Vivi spent the rest of the day walking through the city of Alubarna, visiting the various shops and stalls there. She wanted to make sure that she saw every face that inhabited her precious city, making sure that no one would be left out of her heart. Some greeted her with waves and formal acknowledgements, others to thank her for all that she had done for them.
While walking past a food mart, she spotted a few suspicious looking characters out the corner of her eye. They were staying close together and were looking around making sure no one saw them. Staying out of sight she observed the men's actions
The men maneuvered their way around and through the various shops, and eventually led a woman into a dark dead-end alley. Vivi, taking out her peacock strings, ran towards the men in the alley. When she got there she saw them, backing her up against the stone wall, and trying to rip her clothes off. She was a fighter, but there were too many men trying to get her. That was until Vivi's string came and wrapped around one of their necks. She pulled hard and he was flung against the opposite wall. The two remaining men turned to attack. One pulling out a couple of knives, the other unsheathing a sword.
Vivi got set, a confident look on her face. This would be her final test before leaving her homeland. Dodging the one with the knives, she turned her attention to the swordsman. He tried to bring his sword down on her head, but she easily dodged and set up for an attack.
"Peacock string slam!" She shot the string straight up into the sky and then brought it down like an extremely long hammer against his head. He was knocked out cold.
Knives wielder, as she had decided to nickname him, was trying to surprise her from behind, but she simply stepped to the side and brought forth the final blow. "Runback!" She brought the string straight backwards into his chest, sending him flying into the wall. Observing her work for just a second she then walked towards the woman who was nearly raped.
She bent down before the woman, who was currently curled up in the corner, clothes half torn, but nothing exposed. "Hey, it's ok now. They won't bother you anymore." The woman, recognizing her voice, looked up, tears streaming down her face. When she saw her face, the tears stopped and a smile slowly made its way across her face. "Oh, t-thank you princess." Vivi smiled and helped her back to her house.
Once Vivi was sure that the woman would be alright she made her way back to the palace. She made her way to her room and was greeted by Igaram.
"Hel-. Ahem. Mah Mah Maaaaah. Hello there princess. How are you doing today?"
"Oh hey Igaram. I'm doing just fine right now. Yourself?"
"Oh, you know. Same thing every day, but I never tire of it."
"I see. So you and father were following me again?" She said, smiling.
"Oh, no, nothing like that. Your father just asked me to help make the preparations for your ship. Everything that you will need will be on the ship ready for you.
"That's great, but don't overdo it. I'm just taking the ship to find Luffy-san and the rest of them. After that I will be sending the ship back here."
"Oh, really? You won't be keeping the ship?"
"Please Igaram. Think about it? What if the Marines saw this ship with them? What would that do to this kingdom when it gets out that not only I am now a pirate, but that my own father helped me to get there?"
"Oh, I see. I guess I didn't think about it that way."
"The only other thing that will be going with me is Karoo. Other than that it will be just me, them, and the sea."
"Hmm. Oh by the way, I have some news about them." He pulled up two pieces of paper. "The new bounty list came out."
Vivi looked at the papers, specifically the ones with Luffy and Zoro's faces on them. "Wow. Roronoa Zoro, 60,000,000 berries. Straw Hat Luffy, 100,000,000 berries. I guess this was for defeating Crocodile." He thought about this for a second and giggled.
"Hmm? May I ask what is so funny right now?"
"The government. They say that it was Captain Smoker that defeated Crocodile, yet they give Luffy's bounty a large boost. I wonder how most of the regular public is gonna react to this."
"Once again you have caught something that even I did not notice."
She smiled once again and yawned. It was starting to get a little late. "Ok I guess I will turn in for the night. Tomorrows the big day after all."
"Yes. Will you not reconsider this though? There is still time to turn back."
Vivi looked up at him. Her face was full of a determination that he had not seen ever since, ever since she decided to infiltrate Baroque Works. "Igaram, I want to do this. When I stood on that shore and asked them if I could one day return as their nakama, I meant every word of it. If I back out now, then I will go on every day thinking that I have betrayed their trust. No, tomorrow I leave this island and head out to find them."
Igaram listened to every word, or the power that was behind those words. But what most amazed him was how she carried herself. Usually in time like these, heavy with emotion, she would break out into tears. This time though, she stood tearless, staring straight into his eyes. That straw hat had done something to her that no one else, not even Kohza, could ever hope to do. "Very well then Vivi-sama." He pulled her into a big hug. "I will be there tomorrow to see you off, but I think I will say this now. It has been my absolute pleasure serving you all these years."
Vivi returned the hug and then turned to her room. "I'll see you tomorrow Igaram."
She went to her bag making sure she had everything she needed. Then she got in her bed and laid there. This was it. After tomorrow there was no more turning back. Alabasta would no longer be her home; she would no longer have a father. But it was ok. She was gaining a new family. Or rather she was rejoining the one that she was already a part of. Smiling widely, she went to sleep. 'I'm coming back, Luffy."
Chapter 2. Read and Review.
