As morning broke, the fog lifted, revealing the Merry at the mouth of the river as they sailed out of Whiskey Peak. Nami had just finished recounting everything that had transpired while Sanji and Usopp were asleep. The sheer amount of things that happened while they were unconscious left them nearly overwhelmed, gasping at Nami's words.
"Anyway, now that things are as they are, we gotta hurry and leave this place," Nami concluded, her voice urgent.
"I couldn't agree more, although I'd be careful not to crash your ship near the shore," a voice said, alarming the Straw Hats.
"Wha—?" they gasped, turning to face the woman standing by the kitchen door.
"Although I don't know how you did it, those fakes you sent out nearly fooled me," the woman remarked, looking down on the crew with a smirk.
"So you're saying that was you who was aiming for us," Vivi said angrily, stepping forward.
"Hey! Who are you, and why are you on our ship?" Luffy demanded, his voice rugged and rough.
"What is your business here, Miss All-Sunday?" Vivi continued, her eyes narrowing.
"What! Who is it this time? Whose partner is she?" Nami asked, confusion written across her face.
"She's Mr. 0's partner and is the only one who knows the Boss's real identity. She's the one we've been tailing to gather more information," Vivi explained, her voice tight with anger.
"So we've already been found by the top brass, huh," Lucas remarked, his tone grim.
"I suppose, and I technically allowed you to follow me," Miss All-Sunday said, her gaze steady and unflinching.
"So she's a good guy," Luffy said, looking at Vivi for confirmation.
"I knew that! I knew you let us follow you, and that's why I know for certain it was you who leaked our identities to the boss," Vivi yelled, her voice trembling with rage.
"Oh, so she's a bad guy after all," Luffy muttered, scratching his head.
"Just what is your goal?" Vivi demanded, her voice rising.
"Now, now... there's no need to get worked up. It's unbecoming of a princess. I thought I was doing you a little favor by letting you follow me. Think of it as me amusing myself, seeing you act so desperately. It's such a brave tale, don't you think? A princess who takes on an organization to save her kingdom," Miss All-Sunday mused, a mocking smile on her lips.
"Don't you dare mock me!" Vivi yelled, and it was at this point that the Straw Hats took a stance, ready to attack on Vivi's behalf. She stood, surprised at their actions.
"Although I still don't get things, but..." Usopp said, aiming his slingshot at Miss All-Sunday.
Sanji's eyes narrowed, his voice dripping with determination. "I do know for sure, that this woman is a threat to my lovely Miss Wednesday," he declared
"Fuwaa! Would you please give me some space?" Miss All-Sunday exclaimed, her voice laced with a mix of irritation and playful defiance. Her eyes flashed with a fierce determination as she swiftly disarmed the crew.
With a startled yelp, Sanji lost his balance, his suave demeanor slipping as he tumbled off the side, followed closely by Usopp, who let out a comical cry of surprise. They landed with a thud on the main deck.
"Don't point such dangerous things at me!" Miss All-Sunday added, a smirk tugging at her lips, though there was an underlying warmth in her tone. It was a playful warning, a dance of words that filled the space between them with a strange tension—one that hinted at both danger and undeniable allure.
As the rest of the crew watched in stunned silence, the air crackled with unspoken emotions. "She has Devil Fruit powers!" Vivi exclaimed, her eyes wide with realization.
"What! Devil Fruit powers? What abilities could she possibly have?" Nami gasped, her voice tinged with a mix of fear and curiosity.
"Fufufu, there's no need to get riled up. I'm not here on any orders nor do I have any intentions to fight you," Miss All-Sunday said calmly, her tone almost mocking. She then reached for Luffy's hat as it flew towards her, but Lucas intercepted it with his arm, partially transformed into Gravattack.
"If you're not here to fight, then you should show it. It's disrespectful to show up and cause such a ruckus," Lucas said, his voice firm as he pulled the hat back to Luffy.
"Hey! Lay off my hat!" Luffy yelled, quickly wearing it again.
"My apologies then. I was just curious about the alleged captain of the Straw Hats, Monkey D. Luffy," Miss All-Sunday said with a sly smile. "But it seems I've met another interesting fellow during my trip here. Nonetheless, it's unfortunate for small-time pirates to have to look after a tragic princess. More so, it's unfortunate that your route, as pointed by your Log Pose, leads to Little Garden. I won't even need to lay a single finger on you," she added, her tone dripping with condescension.
"And who are you to say so?" Luffy yelled, his fists clenched in anger.
"Words won't change the fact that you can't handle the path before you. But the reason I'm here is to offer you a chance..." Miss All-Sunday said, flicking an Eternal Pose into Vivi's hands. "With this, you'll be able to skip over the troubles that await your current direction. That Pose points to the uninhabited Vacant Island right before Alabasta. The route you'll be taking is unknown to Baroque Works," she explained.
"As if!" Luffy retorted, snatching the Pose from Vivi's hands and smashing it against the deck. "Think before you act, idiot!" Nami yelled, bashing his head.
"We won't accept your charity! She blew up that ship thinking it was us. There's no way I'd trust her," Luffy declared, his voice filled with resolve.
"Well, it's not like I didn't try. I hope we meet again if you survive," Miss All-Sunday said, her voice calm as ever. With that, she turned and left the Merry, boarding her turtle and departing into the horizon.
"Have heart, Princess. We'll surely make it back in time," Igaram said, his voice soft and comforting. Vivi, tears brimming in her eyes, collapsed, the weight of their journey pressing heavily on her shoulders. She couldn't comprehend why she had to endure so much turmoil.
"I'm telling you, we've just entered the Grand Line and all this stuff is happening to us. It's gotta be a sign," Usopp said, his voice filled with nervous energy.
"Again, I apologize on behalf of my princess for the mess we've involved you in," Igaram said, bowing slightly, his face etched with guilt.
"It's fine. It's not like you can take it all back, is it now?" Nami replied, her tone firm yet understanding. "We're in this together now," she added, a determined look on her face.
"Anyway, it's morning now! Sanji, time for some breakfast," Luffy called out, his enthusiasm undimmed by the morning's events.
"Yeah, I could go for something to eat too. I wonder how she's been these days," Lucas muttered, his thoughts drifting to a different matter.
The crew started to settle down, the tension easing as they sailed. Luffy's chants of "breakfast" echoed through the ship, as the others began to recuperated.
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