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Yesterday, after witnessing Byakuya's terrifying strength, Cobra quickly arranged for the three to rest in the palace's finest rooms.
The next morning, as Byakuya was just waking up, he heard a knock on the door.
Opening it, he found Vivi looking graceful in a sky-blue, elegant gown.
Her long, sky-blue hair cascaded down to her waist, accentuating her figure and giving her the appearance of a true princess.
She looked quite different from their first encounter when she was dressed like a refugee, making it hard to believe she was the princess of a great kingdom.
When Vivi saw Byakuya at the door, a faint blush appeared on her flawless skin.
Nervously, she asked, "Um… Would you like to join us for breakfast?"
"No need," Byakuya replied. "It wouldn't be good for you if more people saw our faces."
"Oh, that's all right then. I'll have breakfast brought to your room," Vivi said, turning to leave.
But after a few steps, she turned back, tilting her head, "By the way, I still don't know your name."
"You can call me Yoru."
Yoru? That didn't sound like a real name, which made sense.
After all, they wore masks and cloaks to conceal their identities, so it was natural that he wouldn't reveal his true name.
Vivi didn't mind; instead, she gave Byakuya a bright smile and said, "Nice to meet you again. My name is Nefertari Vivi, but you can call me Vivi."
Byakuya merely nodded, saying nothing more, leaving Vivi feeling slightly disappointed.
She turned to leave again, but then Byakuya suddenly called out, "Wait a moment."
Vivi, hopeful, turned back and asked, "Is there something else you wanted to say?"
Byakuya's voice came from behind his mask, calm as ever, "Didn't we agree that you'd give me an answer this morning?"
Vivi's mood sank a little after hearing this, but she still smiled, "Oh, I almost forgot. I discussed it with my father last night, and he agreed."
"That's good. Our agreement stands," Byakuya said before retreating into his room and closing the door.
Now, the issue of the Poneglyph containing Pluton's location has been resolved.
The next step was finding someone to read the Poneglyphs—the "Devil Child," Nico Robin.
After Byakuya returned to his room, a hint of sadness flashed in Vivi's eyes as she quietly walked away.
...
In the desert, inside a luxurious casino, Crocodile sat in his chair.
His slicked-back hair, black fur coat, and the long scar across his face gave him a menacing look.
He wore an earring in his right ear, and his left hand was a golden hook. He puffed on a cigar and listened to his subordinates' report.
"You're telling me that all our members at Whiskey Peak are dead?"
"Not all of them. The bodies of Mr. 8 (Igaram) and Miss Wednesday (Vivi) are missing."
Hearing this, Crocodile suddenly slammed the table before him, breaking it in half. With a grim expression, he asked, "Do you know who did this?"
"We're not sure, but all the members were killed in a single strike. Whoever did it is very strong." A hint of confusion flashed in Crocodile's eyes.
Who would dare to cause trouble for him at a time like this? And why did they specifically take Vivi and Igaram?
In truth, Crocodile had known from the moment Vivi joined Baroque Works that she was the princess of the Kingdom of Alabasta.
Driven by a desire to toy with the weak, Crocodile had allowed Vivi to believe she had successfully infiltrated Baroque Works, feigning ignorance of her true identity.
He planned to let her gather what she thought was crucial intelligence and crush her hopes.
But now, it seemed his fishing expedition had broken the rod itself.
Crocodile pondered momentarily before speaking, "Miss All-Sunday (Nico Robin), send someone to investigate what happened at Whiskey Peak."
A tall woman approached, smiling as she asked, "What's the matter? Has something gone wrong again?"
After Crocodile explained the situation at Whiskey Peak, Robin chuckled, "It seems your plan is facing another unexpected twist."
Crocodile responded coldly, "No one can alter my plan. These are just minor hiccups, insignificant in the grand scheme of things."
He then looked directly into Robin's dark green eyes and added seriously,
"Although you can read the Poneglyphs, I hope you remember your precarious position."
"There aren't many places in the world where you can find refuge now."
"If you get involved in unnecessary matters, I won't hesitate to turn you over to the World Government for your 80 million Beli bounty."
Robin gave Crocodile a deep look but said nothing as she turned and left.
In truth, Robin had no desire to work for Crocodile.
He had captured her while fleeing from the Marines, and he had taken advantage of her ability to read the Poneglyphs, making her the second-in-command of Baroque Works, the nominal vice president.
As Crocodile had pointed out, she had no choice but to stay under his protection to avoid the Marines and the World Government.
As she replayed Crocodile's words, Robin couldn't help but wonder who was responsible for the attack.
Could their objective be Pluton as well?
...
In the royal palace of Alubarna, Cobra noticed that Vivi seemed distracted during breakfast and asked with concern, "What's wrong, my dear? Is breakfast not to your liking?"
Vivi smiled and replied, "No, it's nothing like that. I'm just thinking about some things and don't have much of an appetite."
Cobra sighed deeply and said, "You've been away from the palace for too long; it's normal to feel out of sorts."
"As your father, I should be looking after you and making sure you're comfortable now that you're back. But there's something I need to say."
"Are you really going to tell them the location of the Poneglyph with information about Pluton?"
Vivi nodded seriously, "It's the only way to defeat Crocodile and save the kingdom from destruction."
Cobra hesitated, "But..."
Vivi walked over to her father, hugged his arm, and playfully said, "Oh, Father, don't worry! I believe that Yoru isn't a bad person."
"He won't use Pluton to harm the world. He's not like Crocodile."
Cobra gave his daughter a look of mild frustration but didn't argue further.
He couldn't help but think of how Vivi had spent the entire night persuading him to agree.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind: Was she doing all this just for the kingdom?
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