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--xLOVEx--
Nami adjusted the sails, steering the Going Merry towards Katorea. Vivi remained quiet for a moment, weighing her options. She trusted her own information, but Coby had been reliable so far. Finally, she nodded, deciding to place her trust in him.
At some point, the crew anchored the Going Merry and disembarked to walk towards Katorea. The town wasn't directly accessible from the sea, but it wasn't too far either. The desert heat was unforgiving, the sun beating down on them relentlessly. After about four hours of trudging through the sand, they finally arrived at the outskirts of Katorea.
Coby surveyed the area quickly before turning to the crew. "You guys wait here," he said, keeping his tone casual. "Luffy, Vivi, Nami, let's go."
Zoro gave a brief nod, leaning against a nearby wall with his arms crossed. Sanji lit a cigarette, blowing out a puff of smoke. "Be careful," he said, though the warning was mostly out of habit.
As they walked closer to the town, a few sentries noticed their approach and raised their pikes. "Halt!" one of them called out, his voice firm. The camp was massive, with countless tents stretching out across the landscape. It was clear that the rebel army had gathered in full force.
Coby stepped forward, holding out a sealed letter. "Tell Kohza we've come with important news. Give him this letter," he said. The sentry eyed the group suspiciously but took the letter and hurried off. After a few tense moments, the sentry returned with a man wearing glasses, who took one look at the group and immediately recognized one of them.
"Vivi!" the man exclaimed, his voice filled with both surprise and relief.
Vivi let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. Coby had been right—the rebels were here. She shot a grateful look at him, but he simply smiled back.
Coby turned to the man. "Let's talk," he said simply.
Kohza, still unsure of who the others were, nonetheless invited them to his tent. A few of his most trusted lieutenants were already inside, discussing battle plans.
Vivi's face was still covered, keeping her identity hidden for now. Once they were inside the tent, Coby spoke up again. "Send the others out. We need to talk in private."
One of the lieutenants scowled, clearly not pleased with the demand. "Who do you think you are, giving orders in here?" he snapped.
Before the situation could escalate, Kohza held up a hand. "It's alright. Let's hear them out." He turned to his men. "Wait outside. I'll handle this."
The lieutenants exchanged looks but followed Kohza's orders, filing out of the tent with reluctant nods. Once they were gone, Vivi slowly removed the cloth covering her face, revealing her identity to Kohza.
"Kohza," she began, her voice pleading, "please, you have to stop this rebellion. The real enemy isn't my father."
Kohza's eyes narrowed as he studied her, clearly skeptical. He had hoped for more from Vivi—a siding with people despite her lineage, standing against tyranny. But to him now, she seemed like just another desperate princess, trying to use their old friendship to her advantage.
Seeing the doubt in his eyes, Vivi pressed on. "Kohza, trust me. The one behind all of this chaos is Crocodile."
Kohza's frown deepened, and he crossed his arms, clearly troubled by the accusation. "Crocodile? The hero of Alabasta? You expect me to believe he's the villain here?" His tone was filled with disbelief.
Vivi took a deep breath, understanding how difficult it was for Kohza to accept. "I know it sounds unbelievable, but Crocodile has been manipulating everything from the shadows. He's the leader of Baroque Works, the criminal organization that's been tearing our country apart."
Kohza's expression remained guarded. He wasn't convinced yet, but he could see the sincerity in Vivi's eyes. She wasn't lying—at least, she believed what she was saying.
Coby, who had been silent up until now, decided to step in. "Think about it, Kohza," he said. "Why would a hero like Crocodile, who's been so helpful to Alabasta, allow the country to fall into chaos if he wasn't benefiting from it?"
Kohza shot Coby a sharp look, but he couldn't dismiss the logic in his words. The thought had crossed his mind before—why had Crocodile's efforts done nothing to actually improve the situation? But admitting that meant acknowledging that they had been played, and that was a hard pill to swallow.
Vivi took the opportunity to drive the point home. "Kohza, Crocodile has been using the rebellion as a cover to seize control of Alabasta. He wants to take over the kingdom and he's willing to destroy everything in his path to do it."
Kohza remained silent, his mind racing as he tried to process everything. He wanted to believe Vivi, but the idea that Crocodile, the man hailed as a savior, was actually a villain, was almost too much to accept.
Vivi stepped closer, her voice soft but filled with urgency. "Please, Kohza. I know it's hard to believe, but you have to trust me. I would never lie to you about something this important. Alabasta is in danger, and we need to stop Crocodile before it's too late."
Kohza looked into her eyes, searching for any hint of deception, but all he saw was the same determined girl he had grown up with—the girl who cared deeply for her country and its people. Finally, he let out a long breath, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"If what you're saying is true," Kohza began slowly, "then we're all in serious trouble. But how do you plan to prove this? The rebels won't just back down because of a few words."
Coby smirked, "Of course, they won't just listen to words. But I'll prove to you that Baroque Works has been leading you by the nose."
Kohza frowned, clearly irritated but still curious. "And how exactly do you plan to prove it?"
Coby met his gaze confidently. "Just follow my lead, and make sure you gather all your most trusted men."
Kohza hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He called for his most loyal men to gather while Coby left the tent, heading back to where the rest of the crew was waiting. Once outside, he quickly found Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Chopper.
"Guys, come with me," Coby said without any bullshit. The crew didn't ask questions, knowing by now that Coby always had a plan.
As they followed Coby back to the meeting spot, Kohza had already gathered his most trusted lieutenants. These men were battle-hardened and loyal, the kind of people you'd want by your side in a rebellion. Behind them, more soldiers stood at attention, ready to follow their leader's orders.
Once they had circled the town, Coby addressed Kohza and his men. "Here's what we're going to do. I need you to give the order for everyone to remove their upper attire and check for tattoos. Specifically, we're looking for a skull with purple wings. It's a mark Baroque Works agents use to identify each other."
Kohza's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't question it. "You heard him!" he barked to his men. "Spread the word—strip off the shirts and check for tattoos. Anyone with that mark is to be detained immediately."
The lieutenants moved quickly, spreading out across the town and issuing the order. Soldiers looked confused at first but obeyed, pulling off their shirts and checking each other for the telltale tattoo.
Zoro and Sanji stood on either side of Luffy and others, ready to back them up if things got out of hand. Usopp and Chopper watched from a distance, keeping an eye on the soldiers for any signs of trouble.
It didn't take long for the first traitor to be discovered. A man, one of Kohza's mid-ranking officers, was found with the tattoo on his shoulder. As soon as it was exposed, the surrounding soldiers reacted, grabbing him and dragging him toward Kohza.
"What is the meaning of this?" Kohza demanded, his voice harsh as he confronted the man.
The traitor sneered, clearly caught but not willing to back down. "I don't know what you are talking about."
Coby stepped forward, his eyes cold as he looked down at the man. "How many more of you are there?"
The traitor spat at his feet. "You'll never find out, kid."
Coby ignored the insult and looked at Kohza. "Check everyone. Every last soldier. These spies need to be rooted out before we can do anything else."
Kohza nodded sharply, ordering his men to continue the search. The atmosphere grew even more tense as more Baroque Works agents were uncovered. Some tried to flee, but Zoro and Sanji were quick to intercept them, knocking them out and tying them up.
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