"Are you still bothered by what he said earlier?"
Nami glanced at Tom, who was walking ahead leading the camel, and whispered to Vivi beside her. "That guy sometimes says things that make people really angry. Don't take it to heart."
"No, I'm not angry at him."
Vivi shook her head and spoke. "Nami, can I ask you something?"
"Huh?"
Nami was startled for a moment, then nodded. "Go ahead."
"I've had this feeling since Little Garden. Why can you trust your comrades so much?"
Vivi asked directly.
"Well, we've never really thought about it that way. Not particularly."
Nami was caught off guard by Vivi's question and didn't know what to say.
"That's exactly why I think you're amazing."
Vivi said to Nami. "Unconditional trust isn't something you can just do."
"I'm not really sure. Maybe it's because everyone tries their best to do what they can."
Nami glanced at Tom and said to Vivi. "Back on the island where I lived, he once said something that left a deep impression on me."
"What was it?"
Vivi asked curiously.
"Stop living alone!"
Nami looked at Vivi and repeated Tom's words to her, word for word.
Stop living alone?
Vivi's heart trembled. She felt she understood something. Then Nami continued, "That's when I understood. A person's strength is limited. That's why we need comrades. But if something really happens and our comrades aren't willing to help, nothing will come of it."
"Let me tell you something. Luffy once admitted in front of an enemy that he can't fish, can't use a sword, can't navigate, can't cook, can't lie. He said that without us, he couldn't survive."
Nami said to Vivi. "I remember those words clearly too. Back then I thought, so this is our pirate crew. Everyone has things they can't do. That's why we can stick together and trust each other. That's what I think."
"Did what I just say answer your question?"
The sun was blazing overhead. Nami felt she had said a lot and wasn't sure how much Vivi had taken in. She smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, it's so hot I don't even know what I'm saying anymore."
I think I've found the answer I was looking for. Maybe this is also the way a country survives.
A warm smile appeared on Vivi's face. She glanced at Tom, her gaze gradually becoming firm. She said to Nami, "Let's find a place up ahead to rest. After everyone gathers, there's something I want to tell everyone."
"You've made up your mind?"
Nami saw that the confusion had left Vivi's face and guessed that Vivi had finally made a decision.
"Yes. I can't run away anymore."
Vivi's tone was resolute.
A while later, Tom and the others arrived at a ruined ancient relic to rest. There, they reunited with Sanji and Usopp, who had caught up from behind.
Seeing that their luggage was all on the camel, Usopp, parched and dry-mouthed, happily ran over to find the canteen.
"Stinky fisherman, you didn't do anything to upset Vivi-san, did you?"
After meeting up with Tom and the others, Sanji immediately noticed that Vivi seemed different from before, as if something was on her mind. He immediately confronted Tom.
"Pervert cook, has being in this desert for so long evaporated your brain?"
Tom shot back unkindly. Then, as usual, the two of them started fighting right there.
"Here they go again."
Vivi watched Tom and Sanji brawling and said helplessly.
"Don't mind them. Let's eat something."
Nami took out lunch boxes from the backpack and said to Vivi.
According to Vivi, this relic was left over from a very ancient era.
Civilization had been born here thousands of years ago. Many countries were born on this land and then disappeared. Relics like this and many unsolved mysteries remained all over this continent. Coming to this relic meant they were not far from Yuba.
"Without the passage of time, there would be no current Alabasta Kingdom."
Sanji leaned against a wall and said casually, "Even the most prosperous kingdoms decline. Like Rome."
Hearing Sanji's words, Vivi fell silent. Sanji quickly realized that his careless words were not good for Vivi to hear. To put it bluntly, it sounded like he was cursing the Alabasta Kingdom to decline. He quickly apologized to Vivi.
But Vivi didn't seem to mind Sanji's words. "It's okay. Lately, I've been thinking sometimes: what exactly is a country? Even if the rulers change, people continue to live. Culture, way of life—even if the country changes, if these things don't change, there's no need to cling to the country. So I think there are other things worth protecting."
"Sorry, I said something strange again."
Vivi smiled sheepishly. "But now, I finally know what I have to do."
"The people of Baroque Works are trying to destroy this land!"
As Vivi said this, her expression became very heavy. "Even if I go down in history with a bad reputation, I will never let Crocodile succeed!"
The sun was gradually setting in the west, but Luffy and the others were still nowhere to be seen. Just as Vivi was starting to worry, Nami said, "Don't worry. They'll definitely find this place. We're on a dune, visible from far away. And I've already made preparations."
"You're going to spray that perfume again? I've been wanting to say this—why do you spray so much perfume? When I came looking for you last time, I couldn't stop sneezing."
Tom was somewhat allergic to strong perfumes and would sneeze uncontrollably if he smelled too much.
"You're overthinking it. I have a better idea this time. It'll definitely let Luffy and the others find us."
Nami said to Tom. "Give me your fishing rods."
"What do you need those for?"
Tom took out the two fishing rods from his arm-sleeve devices and asked.
Soon, Tom understood what Nami was using his fishing rods for. He stared speechlessly at the rods, which Nami had stuck into the sand and extended to nearly forty meters in length. "I said, my fishing rods aren't for putting up flags."
That's right. At the tip of the long, extended rod hung a large, fluttering Straw Hat Jolly Roger flag. Usopp had just painted it not long ago.
"What's the problem? Isn't this nice?"
Nami said to the exasperated Tom. "I was thinking of using these to hang laundry in the future."
Hang laundry?
Hearing Nami's words, Tom's neck nearly twisted in shock.
On the other side, as the sun gradually set, the weather began to cool. Luffy immediately regained his energy and took the lead, a completely different person from the one suffering in the scorching heat.
Zoro and Chopper had already been thoroughly screwed over by Luffy. Not only had Luffy crashed into them and sent them flying into the rocky area, but after they landed, Luffy saw Chopper lying on all fours slowly sinking into the sand and heartlessly asked if Chopper was putting on a show.
In the end, Zoro, unable to take it anymore, put his sharp sword to Luffy's neck with a dark expression, finally making Luffy behave.
Later, Luffy and the others fell into an underground hole. At first, Luffy said it was too hot outside, rolled around on the ground, and stubbornly refused to leave the hole. If Zoro hadn't beaten him, he really wouldn't have wanted to go.
But when climbing out of the hole, Luffy thought the opening that had let them fall in was too small, so he blasted it apart. Then the rocks falling from above buried him.
Luffy told Zoro and Chopper to hold onto his body while he stretched his arm to grab a rock outside. Using the rubber's elasticity, he shot out of the hole like a rocket. Although they flew far, Luffy hadn't thought at all about how to land. As a result, Zoro and Chopper crashed heavily onto the sand and slid a long distance before stopping.
Half-buried in the sand, Zoro and Chopper both thought the same thing: they had really boarded the wrong ship.
After walking for a while, Luffy saw a Straw Hat Jolly Roger flag fluttering on a dune in the distance. He excitedly shouted to Zoro and Chopper behind him, "Look! I found them!"
"Really. I smell Nami's perfume over there."
Chopper twitched his blue nose, confirmed that he smelled several familiar scents, and happily ran over.
Zoro saw Luffy and Chopper running like crazy and quickly hurried after them. "Wait! Don't get separated again!"
"Hey, is everyone over there?"
As Luffy ran toward the ancient relic, he shouted loudly, "You didn't eat all the meat, did you?"
Tom heard Luffy's voice and saw him running toward them. Just as he was about to greet him, Luffy asked if there was any meat left. Tom genuinely felt he should just go rest somewhere and ignore those guys.
After Luffy and the others reunited with Tom and the group, everyone was very happy. Only Ace hadn't returned, but no one was worried about him.
After all, Ace had said earlier that he came to this country to pursue Blackbeard, which was different from Luffy and the others' goal.
Vivi saw that everyone was finally together. Just as she was about to say something to Luffy and the others, a rumbling sound suddenly came from afar. In an instant, strong winds blew.
"It's a sandstorm!"
Vivi saw a massive sandstorm approaching from the side. The swirling yellow sand, the piercing howl of the wind—it was blowing toward them. The air became thick with dust, making it hard to breathe and hard to see.
"This meat tastes terrible!"
The piece of meat in Luffy's hand was instantly covered in sand. It would be a miracle if it tasted good.
Tom had just put away his fishing rods when a strong wind blew, plunging everything into darkness. Then he felt like he was floating.
When the sandstorm stopped, Tom found that they had been blown by the strong wind to a desolate oasis.
"This is Yuba. How could this..."
Vivi, who had just gotten up from the sand, stared blankly at the scene before her—everything buried under yellow sand. After a long pause, she finally spoke.
"Didn't you say Yuba was a huge oasis? There's no water here at all."
Luffy looked around. Other than withered branches and dilapidated houses, there was no sign of any oasis. He asked Vivi.
"How tragic. It's no different from Erumalu."
Zoro, carrying the unconscious Usopp on his shoulder, glanced around and said bluntly.
Yuba was said to be the largest oasis in this desert, but now it had become a city devoured by the sand.
Clearly, Yuba had been hit by sandstorms more than once. Otherwise, it wouldn't look like this.
After walking a short distance, Luffy and the others saw a man in front digging the ground with a shovel. Just from his back, they could tell he was very thin, and his voice was somewhat hoarse. "Are you travelers? The journey through the desert must have been hard, right?"
"Sorry, this town is already somewhat dried up."
The man turned around and said to Luffy and the others. "But you can rest well here. There are many inns—that's the only thing this town can still be proud of."
Vivi didn't want people to see her face clearly, so she covered it with a headscarf. Since she had come to Yuba, she wanted to inquire about the rebel army's whereabouts. She asked the thin old man holding the shovel, "I heard the rebel army is in this town..."
But before Vivi could finish, the old man, who had seemed friendly moments ago, suddenly turned very cold. "What business do you have with the rebel army?"
The thin old man thought Luffy and the others wanted to join the rebel army. Without waiting for Vivi to speak, he angrily picked up a wooden bucket and stones and threw them.
Tom noticed that when the old man was digging with the shovel, his body trembled. Yet when throwing things, he was surprisingly strong. After dodging the objects the old man threw, Tom asked, "So the rebel army isn't here anymore?"
This guess wasn't strange. Aside from being large, Yuba wasn't suitable for people to live in. How could a rebel army of seven hundred thousand be stationed in such a godforsaken place?
"That's right. Those fools have already left."
When the old man said this, his tone carried disappointment and exhaustion.
It turned out that since three years ago, Yuba had been hit by sandstorms from time to time, gradually being eroded. The former oasis had become today's lifeless dead city.
Originally, Yuba was at the center of this desert. When transporting goods from all directions, people would use this place as a transfer station. That's why the rebel army had chosen it as their base. But after Yuba declined, supplies naturally stopped flowing. It was only natural that the rebel army would move.
Learning from the old man that the rebel army had relocated their base to Katorea, Luffy and the others were shocked. But what shocked them even more was that Katorea was actually very close to Nanohana, where they had first gone. What annoyed Luffy and the others the most was that when the camel had met Chopper in Nanohana, it had been transporting supplies for the rebel army. But the camel hadn't said a word, making them waste a trip.
So Luffy and the others unhesitatingly gave the camel a severe beating. Even after being beaten to a pulp, the camel stubbornly replied coolly, "How was I supposed to know?!"
Seeing how stubborn the camel was, Luffy and the others beat it again.
The old man heard Luffy call out Vivi's name earlier. He looked closely at Vivi and quickly guessed her identity. He excitedly walked over, tears streaming down his face. "You're alive! Thank goodness! It's me!"
"You don't recognize me? That's not surprising. I've lost weight..."
Seeing Vivi, the old man was so excited he stammered and couldn't speak clearly.
"Are you Uncle Toto?"
Vivi's face was full of disbelief. She looked at the thin old man before her. Where was the风采 (presence) he once had?
Eleven years ago, when Vivi was still a little girl, she had met Toto once. Back then, Toto was a portly middle-aged man, broad and fat. Nothing like now—not only thin as a rake but also hunched over. After living a few years of extremely harsh conditions in Yuba, he couldn't even straighten his back anymore.
"Vivi, I've always believed in the king! He would never betray the country! Isn't that right?"
Toto's face was full of wrinkles. Seeing Vivi, he became so emotional his body couldn't stop trembling. His voice was choked as he pleaded with Vivi, "Starting a rebellion is so stupid! Please go stop those fools in the rebel army! I can only rely on you!"
At the end, Toto collapsed weakly to the ground, old tears streaming down his face, sobbing uncontrollably. "A rebellion is just nonsense! I've tried to stop them several times already, but no matter what I say, it's useless! The rebellion won't stop!"
"And the rebels are at their limit. They've decided to settle things in the next attack. They've been pushed to the edge, so they want to die fighting!"
Toto's dry hands tightly gripped Vivi. His wrinkled eyes were filled with tears. He begged, "Vivi, please! Please stop those fools!"
Unknowingly, night had quietly fallen. Tonight's moon was especially round. Beneath this bright moon, in the city of Katorea—the rebel army's base—their leader Koza sat alone in a dark tent, staring blankly. No lamp was lit in the tent. His face was covered in shadow. He murmured softly to himself, "This country is finished..."
Vivi looked at the sobbing Toto. She remembered eleven years ago when Toto, full of ambition, came to develop Yuba, which was still wasteland. With Toto's efforts, Yuba finally became a nationally renowned oasis. But now, under the merciless erosion of the desert, this oasis had become lifeless, no longer prosperous. For the aging and weakening Toto, it was undoubtedly a devastating blow.
But even if he was the last person left in Yuba, Toto still insisted on staying. He had been digging with his shovel earlier, trying to find water underground.
Because Toto had once promised the king that he would turn Yuba into a prosperous town, making the Alabasta Kingdom richer. It was a promise. He had kept it for eleven years. Facing hopelessness, he still hadn't given up. He didn't believe that Yuba would lose to the sand.
"Uncle Toto, don't worry."
Vivi reached out to help the frail Toto up, a confident smile appearing on her face. "I will definitely stop the rebellion!"
Nami watched Vivi, opening her mouth several times but ultimately saying nothing. She knew that before this, Vivi had decided to point her矛头 (spear) directly at Crocodile. But after coming to Yuba and seeing Toto, she had wavered again.
Because what Vivi carried was too heavy—so heavy that she couldn't refuse others' pleas.
Toto didn't know that Crocodile was the mastermind behind the country's turmoil. He believed that if the rebel army could be stopped, the country might return to normal. That's why he made that request to Vivi.
Her nature of always caring about others—would it never change? Was this her weakness or her strength?
As Vivi confidently told Toto that she would stop the rebel army, Tom thought this to himself.
Since it was late and not suitable for travel, Luffy and the others found a not-too-dilapidated inn in Yuba to stay for the night.
Before sleeping, Usopp said to everyone, "You all worked hard today. Let's rest a bit to recover our strength and prepare for tomorrow."
After speaking, Usopp immediately lay down on the bed and started snoring. Then Zoro unceremoniously threw a pillow at him. "You just woke up from being knocked out!"
Usopp had indeed been unconscious after the sandstorm. He got up from the bed, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at Zoro. "Bastard! Don't lump me together with you freaks!"
"How dare you hit me?!"
Zoro was hit square in the face by the incoming pillow and got angry.
"The Laziest Person Award goes to you, Blue Nose."
Usopp pointed his矛头 (spear) at Chopper, who had passed out multiple times from the heat, and threw him a pillow.
"I can't help it that I hate the heat!"
Chopper was so upset he nearly cried.
"Sanji, that's my bed."
Vivi felt awkward seeing Sanji lying directly on her bed.
"I know. But I thought you might be sad sleeping alone tonight, so..."
Sanji lay sideways on the bed, smiling at Vivi. But before he could finish, Usopp threw a pillow at him. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"You've got some nerve! Who threw that?!"
Sanji saw Usopp and Chopper snickering and immediately got angry.
Then a pillow fight erupted. Zoro, Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji kept throwing pillows at each other. Seeing this, Nami nearly lost it. "Do you idiots even understand what 'rest' means?!"
Just as she finished speaking, a pillow hit Nami. She immediately counterattacked and joined the pillow fight.
After throwing pillows for a while, Nami realized two people were missing—Tom and Luffy weren't in the room. She asked Vivi if she had seen them.
Just as Vivi was about to answer, a pillow flew over and hit her square in the face. She stared blankly at the four idiots fooling around in the room, a faint smile appearing on her lips. She said nothing.
For some reason, when Nami saw the smile on Vivi's face, she felt it contained a hint of sadness.
Luffy was still outside, watching the old man dig for water. He had been watching Toto dig for a long time but still no water. He thought there was no water here at all. Yet Toto could still live here—he truly admired him.
"There will definitely be water. The oasis is still alive."
In the darkness, Toto continued digging as he spoke. "No matter how many times, I'll keep digging. Because this is important land entrusted to me by the king!"
"Yuba won't lose to the sand!"
Toto said firmly.
Hearing Toto's words, Luffy thought for a moment, then jumped into the hole and started digging with his hands on both sides of Toto. He dug very enthusiastically, but as he dug, he threw the sand he scooped up into the hole Toto had already dug.
Although Toto told Luffy he was digging in vain—throwing sand into his own hole—and that if he kept this up, he wouldn't make progress, Luffy interpreted Toto's words as something mysterious and happily continued digging.
It wasn't until late at night, after digging a hole several meters deep in the sand, that Luffy finally fell asleep there.
Toto carried the sleeping Luffy back to the room where Zoro and the others were, then returned to continue digging.
After some time, it was past midnight. Cold wind blew incessantly. Toto still dug tirelessly.
After wandering through the desolate, abandoned oasis for a long time, Tom returned. Seeing the hunched figure holding a shovel, he paused, then walked over and crouched down. He said nothing, just watched Toto dig, lost in thought.
Toto also noticed Tom, but he didn't speak much, just focused on digging.
Later, the two chatted for a while. Toto casually mentioned something that somewhat surprised Tom: the current leader of the rebel army, Koza, was his son. And Koza had been Vivi's close childhood playmate.
No one knew how long had passed. Toto, who had been digging, suddenly stopped.
Tom could clearly see that from the deep hole, a clear spring slowly bubbled up, as if bringing infinite vitality to this lifeless city.
"There it is! Finally!"
Toto was so excited his body trembled. He took out a small wooden bucket he had prepared long ago and carefully scooped up the spring water.
Snapping out of it, Tom realized that unconsciously, it had already reached early morning. The dark sky hadn't fully brightened yet. The sun was rising, but the moon still hung in the sky. It was a classic scene of sun risen, moon still present.
To not waste water, Toto used a straw to suck up every last drop of water from the ground, even though the water was mixed with a lot of sand. He still drank it.
"Sorry you had to see that."
After using the straw to suck up the remaining water, Toto said to Tom with an honest smile.
"Old man, do you have a map? I need a detailed one."
After witnessing Toto's actions, Tom finally made up his mind. He had figured out what had been bothering him all night.
Earlier that same night, in Rainbase, Crocodile had finally officially met with the high-ranking officers he had summoned.
In the past, the high-ranking officers of Baroque Works had only met the vice president, Nico Robin, never the president. But tonight, they finally learned that the person who had been leading this criminal organization, Baroque Works, was actually Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
In other words, all the people of Baroque Works were actually subordinates of a pirate. This was hard for the gathered high-ranking officers to accept at first.
Crocodile simply asked them with a dark expression, "Anyone have a problem with that?"
The high-ranking officers immediately shut up, not daring to say another word. The somewhat noisy scene instantly fell silent.
As a government-sanctioned pirate, the Warlords were allowed to plunder "legally" to a certain extent. There was no need for Crocodile to establish an organization like Baroque Works.
But Crocodile quickly cleared up the confusion. What he wanted was neither money nor power—it was military force.
One could say that ever since Crocodile founded Baroque Works, all the missions he had his agents execute were related to the upcoming operation.
After explaining in detail why he wanted to usurp this country, Crocodile said to them, "Take a good look. The paper in your hands is the final set of orders I am giving you."
"When you complete your respective missions, the Alabasta Kingdom will automatically fall. The rebel army and the citizens, having lost their position, will fall into our hands and Baroque Works'."
Crocodile said to the high-ranking officers, who burned the order papers. "Overnight, this country will become our utopia!"
"This is Baroque Works' final and greatest operation—Utopia! Failure is absolutely not permitted! Action begins tomorrow at noon."
Just as Crocodile finished speaking, Mr. 3 burst into their meeting place.
Seeing Mr. 3, Mr. 2, who was supposed to be hunting him, was about to kill him, but Crocodile stopped him.
"President, it's a pleasure to meet you. I came here hoping you would give me another chance."
Mr. 3, walking down the stairs, politely bowed to Crocodile and continued, "It's only natural to be hunted by Mr. 2 for failing to complete the mission you assigned. So I deliberately took a detour to the Spider's Cafe, where the agents gather, and followed them all the way here."
Crocodile's expression didn't change much. He called Mr. 3 over, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Mr. 3 by the throat. "You failed your mission, and you still dare to show up here?!"
"If I hadn't encountered one of the Straw Hat crew in this country, I wouldn't have known that on Little Garden, you dared to lie to me, saying those pirates and Vivi were all taken care of by you."
"President, I never used a Den Den Mushi on Little Garden. How could I have contacted you? And the reason my mission failed was because of faulty intelligence. The person protecting Princess Vivi also has a long nose."
Mr. 3 said, very surprised. On Little Garden, he had been so busy running from Luffy that he didn't even have time to hide, let alone report to Crocodile.
Hearing Mr. 3's words, Crocodile remembered something. The first sentence that came from Mr. 3's Den Den Mushi had been, "Hello, this is the Poop Restaurant. Would you like to make a reservation?"
That certainly didn't sound like something Mr. 3 would say. But none of that mattered anymore. Learning that Tom had also come to Alabasta, Crocodile knew the Straw Hats were still alive. He had also received intelligence about the Straw Hats from the Billion-Fold agents in Nanohana.
Mr. 3 hadn't taken out a single Straw Hat on Little Garden. So in Crocodile's eyes, Mr. 3 was useless alive or dead.
Crocodile stood up from his chair, one hand tightly gripping Mr. 3's neck, not giving him another chance to speak. "You useless waste! Do you know why I gave you this position, Mr. 3?"
"In terms of combat power, you're not even as good as Mr. 4! What I valued was your fighting spirit—the willingness to use any dirty trick to complete the mission. But you've greatly disappointed me."
As Crocodile spoke, Mr. 3's body, still in his grip, gradually shriveled like a mummy. "You've greatly disappointed me. People who are useless in critical moments are the most worthless!"
The high-ranking officers present saw Crocodile easily dry out a living person, leaving him half-dead. Their faces turned pale with fear.
Then Crocodile mercilessly threw Mr. 3, who was crying out for water, into the water to feed the banana crocodiles.
Seeing that Mr. 3, who had been one of their fellow high-ranking officers, was instantly fed to the banana crocodiles by Crocodile, the other high-ranking officers dared not say a word.
"Worthless people keep appearing one after another in this world. I can't kill them all!"
After dealing with Mr. 3, Crocodile, with a dark expression, returned to the meeting table. He had Robin show the high-ranking officers photos of Luffy and the others, then slammed the table heavily. "Listen up, everyone! Burn their faces into your memories! Their goal is to stop the rebellion. Even if you don't go looking for them, they will definitely appear! When you see them, kill on sight!"
Seeing the photos of Luffy and the others, Mr. 2 was dumbfounded. Weren't these the people he had encountered at sea? He had even performed his ability for them, letting them slip away right under his nose. But seeing that Crocodile was already enraged, saying anything might land him the same fate as Mr. 3. So he wisely shut up.
"I've received intelligence that the rebel army's leader, Koza, was a childhood playmate of this country's princess. Even if she can't stop a rebellion of seven hundred thousand people, she will at least make the rebel army hesitate. So they absolutely must not meet!"
Crocodile said, "I've already dispatched several Billion-Fold agents to infiltrate the rebel army, but I haven't received reports from them in a long time. This shows the rebel army hasn't taken direct action yet. Regardless, before the operation begins, Vivi must not make contact with the rebel army!"
"Miss Sunday, it doesn't matter if we use Den Den Mushi now. Contact the Billion-Fold agents in Nanohana. Once they spot the Straw Hat crew, eliminate them immediately!"
Crocodile punched the meeting table heavily and said sternly, "Those pirates and Vivi must not be allowed to enter Katorea! If Vivi meets Koza, we'll be in trouble."
"You should set out too, or you'll miss the party."
Crocodile watched Robin leave to carry out his orders, then said to the high-ranking officers, "Our utopia is right in front of us. I don't want to see anyone mess up again. Otherwise, I really will be sorry."
"Go enjoy yourselves. The moment of the Alabasta Kingdom's destruction has finally come! Hahahahaha!"
Crocodile laughed triumphantly as the high-ranking officers departed.
At the same time Crocodile was holding his Utopia operation meeting, in the capital of Alabasta, at the king's palace, King Cobra was discussing matters with his two most trusted subordinates.
Seeing the rebel army getting closer and closer to the capital Alubarna, the royal guard's vice-captains, Pell and Chaka, suggested to King Cobra that the rebel army would eventually attack Alubarna, and the royal army should prepare in advance.
But Cobra disagreed with Pell and Chaka's approach. He was certain that ever since the Dance Powder incident, someone had been trying to take this country. He didn't want the royal army to go to war with the rebel army before finding the mastermind. He knew clearly that doing so would truly destroy the country.
Pell and Chaka felt the king was too merciful. At this point, the two of them alone couldn't calm the restless soldiers anymore. So they wanted the king to make a decision early, but Cobra insisted on not going to war with the rebel army. They had no choice.
Just as Pell and Chaka didn't know what to do, Karoo returned with Vivi's letter. The two quickly ran back to see the king.
"Everything I've written in this letter is true. The person who has been shaking and tormenting this country, trying to drive it down the path of destruction, is Crocodile! Igaram was also murdered, killed by his men. And I am now with a group of trustworthy comrades. I think if we act together, this country will also change. The light of hope is here. Alabasta will be saved. Please believe that, Father."
After reading the contents of Vivi's letter, Cobra finally knew who had been secretly manipulating this country all these years. He covered his forehead with one hand and said regretfully, "I thought that man was with the government, so I let my guard down. I never imagined he was trying to take this country!"
Over the years, on the surface, Crocodile had always been helping Alabasta deal with pirates attacking the country. He hadn't done anything too outrageous. He had also opened the largest casino in the country in Rainbase for people's entertainment. Sometimes he even distributed the casino's profits to the poor. That was why he was deeply loved by the people and hailed as the country's hero.
After learning of Igaram's death, Pell and Chaka were very sad. But Cobra, who had previously avoided battle, changed his attitude and ordered Pell and Chaka, "Now that we know who the enemy is, immediately prepare the soldiers for an expedition!"
"We cannot let Vivi's resolve and Igaram's sacrifice be in vain!"
Standing by the window, Cobra's reflection showed a face full of determination, without a trace of hesitation. He continued, "Launch the attack immediately! Target: Rainbase, where Crocodile is!"
In that moment, Cobra's魄力 (decisiveness) as a ruler was fully revealed. Once he confirmed who the enemy threatening the country was, he acted immediately without delay. To be so decisive on matters concerning the nation's survival was not something ordinary people could do.
Hearing that Cobra wanted to lead the army to attack Rainbase, Pell and Chaka felt it was problematic. First, Rainbase was too far from Alubarna. Such a hasty expedition wouldn't allow the army to prepare adequately.
Second, Crocodile had won the hearts of the people in this country. To put it bluntly, he was more respected than King Cobra himself. Many citizens were already dissatisfied with the king. If they recklessly attacked Crocodile, it might only incite more public anger.
Third, if the king led three hundred thousand troops to attack Crocodile at this time, leaving Alubarna without royal guards, the rebel army could easily take the city. If the capital fell and the king's palace was captured, what then?
"So what if the rebel army takes this palace?"
Cobra said to Pell and Chaka. "I've said it before: a country is its people. Even if our royal army is destroyed, as long as Crocodile is defeated, the people can rebuild the country. If we go to war with the rebel army, then the only one laughing in the end will be Crocodile."
Only then did Pell and Chaka realize that King Cobra saw things far more clearly than they did. Cobra had already considered that this might happen.
"Our enemy is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. We cannot underestimate him. Ending this war without sacrifices is already impossible."
Cobra said to Pell and Chaka. "Immediately convene a war council. Summon the officers!"
"Pell, first scout ahead and assess the enemy's formation!"
As Cobra gave orders to Pell, Chaka watched Cobra's back and thought to himself: It seems we've all underestimated the king. What a formidable presence.
"Organize the army. We leave tomorrow morning. I will personally lead three hundred thousand troops to Rainbase!"
Cobra's face was solemn as he spoke these words.
It could be said that on the night Tom made his decision, Alabasta, shrouded in darkness, was destined not to be calm.
After daybreak, Luffy and the others left Yuba. Toto gave them the small bucket of water he had spent all night digging up.
Last night, Toto had wanted to give Tom some of Yuba's water, but Tom waved his hand and refused. There wasn't much water to begin with.
After saying goodbye to Toto, Luffy and the others headed toward Katorea. During the journey, Vivi kept her head down in silence. Her heart was very confused. She had already decided to tell Luffy that she wanted to go to Rainbase to confront Crocodile, but after seeing Toto, she felt she couldn't ignore the rebel army. Trapped between two difficult choices, she was in pain. She didn't know what to do.
Tom watched Vivi's somewhat frail back and said nothing.
"You didn't sleep last night?"
Nami specially got off the camel and whispered to Tom.
"Yeah. I was thinking about some things."
Tom said to Nami. "Don't worry. I've figured it out."
Nami was about to ask what Tom had been thinking about all night when she noticed that Luffy, who had been walking at the back, had sat down under a withered tree and stopped walking.
"Idiot Luffy, what are you doing?"
Usopp immediately said to Luffy, who wasn't moving.
Everyone was wondering why Luffy had stopped when he said, "I'm not going."
"Hey, Luffy, we don't have time for you to throw a tantrum. Get up."
"Weren't we going back?"
"That's right. We're going to Katorea to stop the rebel army."
Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji couldn't understand. Everyone had rested well last night. Why was Luffy acting crazy so early in the morning? It didn't make sense.
"Just think—if seven hundred thousand rebels and three hundred thousand royal soldiers clash, the consequences would be unimaginable. You know that."
Sanji walked toward Luffy, trying to pull him up. "For Vivi-san's sake, stand up."
"How boring."
Luffy unceremoniously pulled Sanji, who was grabbing his collar, and threw him aside.
"What did you say, you bastard?!"
Sanji, who had been thrown face-down into the sand, got up and shouted angrily at Luffy.
"Vivi!"
Luffy called Vivi's name. Vivi's body trembled. She looked up at Luffy. "What is it?"
"I'm going to beat Crocodile!"
Luffy said to Vivi. "Even if you stop the rebel army, you can't stop Crocodile. We're pirates, so it's better if we don't show up in Katorea."
"Even though this guy has no brain, sometimes he hits the nail on the head."
Sanji no longer tried to pull Luffy up. He felt Luffy was right.
"But, we..."
Before Vivi could finish, Luffy cut her off. "You don't want anyone to die in this war. The country, the people, and us."
"But our opponent is a Warlord of the Sea, and a million people are about to rise up!"
Luffy stared at Vivi and asked deliberately, "Isn't it too naive of you to hope everyone comes out of this unharmed?"
"Luffy, you should consider Vivi's feelings."
Nami saw that after hearing Luffy's words, Vivi's fists were clenched and her body trembled even more. She couldn't help but speak to Luffy. After Vivi and Tom had argued yesterday and arrived at Yuba, Nami had noticed Vivi's mood was very low. Provoked by Luffy like this, she might really break down.
"Nami-san, wait."
Sanji, for once, didn't side with the beautiful woman. Instead, he told Nami not to stop Luffy.
"What's wrong with thinking this way? I don't want anyone to die. Is that wrong?"
Vivi's emotions were clearly out of control. Her voice was higher than usual. She had argued with Tom about similar issues yesterday. But was kindness really wrong? Who could judge that?
"People die."
Luffy said the words Vivi least wanted to hear, his face calm.
Although Vivi knew in her heart that Luffy wasn't wrong, she couldn't accept someone speaking so casually about death. She angrily walked over and slapped Luffy, who had let his guard down, sending him flying. "Shut up! Don't you dare say that again!"
"If you say that again, I'll never forgive you!"
Vivi said to Luffy. "Aren't we here to stop the tragedy? Neither the rebel army nor the royal army is wrong!"
"The people of this country aren't at fault. Why does anyone have to die?!"
Vivi finally spoke the words buried deepest in her heart. "This is all Crocodile's fault!"
"If you already know that, why are you still hesitating? Why are you still risking your life?!"
Luffy crawled out of the sand, jumped over, and punched Vivi, knocking her down.
"Luffy, that's going too far!"
"You bastard, Luffy!"
Usopp and Sanji saw Luffy hit Vivi and were about to stop him when Tom pulled out his fishing rods from his arm-sleeve devices and held them in front of the two. "Don't interfere!"
"Stinky fisherman, what are you doing?!"
As Sanji confronted Tom, Vivi fought back against Luffy, knocking him to the ground. Then Luffy said, "You already know what needs to be done first. So why choose the stupidest way to go get yourself killed?!"
"Because I know the enemy is Crocodile, I have to risk my life to stop his scheme! I can't think of any other way!"
Vivi bit her lip hard. She thought of all the things she had encountered since returning to this country: the once vibrant oasis turned into a lifeless dead city, Rasa, who had grown up alone in that desolate oasis, full of hope yet crushed by despair, and Uncle Toto, once portly but now a hunched, thin old man.
All of it was tormenting her heart. She understood that this country was no longer the one she knew. Her beloved country—its people suffering, even the earth groaning in pain. If she didn't do something, the Alabasta Kingdom wouldn't be far from its end.
"Your life alone isn't enough to bet!"
As Luffy, lying in the sand, said this to Vivi, she slapped him again, her emotions completely out of control.
"Then what do you want me to bet with?! I don't have anything left to wager!"
As Vivi furiously slapped Luffy, she thought of Igaram, who had died. She really didn't want to see anyone else sacrifice. That was the biggest reason for her hesitation and逃避 (running away).
"Then bet our lives along with yours!"
Luffy said to Vivi. "Because we're comrades!"
Hearing Luffy's words, Vivi was dazed for a moment, then the tears in her eyes finally fell. Once she started crying, she couldn't stop. The tears kept flowing.
Since returning to this country, Vivi had appeared strong on the surface. Just last night, she had wiped Toto's tears with a towel, confidently smiling and assuring him she would stop the rebel army. But now, that fragile strength had finally shattered.
Watching Vivi sit on the sand and weep loudly before them, no one spoke. Nami walked over and hugged the crying Vivi, her gaze becoming firm. She knew that next, they would face one of the three great powers of the world—a Warlord of the Sea: Crocodile.
The howling morning wind blew yellow sand into the air, scattering around them. Luffy picked up his straw hat from the sand and put it on his head. He asked Vivi, "Tell me. Where is Crocodile?"
"You've finally decided to face Crocodile?"
Tom asked Vivi, who had stopped crying.
"Yes. I won't run away anymore!"
Vivi nodded solemnly.
"If that's the case, I'll also risk my life to do one thing."
Tom's words made Nami curious. "What do you want to do? Aren't we going after Crocodile?"
"You go after Crocodile. I have another very important thing to do."
Tom spoke.
"Stinky fisherman, what exactly are you planning?"
Sanji saw that Tom was speaking seriously, not joking, and his expression became grave.
"I'm going to stop the rebel army. I won't let them go to war with the royal army."
Tom raised his hand to stop Nami from speaking, then continued to Luffy and the others. "I've thought it through clearly. Among us, I'm the only one who might have the power to forcefully stop an army of seven hundred thousand people."
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T/N :
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