Chapter Eight

Robin carefully led the three of them through the palace, glancing into each room as they passed. Her Devil's Fruit ability made it easy for her to see around corners prior to when the three companions reached them, saving them from being discovered quite a few times.

Sabo noticed that they had long since passed the throne room, but didn't speak up because it remained empty and barren of decorations. Briefly, he wondered why that was, but it was no matter. They finally found the princess and king about five minutes after entering the palace.

Robin quickly pulled back from the lead, forcing the other two to stop short and regain their balance before Sabo composed himself and strode in confidently. Yuki made to follow, but Robin grabbed her arm and shook her head silently.

She frowned, but let Robin pull her back. If they reacted badly to Sabo, then the three of them would have to make a run for it. Besides that fact, Dragon wanted good relations with Alabasta, and they were going to do all in their power to achieve that.

Sabo strode confidently into the room without falter, glancing around once to asses the company's reactions. No one looked angry or scared, so he focused on the king and his daughter.

Bowing low, he decided to start with an introduction. "Your Highnesses, I am a soldier of the revolutionary army sent to speak with you about current affairs. If it would please you, I may come again tomorrow, but I'd prefer to speak sooner rather than later, as I am on a tight schedule. What would you have me do?"

Other than the royal family, there were two guards and a few minor diplomats in the small meeting room, seated around a large table. Princess Vivi's eyes were wide with surprise, but the king had a straight face that gave nothing away. Sabo quickly dismissed the diplomats and guards without a second thought, turning to fully face the royal family.

"I do have companions with me, may we sit?" Sabo asked the king. When he nodded, Sabo called out to Robin and Yuki in the hallway. "Perhaps you may know one of them, Princess. It seems she gave you some trouble a while back."

Vivi narrowed her eyes, gazing at the man suspiciously. When he mentioned the trouble, she instantly visualized Crocodile. She honestly didn't think that he was with them, but it was still good to be cautious.

Robin entered first, head slightly bowed and a frown on her face. She quietly took her seat and stared at her hands while Yuki entered and sat next to her. The pirate had gently placed one hand over her clenched fists, trying to reassure her friend.

"So, what brings you here?" Vivi said rigidly.

Sabo glanced at her and Robin before replying. "Dragon, our leader, wishes to maintain good relations with this kingdom, especially since that incident with the former shichibukai. We apologize for not reaching you sooner, but our hands have been tied with other countries on the verge of collapse," he stated clearly, ducking his head in apology. "I believe that you do not have a good relationship with the World Government, correct?"

The king nodded slowly, letting relief show on his face. "I'm glad you've come. It's not like we're currently in a bad situation, but we have no protection from the sudden influx of pirates caused by Whitebeard's death," he explained.

Sabo grimace. "I guess Sengoku's plan failed. He wanted Whitebeard's death to decrease the amount of pirates, but he acted as a deterrent. Of course you need to be protected from something like them."

"I had hoped we could use the Straw Hat's flag one day, but their captain seems to have gone missing after the death of his... sister," he muttered, slowing as his eyes fell on Yuki. "You resemble her quite a bit, young lady."

Yuki blushed fiercely, hiding her face in her sweatshirt. She hadn't expected to be discovered so soon, especially by someone she had never met. It caught her off-guard, and she was relieved when the king didn't say any more on the subject.

Sabo shook his head sadly. "I know he survived, but he probably won't be back for a while. Luffy- I mean their captain, he has to recover from the strain he put himself through, trying to save Ace."

That earned him a murderous look from Yuki, and he avoided her eyes as he continued on. "We have an offer for you, if you wish to take it. We will provide some form of protection in exchange for you leaving the World Government behind."

Vivi was mildly surprised, that the revolutionaries would only ask for that, but her father seemed tired and resigned. "I agree to the condition. We as a kingdom would appreciate your protection," he replied slowly.

Sabo grinned, catching them all off guard. The others thought it would be strictly business with a member of the revolutionary army. They didn't think an upbeat kid would come to discuss something so important with the rulers of a country.

"Alright, then! Can we speak to the princess in private? We have something that she may be interested in," Sabo asked happily. Yuki briefly glanced at him, suddenly nervous. What if Vivi didn't trust them? Or what if she decided to tell the marines that a person who was supposed to be dead was still alive?

When Vivi agreed, the king interrupted, "No, I still don't trust you. I have no idea who you really are or if you are telling the truth. I will not let my daughter be alone with you for any length of time!"

Vivi sighed, glaring at no one in particular. To her father, she said, "Relax, it's not as if they came here to hurt us. Besides, we both know that Nico Robin joined Luffy's crew a while back. I trust Luffy, so I'll give her a chance."

The king rubbed his temples, "Alright, alright! It's fine with me if you talk to my daughter. We'll have guards posted outside, though! Don't even think of doing anything to hinder our family and country."

Sabo's grin got even bigger, and he thanked the king and ambassadors for their time before rising and moving towards the door. Yuki and Robin rose after Vivi did, and the four of them moved to another, smaller room.

Carefully closing the door so it latched, Vivi asked, "So, what do you want to talk about?" She sounded tense, possibly nervous. That didn't come as much surprise, though, since she was in a room with three powerful and dangerous people.

"Princess, no, Vivi. Please," Sabo stated boldly, calling her attention to him as he explained. "Please, take us seriously. What we'll say may sound odd, very strange, or even impossible, but listen through it all. I know Luffy considers you his nakama, and he is a very important person to me. We need to talk."

Vivi nodded, relaxing fractionally. "I'm going to assume this has something to do with the recent war and... and his disappearance, correct?"

Yuki flinched slightly, and Robin hastily replied, "Yes, it does indeed."

The flinch was barely noticeable, but Vivi was a perceptive person, and clearly noticed the small movement. Into her mind bled an image she had seen recently in the paper, just after the war. Who was the mysterious travel companion Robin had with her, and why was she there?

Pushing the thought down, Vivi spoke quietly. "So what do you want to know?"

Robin continued on, "I am aware of your meeting with Ace, and the fact that you stayed with Luffy's crew for a while is plainly obvious, seeing as we met around that time. We came here for two reasons."

Sabo broke into the pause left after Robin was done. "Yeah, our first reason was that we wanted to discuss the situation between your country and the world government before you threw your lot in with them. The second, more important reason was to ask for your help."

"With what?"

"This," Sabo replied, pulling out a paper from his pocket and holding it up next to Yuki. Vivi nearly fell out of her chair in surprise, her face going as white as the person she was staring at.

"She's... she's..." Vivi stuttered, at a loss for words.

Sabo held up Yuki's crossed out wanted poster, the likeness undeniable.

"Yeah. She's Luffy's sister," Sabo said, lowering his head. "And mine."