Darian quickly dealt with Mr. 5. Miss Valentine—Mikita—surrendered without another word, dropping to her knees in terror.
Nami and Princess Vivi struck a deal: one billion Berries in exchange for safe passage to Alabasta and the defeat of Crocodile. After resting for a short while, Darian and his crew set sail once again.
It wasn't until the Little Fish had traveled far enough that the Twin Capes lighthouses were no longer visible that they heard the mournful cry of a massive whale echoing from behind them.
Darian felt no regret whatsoever about missing the chance to see Laboon or Crocus, the former doctor of the Roger Pirates. While the story of Laboon and the Rumbar Pirates was deeply moving, the reality was that a mountain-sized whale blocking the only entrance to the Grand Line was a localized disaster. Who knew how many ships had met their watery graves over the decades because of it?
Had Laboon actually blocked their path earlier, Darian wouldn't have minded testing out his tenfold multiplier to see what Island Whale meat tasted like.
The Little Fish sailed onward toward their next destination. At the bow, Nami was at the helm, focused on the Log Pose, while Vivi gazed out at the sea ahead with a look of deep, agonizing concern.
Due to Crocodile's machinations, a severe, artificial drought had driven the common people of Alabasta to the brink of starvation, sparking violent uprisings across the desert nation. The kingdom now teetered on the very edge of total collapse.
As the princess of that nation, Vivi carried a profound, crushing sense of responsibility.
She had gone undercover to investigate Baroque Works—the criminal syndicate plotting to incite the civil war—and had ultimately uncovered the terrifying truth: the mastermind behind it all was a government-sanctioned hero, Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
For Vivi, the events of the past few days had unfolded like a living nightmare. After finally managing to uncover Crocodile's identity, she discovered that Baroque Works had simultaneously exposed her true identity as a spy. To cover her escape from Whiskey Peak, her loyal retainer Igaram had sacrificed himself, his decoy ship blown to splinters by enemy fire, while she was hunted down and captured by Mr. 5.
Yet, amidst the tragedy, she was undeniably fortunate. She had crossed paths with Darian's crew, who casually annihilated her captors and agreed to escort her home.
The bonds of female friendship often form in mysterious ways. On the surface, Nami had agreed to take Vivi back to Alabasta for the promise of a billion Berries—and in reality, that was her primary motivation.
However, upon learning that Vivi's kingdom was embroiled in a bloody civil war—and seeing how remarkably strong this young girl, two years her junior, remained despite her heavy burden—Nami couldn't help but offer genuine comfort.
"Don't worry, Vivi!" Nami said cheerfully, securing the helm. "Even though the Little Fish is small, she's a fine vessel and sails remarkably fast. You don't need to fear any pursuers, either. Darian is a complete idiot sometimes, but he's incredibly powerful. He wiped out the strongest pirate crews in the East Blue single-handedly!"
Hearing Nami's words of comfort, Vivi managed a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Nami. I know Alabasta will be alright... it has to be."
While Nami was steering, Darian wasn't idle.
Acting like an overgrown child, he found a large, empty wooden barrel on the deck. He used a bucket to fill it to the brim with seawater, and then unceremoniously dunked the unconscious Mr. 5 inside. The assassin was already battered and bruised from the lightning strike Darian had given him.
Alvida watched from the sidelines, sipping a glass of wine with an amused expression. Miss Valentine did try to plead with Darian on her partner's behalf, but Darian flatly refused, citing Mr. 5's Devil Fruit ability as simply too dangerous to leave unrestrained.
While seawater didn't completely nullify a Devil Fruit user's powers in the same way Seastone did, standing in knee-deep water would severely suppress their stamina and drain their physical strength, leaving them with virtually no capacity to resist. Furthermore, given that Mr. 5's ability involved generating explosions, dunking him in water served as the perfect fire retardant.
As a high-ranking officer of Baroque Works, "Mr. Booger" was a ruthless killer guilty of countless atrocities. Given Darian's usual pragmatism, his natural inclination would have been to simply kill the guy on the spot and throw him overboard.
However, this particular scumbag happened to be the user of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit. The Bomb-Bomb Fruit was actually a remarkably powerful Devil Fruit with terrifying potential—it was simply the user, Gem, who was utterly pathetic and lacked any imagination.
Consequently, Darian decided to spare his miserable life for the time being, intending to kill him only when the right moment—and the right preparations—arrived.
Darian was well aware of a highly guarded secret regarding Devil Fruits: the mechanics of their reincarnation. When a user dies, the demon inside them leaves their body and inhabits the nearest compatible fruit, transforming it into the new Devil Fruit.
Darian also knew that the Kingdom of Alabasta possessed ancient knowledge. Both the Bird-Bird Fruit (Falcon Model) and the Dog-Dog Fruit (Jackal Model) had remained under the exclusive control of the Alabastan royal guard for generations; indeed, Pell the Falcon and Chaka the Jackal served as the revered guardian deities of the kingdom.
It was highly likely that the Royal Family possessed a method—perhaps a specific environment, or a royal orchard—to guarantee that the powers of their guardians reincarnated locally upon their deaths.
Roughly eight hundred years ago, when the kings of twenty nations joined forces to establish the World Government, they collectively relocated their families to the Holy Land of Mariejois to become the Celestial Dragons. The Nefertari family of Alabasta, however, stood alone in their refusal to leave, choosing instead to remain in the desert and rule their own kingdom. Vivi was a direct descendant of those Founding Kings.
Thus, it came as no surprise to Darian that Vivi's family might possess remarkable, ancient secrets regarding Devil Fruits or powerful artifacts. In the original storyline, Alabasta's elite Royal Guard even possessed "Hero Water"—a potent, deadly elixir capable of temporarily boosting combat capabilities at the cost of the user's life.
If Darian could get his hands on Alabasta's Devil Fruit reincarnation method, he could kill Mr. 5 and harvest the Bomb-Bomb Fruit for his own crew.
Just as everyone was busily occupied with their respective thoughts and tasks, an uninvited guest silently boarded the ship.
"You should be careful sailing this ship, Navigator. It would be a shame to crash into any hidden reefs."
The voice was rich, deep, and utterly magnetic. Upon hearing it, everyone on deck immediately turned toward the stern railing.
Sitting casually on the ship's rail was a woman of breathtaking, mature beauty—reminiscent of Cleopatra herself. She had sun-kissed, wheat-colored skin and was clad in a striking, dangerous outfit.
She wore a purple cowboy hat atop her straight black hair, a dark purple cropped vest over a white button-down, and a matching purple mini-skirt, leaving her ample cleavage and long, slender legs exposed to the open air.
She sat with her legs crossed, resting her chin in one hand. Her long, slender fingers tapped rhythmically against her smooth cheek. Her deep, captivating blue eyes were observing Darian and his companions with keen, amused interest.
"Wow," Darian exhaled, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
"Ah!"
The moment the beautiful woman spoke, Nami and the others jumped in startlement.
When did she get on the ship?! That thought flashed simultaneously through the minds of Darian, Nami, Carmen, and Alvida.
Miss All Sunday? How is she here?! That terrified thought belonged exclusively to Vivi.
"This really is a lovely ship," Robin remarked, her lips curving into a faint, enigmatic smile.
"Who are you?" Nami asked, gripping her staff and regarding the newcomer with intense wariness.
Vivi, trembling, blurted out the woman's alias: "Miss All Sunday!"
Upon seeing Robin, everyone reacted differently: Vivi was terrified; Nami was immediately on guard; Miss Valentine felt a mix of relief and apprehension; Alvida simply noted the arrival of yet another beautiful woman and immediately glared at Darian, waiting for his reaction.
The moment Vivi laid eyes on Robin, she was instantly reminded of the night Igaram's ship was engulfed in flames. Vivi's eyes widened in horror. "Could it be... that you were the one who... blew up Igaram's ship?"
"Who is she?" Nami demanded, stepping in front of Vivi. "And whose partner is she?!"
"That's Miss All Sunday," Vivi whispered, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. "She's the Boss's partner. In fact... it was only by tailing her that we managed to uncover the true identity of the mastermind behind Baroque Works."
"What?!" Nami was instantly startled. Crocodile's direct partner? The second-in-command of the entire syndicate? That sounded like a monster they definitely didn't want to mess with.
At that moment, Darian finally stepped forward.
Seeing Robin carrying herself with the air of a true, untouchable queen, Darian couldn't resist a bit of aggressive flirting. "Well, my beautiful lady," Darian said smoothly, stopping a few feet away from her. "Now that you've boarded my ship... does this mean you intend to become my woman?"
With Darian taking the pressure off Vivi, Nami breathed a sigh of relief—though the moment she heard the phrase "become my woman," she immediately shot him a glare that promised painful, long-term retribution.
From the very moment she stepped aboard, Robin's attention had been fixed entirely on Darian.
Thanks to her Flower-Flower Fruit abilities, Robin had sprouted eyes on the ship earlier and clearly witnessed Mr. 5—a dangerous, volatile agent—being incapacitated by Darian in a single, effortless strike of lightning.
Ever since the incident at Whiskey Peak, Robin had been trailing Vivi. The power of her fruit granted her exceptional capabilities in both espionage and observation. It was only after observing the Little Fish for some time—and confirming that Darian was powerful enough to be useful, but seemingly posed no immediate threat to her personally—that Robin had finally decided to manifest on the deck.
However, one can never truly know the heart of another. Darian had agreed to take Vivi to Alabasta for one reason, and one reason only: Her. Nico Robin.
Robin remained completely oblivious to the fact that she had just willingly boarded a pirate ship captained by a man who had been hunting her since the moment he arrived in this world.
Darian's blunt teasing took Robin aback for a fraction of a second. Then, lightly covering her mouth with her hand, she let out a soft, melodious chuckle. "Fufufu."
The gesture, combined with her noble, elegant laughter, made Robin look every bit like a graceful aristocrat. Beside her, Vivi—the actual royal princess—currently looked like a ragged tomboy in comparison.
Any ordinary girl would surely have been annoyed or flustered by Darian's aggressive proposition, but Robin merely offered a patronizing smile.
Lifting her chin to reveal her long, elegant neck, Robin turned her gaze toward Darian. Adopting the playful, dangerous air of an older sister teasing a foolish little boy, she retorted, "My partner happens to be Sir Crocodile. One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Aren't you afraid he'll kill you for speaking to me like that?"
In response, Darian didn't speak. He moved.
"Gear Second."
He executed a Soru—a sudden, explosive burst of speed. Activating his tenfold multiplier and utilizing his "Lubrication" ability to completely eliminate air resistance, Darian instantly materialized right in front of Robin.
The speed was terrifying. Robin didn't even have time to blink, let alone cross her arms to activate her Devil Fruit.
Before she could react, Darian reached out and gently seized the hand she had been resting upon her long, shapely leg. He stroked her knuckles with his thumb.
"I'm not afraid at all," Darian said softly, gazing deeply into her captivating blue eyes. "In fact, the moment I laid eyes on you, I decided I wanted to go kill Crocodile and steal you away for myself."
Having been seized so abruptly, Robin was genuinely startled. Her cool facade cracked. She attempted to pull her hand free, but upon sensing the immense, immovable strength in Darian's grip, she stopped struggling. Instead, she offered a charming smile—one that carried a subtle, deadly undertone.
"My boss is a Warlord, handsome," Robin warned, her voice dropping an octave. "Spouting such big talk is a sure way to get yourself killed early in the Grand Line."
Though a smile still played upon her lips, a distinct glint of danger had already flashed within Robin's eyes. She was preparing to sprout hands on his neck to snap it.
But Darian couldn't care less about the threat. His mind was entirely preoccupied with the fact that he had finally found her. He could smell her perfume. He could feel the warmth of her skin.
Now that Robin had boarded his ship, she was officially his target.
"Are you saying," Darian murmured, stepping closer, his gaze burning with intense, predatory fervor, "that if I defeat Crocodile... you'll be willing to become my woman?"
Meeting Darian's fiery gaze, Robin felt a sudden, unfamiliar flutter of genuine apprehension. She began to wonder if her decision to board this particular ship had been a massive miscalculation. This man wasn't just a strong rookie; he looked at her like a starving wolf looking at a feast.
Upon seeing Robin, Darian had become so giddy with excitement that he had completely forgotten about his surroundings.
He had completely forgotten about Nami.
Watching Darian behave like a dog in heat—instantly latching onto a stunning, enemy operative the moment she appeared—Nami felt her rage flare up uncontrollably.
Even though she knew Darian was an insatiable lecher, she had never seen him act with such instant, fawning eagerness before—not even with Alvida or Carmen. Her anger surged, making her feel as though her entire body were bursting into literal flames.
"You bastard! Go to hell!" Nami screamed.
Fueled by the sheer, unadulterated intensity of her jealous rage, Nami's body moved on instinct. Without realizing it, she executed a flawless Soru technique, vanishing in a blur of motion to reappear directly behind Darian, raising her staff to deliver a skull-crushing blow.
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