The king, understanding the situation, signaled to his soldiers not to mention anything about Tony or his companions. He sent Igaram to handle the Marines. Though he now knew Tony and the others were pirates, he sensed they were different from typical pirates—they had saved his kingdom, after all.
He decisively led Tony and his crew to a secret shelter, allowing them to evade the Marines.
The Marines' lead officer was Captain Smoker, who had been pursuing Tony and, passing through Arabasta, had come upon this operation. Examining the charred remnants and collapsed palace, Smoker could tell a fierce battle had taken place. Yet the soldiers' story was unexpectedly minimal; they only reported that Crocodile and Baroque Works had attempted an assassination on the king, without any mention of Tony or his powers, as though they were entirely unaware of his presence.
Smoker inspected the ground, sure that Tony had been there. However, given Arabasta's status as a powerful nation in the first half of the Grand Line, the Marines couldn't press too far. Frustrated, Smoker directed his forces to patrol nearby, hoping to catch any trace of Tony's crew.
Within the shelter, Tony sensed Smoker's presence through his Haki.
"Damn, the guy just won't give up—he's relentless."
The situation was starting to weigh on Tony. He'd just dealt with Crocodile, and now Smoker, the "White Hunter," was closing in. His energy was low after his battle with Crocodile, and resting seemed like the best option. But then Robin brought troubling news.
"Tony, what should we do? The Marines is stationed all around us—even at the port. Let's hope they don't find our ship."
Using her powers, Robin had overheard the Marines' movements, confirming they'd taken control of key areas. Tony frowned, thinking. Smoker knew enough about him to spot their ship right away. Staying in Arabasta wasn't an option anymore; if Smoker contacted nearby branches, reinforcements with Haki users could arrive. While Tony could handle himself, having Nami and Robin with him made escaping tricky.
"Robin, listen in on their positions. Find the weakest spot in their formation—we're breaking through. Staying in Arabasta will only get us trapped by the Marines."
"We need to move fast."
King Cobra stepped forward and took Tony's hand.
"Young man, if there's anything I can do to help, please tell me. You've saved the Kingdom of Arabasta and, more importantly, protected my daughter."
"Allow me to assist you in any way I can. Let me repay your kindness."
Tony looked at the king's earnest expression, a bit surprised.
"Heh, Your Majesty, you know I'm a pirate, right? Are you sure about this?"
"Because, you know," Tony added with a grin, "I was considering taking you as a hostage."
That was only his last-resort plan, of course.
Nearby, Vivi looked on, feeling a mix of emotions as she realized Tony's crew would soon leave. She hadn't yet had a chance to repay them for all they'd done. A sense of loss filled her heart, but then a bold thought crossed her mind.
With a determined expression, she stepped forward and faced Tony. "Tony, I want to join you and go out to sea!"
Her words shocked everyone present, including Tony.
...
The most shocked, of course, was her father, King Nefertari Cobra. He knew the weight of what Vivi had just said.
Tony felt a surge of excitement—he hadn't expected Vivi to want to join them on their journey at a moment like this. However, suppressing his emotions, Tony kept a serious expression as he explained the risks to Vivi.
"Join us? Vivi, you need to think this through. We're pirates. Adventures at sea aren't what you might imagine. Events like today could happen over and over again."
"Life as a princess here is completely different from the life you'd have with us. Don't make a decision you'll regret because of a sudden impulse."
Deep down, Tony did want Vivi to join them, but he knew that if her choice was made on a whim, it would only slow down the crew. Without a firm resolve, he would not allow anyone on his ship.
King Cobra, standing nearby, added his voice of concern. "This young man is right, Vivi. You could stay in Araba… in Arabasta."
But it was as if a Pandora's box had been opened within Vivi. Her unwavering words interrupted her father's appeal.
"Father, I'm not acting on impulse. I've wanted to go on an adventure for a long time. For years, I followed your wishes, being the obedient princess you wanted."
"But that isn't what I want anymore. Now that I've met Nami, Tony, and Miss Robin, I've made up my mind. I want to follow them on their journey."
"I believe that when we're in danger, Tony will protect us all, just like he did today!"
The king, seeing the determination in Vivi's eyes, knew he couldn't change his daughter's mind. And so… he turned to Tony. Whether it was Vivi's determination or something about this unique pirate that made him feel he could entrust his daughter to him, he made a decision he'd never dared to consider.
"Tony, I'm entrusting my daughter's future to you."
He knew full well the dangers of becoming a pirate, but as a father, he also knew his daughter needed his support.
With the king's approval, Vivi and Nami embraced joyfully.
"Vivi, this is amazing! From now on, we're crewmates!" Nami said excitedly.
Tony looked at the king, impressed by the strength it must have taken to make such a decision. He nodded to the king, showing his respect and silently promising that he would not betray the trust placed in him and that he would protect Vivi.
But there was no time to celebrate. Their primary task was still to figure out how to escape from Arabasta and shake off the relentless Marines.
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
Crocodile, along with the remaining members of Baroque Works, was aboard the "Baroque Gustav," sailing down the Grand Line. He knew the Marines would soon issue a bounty on him, and his status as a Warlord of the Sea would be stripped away.
The world government would never shelter someone who had tried to take over the Kingdom of Arabasta; they relied on the support of nations worldwide. If pirates could act with impunity, the leaders of other nations would lose faith in the world government, creating a ripple effect. So the government would side with powerful, resource-rich countries over a mere pirate.
Replacing him in the Warlord position was a minor inconvenience to the world government.
Rubbing the scar on his face that Tony had inflicted, Crocodile looked back at Arabasta from the ship's deck, seething with resentment. His years of amassed wealth and carefully laid plans had been torn down by a newcomer in a single night. Now, he was forced to flee in disgrace.
It was a bitter humiliation.
Bang! Crocodile slammed his golden hook down hard on the deck, unable to contain his fury.
"Damn you, Tony, the fire-wielder! I swear, I'll make you pay a heavy price for this humiliation!"
Hundreds of assassins and several elite agents worked in silence, fearing that even a hint of displeasure from their boss would get them tossed overboard to feed the sharks.
Inside the shelter, Robin used her Flower-Flower Fruit powers to spy on the Marines' positions. She discovered that the southern line was relatively weak, offering a chance to slip by undetected if they moved quickly, as it was still around 5 a.m., with the sun yet to rise.
Without hesitation, Tony decided it was time to move—better to leave now than risk complications.
Vivi exchanged a bittersweet farewell with her father and set off with Tony and the others, embarking on a long adventure.
Whoosh! Several figures dashed through the pre-dawn darkness. With his heightened perception from Observation Haki and the Sharingan, Tony deftly guided them past the Marines' defenses. They reached the port area, but standing in front of their ship was Captain Smoker, alongside his assistant Tashigi and a few marines.
"Well, well… no escaping this one, it seems." Tony glanced at Smoker, who stood resolutely by their vessel, and came up with a mischievous plan. He whispered to Vivi, gesturing for Nami and Robin to follow behind him.
Tony took the lead, "holding" Vivi as he strode forward toward Smoker.
"Oh? Long time no see, Captain Smoker. How have you been?" Tony called out in a taunting tone, catching Smoker's attention.
~-------------------------
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