Amidst the ruins of Whiskey Peak, the first rays of dawn struggled through the smoke, casting light upon the wreckage of a long night's battle.
The Straw Hat crew had gathered beneath a partially intact roof, surrounding the woman who had finally shed her disguise.
She was no longer "Miss Wednesday," the eccentric bounty hunter, but Nefertari Vivi, the Princess of Alabasta.
"...And that is the truth," Vivi said, her voice raspy. "The mastermind behind Baroque Works is Crocodile. He intends to steal my kingdom by inciting a civil war. Igaram and I infiltrated the organization to uncover his true identity."
As she finished, Igaram—still dressed in his absurd curly-haired matron costume—fell to his knees with a heavy thud, weeping as he bowed his head to the floor.
"Pirate-sanas! I know this request is insolent... but please, escort Princess Vivi safely back to her country! If we can bring the Boss's secret home, Alabasta has a chance! I beg of you!!"
The morning wind blew through the clearing, the atmosphere heavy and somber.
"Old man." Luffy pressed his straw hat down, his face devoid of hesitation. "What are you talking about? I already gave you my word last night, didn't I?"
"VIVI-CHAN!!!" Nearby, Sanji's eyes had already transformed into hearts. He twisted his body like a noodle, swirling around her.
"Ah! Such a noble and courageous Princess! Leave it to me! Your knight, Sanji, is ready to dive through fire and water for you!!"
"Hmph. Since the Captain agreed, we have no choice," Nami sighed, but her expression shifted instantly. Shing—! Her eyes turned into Berry symbols as she leaned toward Vivi with a sly grin.
"An escort mission is dangerous, but we have a reputation to uphold. Since it's to save an entire kingdom..."
Nami held up a single finger.
"100 million?" Vivi nodded without hesitation.
"Actually, I think 1 billion Berries sounds about right!"
"1... 1 billion?!" Vivi turned pale. But looking at Nami's devilish smile, she could only nod tearfully. "Deal... as long as the country is saved..."
Zoro leaned against a wall, sighing as he gripped his swords. On the other side, Usopp and Klay were curiously inspecting Vivi's mount—the dazed-looking super spot-billed duck, Karoo.
"Quack?" Karoo tilted his head at the black crow.
Viktor reached out and stroked Karoo's smooth feathers, smiling warmly. "Ah. So this is an Alabasta Super Duck? The muscle density looks quite... succulent."
Karoo seemed to understand the implication and shuddered violently. However, he was polite enough to nuzzle Viktor's palm in a friendly gesture.
"CAW-GAH!!" Seeing this, Klay's jealousy exploded. He flapped his wings and landed squarely on Karoo's head, stomping his claws to assert dominance. "Caw! You think you can just cozy up to Lord Klay's spot?!"
To ensure Vivi's safety, Igaram proposed a desperate "decoy plan." At the harbor, he dressed in Vivi's dancer outfit—his massive frame stretching the fabric to its breaking point.
It was a sight both hilarious and tragic. He placed dummies dressed like the Straw Hats on a fast scout ship.
"Princess Vivi, please take care! You must bring the intel back!" With eyes full of resolve, Igaram steered the ship out of the port like an arrow.
"I am Princess Vivi! We are escaping!!" He roared, drawing the attention of any lurking Baroque Works agents to cover the Merry's departure.
The crew watched from the shore as the boat drifted away.
However.
Before the boat had traveled far, a strange ripple appeared on the water's surface.
BOOM!!!!
A world-shaking explosion erupted without warning. An orange fireball instantly consumed the ship, and the shockwave sent waves meters high. Within that terrifying blaze, Igaram didn't even have time to scream before the vessel was reduced to charred flotsam.
"IGARAM!!!!!" Vivi clutched her mouth, her pupils shrinking in horror. Tears burst from her eyes as she let out a soul-shattering shriek.
"How... how could this..." Nami and Usopp were speechless, stunned by the sudden finality of death. One moment he was speaking; the next, he was gone. Is this... the cruelty of the Grand Line?
Luffy clenched his fists, his gaze burning with fury.
"What a touching display of loyalty between master and servant."
Just as the crew was immersed in shock and grief, an elegant, mature, and slightly playful female voice drifted down from the Merry's upper deck. Everyone snapped their heads up.
Sitting on the railing was a woman in a sexy denim outfit and a purple cowgirl hat. Her long black hair fluttered in the sea breeze.
She radiated a mysterious, dangerous charm. She sat with her legs crossed, twirling a curly wig belonging to Igaram, watching the group with a faint, unreadable smile.
The Vice President of Baroque Works—Miss All Sunday (Nico Robin).
"Did you do this?!" Zoro and Sanji entered combat stances instantly. Luffy lowered his hat, his muscles tensed. Faced with the murderous aura of the Straw Hats' top three fighters, Robin remained unfazed, her mysterious smile intact.
However.
"It wasn't just simple explosives..." A calm voice broke the tension.
Viktor stood on the deck, his black eyes shifting into the crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan. He wasn't enraged like the others; he was eerily composed, his signature smile still present. He stared at Robin, his gaze seemingly piercing through her facade.
"The explosion was violent, but the method of detonation was interesting. Your hands... they carry the scent of 'petals,' Miss All Sunday."
Robin's eyes flickered slightly. She took a second look at the red-eyed youth. "Hehe, what a sharp young man."
Robin had no intention of fighting. She chuckled and tossed a glass spherical object toward Luffy. "Catch."
Luffy caught it—it was a Log Pose, pointing steadily in a specific direction.
"That is an Eternal Pose to Alabasta," Robin said, resting her chin on her hand. "This ship is currently headed for 'Little Garden,' an ancient island where you'll likely lose your lives.
Since you protected the Princess, I'll be merciful and show you a way to live. Follow that, and you can skip the danger and go straight to Alabasta."
"What? Really?!" Nami's heart skipped a beat at the prospect of avoiding danger.
However.
CRACK!
The sound of shattering glass echoed. Without even a second thought, Luffy crushed the precious Eternal Pose into powder in his palm. The shards slid through his fingers.
"LUFFY?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Nami and Usopp shrieked in despair.
Luffy looked up, fire burning in his eyes as he stared directly at Robin. "The course of this ship... is decided by me!! I don't want you pointing the way for us!!"
That sudden wave of reckless charisma made Robin blink in surprise. After a moment, she broke into a genuine, intrigued smile. "What a fascinating Captain. Since you insist on choosing the path of death... I wish you luck."
Robin stood up, preparing to jump onto the giant pet turtle waiting for her below. Just as she was about to leap—
Swish—
A black afterimage blurred through the air. Viktor appeared beside Robin out of thin air, the distance between them so small it was like a lover's whisper. Robin's body tensed, her hands ready to cross to activate her Flower-Flower Fruit ability.
But Viktor didn't attack. He merely leaned in and whispered a single sentence into her ear, so softly that only she could hear:
"The survivor of Ohara... Nico Robin."
Boom!
Robin's eternally elegant smile froze completely.
"The journey to find the Poneglyphs... it must be exhausting, isn't it?"
Upon hearing those words, her pupils dilated with a mix of shock, fear, and disbelief. She snapped her head around to see the man's face.
All she saw were those crimson, slowly rotating Sharingan, seemingly peering through every secret and scar of her past.
"Goodbye."
Viktor didn't linger. He stepped back onto the railing, restored his harmless smile, and waved at the visibly shaken Robin.
"We'll see you... in Alabasta."
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