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Vivi was utterly stunned.
What were these people talking about?!
Going to take down one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Crocodile?!
And so casually?!
Even for a great pirate with a bounty over 100 million Beri, weren't they underestimating the Warlords far too much?!
Seeing the relaxed smile on Rowen's face, Vivi bit her lip hard.
"Are you people insane?! That's one of the Seven Warlords! One of the seven great pirates granted legal plundering rights by the World Government! Even the Marines aren't authorized to interfere with them! Do you truly understand what being a Warlord means?!" Vivi screamed, her emotions finally cracking under the immense pressure.
Two years ago, as Princess Vivi of Alabasta, she noticed the shadow of Baroque Works behind the various incidents plunging her country into chaos.
She and Igaram, the captain of the Royal Guard, infiltrated the organization together. Vivi took the codename Miss Wednesday, while Igaram became Mr. 8.
During their infiltration, Vivi finally discovered the identity of Baroque Works' mysterious boss.
One of the Seven Warlords! User of the Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit—Crocodile.
When Vivi learned the truth she had desperately sought, instead of relief, she felt only profound despair!
Crocodile, wielding his nearly invincible Logia powers in this region, frequently used his Warlord status to hunt down pirates causing trouble in Alabasta, earning him the reputation of a hero in the newspapers.
Meanwhile, her father, King Nefertari Cobra, faced growing distrust from the populace due to years of civil unrest and a devastating three-year drought, all secretly orchestrated by Crocodile.
Crocodile's influence in Alabasta had reached the point where it overshadowed even her father's authority.
Crocodile's power, fame, and Warlord status weighed down on Vivi, making it impossible to breathe. Facing him, even as a princess, she felt utterly powerless.
Now, hearing Rowen speak so casually about taking down Crocodile—It shattered the dam holding back years of suppressed pain and helplessness within Vivi.
"Uh... Miss Wednesday... Sorry to interrupt while you're emotional, but—maybe look at this report?" Mr. 9 awkwardly held out a newspaper he had acquired when looking for Rowen's wanted poster.
This newspaper specifically detailed the clash between 'Sky Sovereign' Rowen and the Warlord, Hawk-Eyes Mihawk.
Mr. 9 hadn't fully grasped the significance of the Warlords back then; after all, this was just the first stop at the entrance of the Grand Line.
Most operating here were small-time players. A pirate of Crocodile's caliber appearing in this region (due to intel about Pluton) was an extreme exception.
Of course, Mr. 9 hadn't thrown the paper away; funds were tight, and reading old news helped pass the time during their tedious food-scouting missions.
"Hm?" Vivi blinked, subconsciously taking the newspaper from Mr. 9. With her country in crisis and the horrifying discovery about Crocodile, she hadn't had the mind to read newspapers lately.
Seeing the front-page headline—detailing the clash between 'Sky Sovereign' Rowen and Hawk-Eyes Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords and the World's Greatest Swordsman—Vivi's beautiful eyes widened dramatically.
"Y-Y-You..." After reading the report, Vivi stammered, looking incredulously at Rowen.
This man—had already clashed with one of the Warlords—Mihawk, whose fame arguably surpassed even Crocodile's?!
And the report mentioned Conqueror's Haki—what kind of power was that? The article described the clash between Rowen and Mihawk as—a Clash of Kings!
Such exaggerated language left Vivi, who had lived her whole life in Alabasta and knew little of such things, completely stunned.
"See how amazing Rowen is?! He's called the future King of the Seas! And I, Usopp, am acknowledged by Rowen himself as a brave warrior of the sea—That's why people across the seas call me Sky Sovereign Rowen's reliable partner, Usopp the Brave'!" Seeing Vivi's reaction, Usopp's old boasting habit flared up again. He pointed proudly at his long nose.
"Then you can handle Crocodile, Usopp the Brave," Zoro commented dryly, clapping Usopp on the shoulder with his 'villain' expression.
"Gack!" Usopp's expression instantly froze.
Him? Take down Crocodile?! That was suicide! Cold sweat beaded on Usopp's forehead, his legs starting to tremble again as he shot a pleading look towards Rowen.
"Hahaha!" Seeing Usopp's predicament, the others burst into laughter.
"Crocodile is mine. But there will definitely be battles for you," Rowen chuckled, then added reassuringly.
Crocodile's subordinates would have to be dealt with by Zoro and the others. Firstly, it provided valuable combat experience for his comrades, helping them grow stronger.
More importantly, although Rowen was confident against Crocodile, facing a Warlord still required his full attention; he wouldn't have the spare energy to deal with other Baroque Works agents.
Whether using Devil Fruit powers or Haki, intense battles demanded immense stamina. Focusing entirely on the main opponent was crucial. Kaido's defeat in the original story, worn down by multiple opponents, was the perfect example of what not to do.
"Leave it to me!" Usopp immediately declared loudly.
As long as he didn't have to fight Crocodile himself, he was fine. Besides, Usopp trusted Rowen wouldn't put him in harm's way; he'd surely be assigned a suitable opponent.
"But it's strange—If you're the Princess of Alabasta like Rowen said, why infiltrate Baroque Works?" Nami suddenly asked, her eyes lighting up. She smelled the scent of Beri.
"W-Well..." Vivi's gaze flickered nervously.
"Don't try to lie to us! Rowen possesses a power called Observation Haki—He knows what you're thinking! How else would he know you're the Princess of Alabasta?" Nami leaned closer to Vivi, gently lifting her chin, adopting her 'intimidating villain' expression as she looked into Vivi's beautiful face.
Rowen suppressed a chuckle hearing Nami's words.
While special forms of Observation Haki capable of reading minds and memories (like Red Count's) did exist on the seas, they were innate talents, impossible to train.
Rowen had mentioned such possibilities while educating the crew about the world, never expecting Nami to use it to bluff Vivi.
As for how Rowen knew Vivi's identity? He didn't need to explain, and Nami, Luffy, and the others wouldn't ask. Just as Rowen respected their pasts and secrets, they trusted him implicitly. That was the unspoken understanding among them.
"!!!" Sure enough, Vivi, largely ignorant of the wider world's intricacies, turned pale with fright.
'Reading memories?! Such power exists?!' But this man had a 100 million Beri bounty, clashed with the Warlord Mihawk, an event hailed as a 'Clash of Kings'—Perhaps possessing such power wasn't so strange after all?
"Not talking? Rowen, hurry up and read her memories!" Nami pressed, intensifying the bluff.
"I-I'll talk! Please don't read my memories!" Vivi cried, almost bursting into tears. 'A girl has many secrets! If he read everything... how could she face anyone ever again?!'
Vivi bit her lip and recounted everything:
Discovering Baroque Works agents stirring up trouble in Alabasta, infiltrating the organization with Igaram to find the mastermind and save her country, and finally, the despair upon learning it was Crocodile...
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After listening, Nami and the others fell silent.
Smack!
A hand lightly smacked the top of Vivi's head.
"Rowen?!" Nami and the others stared, shocked, as Rowen gently chastised Vivi.
"Ah... eh?" Vivi looked up, equally stunned. The tap wasn't hard, but why did he hit her?
"Don't wear that expression, silly," Rowen said, looking down at Vivi, his usual smile replaced by a frown. "It reminds me—of how Nami used to look."
Rowen looked seriously at Vivi.
He had promised Genzo, sworn before Bell-mère's grave, that Nami would henceforth live happily and freely upon the sea. Seeing that expression of deep-seated pain and helplessness... what if it reminded Nami of her own past unhappiness?
"!!!" Nami covered her mouth, gazing at Rowen's back—a sight that always brought her immense comfort—her eyes misting over.
Nami remembered Rowen telling her before that her smile hadn't always seemed truly happy. But since meeting Rowen, since being saved by him—she could finally smile freely on the sea.
Nami felt her heart overflow.
"Eh?!" Vivi looked at Nami's reaction, blinked, and seemed to understand. 'This girl—had a similar past experience?'
"Well then, let's save this girl's country too, while we're at it. After all... she reminds me a lot of you, Nami," Rowen suggested, pointing at Vivi, then turning back to the teary-eyed Nami with a smile.
"R-Really... If you say it like that, how can I ask her for payment?" Nami sniffled, wiping her eyes, touched by Rowen's kindness.
"Are you a demon?!" Zoro and Usopp deadpanned, looking at Nami. They knew Nami often talked tough about money but was actually incredibly kind-hearted...
Of course, if a chance for a huge profit presented itself, Nami wouldn't pass it up either. The only thing that could make Nami forgo a chance to make money—was something related to Rowen.
"Shishishi! Saving a country! Sounds great!" Luffy beamed.
"Yeah, sounds good," Zoro agreed with a grin. He'd never had an experience like that before.
"What should I add to my title after this? How about 'Usopp the Brave Hero'? What do you guys think?" Usopp pondered seriously, rubbing his chin.
"Y-You guys..." Vivi stared, utterly flabbergasted. 'Are these people really pirates? Why do they seem more decent than the Marines?!'
"But you still have to pay me something for my services, understand?" Nami leaned down close to Vivi with a mischievous grin.
"I-I have about 500,000 Beri in personal savings—I don't know if that's enough... If not, I'll figure something out," Vivi stammered, hastily pulling out a wad of cash.
"This—will be enough," Nami said, plucking a single 1,000 Beri note—the smallest denomination—from Vivi's hand.
"Th-That..." Vivi stared blankly at Nami. 1,000 Beri wouldn't even buy much food, let alone compare to the cost of taking down a Warlord and saving an entire kingdom!
"Alright! Stop dawdling! We're pirates! We took the money, so we'll do the job! Rowen already said he'd help you!" Nami grinned at Vivi, whose eyes were still brimming with tears.
Nami truly saw her past self in Vivi. Although Vivi was a princess, protected by her father the king—that made her actions even more admirable. She could have avoided such terrifying risks, yet she abandoned her princess life to infiltrate the dangerous Baroque Works.
They were both the type who would do anything for their homes.
Nami wanted to help Vivi like this. Of course... Rowen was the source of her confidence to do so.
"Rowen decided to help you, so we'll all give it our best. But what do we do with this guy?" Zoro asked, pointing towards Mr. 9 nearby.
"..." Vivi hesitated, looking at Mr. 9 with complex emotions.
What to do about him? Vivi wanted to say Mr. 9 could be trusted; after partnering for so long, she had some understanding of his character. Mr. 9 probably wouldn't betray her. But with the fate of the Alabasta Kingdom at stake... Vivi felt uncertain.
"I-I won't betray Miss Wednesday! We've been partners for so long! I swear!" Mr. 9, feeling Zoro's predatory gaze on him, broke out in a cold sweat and yelled desperately.
"Why should we trust you?" Zoro retorted, adopting his 'villain' expression.
"No. We can trust him," Rowen stated calmly, surprising the still-conflicted Vivi.
"On this sea... what reason is there not to trust a man's oath?" Rowen looked at Mr. 9, a slight curve to his lips.
In Rowen's view, Mr. 9 truly was a man. He eventually married Miss Monday—the muscular, dark-skinned woman with immense strength—and had children.
That kind of courage to face challenges head-on... definitely qualified him as a man.
(Of course, compared to that true man—Gol D. Roger's left hand, Scopper Gaban, who married a Giant woman—Mr. 9 still had a way to go.) Rowen's smile turned slightly strange.
"Hmph. Since Rowen says so, then we'll trust you," Zoro smirked.
Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji also smiled. 'As expected of Rowen.'
"Thank you! Thank you so much! I'll definitely keep my oath!" Mr. 9 looked at Rowen, incredibly moved, tears welling up in his eyes. Earning the trust of a 100 million Beri pirate, being called a 'man of the sea' by him... Mr. 9 felt an indescribable emotion.
"..." Vivi watched Mr. 9 thanking Rowen profusely, then looked back at Rowen's smiling face, biting her lip. In such a critical matter, even she, his partner, had hesitated to trust Mr. 9 completely. Yet this man... chose to trust him with such confidence.
'Is this... the presence of a 100 million Beri pirate?' Vivi looked at Rowen, feeling once again like the man before her was radiating light.
"Shishishi! Then it's decided! We're going to Alabasta!" Luffy declared, pumping his fist with a wide grin.
"Do you even know where Alabasta is, you idiot?" Sanji asked Luffy helplessly.
"Nope! But Rowen and Nami will take us there!" Luffy grinned back confidently.
"Regardless of where we're going, first we need to get out of this whale's stomach," Zoro pointed out, looking around.
"Getting out? Just ask him," Rowen suggested, looking up towards the passage above where an old man was descending, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"Right... former doctor of the Pirate King's crew—Crocus?" Rowen finished, his smile widening.
"EH?!!!" Luffy and the others stared, completely stunned, looking blankly at the old man.
Vivi and Mr. 9 were equally shocked. The strange old man who had been the biggest obstacle in their mission to hunt this whale—was the Pirate King's former doctor?!
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