Karoo the duck, Vivi's faithful companion, had undergone extensive training in Alabasta and beyond. More than just a pet, Karoo now functioned like a multi-purpose support unit—part companion, part utility tool, part mount. He was outfitted with several plug-in features such as terrain memory, quick item retrieval from his saddle-packs, directional tracking, and even combat distraction routines.
Strapped to his back were dual utility backpacks containing emergency supplies, including Den Den Mushi communicators, first-aid kits, and makeshift disguises. Vivi had even secured a flamboyant cockscomb hat from Loguetown's bazaar and placed it proudly on his head. The disguise was meant to pass Karoo off as an ordinary, if eccentric, island chicken.
The moment Golden Lion Shiki—legendary pirate of the old era—saw an orangutan in his captivity shriek out "Mama!" in terror, his reaction was unexpectedly muted. He glanced at Vivi's "chicken" with squinted eyes, unconvinced but distracted. Vivi banked on that confusion. If Shiki, once rival to Roger and Whitebeard, could hesitate for even a moment, that would be her window.
The duck's training regimen, set by Vivi herself, was relentless. Karoo was ordered to simulate both chicken behavior and flight maneuvers—an ironic and difficult task given his limited aerial capacity. Vivi had located one of the tallest tree stumps on the floating islands of Merveille and commanded Karoo to leap from it repeatedly, flapping his wings furiously in a mock version of Geppō—the CP9 aerial technique from the Six Powers style.
But time was short. Vivi knew she couldn't rely on Karoo truly flying. Plan A—fly away and escape—was nearly dead. Smoker's survival was technically not her responsibility; she had already learned through casual interrogation of Tashigi that Smoker was tracking her under Marine orders. Still, Vivi's instincts compelled her to act.
Dual-tracked like her sword style, Vivi had contingencies. If Plan A failed, Plan B was to infiltrate the fortress with Tashigi and rescue Smoker manually. And if that failed too—then there was Plan C: the gambit.
Plan C was absurd but not unthinkable. Vivi would have Karoo put on a musical distraction—sing, dance, spin in circles—while Shiki was distracted and ideally unable to activate either Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation) or Busoshoku Haki (Armament). During that moment of vulnerability, Lao Fan—an elite sharpshooter from the Revolutionary Army whom Vivi had briefly allied with—would snipe the golden rudder embedded in Shiki's skull, the very device keeping him aloft. A high-risk operation, but maybe their only shot.
By the second evening, the storm that Granny Kokoro had warned of arrived, blowing in from the Grand Line with terrifying speed.
Van Augur, the Blackbeard Pirates' eerie sniper known for firing across islands, had apparently been in the region scouting. His silent presence was felt but unseen, a whisper of potential chaos. Thankfully, he hadn't interfered yet.
Vice Admiral Morgan—stripped of his old title "Captain Axe-Hand Morgan" but now reinstated under unclear political machinations—led the main frontal assault on Shiki's central fortress on the highest floating island.
Karoo, Lao Fan, and Vivi moved through the forested edge beneath the floating stronghold, staying out of sight. Plan B was now in motion.
Tashigi, or "Dusky" as Vivi teasingly called her, was earnest and determined. She admired Vivi deeply—her resolve, swordsmanship, and charm—but traveling alone with her quickly exposed one flaw. Vivi had no sense of direction.
"You're going the wrong way again!" Tashigi snapped, pulling Vivi back from a slope leading to a steep ravine.
"Huh? I thought it was a straight path! It felt right!" Vivi blinked in confusion, drenched in rain.
"The island's magnetic field is shifting constantly," Tashigi said, exasperated. "This entire place is floating by Devil Fruit power. Everything's off."
"Right, right! I was testing your awareness," Vivi said with a smile, trying to brush it off.
Tashigi groaned. "Let's just follow the river."
Soon they arrived at the outer shell of the golden lion's central base. The architecture bore remnants of ancient Wano craftsmanship, oddly enough—perhaps stolen or salvaged. Inside, they defeated a low-level squad leader who spilled more information than expected.
Shiki had seized Smoker and several Marine warships from the 153rd branch for use as projectiles—yes, literal projectiles. His plan was to fling them at Marineford as a show of power, similar to what he attempted in the Strong World incident. He was gathering more ships, delaying the execution for maximum impact.
Tashigi clenched her fists. "This is an act of war! We have to stop him before he escalates it."
Vivi agreed and led her deeper into the fortress to locate the dungeon.
The deeper they went, the more grotesque things became. They passed what looked like a bioengineering lab. Inside were grotesque, malformed creatures. One was a lobster-bodied mutant with a boar's head. It was dragged away screaming, consciousness fragmented. Other creatures were stitched together abominations—a tiger's head mounted on a giraffe's neck with spider limbs. The signature of Dr. Indigo and Scarlet's bioengineering.
Tashigi reached for her sword, rage clear in her eyes.
"Wait," Vivi said quickly. "We save Smoker first. We destroy this lab after."
"…Fine," Tashigi said through gritted teeth.
Their infiltration didn't last long. Despite their attempt at stealth, the pirates soon spotted them.
Combat erupted.
Vivi, already adept with her Peacock Slashers, now wielded a short blade she'd taken from Loguetown—a mid-grade Meitō. Through Karoo's ability to collect ambient dropped skills and experience, she'd adapted a variety of sword techniques from fallen pirates: from basic strikes like "Leap Slash" and "Weapon Toss" to mid-tier styles like "Cassock Slice" and "Reverse Crosscut."
Her movements were efficient. She rarely wasted motion—a flick of the wrist, a precise cut, and an enemy went down. She dispatched a dozen in moments, only a few drops of blood soaking her sleeve.
She didn't enjoy killing—but she understood it. She was a princess raised during wartime, after all.
Tashigi, meanwhile, had transformed. Gone was the slightly timid ensign from Loguetown. With her Shigure, a named sword of quality, she cut through pirates with Naval-issue precision. Her swordsmanship, modeled after Smoker's direct combat approach and fine-tuned by G-5's more brutal skirmish doctrine, was fast and efficient.
Between the two women, bodies piled.
Tashigi ended up with almost twice the count of Vivi—but not without bruises.
Their mission was only beginning, but the dungeon was now in sight.
And the storm above raged harder still.