugged me tightly and told me how much they had missed me. But the one who surprised me the most was Robin. She gently hugged me, put her mouth close to my ear, blew a soft breath, and whispered, "I really missed your dick. I have a surprise for you tonight. I hope you like my devil fruit suprise~"
She had really become quite naughty, but I liked it. She told me something about Devil Fruit power. But for a moment I ignored her and kissed her on the lips and gently squeezed her ass.
Kiss… Knead… Squeeze…!
"You have become really naughty without my presence. See how I punish you tonight."
Lily seemed a little jealous when she saw me kissing Robin.
"Alex, I also missed you. As your captain, we should also spend the night together."
Lily was trying to act cute. I gently squeezed her soft cheeks and said, "Lily, I have a surprise for you. Look who I brought to meet you."
I pointed toward the carriage, and Ann gently stepped out.
"Little sister, long time no see."
"Ann!!"
Lily broke free from my hug and ran toward Ann, hugging her tightly.
After some happy hugs and greetings, Lily looked at her with a big smile.
"I didn't expect you to create a pirate crew with a co-captain. And more than that, I didn't expect you to get engaged to him," Ann said to her little sister with a smile. "And now my dumb little sister has a fiancé."
"Yes, Alex is super nice. Not only is he my co-captain, but he is also my lovely fiancé. We have had tons of fun together."
While the two sisters were happily talking to each other, I gently stopped them.
"Ladies, how about we go inside the palace first? We can talk more while having some food together."
Lily seemed even more excited at the mention of food.
"Yes, let's go. Let's go. Let's have food."
After that, I also headed toward the palace. I was hugging Nami on my left and Kaya on my right, while the other girls quietly followed behind me.
…
…
[Scene Change]
We were in the royal dining hall, and there was a grand banquet of food spread across the table. The dishes were varied, including fish, meat, mutton, and even some strange lizards native to Alabasta. There were also various juices and wines to suit everyone's taste.
Although I had been having banquets like this for a while now, I was still not completely used to it since I came from Earth.
Nevertheless, we all sat down at the table. I sat in the middle chair. On my right side were Lily, Kuina, and Nami. On my left side were Robin, Kaya, and Vivi. On the opposite side sat Queen Titi and Ann.
After weeks of travel, being surrounded by so many beautiful women again was quite exciting for me. I was really feeling happy.
As we began to eat, Ann finally started talking.
"Let me officially introduce myself. I'm Lily's older sister. You can call me Ann." Ann introduced herself and then bowed slightly to the crew members. "Thank you for looking after my little sister for so long. She must have been causing you so much trouble."
After that, the girls introduced themselves one by one.
"I didn't know you had such a beautiful sister," Kaya said while looking at Ann. "And don't worry, Lily is a nice girl. She only gave us trouble sometimes; otherwise, she is a reliable captain. Hehehe…"
The girls were looking at Ann and then at Lily, who was shoving the food in her mouth. She was a tall older sister type with a busty yet toned body, while Lily was a beautiful, slim girl. Although they were not blood-related, Ann looked remarkably like her little sister Lily.
However, Ann had a more serious and mature appearance compared to Lily's lighthearted personality, and she was also taller. She sported rather childish freckles inherited from her mother.
She was wearing an orange bra and boots, black-length shorts with an eyelet-studded orange belt, and a blue pouch belted around her left leg. She was also wearing a red beaded necklace and an orange hat with two blue smileys — one frowning and one smiling — with a string of red beads sitting above the rim.
"By the way, Ann is here because she needs our help." I told the girls.
"Huh? Ann, you need our help?? But aren't you super strong?"
"Well… I'm hunting someone," Ann said, causing the girls to look at her curiously. "Not just someone — a pirate, to be exact."
"Who is this pirate?" Kuina asked.
"His name is Blackbeard," Ann said with a lot of hatred in her voice.
"Blackbeard?" Kaya asked, causing Ann to nod her head.
"What did Blackbeard do? Did he hurt you? I'm going to kick his ass!" Lily asked in a serious voice.
Ann looked at Lily with a grim expression before she spoke in a pained voice. "He's a former member of the Whitebeard Pirates, and he killed the commander of the 4th Division of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Why did he kill him though?" Kuina asked.
"He killed him over a Devil Fruit," Ann said with a growl, causing everyone's eyes to widen.
"What kind of Devil Fruit?" Kuina asked in a curious voice.
"It's the Yami Yami no Mi. Alex said it's one of the most evil fruits in history. I don't have much information. So I need information about this Devil Fruit to defeat him," Ann replied with a sigh.