Wow! Another chapter? Yes, I intend on posting more frequently if I can help it, surprise surprise.
Enjoy!
The battle between the natives of Alabasta and Baroque Works ended in a total victory for Alabasta. Once to became apparent that the Number Agents and Crocodile had all fallen, many of the other agents fled or fell in battle. Any left were arrested by the arriving Marines, led by Captain Smoker. Soon enough, Alubarna returned to it's peaceful state, and any residents that had fled were allowed to return.
"If you keep pouting your face will get stuck like that, Tashigi," Smoker said as they watched prisoners be loaded onto the ships in the harbour of Nanohana. Tashigi let out a dissatisfied sound.
"It just doesn't sit right with me," she said. "That Crocodile was doing this."
"Because he was a Warlord, right?" Tashigi nodded, and Smoker adjusted his cigars in his mouth. "A pirate is always a pirate. His clemency got to his head."
"A pirate is a pirate," Tashigi mused quietly. "Ironic, considering our allies for this fight were pirates." Smoker made a face at this and turned in the direction of Alubarna.
"There are always exception to the rule," he said. "Just so happens Crocodile isn't."
"Smoker, sir!" He turned to face the ship as an officer called for him.
"What?" He demanded.
"The brass is calling for you! Better come and answer!"
Far from Nanohana, in the capital city of Alubarna, rebuilding efforts were in full swing. The former rebels and the soldiers were working together to restore order and build the city back bigger and better, helped along by the fact that it was raining. Real, genuine rain roared from the skies and fell all over the city,
Vivi watched from the balcony of the castle, a smile on her face.
She'd really done it. Through everything that had happened, she'd managed to find her way home and save it from destruction. She'd stopped the rebels, she'd saved her home and father. And to top it all off, it was raining.
And it was all thanks to the Straw Hats.
Vivi had no idea what she would have done without them. Had they not rolled into Whiskey Peak that day, what would she have done? How could she was escaped and saved her home? She reflected on this and came to the conclusion it wasn't her who had saved her Alabasta. Sure, she'd helped Usopp defuse the bomb planted by Crocodile, but she'd not fought any of the Numbers Agents. or Crocodile himself. That was the Straw Hats.
They'd had more help than that, too."
"Princess Vivi!" A voice said. Vivi turned to see a soldier saluting her.
"Yes?" She asked curiously.
"Some Marines down below are asking questions about Ms. All Sunday. They say they can't locate her." Vivi frowned.
"Are they trying to search the castle?" She asked in alarm, the man shaking his head.
"No, but they are asking for assistance from us," she said. Vivi made a face at this, pondering her options.
"Tell them All Sunday fled the battle when she realised Crocodile was going to lose," she said. "Tell them I saw her running but couldn't stop her. They won't question me." The soldier nodded, but looked uncomfortable. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"Oh, uh, well..." The soldier stuttered, "are you sure she can be trusted, Princess? She was an enemy, after all."
"We'd all be dead without her help," Vivi replied. "I won't see her turned over to the Marines. Not on Alabastan ground." The soldier nodded, saluted, and ran off the relay her message. Waiting for him to leave, she quickly made for a room within the palace. Reaching it swiftly, she was granted entry by the Royal guards, who had been placed there by her father. Walking inside, Vivi saw the woman in question sitting up in her bed, staring out the window.
"Ms. All Sunday," she greeted.
"You can just called me Robin, Princess," the woman said, turning to look at her. "I no longer have need for a code name." After the battle, Vivi became aware of just how important Ms. All Sunday had been to their victory. Not only had she saved Luffy's Rainbase team, but she'd given Nojiko the location and strategies to beat the Number Agents.
"I apologise," she said. "How are your wounds?"
"Healing," Robin replied as she rubbed her midsection where Crocodile had stabbed her. "The poison hasn't damaged me permanently either."
"I see," Vivi said as she walked further into the room to stand at the woman's bedside. "I hear you saved my father."
"After I held him captive, sure," Robin replied as she turned to look at her. "I held Crocodile down and told him to run."
"You have my thanks for that."
"I do not deserve thanks for such a small action," she replied. "I still helped Crocodile nearly take this nation down. Had the Straw Hats not show up, he would have. I'd be dead though, so I suppose there's a silver lining." Vivi remembered hearing that as well.
"My father said you saw the information Crocodile wanted," she said, "but didn't give it to him. Why?"
"I never planned on it," Robin said. "I was using him, same way he was using me. I knew I'd probably die when the time came, but I had too." Vivi nodded, clenching her fists.
"You still killed Igaram, though," she said in a low voice. "And you did help facilitate this crisis. I can't forgive you for that."
"Igaram lives," Robin said casually.
...
"...What?" Vivi asked weakly, eyes wide. Robin turned to look at her with a soft smile.
"I threw him from his ship before my bomb went off," she said. "He lived the ordeal, and washed back up on Whiskey Peak afterwards. He'll be on his way here by now."
Vivi didn't know what to say. This whole time, she'd believed Robin had killed her closest adviser and friend. Now she was saying he was alive?
"I...Thank you," she said. Robin simply nodded, not saying any more. The pair was quiet as Vivi collected herself, taking a deep breath.
"What will you do now?" She asked curiously. "The Marines are still looking for you."
"I'll find my way," Robin replied, making Vivi raise an eyebrow. "I haven't made it this far not having backup plans."
"I see," Vivi replied simply.
"And what about you, Princess?" Robin asked, "what will you do now? Help rebuild your country?"
She wondered that as well.
"Among other things," Vivi replied. "A Princess' work is never done." Robin just hummed along, turning her head back to the window. "I'll leave you be. Don't hesitate to ask for anything."
"I won't, thank you." Vivi turned and left Robin on her own, closing the door quietly and proceeding down the hall. She only walked a little way before coming across a different door, one that sounded rowdier than Robin's. Upon opening it, she was greeted by quite the sight.
"345! 346! 347!" As she entered the infirmary, Vivi was greeted by the sight of Yosaku, bandaged all over, doing push-ups as Johnny and Marianne sat on his back. Chopper was watching them worriedly, and she could already tell he'd tried to get them to stop.
"Ah, Big Sis Vivi!" Johnny greeted, waving at her. Johnny had somehow found a new pair of sunglasses, a pair of Aviators. Where he'd found a new pair, she didn't know. Marianne was absentmindedly painting a portrait, but also waved at her. Further in the room was Nami sitting by Nojiko's bedside, who was bandaged up thoroughly as well. Luffy was arguing with Usopp over something, while Zoro and Sanji were absent.
"How is everyone feeling?" She asked as she closed the door behind her.
"Good," Yosaku said as he stopped his push-ups momentarily. "Big Sis Nojiko is still healing."
"I'm fine," Nojiko replied from the bed, bandages over one of her eyes. "I just need some sleep, which is impossible to get with you buffoons around."
"Vivi!" Luffy shouted from his spot with Usopp, "we're having that feast, right?! We'd better be having a feast!"
"Of course, Luffy," Vivi replied. "The chefs are hard at work as we speak."
"Good. That's good." This seemed to soothe Luffy's irritation, but not Usopp's.
"This fool is going to drain your food stores dry," he said, jabbing at Luffy's eye. The Captain seemed unaffected. "Don't overdo it."
"Overdo it," Luffy insisted, making her giggle.
"Where's Zoro?" She asked, noting the swordsman's absence.
"He's training in the garden," Johnny said, "and so, Yosaku and I must train as well! We can't let out teacher get too far ahead!"
"Stop training!" Chopper shouted in annoyance. "You're all still hurt!"
"Then you'll just patch us up, Little Bro," Yosaku replied. This made Chopper blush, but he still looked annoyed with them.
"And Sanji?" She asked curiously.
"With the chefs learning some recipes," Nami answered. "He seemed annoyed to learn that Igaram's wife wasn't what he expected." She could only imagine what that meant, and Vivi couldn't help but giggle again. It was all so ridiculous. The door behind her opened, and she turned to see Zoro walking in with his swords in hand.
"Oh, hey Vivi," he greeted, placing a hand on her shoulder and patting her before walking past. The greeting was small, but it made her feel like one of them.
"Zoro one of your wounds opened!" Chopper shouted as he ran to the First Mate. "Let me see that!"
"It's fine," Zoro replied.
"It is not, it's on your stomach! Sit down!" Exasperated but understanding, Zoro sat down on the nearest bed and let Chopper inspect his wound.
"You're all insane," the reindeer muttered. "Almost dying and then walking around and training."
"Well we have to get stronger," Zoro replied simply, "we can't just stay idle. Some of us almost died."
"I'm fine," Nojiko insisted, Nami nodding to agree with Zoro.
"That reminds me of something," Luffy said suddenly, garnering their attention. "Crocodile was talking trash during our fight, and he mentioned how it was sad we didn't have something...Ha...Hoo...Hakey?"
"Haki," Nami corrected him. "He said Haki."
"What is Haki?" Johnny asked as Yosaku continued counting and doing push-ups.
"No idea," Zoro replied, "but it must be important. Did Crocodile do anything particularly special?"
"Not really," Luffy answered with his hands behind his head. "At least not that I noticed."
"So he talked a lot of shit but didn't do it himself," Nojiko noted. "Ironic." This made the crew laugh at the former Warlord's expense.
"Maybe we should research whatever that is," Nami suggested. "It might be helpful."
"After we eat," Luffy told her. "I don't read well on an empty stomach."
"You read?" Zoro asked. This earned another round of laughter. Before anyone could say more, the door was opened again, and Sanji revealed himself.
"Food's ready!" He told them, "you guys are going to be blown away by this."
And so they were. As Vivi entered the mess hall with the crew, she noted that it had been stacked to the brim with food. Sanji had clearly warned them of Luffy's arrival. And just like that the Captain became a calamity, jumping to the table and shoving as much food as he possibly could into his mouth. They all followed in earnest, trying desperately to take enough for themselves before Luffy took it all. Drinks were served, and before long everyone had more than their fair share of liquor in their system.
"Where the hell is Sunday?!" Luffy demanded, "she should be drinking with the rest of us! No food, though. That's for me."
"I imagine she wants time to herself," Nami replied. "Away from all this damn noise."
"I do too," Nojiko muttered, "I'm working these morons to the bone once we leave."
"Little Bro Chopper, pass me the mutton!" Yosaku shouted.
"Are you really asking the animal to pass you meat?!" Chopper asked.
"Since when do you have a problem with that?!" Yosaku asked, "at least you aren't are backup food plan anymore!"
"That's undecided!" Luffy called.
"Hah?!" Chopper demanded, making everyone laugh.
"We may need to consider that, seeing as we don't have Karoo for that anymore," Nojiko joked.
"Do you think he tastes like chicken?" Nami asked her sister, making everyone laugh again.
"Take your glasses off, Johnny!" Sanji shouted, "we're at the table!"
"Never!" Johnny said, "I don't take them off!"
"It's bad etiquette!"
"Luffy's drooling all over the table though! That isn't?!"
"Luffy! No one wants to swim in your digestive system, stop drooling!"
"Sowwy!" The Captain called with a full mouth. As Vivi ate an drank, she noticed that Marianne was missing from the table. Looking around, she spotted the short painter a short distance away from the table, a canvas propped up in front of her. Getting up, she walked over too see what she was doing.
"What're you doing?" She asked curiously.
"Oh, uh," Marianne looked embarrassed that she'd been caught. "I like to paint memories that are important to me. So I figured I would, you know..." Marianne gestured to the canvas, so Vivi moved to look at it. What she saw took her breathe away.
The painting was a horizontal shot of the dining table, and everyone present was depicted there. Marianne had gone into painstaking detail on them, capturing their likeness perfectly. Vivi saw her own face depicted in a joyous laugh, she saw Luffy's gluttonous attitude toned down, she saw Nami and Nojiko clinking their classes together, and more. Towards the other end of the table, she saw Pell, Chaka and her father, all depicted perfectly as well. The background was a bit empty, but she'd clearly started on that.
"It's beautiful Mari," she said, making the painter shy away. "Sorry, do you prefer your full name?"
"I-I don't care," she excused quietly, making Vivi smile.
"It's really good," she said, "but don't you want to be in your own painting? It wouldn't be complete without you."
"I-I can't be in it and paint at the same time," she replied. Vivi tapped her foot on the floor as she thought.
"Hm, well how about I pull up a chair next to me and you can paint yourself there if you want?" The painter didn't reply right away, seemingly thinking it over. Deciding she wasn't going to wait for an answer, Vivi walked back to the table and grabbed an empty chair, pulling it up next to her. She winked at Marianne, who averted her eyes. She hoped the painter didn't exclude herself. That wouldn't be fair.
"Oi, Vivi!" She heard Luffy call. Turning to look, she saw everyone looking at her.
"What is it?" She asked curiously. The Captain chuckled.
"A toast!" He shouted, "to the heroic Princess of Alabasta!" Everyone raised their glasses and cheered, making her blush. She abashedly raised her own mug, cheering herself.
"If anyone deserves a toast, it's you guys," she muttered quietly. "I barely did anything."
"Well we wouldn't have even been here if not for you," Nojiko told her, "so it's all because of you! Cheers!" They cheered again, making Vivi even more embarrassed.
"One more for for you guys then!" She said, "it's only fair!" The crew exchanged shrugs, before lifting their mugs once again.
And off to the side, the portrait was completed.
After a massive dinner the likes of which Vivi had never seen before, she led the other female members of the Straw Hats to the bath. She assured them it was separated by gender, to which Nojiko assured her Sanji could find a way.
Once they were stripped and inside, they all sat down in the water and relaxed. The steam incredibly relaxing, allowing the years of pent-up stress to leave Vivi's body in waves.
"Ugh, I feel like I'll never get the sand off," Nami said as she rubbed at her arm.
"It'll be stuck in your clothes too," Vivi warned, "be sure to clean it thoroughly."
"You okay over there, Mari?" Nojiko called to the painter, who was sitting farther away from them. "Drowning or something?"
"I'm fine," Marianne replied. "Just relaxing."
"You can sit closer if you want," Nami told her, "we don't bite." Marianne just sank deeper into the water, up to her nose.
"Yosaku told me all about how you helped him defeat those agents," Nojiko said. "I'm impressed at how hard you fought."
"He did more than I did," Marianne excused quickly.
"Don't downplay your support," Vivi said, "it takes everyone to win a fight."
"Like how Luffy would've died without me," Nami said. "You helped a lot. Be proud of it." Marianne didn't say more, so the girls didn't push her. After relaxing in the bath, the four went off to the side and washed each others backs, Vivi helping Nami and Nojiko helping Marianne. As they did so, Vivi heard a suspicious giggle. She ignored it at first, but soon enough she released something was happening. Turning to look over her shoulder, Vivi looked towards the wall of the bath.
And her eyes widened.
"Various sets of eyes were watching them over the split in the bath, watching closely.
"Hey!" She shouted, hands flying to shield herself, "stop watching us, you pervs!"Marianne covered herself as well, whereas the sisters just looked annoyed.
"You guys are earning a whole day of deck duty for every second you watch us!" Nojiko shouted. This caused many eyes to disappear back over the wall, but some did not. Namely, Luffy's and Sanji's. Nami handled them.
By flashing them.
The Captain and the Cook flew back over the wall in surprise, raucous laughter coming from over the wall.
"Now you owe me your life and a years worth of allowance, Captain!" Nami called. "And Sanji, you'll be in debt up to your eyeballs for the rest of your life!"
"I'm okay with that, Nami-swan!" Sanji's voice said. The sisters just laughed as they sat back down, and Vivi had to admit it was a little funny. Something was nagging at her, though.
"Father, are you over there?" She called.
There was a silence.
"Perhaps."
After everyone got out of the bath and Nami wrote Sanji an invoice, Vivi found herself walking back to her room with a smile on her face. Simply spending time with the crew made her feel so energised, but it was time for bed.
At least, she thought it was.
As she rounded the corner for her room, a familiar face was in front of her.
"Koza?" She asked in confusion. He looked up as she called him, smiling.
"Vivi," he said, "hey."
"What're you doing here?" She asked curiously.
"I've been helping the royal guard secure the palace," he replied. "Battle did a lot of damage, and we're making sure no agents are hiding out in here." That made sense. Even though it had not been the focal point of the battle, the palace had taken a fair amount of damage. "Also, I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you."
"To me?" She asked, "why?" He laughed at this.
"Because I wanted to thank you again," he said. "You risked your life and ran all over the country making sure I didn't lead the rebels against your father."
"I had help," she excused.
"I know," he said, "and I still need to thank the Straw Hats as well. But still, you put yourself in the line of fire to save our country. You're a hero."
"I'm not," she said with a smile. "I didn't do any of the important fighting. It was Luffy who defeated Crocodile. His crew defeated the Number Agents. I just pointed the way."
"Not all leaders need to fight the battle themselves," he said. "Sometimes you just need to be able to point the way for those following you."
"Says you," she replied. "You rallied the down and out of this country and fought with them for a better future."
"Mm," he replied, "if only I'd had someone like you by my side to convince me something was wrong. Maybe we could have fought Crocodile before we nearly tore the country apart."
Vivi became acutely aware of how close they were standing to one another.
"When are the Straw Hats shipping out?" He asked, "Maybe I should go to them now before they leave."
"That might be good," she replied quietly. "I don't know when they're leaving either."
"Well, lead the way, Princess." Vivi turned after a moment to lead him to where the Straw Hats were, trying to relax her racing heart.
"What will you do now?" She asked Koza, turning to look at him.
"I'm not sure," he replied, rubbing at the stubble on his chin. "I was intending on asking the King how I could help, but maybe he doesn't want a former rebel helping him."
"Father would love your help," she replied with a smile, "don't sell yourself short." He nodded absentmindedly before looking at her.
"And what about you?" He asked, "what's the Heroic Princess planning to do next?" Vivi's smile faded from her face, turning so Koza couldn't see as she led him to the Straw Hats.
"I guess we'll see," she replied cryptically.
The Crew stared at the Transponder Snail as the call was ended, exchanging looks to one another.
'What should we do?" Usopp asked.
"We should ship out now," Nojiko replied. "Before the Marines seal off the harbour completely."
"I agree," Nami said. "Bon Clay is the only reason the Merry isn't in Marine custody. We need to take this chance and leave while we can." Eyes went to Luffy, who seemed to be thinking.
"The girls are right," he said as he stood, "pack up your stuff, everyone. We're going to the Merry under the cover of darkness."