At first, he was a bit disbelieving, but that voice, the recent tone, and that face...
The captain of the guard's voice was filled with an almost unbelievable excitement. Princess Vivi, who had been gone for so long, had finally returned. But, Alabasta was now in the midst of war.
Vivi simply nodded, then began to inquire about the current situation in Alubarna. "Where are all the soldiers now? And my father?"
The guard captain lowered his head, his voice faltering, not daring to meet Vivi's eyes: "His Majesty… we just received a chaotic report saying he… he appeared in Nanohana, and… and spoke to the public… now he's gone missing again."
"As for the soldiers, besides the necessary guards at each city gate, all the rest have been dispatched to the South Gate by Lord Chaka and Lord Pell! The Rebel Army, the Rebel Army is almost here!"
Hearing this news from the gate guards, and with her father still missing, Vivi's heart still clenched. She was silent for a moment, but finally raised her head and nodded firmly.
"Alright, I understand. You've all worked hard."
She led the way, passing through the city gate. Smoker, Tashigi, Luffy, and Zoro followed close behind, stepping into Alubarna, the royal capital where war was about to erupt.
"Lady Vivi, where are you going?"
"To stop this war."
Not long after entering the city gate, the oppressive atmosphere was already palpable. Vivi stopped, turning to face her companions.
"The Rebel Army is already advancing."
"I plan to go to the South Gate as the Princess, to try my best to prevent the final outbreak of battle." As she said this, her fingers unconsciously tightened, her nails gently digging into her palm.
I must go. As long as there's a chance to make them stop… even if it's one in ten thousand… But at this moment, a sun-like smile inexplicably bloomed on her face, the smile easing the worry between her brows. Her gaze swept over everyone, landing on Luffy.
It was Luffy who taught her in Yuba that in such moments, she could safely entrust her back to her companions, trusting them.
"Luffy, can I leave Crocodile to you?"
Luffy pulled down his Mugiwara and also showed his smile, "Hehehehehehe."
He laughed, clenching his fist tightly and raising it in the air, "Of course! I'll go beat him up right now!"
A warm current surged through Vivi's heart. She pointed towards the outline of the palace in the city center, calmly analyzing:
"Crocodile's goal is to seize this country. After leaving Rainbase, he still came to Alubarna, so the most likely place he would go is the palace."
Zoro scratched his ear dismissively, then crossed his arms over his chest and exhaled, "So, our goal is just to go to that palace, right? Simple and clear."
"Mm!" Vivi nodded.
Smoker leaned against the wall, resting and catching his breath, slowly exhaling a puff of smoke. White smoke swirled around his pensive face.
"From what you just said, Crocodile organized a Baroque Works, and he also has so-called senior commanders operating here."
His gaze swept over the somewhat empty street before them, and he said to Vivi, "In that case, if you go to the South Gate alone, you might encounter those guys. It's too dangerous."
Smoker straightened up. Although his face was still somewhat pale, he still possessed a resolute conviction that inspired trust.
"Tashigi and I will go to the South Gate with you. As Marine, we might be able to make the Rebel Army pause, at least somewhat. Then, once the situation there stabilizes a bit, we'll go to the palace."
As expected of Captain Smoker…!
Tashigi watched Smoker from the side, her heart filled with admiration.
Even in such a terrible physical state, he could still calmly analyze the situation, make the most reasonable arrangements, prioritizing the protection of civilians and preventing larger-scale conflicts!
Hearing Smoker's words, a flash of gratitude crossed Vivi's eyes. She nodded heavily: "Okay! Thank you both!"
Seeing time was of the essence, Zoro shrugged and was already striding towards the palace: "In that case, let's not waste any more time. Let's go."
Vivi took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the South Gate, with Smoker and Tashigi following behind her.
"Bye-bye! Vivi! You can do it!" Luffy waved his arms vigorously from behind, shouting loudly.
But Vivi didn't look back, she just raised her arm high, the symbol of her companions, and waved it vigorously in response… The streets of Alubarna now were terrifyingly quiet compared to yesterday.
Luffy and Zoro were following the direction Vivi had just pointed. In the deserted streets and alleys, they could even hear their footsteps on the stone slabs.
Most of the shops on both sides of the street had their doors and windows tightly shut, with an occasional glimpse of a resident's terrified face flashing past a window.
There were also a few scattered individuals with bags on their backs, frantically running in directions other than the South Gate, attempting to escape the city that was about to be engulfed in war.
"Zoro, do you think we're going the wrong way?" Luffy looked around, feeling that the surrounding buildings were increasingly out of place.
"How could that be!"
Although Zoro's face was certain, the path he was taking had already deviated from the main road, beginning to turn into a relatively secluded alley.
Just as Zoro's words fell, a tall, silent figure emerged from the shadows of the alley, blocking their path.
Luffy immediately recognized the other party, instantly adopting a fighting stance, pointing at him and shouting, "It's that guy! The one we met in Small Garden!"
However, Zoro's lips curled into a battle-ready smile. Looking at the guy who had defeated him in Small Garden, he slowly tied on his bandana:
"My purpose for coming here is him. Luffy, you go ahead."
"Alright!"
Seeing Zoro already in position, Luffy responded readily, not even sparing Mr.1 another glance. He simply ran past him, continuing his journey to the palace.
Zoro's hand rested on the hilt of wado ichimonji, his gaze fixed on Mr.1. Remembering Baroque Works' rule of partners acting together, he said, "Hey, you octopus bald-head, where's your partner?"
Mr.1's arms transformed into two sharp blades, glinting coldly.
His voice was deep as he looked towards the direction of the South Gate: "She has other matters. I was originally planning to wait for someone here."
Mr.1's gaze swept over Zoro, and he said with a hint of disappointment, "I didn't expect it would be you I waited for."
Zoro had tied his bandana, and all three of his swords were drawn. With a wild smile, he bit wado ichimonji in his mouth and said:
"You octopus bald-head, I'm right here, and you're still thinking about someone else?"
"This time, just wait to be cut down by me."