The sea was calm, the ship gently rocking with the waves under the moonlight. The sky stretched vast and endless, speckled with twinkling stars. The crew had long since gone to sleep, their laughter and chatter fading into the stillness of the night.
Except for one.
Luffy sat alone on the Going Merry's figurehead, resting on the carved sheep's head. His straw hat hung loosely around his neck, allowing the cool night breeze to ruffle his messy black hair.
His eyes were fixed on the horizon, but his mind was elsewhere—planning, thinking, and waiting.
Soft footsteps against the wooden deck broke the silence.
Luffy didn't turn around. He didn't need to.
"Sir Luffy…"
The hesitant voice belonged to none other than Miss Wednesday—no, Princess Nefertari Vivi.
Luffy chuckled softly. "No 'hello'? Straight to business, huh?" He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his usual carefree grin on his face.
Vivi fidgeted slightly, gripping her hands together. "What you said to me earlier… can you really do it?"
Luffy stretched his arms behind his head, his expression unreadable. "Maybe."
Vivi's eyes widened slightly at his nonchalant answer. "What do you mean 'maybe'?! My kingdom is at stake! My people—"
Luffy tilted his head, cutting her off with a smirk. "I said maybe, because it depends on you."
Vivi froze.
"I'll help you," Luffy continued, his voice suddenly serious, "but there are conditions."
She swallowed. "Conditions…?"
Luffy held up two fingers.
"First, stop the farce that's going to happen at Whiskey Peak."
Vivi's breath hitched.
Her hands trembled slightly as she took a step back.
'How does he… know about that?'
There was no way he should have known. Whiskey Peak was just a friendly town—at least, that's what everyone believed.
Vivi's mind raced. Could Luffy have inside information? Was he spying on Baroque Works? No, that didn't make sense. If he was, he wouldn't have needed to capture her earlier.
Luffy watched her internal struggle with amusement. "What's wrong? You look surprised."
Vivi clenched her fists. After a brief silence, she forced herself to ask, "H-How do you know about that?"
Luffy's smirk grew wider.
"I know a lot of things." His eyes gleamed in the moonlight. "So just do what I say."
Vivi stared at him, completely speechless.
For the first time since she infiltrated Baroque Works, she felt outmatched—not in strength, but in information.
This man knew too much.
After a long pause, she nodded slowly. "Alright…"
"Good." Luffy leaned back. "Now, for the second condition."
Vivi tensed.
"Be a good girl and follow my lead. Stay out of my way until I take care of your problem."
Vivi blinked. "What…?"
Luffy turned his head slightly, his usual goofiness replaced by something dangerous. "I'm not here to play games. If you trust me, I'll make sure Crocodile is defeated."
Vivi bit her lip.
She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or terrified.
This man—this pirate—was different from anyone she had ever met. He was reckless, loud, and childish… yet at the same time, he carried a terrifying sense of control.
Vivi bowed her head. "Alright… I'll trust you."
Luffy grinned. "Good girl."
Without another word, Vivi turned and walked away, heading back to her room.
But the moment she was out of sight, Luffy's smile faded.
"Alright, you two," he called out casually.
From behind the mast, two figures stepped out of the shadows.
Zoro, with his arms crossed, and Sanji, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Both had been eavesdropping.
Sanji smirked. "So, you knew we were there, huh?"
Luffy chuckled. "If you two are gonna spy, at least hide your presence properly."
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "I'm more interested in what you just said."
Luffy's gaze turned serious.
"Our next enemy is Crocodile."
Zoro and Sanji exchanged looks.
"Crocodile…?" Sanji frowned. "Who's that?"
Luffy sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Crocodile is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Zoro's eyes widened slightly. "A Warlord?"
Sanji exhaled smoke. "I've heard of them. The World Government lets seven powerful pirates roam free, in exchange for their loyalty."
Luffy nodded. "Yeah. They're called Shichibukai. There are seven in total."
He started listing them off.
"Bartholomew Kuma, Boa Hancock, Crocodile, Donquixote Doflamingo, Dracule Mihawk, Gecko Moria, and Jinbe."
Sanji's eyebrow twitched at one of the names. "Wait… Mihawk? The Mihawk? The guy Zoro tried to fight?"
Zoro clenched his fists but said nothing.
Luffy continued. "One of these guys—Crocodile—wants to rule Alabasta. He's been working in the shadows through an organization called Baroque Works."
Sanji narrowed his eyes. "So that's why the princess is running around pretending to be an assassin."
Luffy nodded. "She's spying on them, but she's playing a dangerous game."
He looked over his shoulder at his two crewmates.
"I'm going to crush Baroque Works, destroy Crocodile, and save Vivi's kingdom."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, Zoro and Sanji grinned.
Zoro cracked his knuckles. "Finally, an opponent worth cutting."
Sanji exhaled through his nose, smirking. "Tch. If I get to kick some warlord ass, count me in."
Luffy grinned. "Then get ready. This is going to be fun."
As the ship sailed through the quiet night, the real battle for Alabasta had already begun.