King Cobra hugged the princesses of Cresta, as tight as he could. It was a hug that came from a father. He knew these three since they were children, often causing mischief every time they visit but that doesn't make him love them any less.
They are bright and cheerful, always full of smiles whenever King Cobra sees them and it pains him to see the light in their eyes change from happiness to grievance.
"You've been through so much, but you three are strong. You need to be in the days to come." The three of them are aware of this, they have no choice but to be as strong as they can.
"Thank you..." They bowed to him that elicits a burst of laughter from King Cobra, amused as the three never bowed before him as respectfully as this.
"You do not need to thank me. You are like daughters to me and that will never change."
"Even though we cause chaos every time we visit?" Ann had the courage to humor the King of Alabasta. The last time they visited, they caused a disturbance in a local inn, eating as many foods as they can before running away without paying for the meals. The owner of the inn was furious because that was the 4th time that the sisters did it to him.
"Yes, even though you cause chaos and mischief. Come, let us all dine. You must be famished from the long journey." They ushered towards one of the dining halls of the palace. King Cobra chose to lead them to a smaller dining room where the food has been served.
Not all palace servants are aware that the princesses of Cresta are here. Vivi and the others are being careful to keep the information only to those they trusted. They can't be sure if there are spies amongst the servants.
As soon as they see the food laid before them, the sisters' stomach started growling, making the King and Princess Vivi laugh. Soon, Pell, Chaka, Igaram, and Koza joined them for dinner.
To be surrounded by these people gives the three of them nostalgic feelings. It feels amazing to be able to see familiar faces at times like these. It encourages them that they still have people they can lean on.
After dinner, they proceed to a different room to talk about what's happening around the world. The sisters have been away for quite some time and there's bound to be a lot of changes they do not know yet. Even though Nami and Koala gave them a few details, those are still not enough.
"Do we have any information about Akainu's recent movements?" Sab asks.
"From the information that Shanks gave us, Akainu is currently occupying Cresta's Royal Palace and is using a certain land, 10 miles southwest of Cresta where most of his soldiers are." King Cobra said.
Cresta's a very small king compared to their allies but they have one of the most powerful armies out there despite the small number. They've won battles numerous despite being at a disadvantage in the number of soldiers.
"The people around the world are doubting Cresta so we speak. Akainu's claims cannot easily be refuted." The King of Alabasta added.
Cresta's Royal palace is secluded, almost unreachable and the fact that it is right beside the Dark Forest makes things suspicious. Most Kingdoms will have their Royal Palace at the center of their kingdom but not Cresta. It's as if the Royal Palace is on another dimension - all on its own.
Its cities are quite far from the Royal Palace and only a handful of royal soldiers live in the vicinity of the Royal Family while most of their soldiers are miles away from the Palace.
Akainu planted the seed of doubt by pointing this information, further solidifying the doubts - the doubts that they are conspiring against the Otherworldly.
"Even if most of the people do not believe in Otherworldly, they are making use of this confusion to attack the kingdoms allied with Cresta." Pell said. "Apologies for saying this, Your Highnesses, but the people are against Cresta right now."
"At this point, what others think is the least of our concerns, Pell." Ann's eyes darted to Pell then to the others in the room. "We are here to take back our kingdom and save our parents."
"That may prove to be harder than expected, Ann. Akainu has a lot of magicians in their arsenal. They've amassed men to join their armies against Cresta." Nami answered.
"They've taken Cresta. What more do they want?" Sab's voice quivered in anger. Kingdoms' wars are mostly about territories, expanding as much as possible because territories mean influence and power.
"It is unclear what he wants but it does not matter. We must stop him and take back our Kingdom." Luffia's voice is full of conviction, hatred for the man who caused this chaos and determination to save their parents. She will not be sitting, doing nothing while their people suffer from the hands of Akainu.
There's a little information about Akainu, where he came from, or how he came to power. One day, there were rumors of an army gathering not far from Cresta's neighboring Kingdoms, and all of a sudden the said army is at Cresta's doorsteps. It turns out it is a carefully woven plan conspired against Roger by the nobles of Cresta who are living far from the Royal Palace. It was a war born from the betrayal of those who should be serving the king.
"Help us send word to Shanks. He knows our father's old acquaintances that can help us." Sab knows that before their father became King of Cresta, he traveled all over the world, making allies along the way. Most of the friends he made are secluded individuals that the world is not aware of.
"Do not worry. Shanks is already making his move, so we speak. The other allies of Cresta are making their moves to help take back Cresta." Chaka said.
The sisters knew that they can count on these allies to have their backs but at the same time they worry. These allies have their own kingdoms to worry about. Now that Akainu stirred doubts to the people, it is only a matter of time before an internal conflict will happen in kingdoms.
Loyalty versus doubts. Are the people willing to set aside their doubts and trust the leaders to continue supporting Cresta's Royal family? Or are they going to demand to cut off the ties? There is no doubt that people will be divided according to their beliefs and this is a far more damaging concern than fighting.
There's only one thing they must do. They have to prevent things from getting worse. Taking back Cresta is their priority.
"We will not linger here any longer. We will travel to Baltigo tomorrow."
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
"How far are we from that kingdom?" The impatient voice echoed in the four corners of the room. The person who asked the questions is looking at the window, staring at the calm sea but his mind is somewhere else.
"According to this map, we should be arriving there in a day." Robin answered. The creatures aboard the ship are relying on Robin to navigate for them. She knows the human realm better than anyone else.
With the help of Namur - a Fishman from Fishman Island - the ship is sailing in the correct direction.
Raftelians, especially the High Princes, have never been outside of Raftel. Except for those who were around the time when the great war emerged. Seeing the world outside of Raftel is odd for them. Who could have thought that the ocean is so vast?
Right now, the High Princes are holding onto the hope that the princesses are in Alabasta based on their dreams last time. Those dreams are a painful reminder for Marco and Kidd.
"Do we have any word from Raftel?" Marco decided to change the topic. If they are to dwell on how long they have to wait until they arrive in Alabasta, there's no doubt that it will only cause distress amongst them - he and Kidd especially. Their patience is running thin as it is when quelling their desires to just fly and search for the princesses.
"They've assigned multiple beastmen when patrolling around the borders. With the attacks recently, we could not get careless after all. The remaining Warrior Commanders are working together to tighten the security of Raftel now that the three of you are away."
Marco nods. He feels ashamed that he left his responsibilities as the High Prince of Ipraecia but this is something he must do. His people need him, but he needs Ann, now more than ever. He cannot permit himself to not do anything when he knows his mate is in danger.
"Is there any news about Sakazuki or Teach?" Zoro asks. Unlike Kidd and Marco who are here on this journey for their mates, Zoro has no clear reason why he wants to join them, making his people curious if the youngest human princess is his mate. Yes, he wants to help find the human princesses, but what is his personal reason? Zoro is unable to provide answers.
He feels as if he needs to be here. Was it his swords that seeks battle? Was it his instincts telling him to go? He does not know. All he knows is that he needs to be here. Just thinking about the annoying human princess, he can't help but smile.
"There is none yet and I can't help but wish there will be none. If they are behind the attack against Cresta..." Izou trailed off, not daring to finish that sentence. Thatch is there to place his hand on top of her shoulders, calming her down. The near-death experience Thatch has to go through at the hands of Teach is a painful reminder that the bastard may do the same thing again - and this terrifies her.
Not just her, but the Raftelians also fear the return of Teach. His dark magic is forbidden magic that everyone despises. They may fear his power but it does not mean they will cower when it comes to a confrontation. The beasts are driven by their instincts, competitiveness, and their desires to battle. If an opportunity comes to get their revenge against the traitors, they will do it without a doubt.
As they contemplate a few things, their ship continues to travel towards Alabasta with the help of Namur who is navigating for them. He spends a few hours in the sea, right below the ship to push it to travel as fast as it could. He knows that the High Princes wanted to arrive as soon as they can and he wants to help them.
With his efforts, the ship arrived on the coast of Alabasta in the middle of the night, 6 hours earlier than anticipated. Robin said that with the ship's full speed, they will be able to arrive early morning, but due to Namur's help, they can shorten that time.
"Alabasta is a kingdom with a vast land territory or more like desert territory. With camels as a means of transportation, we will arrive in the Royal Palace approximately after a few hours." Robin explained as soon as they docked. "I will be dealing with the coast guards. Izou, would you like to accompany me? They say that humans are quite weak when it comes to anything beautiful."
"Oi, don't tell me you are trying to bewitch them using my mate?" Thatch voices disapproval of the idea. No beat likes sharing their mate.
"Oh, for goodness' sake, Thatch. Be silent there and let women handle these things." With that, the two women walk towards the deck to face the humans waiting for them.
Izou's pointy ears are now hidden by magic. She looks like a human princess.
"Good evening gentlemen." Robin greeted, smiling at the humans.
"Good e-evening." The man was shocked to see two beautiful women at this time. The ship that docked does not look fancy. No flags that symbolize where it came from or who is aboard the ship. One would think that this is a normal ship used for trades, but it is not. Not when two beautiful women just emerged from below deck.
"We are from the neighboring country of Cresta. We have come here to replenish our supplies. The war against Cresta gave us no choice but to flee from our home, away from the war as much as possible." Robin said, feigning sadness while looking at the man.
Humans' wills are swayed by things seen with their eyes. Men who see beauty tremble upon the sight. This is why women hold power against men whose wills are weak. Robin is making use of that advantage so they can easily enter the country. As much as they can, they must slip in this kingdom without suspicion. If they are detected, it could be disadvantageous for them.
Either the princesses will be running away again or the enemy will know that they are from Raftel. both cases won't do them any good. Even though it is not certain that it is Akainu who is behind the chaos in the human realm, Raftelians are being cautious and treating the situation with the idea that it is Akainu's doing.
"We have to travel without stopping at any ports. If you'd be so kind as to lead the way and let us rest, I will appreciate it." Izou's charm is out of this world, her eyes are sparkling under the moonlight, making the men in front of them think she is a goddess. They tremble upon the sight so dazzling.
"Of c-course." They nodded as if they are in a trance, leading the way towards an inn.
"We have companions. You don't mind, do you?" Izou's eyes bore to their soul, making them bend their wills in favor of her.
"That is no problem at all." Izou smiles at the two men before she communicated with Thatch telepathically, signaling them to come out of hiding.
All of them wore robes to conceal their faces. Even though they all look human, with the exception of Chopper, it is still best not to show their faces to avoid any mishaps.
As soon as all of them emerged from below the deck, the two humans trembled at their presence. Even with the robes concealing their appearances, this will not hide the overbearing presence the three High Princes have.
When the human looked at Kidd, he stared back, reddish-brown eyes sparkled with unspeakable power the human has never seen before. The depth of those eyes is out of this world. He stumbled back, landing on his butt on the ground, shaking in fear after looking at Kidd's eyes.
Killer's hand landed on Kidd's shoulder, preventing him from doing anything that could jeopardize their mission.
"Pardon the rudeness of our companion. We've been through so much, tired from our journey. I hope you will not take offense on this." Robin is trying her best to contain the situation. Kidd is never fond of humans. For him to be in a city full of humans is nothing but an atrocity - an insult to his pride. But he is setting his pride aside for the human mate.
With Robin and Izou's efforts, they were able to find an inn that they can use. Namur is on the ship to guard it. The weather of Alabasta does not fit his kind who thrives in the water.
"We want to seek an audience with the Royal family of Alabasta. Is there a way to find a ride towards the Royal Palace?" The straightforward question from Robin startled the humans who are leading them to an inn not too far from the coast.
"Seeking an audience with the Royal Family is not easy unless they know you." The humans eyed them warily but in their minds, they think that these people are someone important from a kingdom. Their beauties and auras are out of this world. It makes sense if they are nobles, if not Royalties. But why would a member of a Royal Family ride a plain old ship?
"We would like to rent a means of transportation towards the Royal Palace. Would you kindly arrange those for us so we can depart tomorrow? In exchange, we will give you these..." Robin presented several gold coins to them, placed in a pouch.
The humans' eyes looked at the money being offered and without a doubt, they agreed. As most people are asleep at this time, their group was able to get into a decent looking inn without a fuss from the humans.
"Can you sense your mate, Killer?" Robin asked as soon as they are inside their designated room. They rented the third floor of the inn, having plenty of rooms to occupy. It was a mediocre inn compared to the comforts of their palaces back in Raftel but there's nothing they can do about this. They are not here for leisure after all.
"We have not known each other to build a stable spiritual bond so I cannot track her location as much as I want to, hence, I will rely on her smell but this kingdom reeks of smell. It is everywhere." For beasts like them, they rely on their sense of smell, but it proves as a disadvantage especially in an environment like this.
Chopper who has a very sensitive sense of smell is having a hard time with this kingdom, often covering it with a cloth to avoid smelling more than he wants to.
"We will proceed to the Royal Palace tomorrow morning. Traveling in the middle of the night is not a good idea, they will be more suspicious of us."
"And what do we do once we arrive at the Royal Palace? They do not know us. They will not heed our request." Izou voiced out.
"If none of them will hear us, they will pay for it. I don't mind destroying their palace." Kidd said, eyes flaring. He is serious and everyone can see that Marco will not hesitate to do the same. There is no doubt that one of them is enough to destroy the palace, but that is not what they want to happen.
"I've met the King before. In one of my explorations of historic sites in the human realm. I cannot be sure if he will recognize me, but it is worth trying. The least we want to happen is to cause a commotion." The meeting was years ago, almost 15 years and in those years, Robin did not age at all. Her appearance remains the same but the same circumstance cannot be said for the King of Alabasta. After all, humans age faster than Raftelians.
For now, what they can hope is that the princesses are there and if they aren't, what they can hope is to find their whereabouts.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Morning came, the twins are getting ready to depart after lunch. It is in the middle of the day and most of the time, people of Alabasta will not get out of their houses due to the heat from the sun.
Even though people here are used to the heat, that does not mean they want to be under it when it is at its peak.
After breakfast, they asked Vivi to ready everything they needed. Last night, they contacted Usopp and Franky that they will depart at 1:00 PM. Instead of traveling back to Sandora, they will rendezvous in the hidden coast east of Alubarna, an hour of travel from the Royal Palace.
While the twins are busy preparing everything they will need for this journey towards Baltigo, Luffia slipped past them to see the Royal Capital. It's been years since she's been here after all.
She is cautious not to get spotted, wearing a robe as well as a cloth covering most of her face.
While looking around, she can see that there's nothing that changed in the capital, except for the whispers from people in the alleys. She overheard them talking about the rumors surrounding Cresta. That made her clench on her robe.
They are doubting their father, spouting insults. As a daughter, she wants to tell them what happened, that none of those rumors are true. Those are the fabricated lies woven by Akainu to defame their father. Not only that usurper wants their kingdom, but he also wants to insult them.
Luffia can only walk away. It will not do them any good if she will act out of sheer anger from what she's hearing. It takes a lot of her willpower to prevent herself from acting there and put these people in their places.
Walking in the alleys, she smiles while looking at the old pub she visited when she was a teenager. She was lost at that time and the old man helped her, even going as far as offering her a glass of juice.
Her feet brought her into the old pub. She wonders if the old man is still there, alive and well. He might be. She wants to go inside but hesitation is creeping into her. Maybe she will visit him when everything's back to normal, but will it? There's no definite and clear answer to that.
As she was about to go back towards the main road, she stopped dead on her tracks upon seeing a group of people passing by while riding on a camel.
There are eight of them, all wearing a robe to conceal their faces, but even so, she recognized the swords protruding from one man's robe. Three swords. She may not have stayed in Raftel for too long but she recognizes those swords.
And when her eyes looked at the others, she notices one particular person whose hand is holding onto the ropes behind the camel. The hand is full of silver and gold thick bracelets with intricate designs along with Beogia's insignia. There's no doubt, that is Kidd. With heart racing, she hid from them, afraid of being discovered.
The scents around are preventing them from discovering Luffia's presence and the stone she is still wearing is also helping the concealment.
"Oh, no..." She muttered to herself. The High Princes are searching for Sab and Ann. While this should be a piece of joyous news, Luffia knows that her sisters will not like it. They left Raftel hoping that Raftelians will not be dragged in the war, but here they are, seeking the princesses - their mates.
Luffia saw the conflict in Ann's eyes whenever she stares at the stone. She heard them talking about Marco and Kidd. Sab firmly believes that Kidd will not be looking for her. Will she be happy if she finds out that he traveled to the human realm to look for her?
Will Ann finally come to terms of accepting her fate with Marco? Several questions are forming in Luffia's head while she willed the super spot-billed duck towards the Palace. Should she tell her sisters of the arrival of the High Princes here in Alabasta?
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
"I think you all must leave now." Vivi said to the twins as soon as she stepped into the room. "Our people reported the arrival of a suspicious ship last night. They said they are nobles from the neighboring kingdom of Cresta." The twins looked at each other, hearts racing. Is Akainu sending his men after them now?
Nami and Koala are worried about the situation. They must leave now.
They know that Akainu will not let them escape from his clutches. If they are going to be captured here, all of their efforts will be in vain. It will cause a disaster to Alabasta if that were to happen.
"Where is Luffia?" Ann asked immediately and they realized that they have not seen their youngest sister for an hour now.
"That fool! Did she slip past the palace?!" Sab almost cursed under her breath. This is the worse time for Luffia to be sightseeing. If she is discovered by their enemies, the twins won't know what to do.
They have about 3 hours before their designated time to leave, but if there's a suspicious people who arrived here, they might as well leave now.
"Princess Vivi! Luffia just arrived at the back along with a Super spot-billed duck." Pell announced which made the twins sigh in relief. They will be reprimanding Luffia later. They must get out of here first.
"Pell, guide them to the secret passage towards the hidden coast. We will contact Franky and Usopp to hurry. I will get Luffia instead." All of them brought their necessities as they run towards the secret passage only used by the Royals. They have several super spot-billed ducks ready for them. Rather than using a camel, these animals run faster.
While the princesses are ushering towards the secret passage, leaving the Royal Palace of Alabasta, the Raftelians are getting near the Royal Palace.
Within half an hour, they arrived in front of the huge gate of the palace.
Robin asked a human to guide them towards the palace. They could run towards their destination, but that only raises suspicions. Kidd was against getting a human to guide them, but they have no choice on the matter.
As soon as they entered the vicinity of the palace, Marco and Kidd can faintly smell their mates. Their instincts are whispering in their minds to take action. They would have succumbed to their instincts had it not been for Thatch and Killer's hands preventing them from doing anything drastic.
"State your business!" The Royal guards of Alabasta shouted, forming a line in front of the strangers. They can sense the aura emitting from this group and they are right to be intimidated.
"We come here to seek an audience with the King of Alabasta, Nefertari Cobra."
"And who may you be, my lady?" One of the guards asked Robin.
She removed her hood, revealing her face.
"Please tell King Cobra that 'Robin' from the historic site is humbly requesting for an audience." Kidd almost snorted at the words coming from Robin.
The Royal guard - Chaka - nodded at Robin. "I will convey your words with His Majesty. In the meantime, please find yourselves an inn to rest. We will find you when his Majesty has decided if he should meet you." Chaka is aware that this group of people are the ones who arrived last night.
At this moment, the princesses are making their way towards the hidden coast to board the Thousand Sunny. He will buy them as much time as possible.
"We cannot wait." Marco spoke, looking up, eyes staring directly at Chaka. The intensity of his eyes almost made Chaka shiver. This man is dangerous, that he can tell. The depth of his blue eyes is staring into Chaka's soul as if sucking it in.
As one of the Head Guards of Alabasta's Royal Family, he prided himself with strength and his fame as one of Alabasta's trusted guards is being whispered around the world, yet here he is, mustering all willpower he can muster just to prevent himself from shivering in front of this man.
The rest of his men are in a worse situation than he is, shivering upon the sight of those blue eyes.
As if it's not enough, Kidd looked up, revealing reddish-brown eyes. A few of the guards landed on the ground, shivering at the sight of their eyes.
"Pardon the rudeness, Sir. But we are in a hurry. We cannot wait any longer. You must deliver the message to the King." Robin said, smiling as calm as she can but deep inside, she knows it is only a matter of time before either Kidd or Marco snaps. She is doing this to avoid any humans getting hurt.
"Your words sound threatening, Miss Robin."
"It is not my intention to threaten you, Sir. But my companions are not patient enough to wait another day. You must deliver that message." Chaka looked at the two men. Even with their numbers, Chaka can sense that they cannot win against these people. He will avoid getting his men hurt as much as he can.
"Very well. I will deliver the message but you will stay here until I come back."
"If you take more than half an hour, I will assure you these gates won't keep up from getting inside." Kidd threatened, making the guards gripped on their weapons, pointing towards the strangers.
Chaka debated internally, but with the given timeframe, they can buy the princesses enough time to get as far away as possible. With the Thousand Sunny's equipment, there is no doubt that they are on their way out of Alabasta's ocean territory.
He nodded at Kidd before walking towards the palace, meeting Igaram on his way. The two of them find themselves in the King's chambers, delivering the message.
"Robin?" King Cobra frowned, trying to remember if he knows someone of that name. "You said she is from the historic site?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Cobra remembers now. But why would she be here after all these years? It's been more than a decade since they met, why seek him?
He can still remember the woman he met at one of the historic sites that belong to Alabasta's abandoned islands. The island was a few miles away from Alubarna. Cobra was exploring that island and that's when they met. He was fascinated by how she can read the ancient symbols from the Poneglyphs.
Poneglyphs are very rare stones, they are indestructible, but what made them rare is the mysterious symbols written in them. According to myths, these are the stones carved by the Otherworldly centuries ago.
"She brought companions, Your Majesty. One look at them, I know they are dangerous. If they are Akainu's men who are after the princesses, I cannot be sure that our men will be able to win against them." Chaka said. It pains him to say this, but he knows he is weaker than them.
"The princesses should be boarding the ship now. If we keep them waiting, they might be suspicious. Bring them here so I can buy time for the princesses."
Chaka nodded and left along with Igaram. As they left the King in the room, Vivi arrived, sweating profusely.
"Father! I heard that there are people seeking for an audience."
"Vivi. It is best if you - "
"I will stay here with you." She interrupted which gave the king no choice but to let her stay as they wait for their guests. "Thousand Sunny was in time to take the princesses out of Alabasta." Vivi said. From what Nami said, they used Coup de Burst, a trump card of Thousand Sunny to boost its speed. Given the time, they should be miles away from Alabasta now.
The king can sigh in relief at that. If these people wanted to bring harm to the princesses, at least they have escaped.
The wait is not long for the king and princess of Alabasta. The guests arrived, escorted by Chaka and Igaram who immediately stood behind the king.
King Cobra's eyes cannot believe what he's seeing right now. It's been 15 years since he met Robin and even if that meeting was nothing but short, he can still remember how she looks. 15 years and she looks the same.
"Greetings, King Cobra. I hope you can still remember me." She slightly bowed as a form of respect to his status, but not the ones behind her. They remain standing there, looking at the human king intensely.
Chaka can feel regret bringing them here. They dared to not show respect to the king.
"Yes, I can still remember you, Miss Robin. After all, you are the only one whom I've met that can read those symbols. And you look exactly the same as I remember 15 years ago." There are no hidden flatteries in those words. It was stated as the truth. Robin only smiled as an answer.
"We come here to ask for the princesses." She stated, almost making the humans tense.
"Princesses? I'm afraid I do not know what you are talking about. I only have a daughter." King Cobra is a master of feigning ignorance. What he can do is lie and buy time.
"Do not lie to me, human!" One tall figure stepped in front of Robin, removing his hood and revealing a striking red hair and reddish-brown eyes that startled the humans. "They are here. I can smell it!"
King Cobra swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to calm his nerves.
"Where are the princesses of Cresta? You best not lie to me, human." The man is staring at King Cobra with an intensity that they have never seen before. What surprises the king of Alabasta is the way he speaks to him, calling him human as if... as if he's not.
"I know you are allied with Cresta's Royal Family." Another man stepped in, removing his hood. This time, it was a blue-eyed blond man. "Where are they, yoi? If you are going to hide them from us, I swear there will be none left of this palace when we search for it."
Their patience is gone now. The palace has a faint smell of the humans. When Marco and Kidd entered, they can smell them but when they tried to search for their presence, they are gone.
"Need I remind you that you are in my palace, in my kingdom. You do not have the right to demand anything from me, much less the princesses!" Cobra slammed his palms on the table. There is no way that he will tell these people where the three sisters are. He'd rather die than sell them out.
"Do not test my patience!" Kidd's hand transformed into claws, causing cracks on the table. Chaka and Igaram are shocked at the display, taking their weapons out.
Vivi and Cobra are staring at the man. The hand that transformed couldn't have belonged to a human. This only tells them that this man is an Otherworldy.
Cobra is aware of their existence, he believes in them. With the stories passed down from generations, he knows that they exist. Even though he knows they exist, it does not mean he knows all the details surrounding them.
Vivi, on the other hand, is conflicted upon seeing this man. There are anger and desperation in his eyes that made her sympathize with him. Not just him, but the blond man beside him as well. They have the same expressions of longing and desperation.
"Pardon their attitudes. We do not mean to threaten you. All we want is to know where Ann, Sab, and Luffia are." Another figure removed her hood, revealing a very beautiful woman, but there's something different about her. It was her ears. They are not round but pointed - like an elf. This group is not a group of humans but a group of Otherworldly.
"Why do you want to know where they are?" Vivi asks.
"You may think that we are here to harm them and for you not to provide us a piece of information tells us that you care for the three of them. Let me assure you that we will never harm them."
"You may claim that but we do not know any of you. In a time of war between kingdoms and Cresta's people in the brink of extinction, we will never tell you where they are." Vivi stood her ground against them. She is afraid, yes, but she will not sell them out.
"Pardon if we did not introduce ourselves. My name is Izou, I am a Warrior Commander from the Raftel's Kingdom of Ipraecia." The mention of Raftel shocked the humans, but not Vivi. "This is His Highness, High Prince Kidd from Beogia." She said while looking at the red-haired man. "And this is our High Prince of Ipraecia, Marco."
"Why are you looking for them?"
"Because Ann is Marco's mate while Sab is Kidd's." Izou answered.
Vivi nodded. There is a reason why she is not shocked by the revelation. It is because of what Luffia told her when they are on their way to follow the twins.
"Vivi." Luffia called, grabbing her arm, stopping her from continuing.
"What is it?" They are pressed for time. If the people find them here, no one can tell what will happen with the princesses.
"I know those people."
"What?"
"The suspicious people that you said who arrived last night. I know them." This confuses Vivi.
"How do you know them? If you know them, the twins know them as well!"
"Yes." She nodded solemnly, conflicted by her thoughts. "But their presence might not be welcomed by my sisters. Even I do not know if they should be involved in this war too. We do not want history to repeat itself."
Vivi is getting more confused every second because of what Luffia is telling her, but she swallowed the questions, waiting for Luffia to say anything.
"Those people are from Raftel. They are the ones who helped us when we escaped from Cresta and hid in the Dark Forest."
"Wait, I thought that you - "
"Yes, we were in the Dark Forest, but not long, we traveled to Raftel. It's a long story, but those people will not harm us."
"Then what is the point of running away if they won't harm you? We should tell your sisters!" Luffia only shook her head.
"My sisters will run away, as far as they can once they know who came here. It is complicated and we do not have time to dwell on this story. If they ask for us, it is up to you if you want to tell them." Luffia is conflicted between what she must do. A part of her wants to see the Raftelians, but part of her doesn't want them involved in this war.
If they meet them now, they will inevitably involve themselves and her sisters do not want that to happen at all. Even if Luffia is selfish, she respects the wishes of her sisters. This is why she is leaving fate in Vivi's hands.
"There is a reason why they want to run away from you." Vivi solemnly said. "Luffia is aware that you are coming here."
High Prince Kidd and High Prince Marco all look surprised upon this revelation but the look of surprise is immediately replaced with confusion.
"Why didn't she say anything? Why did she run away as well?" When another figure removed his hood, revealing a green-haired man beneath the robe, Vivi is not shocked to see another glare coming from this group.
"Because she knows that her sisters will not be welcoming your presence." Vivi's words deliver a heavy blow against Kidd and Marco. Their eyes turned sad, almost desperate. She feels bad for saying these, but she must.
"Vivi..." Her father called out to her, asking for an explanation.
"Luffia told me about them, father." She answered. "Albeit it is only a brief explanation. They do not want all of you to be involved in this war."
"Do you think I want to involve myself with humans? No! I do not want to, but if she is involved in this war, then so will I." The red-haired man shouted. His hand is still transformed into claws.
"Their enemies are our enemies, yoi." The blond man's shoulders are flickering with blue flames, startling the humans. "I will gladly spill the blood of her enemies." And none of them doubts his words.
Vivi can see their sincerity, making things more difficult for her. Luffia tasked her with a very difficult decision to handle.
Her eyes darted to her Royal father who only sighed in response to her, letting her decide what to do next.
"They left approximately an hour ago. They are on their way to the hidden island of Baltigo." The moment she gave their whereabouts, their faces immediately lit up. "There are several routes to Baltigo. Allies of Cresta are gathering on the island to launch an attack against Akainu and his army."
"Princess Vivi, are you sure - " Pell's voice quivered a little. Providing this information to these strangers is dangerous.
"If they mean to harm them, they would have stormed in the palace a long time ago." Vivi's instincts are telling her to trust these creatures. Even if they are not human, not to mention, they helped the princesses when they escaped from Akainu.
"How do we get to Baltigo?" Robin asked.
"It will take 2 weeks - 10 days if you are pushing it. It depends on the weather as well."
"If we leave now, will we be able to catch up to them?"
"I doubt." Vivi answered. "Nami's an exceptional navigator. With the routes available, we are not sure which one they took."
"Is there any way for you to contact them?" The green-haired man asks.
"It is dangerous to keep communicating using denden mushi. There are risks of being tracked by enemies which is why we don't want to use it. The sisters promised to call us once they are halfway to Baltigo. As I see things, I don't think going to Baltigo will be beneficial for you. It takes a lot of time to travel towards the hidden island and who knows, by the time you arrive, the allies would have left already."
"Are you suggesting we wait for them to go back to Cresta?" Marco's voice rang dangerously through the four corners of the room. His patience is long gone. Now that they know where they are, they will not be wasting their time.
"Calculating the time to get there by ship, it will take two weeks. But with Nami onboard and navigating, I doubt they need 10 days to get there. A week and they will be in Baltigo. With the allies already gathered, all they are waiting for are the sisters' arrival to Baltigo before they launch an attack to Cresta. This is up to you. You can follow them now and see if you can find anyone in Baltigo by the time you arrive, or you can wait for more than a week and sail towards Cresta to catch them when they launch an attack."
"I believe the latter option is the best option we have." Izou, the elf has spoken.
"What?!"
"Think about it, Marco. It will be a waste of time if, by the time we got to that island, they already left."
"We can fly - "
"Flying is out of option and you know that. Think of the risks that you will place them into if you are seen by humans flying towards Baltigo."
All of them are silent. Just by the conversation, Vivi was reminded that these creatures are not human. Knowing that they can fly should not be surprising at all.
With all things considered, Vivi offered something she never thought she would.
"You can stay here in Alabasta for the time being."
Suffice to say, this earned a lot of surprised reactions from the people in the room.