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The Following SIX Chapters are already available for Patrons.
Chapter 38 (New Bounties), Chapter 39 (Princess's Night), Chapter 40 (What is Justice?), Chapter 41 (A New Crew Member), Chapter 42 (Leaving Alabasta), and Chapter 43 (Admiral Sakazuki) are already available for Patrons.
Tomorrow
The following day after the war ended, almost the entire Alabasta had gathered in front of the Capital to listen to their King talk to them after three years of no rain, since yesterday it had started and hadn't stopped raining. The people were cheering around the streets; kids were playing together with water.
Above his people, Kobra walked in front of them, standing on the top of a large round balcony, followed by six soldiers, The Straw Hat crew were nearby in case something happened, but Luffy reassured them they had nothing to fear; he told them, amongst the crowd there were many who still held ill intentions towards the King but not enough to think of trying to kill him after what happened yesterday.
Kobra raised his hand to silence everyone; in front of him stood an ocean of people, different faces as far as the eye could see. King Cobra, after a long time, could finally talk with his people without the fear of dying.
Cobra told everyone what Princess Vivi told everyone, how Crocodile had been responsible for everything that happened in Alabasta. He and his group of people, people started shouting for the Crocodile to be punished with Insect's Feast, the worst death punishment in Alabasta. Still, that punishment had been abandoned for over a century now.
Cobra told the crowd that a young pirate had eliminated Crocodile Monkey D. Luffy; when his name was heard, the crowd cheered for the pirate.
"Luffy!"
"Luffy!"
"Luffy!"
Cobra had wanted Luffy to talk to his people, to introduce himself, but the pirate had kindly declined the offer, saying he wasn't really good with crowds.
Amongst the crowds were Smoker and Tashigi. Isuka had left yesterday, saying she needed to deal with her own personal business. Smoker didn't really care much what her business was; his eyes looked at everyone around him. To think so many people were cheering for a pirate was baffling, to say the least.
"Captain Smoker, what are we going to do?" Tashigi questioned with a hushed tone beside him; the captain stood silent for a moment before letting out a huff.
"There's nothing we can do right now. Perhaps some other time," Smoker said before he turned around, walking away from the crowd still cheering for a pirate, followed closely by Tashigi, who glanced briefly at the Capital. Her mind was going to a certain swordsman there. This is not the last time we meet, Roronoa Zoro, she promised herself.
Smoker left out a huff, Vice Admiral Garp's words repeating in his head.
The King finished his tale with shouts and praises from his people; seeing them smile brought a smile to his face; not even two days ago, he had been sure that he would die from his own people, and he would never see Vivi ever again. Not only he saw her again, but now he could live and see his daughter sit on the throne of Alabasta and rule the country after him.
Cobra knew Vivi would be a perfect queen. Still, he hadn't missed the glances she had given the young pirate, especially yesterday when the Pirate Captain had returned; his daughter had hugged him tightly, crying on his shoulder, both tears of happiness and sadness. While Cobra had nothing against his daughter liking the young pirate, she needed to understand that the captain couldn't stay here forever unless...
Cobra let out a small chuckle; his daughter had grown before he even realized it, and he decided to leave it to her whenever she wanted an adventure or to rule her country. It was a tough choice. Cobra briefly glanced at Chaka, who had a long face.
Pell's loss was a heavy one; he was a symbol in Alabasta for a very long time. He was known as the best warrior, but in the end, he died doing what he believed was the right thing to do.
After his speech to the crowd, he walked inside; his head felt a little heavy; yesterday, the pirate captain had talked to him, telling him that today he needed his permission for something. Cobra didn't know what the captain pirate wanted, but whatever it was, it needed his permission.
Later - Luffy
After the war ended, Luffy and his crew were given the guest's quarters to rest as long as they liked. Luffy knew they didn't have that much time for the latter, but they could stay one week before they went into their merry way with one or two more crew members. Luffy didn't know which one, but as long as Vivi was happy with her choice, he wouldn't be against it.
Right now, he was making his way towards the main hall of the castle, being accompanied by a very unusual company, and knowing Luffy, that was something that rarely happened.
"I appreciate again, what you are doing for me, Captain!" The voice of the former Crocodile's partner was heard beside him. After the death of Crocodile, she took care of him for a short time before thinking to go and read the Poneglyph under the castle during the war, kidnap the King and force him to tell her where the Poneglyph was; Luffy had made a different deal with her, she does nothing, and they together go to the Poneglyph.
"Why should I listen to you? You're tired and used all your strength against Crocodile; in case you haven't noticed, you're at my mercy," the woman said with narrowed eyes towards Luffy, who was lying in a bed.
Hearing those words, everything suddenly was cold; the woman's breath was suddenly visible, and suddenly feeling as if a knife was touching her neck, she touched her skin, but there were no traces of blood. Monkey D. Luffy had his eyes narrowed dangerously at her; his glare made the woman feel uneasy, taking a step back before she even realized it.
"Do Not Underestimate Me; many people did, and They're nothing but corpses," Luffy threatened, his voice deep and dark; the woman's breath got hard; she could hardly fill her lungs with air as if something was stopping her from breathing like an invisible rope was slowly tightening up around her neck.
"What are you suggesting then?" The woman asked instead; suddenly, the pressure around her neck disappeared, and she almost fell to her knees when she could breathe freely again.
Soon Luffy and Crocodile's former captain made a deal; the former partner of Crocodile had asked the Pirate Captain why he wanted to see the Poneglyph with her, and he only answered that they needed to find the One Piece.
Shanks had told Luffy that he needed to find all Poneglyphs to find One Piece one day.
The former partner of Crocodile could tell that Luffy was keeping something from her; whatever it was, she hoped it was nothing malicious, but the captain didn't seem like someone who would do bad things to achieve his goals, unlike Crocodile.
Being led to a big double door, the soldiers opened it, letting out a loud metallic sound; they both walked inside; King Cobra was sitting on his throne, a set of stairs leading to his throne that was made of gold and the best wood in Alabasta.
On each side of him were five guards with spears; one of them was Chaka.
When the King's eyes found the pirate captain, he raised his hand. "Everyone else, leave the room. This is between the Pirate and me," He announced, surprising everyone, his guards looking at him bewildered, especially Chaka, who quickly regained his composure before clearing his throat.
"Your majesty, are you sure? We don't know the identity of the woman. I have no doubts the pirate is safe, but what about her?" Chaka whispered in his ear, clearly worried, pointing at the woman standing beside The Pirate Captain.
"My daughter was in the company of that same captain for months; if she trusts them, then I trust them as well as for the women. I don't think Monkey D. Luffy would bring her here if she were a danger to me," Cobra replied, giving his guard a look. Chaka quickly nodded before telling his soldiers to leave.
The door closed, leaving them completely silent until Luffy stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"I will get straight to the point; I heard there's a Poneglyph under the city. I want to see it," his voice calm but demanding, clearly showing that he wasn't going to sway from this; his words made Cobra's throat go dry as he tensed where he was sitting.
The King's eyes shifted from the captain to the woman whose face was as blank as a board, but he could see her lips twitch slightly when the damn thing was mentioned, his hands gripping around the arms of his throne. Sweat rolls down his forehead to his jaw, dripping onto the floor.
"...Why?" The King asked, his voice shaking slightly, but he quickly remembered that he was the King. He couldn't show weakness.
"My objective is to find the One Piece, and I need to know the information on them to find it," the captain explained as if it was obvious.
His words almost made the king gasp in shock, abruptly standing up from his throne. He looked down at the captain with uncertainty, his heart beating in his throat like a hammer.
Cobra knew the danger; the Poneglyph held the information behind the three most dangerous weapons in the world. Weapons powerful enough to conquer the whole world and wipe out everything in existence.
"You can read them?!" Cobra shouted; from all he knew, only those from Ohara could, and they were eliminated; none were left standing.
"She can," The captain said, pointing his thumb at the woman, who straightened up slightly.
"I understand your concern. I'm not interested in information about the Ancient Weapons or their location; I only want information about One Piece," Luffy explained with a serious low tone.
His tone made the king shiver in his seat; even Robin, who was beside Luffy, felt a shiver in her spine, now understanding why someone like him was able to kill Crocodile.
The King was uncertain; on one side, he knew the danger, but on another side, the man in front of him saved his daughter and his entire kingdom; he had a big debt, a debt he could never repay, with that thought on his mind, he swallowed hard, hoping that what he would do wasn't something he was going to regret.
The King walked downstairs with heavy steps, standing on the same level as the captain and the woman who had been dead silent throughout the entire conversation.
"Very well, Monkey D. Luffy. Follow Me!" A part of him still not believing that he was actually doing this. He just hoped the higher-ups would never find out about this.
Hearing his words, the captain simply nodded, but the woman showed emotions for the first time; a small smile formed on her face.
Vivi
Vivi spent the rest of the day walking through the city of Alubarna, visiting the various shops and stalls there with Nojiko and Nami. She wanted to make sure that she saw every face that inhabited her precious city, making sure that no one would be left out of her heart. Some greeted her with waves and formal acknowledgements, and others thanked her for all she had done for them.
While walking past a food mart, she spotted a few suspicious-looking characters out of the corner of her eye. They were staying close together and were looking around, making sure no one saw them. Staying out of sight, she observed the men's actions
The men maneuvered their way around and through the various shops and eventually led a man into a dark dead-end alley. Vivi ran towards the men in the alley. When she got there, she saw them kicking him in the face and body. He was a fighter, but there were too many men against him.
"Hey, stop that!" Vivi shouted, glaring at them.
They turned, and from their eyes, they recognized her. "Princess! Let us deal with this scum," the man in the front said before kicking the man in the face, breaking his teeth. That was until Nami's kick sent one to the wall. The two remaining men turned to attack. One pulling out a couple of knives, the other unsheathing a sword.
Vivi with a confident look on her face. This would be a test before leaving her homeland. Dodging the one with the knives, she turned her attention to the swordsman. He tried to bring his sword down on her head, but she easily dodged and set up for an attack.
She hit him in the head with as much Haki as she could. He was knocked out cold.
Knives wielder, as she had decided to nickname him, was trying to surprise her from behind, but she simply stepped to the side and brought forth the final blow. But Nojiko intervened, sending him flying into the wall. Observing their work for just a second, she then walked towards the beaten man.
"Hey, it's ok now. They won't bother you anymore." The man, recognizing her voice, looked up, tears streaming down his face. When he saw her face, the tears stopped, and a smile slowly made its way across his face. "Oh, I'm really sorry, princess." Vivi looked confused and helped him back to his house.
Once Vivi was sure that the man would be alright, she made her way back to the palace. When she asked Chaba why they would beat him up, he told him many people were still publicly against her father despite what happened yesterday. The man was probably openly against her family, and the other man were trying to beat him up.
Vivi wasn't sure how to feel about it. She made her way to her room and was greeted by Igaram.
"Hel-. Ahem. Mah Mah, Maaaaah. Hello there princess. How are you doing today?"
"Oh hey, Igaram. I'm doing just fine right now. Yourself?"
"Oh, you know. Same thing every day, but I never tire of it."
"I see. So you and father were following me again?" She said, smiling.
"Oh, no, nothing like that. Your father just asked me to help make the preparations for your coming-of-age ceremony."
"That's great, but don't overdo it," Vivi said with a smile, and he hugged her.
Vivi returned the hug and then turned to her room. "I'll see you tomorrow Igaram."
She went to her bag, making sure she had everything she needed. Then she got in her bed and lay there. Suddenly the room opened, revealing Nami and Nojiko.
"So, why are you looking at the wall?" Nami asked, looking around the royal room as she did. Nojiko checked a book that was simply sitting at a table.
"Nothing, j-just thinking about something," she said, her mind going to Luffy; sadly, the Navigator saw right through her.
"Is that 'something' perhaps Luffy?" She asked teasingly, sitting on the edge of the bed right in front of the princess, who blushed.
"N-Nami. I-I..." her words were interrupted by Nami silencing her with a kiss. Vivi's eyes widened, and warmth spread in her body as her arms went around the Navigator. She returned the kiss without thinking, and the navigator's tongue entered her mouth, making the princess moan in pleasure. Soon they pulled back; Vivi's face was all red.
"How about tonight, after the feast, you go to his room?" Nami suggested with a seducing tone that the princess had never heard before. She couldn't help but nod; the thought of being with Luffy was something she would never let the opportunity slide.
Secret Tunnel - Robin
Walking deeper and deeper, Robin felt her heart beating faster the closer they got; the darkness around them was illuminated by the dim light coming from a lantern the King was holding. Her eyes watched at the old stone used to build the tunnel, cracks everywhere filled with dust and spider webs. Robin could almost feel a few rats running away when the light from the lantern got close.
Captain Luffy was dead silent throughout the whole thing, Robin didn't know if the pirate had some hidden agenda, but she didn't care; this Poneglyph would reveal to her what her people had given their lives for, for a very long time she had dreamed this moment, betrayal after betrayal, hiding, and scheming, she finally found it, it was within her grasp.
Mother, Saul, this is it, you gave your lives that day for this moment; I'm here now, she thought, soon they reached a large square room; the roof was at least twenty meters above their heads, pictures, and drawings made around the wall of a very long time ago, and in the center was the Poneglyph, three meters tall and five meters wide, the sight of it made her exhale. Almost not believing her eyes.
"So, this is a Poneglyph!" The captain's voice reached her ears, but she barely paid him attention. Her legs were almost shaking as she walked up to the Poneglyph; the words were clear to her. This Is It!! She thought, swallowing a huge breath.
She could hear the captain and the King discussing something behind her in hushed tones, but she paid them no attention; her hands touching the cold surface, she started translating everything.
.
.
.
!!!
Where is It? Noo! WHERE IS IT?? She thought, alarmed, reading and rereading; it wasn't here. Falling on her knees, her eyes letting out tears before she even realized it. Covering her face with her hand, she left out muffled sobs.
"Is Not Here! Why Isn't It Here??"
"What isn't?" The King asked from behind her.
"I don't care about the damn location; I just wanted to know the Truth. To know the History. That's All We Ever Wanted!" She shouted at the end, on her knees, her forehead touching the surface of the Poneglyph.
"The Truth?" It was Luffy who asked this time, his hand on her shoulder to comfort her; Robin didn't know when he did that but appreciated the gesture.
Wiping away tears, she took a deep breath, clearing her voice to speak plainly. "The truth of the Void Century, that's all our people wanted to know. That's all I wanted to know. This Poneglyph is worthless to me," Robin explained; she looked over her shoulder to see Captain Luffy offering her a hand to stand up. Reluctantly she accepted his hand, standing up to look at the King, whose face was as pale as a ghost.
"Only the truth; if that's the case, why did they slaughter..." his jaw clenched. He looked deep in thought, his mouth opening and closing several times.
Robin didn't care what he was saying; she was tired, and there was no reason for her to keep going. All this was a waste of time, all that suffering and death? For what? She asked herself; the image of a giant laughing as he got frozen flashed through her eyes when the captain turned to look at the King.
"King Cobra, can you leave me alone with her?" Luffy requested respectfully.
The King arched an eyebrow; he didn't look like he wanted to but eventually walked away, leaving them alone; Robin turned to look at the captain, who looked back at her.
"I want you to join my crew," The captain abruptly said out of nowhere; Robin blinked; for a very long time, she had never been left with her mouth open.
"...Why?"
"You said you wanted to know the Truth; my goal is to become the Pirate King. I will need to travel the whole world to do that; if you come with me, I will guarantee you protection, the truth, but most importantly...friendship," Luffy promised, extending his hand towards her. Robin looked at his hand; a part of her wanted to refuse him, and he would betray her in the end. Everyone does, she thought, remembering the many times she was betrayed.
But another part yearned for what he was offering. Friendship, she thought; the word sounded strange to her, almost without meaning.
"Someday you will find your Nakamas, Surely one day. This World is vast. They will appear to protect you. Once you're born into this World. You're never going to be Alone!!"
Robin almost shed tears, his voice clear in her head; remembering his words, she looked up at his smiling face. Closing her eyes, she shakes his hand.
"I accept, Captain, from now on. I'm your Nakama," She exclaimed, smiling; Luffy squeezed her hand.
"Now. I want to know what I asked you in our first meeting," Luffy said, tilting his head to the side with a broad smile on his face.
Robin laughed in amusement, not actually believing that he still remembered that. Eventually stopping, she looked directly into his eyes.
"My name is Nico Robin!"