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Igaram's smile froze. Why were they laughing now?!
Still completely lost, Logan stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and said quietly, "Alright, Igaram, drop the act. We're starving. Go make us something to eat."
Igaram: ???
It felt like lightning had struck him. He froze stiff, mind spinning like a storm at sea.
Vivi gave him a sheepish smile before leading Logan and the girls toward their temporary hideout.
When everyone was gone, Igaram snapped out of his daze, shot Vivi a long, meaningful look, and—realizing what was going on—calmly followed after them.
Inside the makeshift camp, Igaram cooked up a whole feast for Logan and the girls.
And, surprisingly, there was no poison.
Logan and his crew didn't bother being polite. They dug in, eating heartily and chatting between bites.
Igaram's cooking couldn't compare to Karoo's, but it was still a nice change of pace.
The group was soon laughing, the air light and full of warmth.
Meanwhile, Igaram pulled Vivi aside and whispered, "Your Highness… they're not the ones you brought back as captives, are they? How do they know who I am?!"
When Logan had said his name earlier, Igaram's heart nearly stopped.
For a second, he thought Baroque Works had sent someone to catch him.
Vivi wrung her hands, looking guilty. "I told them."
"But they're not bad people! They've got nothing to do with Baroque Works."
Then she quickly explained everything that had happened.
"What?!"
"Your Highness, you're the Princess of Alabasta! How could you possibly join a pirate crew?!" Igaram's expression changed instantly.
"Logan said he'd only help us defeat Crocodile if I joined his crew," Vivi said helplessly.
That was Logan's one condition—she hadn't had much of a choice.
Igaram was speechless for a long moment before sighing heavily.
As Alabasta's royal guard captain, he'd always respected Vivi.
So young, yet brave enough to abandon her status and infiltrate Baroque Works at her own risk.
But she was still just a girl—too kind, too trusting.
And she'd believed Logan after only a few convincing words.
Their enemy was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile himself.
Even on the Grand Line—hell, even in the New World—he was a big name, a true powerhouse who ruled his own territory.
And Logan? A total nobody.
The women around him? Fragile-looking, delicate types.
Could any of them even punch through a wall?
If King Cobra found out about this, the poor man would probably have a heart attack.
"Princess Vivi, I know you mean well," Igaram said, lowering his voice. "But this isn't as simple as you think. Maybe they're strong around here, but this is the Grand Line! Do you really think they can take on Crocodile?"
He sighed again. "They probably don't even have bounties yet."
"They do!" Vivi protested. "The Navy's already put prices on their heads! Captain Logan's bounty is thirty million, and Nami's is fifty million!"
"They're both amazing fighters."
Igaram: …
For newcomers to the Grand Line, thirty and fifty million wasn't bad at all.
Wait—wasn't that backwards?!
"Please, Igaram, trust the captain. There's actually one of his people working right under Crocodile," Vivi whispered after checking that no one was around.
"An undercover agent? Who?!"
If someone had managed to infiltrate Crocodile's side, it had to be a high-ranking officer Igaram knew.
"Vice President Miss All Sunday."
"What? Her?!"
Igaram's eyes went wide. Miss All Sunday was Crocodile's most trusted subordinate—his right hand.
Calling her his confidant wasn't an exaggeration.
She was brilliant, efficient, and had never once failed to complete an assignment.
And now she was one of Logan's people?
"Princess Vivi… you're not getting tricked again, are you?" he asked suspiciously.
"No! The captain described Miss All Sunday's abilities in detail—her Hana Hana no Mi powers, her exact appearance, even her… measurements," Vivi said softly, blushing a little.
"I've met her myself, and he was spot-on."
Igaram: …
That level of detail?!
Alright, maybe Logan really did know her.
"If that's true, and Logan has her on his side, then with an inside ally like that, taking down Crocodile might actually work!" Igaram said, suddenly fired up.
Vivi blinked in surprise at how fast his attitude changed, but she smiled and nodded. "I believe in the captain. He'll do it."
Still, when Igaram looked over at Logan chatting and laughing with all those women, his expression turned awkward again.
"Your Highness… since joining his crew, he hasn't… done anything to you, has he?" he asked cautiously.
Vivi blinked, puzzled. "Huh? What do you mean, done what?"
"I mean, uh… man-and-woman kind of… things…" Igaram's face turned bright red.
He hated even bringing it up—it was rude, but he had to.
Before he left, King Cobra had warned him a hundred times to look after Vivi.
And Logan's crew, apart from himself, was made up entirely of women.
One man surrounded by so many beautiful girls on a single ship—was anyone really supposed to believe he behaved himself every day?
Vivi finally realized what he meant. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she glared at him. "Igaram! What are you talking about?! Captain Logan's a good man! He'd never do something like that!"
"Besides, he even gave me two Devil Fruits! I'm way stronger than I used to be now!"
"....."