Bab 108: Chapter 107 - Hidden Princess.
[Chapter Size: 2634 Words.]
Third Person POV
Beginning of the grandline.
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In the scorching lands of Alabasta, Nefertari Vivi grew up amidst the luxury of the royal palace. Despite a somewhat pampered life, her determination and curiosity were as fierce as the deserts surrounding her nation. She always enjoyed doing things on her own and taking initiative, passionately embracing Alabasta, delving into the traditions and vibrant culture of her people, even mingling with the people of Alabarna while escaping the castle.
However, the veneer of her privileged life began to crack when Vivi, driven by a thirst for truth, uncovered the webs of corruption and dark plans threatening to erode the foundations of Alabasta. Her loyalty to her homeland turned into an inner fire, driving her to take action.
Determined to take matters into her own hands, Vivi infiltrated Baroque Works, a secret organization orchestrating nefarious events behind the scenes. With skill and cunning, she navigated the dark corridors of the organization, disguising herself to blend in with the agents plotting against Alabasta.
Throughout her undercover journey, Vivi began unraveling the hidden threads connecting Baroque Works' plans to the shadows threatening her country. Slowly, she realized that the true mastermind behind the organization was someone much more influential and dangerous than she could have imagined.
Her goal now was to gather evidence against that man, hoping to act once her mission on the Grand Line border was successful. However, as she planned to kill the whale with her companion, something unexpected happened when the whale began shaking continuously, causing her to hit her head and lose consciousness.
Now she was finally regaining consciousness. The crew already had their attention on these two.
"Hm? What's happening? Why is my head pounding so much...?" muttered the crowned man, trying to orient himself in this new scenario.
"I only remember the world starting to shake, and me hitting my head on this metal wall..." added the blue-haired woman, whose hands were still tied.
"Hello, you two. Seems like you've decided to wake up, huh?" Crocus intervened, casting a keen look at the newly awakened.
"You, old man? You got us!" The man exclaimed, expressing a mix of surprise and suspicion as he saw him tied up before shadows.
"Look at the whale, Mr. 9. It's lying in the fallen water!" Observed the princess of Alabasta, disguised as the woman known as Miss Wednesday.
"But we didn't shoot it. Who did...?" the man asked, confused.
"I am the cause of this..." a new voice echoed, revealing for the first time the presence of several individuals around them to the bewildered woman.
Both agents seemed stunned by the presence of Luffy and his other 15 members with Crocus by their side.
"Who... who are you!?" the man shouted, a bit scared of Luffy's expression.
"I am the captain of the Straw Hat crew, Monkey D. Luffy. And you, who are you?" Lami asked, displaying her confident posture.
"The pirate worth 10 million?!" The woman spoke, the last time she saw this face, it was on the 10 million poster; she remembered him among many posters because she found the man very attractive, perhaps the most beautiful face she had ever seen, and as an 18-year-old girl, it was normal to be attracted to a handsome man, but seeing this 7-foot-tall man, she was even more stunned.
"Just travelers passing by... Hehehe..." replied the nervous man, realizing he was at a disadvantage, and he found it uncomfortable how this pirate was looking at them. He couldn't reveal that he was a bounty hunter in front of a pirate crew, could he?
All the pirates looked at them with narrowed eyes; everyone realized that the man was lying, and they regarded the duo with disdain, having heard from Crocus about their attempt to kill Laboon many weeks ago.
"You wanted to harm the whale, didn't you?" Nami questioned, arms crossed, clearly expressing her skepticism about the man's response.
"We just need to take food to our village. We're hungry..." the woman explained, sounding a bit desperate.
"You have plenty of other options; this could be resolved with any sea monster..." Hugo spoke, and many nodded, but Luffy didn't wait for the duo's response to this question.
"And where is this village?" Luffy intervened suddenly, a malicious smile emerging on his lips.
"It's in Whisky Peak. That's where we have to take the dead whale," the man replied, revealing the destination they claimed for Laboon.
"Hmm, interesting. I won't kill Laboon, but I plan to go there with it anyway. Seems like a good point for our first stop on the Grand Line." Luffy suggested, maintaining his smile.
"That..." The man hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with Luffy's confident tone; this pirate certainly had some plans, and it made him uneasy.
"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to take me there. I've already decided; we'll make this place our first stop!" Luffy laughed, announcing his decision firmly.
"Hey, Luffy, I think there's an organization there..." Zoro intervened suddenly, recalling his time in the East Blue as a bounty hunter when he was approached by a certain organization.
"Don't worry, Zoro, I know about Baroque Works." Luffy replied, remaining calm.
"What?!!! You know?" Both the man and the woman jumped in surprise at this revelation, showing a hint of fear.
"So, you know them..." Crocus commented, demonstrating some knowledge of the situation as well.
"Who are they?" Nojiko asked, curious, as well as the rest of the crew.
"It's an organization created by a Shichibukai named Crocodile. They're a team that hunts outlaws to gather money." Luffy explained, surprising everyone with his knowledge.
"A Shichibukai?!" Usopp exclaimed, clearly scared.
"Isn't that dangerous?" Kuina asked, concerned about the implications.
"He's one of the weaker Shichibukai," Luffy said and continued, "It seems they disguise themselves as a lawful organization hunting pirates in these waters, but in reality, they're gathering money to overthrow Alabasta and follow Crocodile's plans." Luffy calmly commented, revealing a dark aspect of the situation. He saw no reason to hide obvious information from his crew.
"WHAT???!!!!" The blue-haired woman looked scared at Luffy, not believing that a 10 million bounty pirate would know about this.
"Does he want to be the king of Alabasta or something? This is a desert country, right?" Nami asked curiously, ignoring the reaction of the bound woman.
"Well, Alabasta is a poor country, with an economy heavily dependent on climate and the trade of scarce natural resources," Bepo began, intervening with his explanation, now adjusting to the conversation's context.
"The main source of income probably comes from cultivating desert-resistant crops, such as special cacti and grains adapted to arid conditions. However, harvests can be unpredictable, especially considering the lack of water in the region, and it seems the country hasn't received rain for years," Bepo explained, trying to balance the academic tone with more accessible language.
"In addition, Alabasta may be involved in the trade of minerals or gems found in desert areas. This could provide some revenue, although the exploitation of these resources is usually challenging," he continued, expressing his view on the economy of the desert nation.
"However, political instability with the climate situation has a significant negative impact on the economy. Traders and investors may be hesitant, further harming the economic situation, and the population doesn't approve of the current king in general," Bepo concluded, hoping that the explanation was more suitable this time.
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A silence fell over the place, with everyone looking strangely at Bepo.
"Me... sorry?!" Bepo became downcast in this atmosphere.
"Well, Luffy, anyway, what do you intend to do? Are you going to openly fight a Shichibukai?" Reiju asked beside, ignoring Bepo.
"Of course, I am. Why let a Shichibukai take a country that I can take for myself? So let's bring down a Shichibukai!" Luffy replied with an excited smile.
The impact of Luffy's words echoed among those present, each reacting uniquely to the audacity of the Straw Hat captain, even though they should be used to it. Crocus, although initially surprised, managed to maintain a thoughtful and analytical expression, like someone carefully assessing the situation.
The two prisoners, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday, exchanged nervous glances. The man, with the crown, showed a mix of concern and bewilderment, while the blue-haired woman, disguised as a simple agent, had her eyes widened by the declaration.
Among the Straw Hats, a variety of expressions emerged. Some, with their skeptical nature, raised an eyebrow, assessing Luffy's audacity. Others maintained their calm posture, but their eyes indicated they were attentive to any developments. The more emotional ones, always prone to the dramatic, let out a "Wow!" of disbelief.
Princess Vivi, disguised as one of the prisoners, remained silent, but her eyes conveyed a complex mix of emotions. There was surprise, a certain apprehension, but also a glint of fear. It was as if she were witnessing an unexpected twist, a chess move. It was no longer just one player wanting to take Alabasta; it was two. This was an even more terrible situation, even though she didn't believe this man could take the country and overthrow a powerful government-affiliated agent like Crocodile.
Crocus, after a brief silence, broke the quietude with a deep sigh. "Luffy, do you realize what you're facing, don't you? The Shichibukai are powerful figures, and provoking an organization like Baroque Works can have unimaginable consequences."
Luffy, on the other hand, remained undisturbed, his excited smile not fading. "Of course, I know, Crocus-san. But I'm not afraid of that. I'm pretty confident about achieving this."
"Do you want to take Alabasta for yourself?! You'll never achieve something like that!" she exclaimed, making her shock at the pirate captain's proposal clear.
The other members of the Straw Hats had their own comments among themselves about Luffy's typically bold nature.
"Why am I surprised by this..." someone grumbled, while others commented:
"That's typical of the captain..."
"He's already taken practically three islands in the East Blue; did you expect anything different in the Grand Line?"
"Hey, he can't be serious, can he?" Vivi, seeing the situation still relaxed with this group, muttered again.
Luffy, however, laughed like a true outlaw in the face of everyone's reaction. "Sure, I'm going to make Alabasta my own territory; isn't it amazing! Hahahaha!"
"You can't!" protested the woman, resisting Luffy's proposal.
"Why do you say that?" Luffy approached her, displaying a mischievous smile, as this woman was quite insistent on denying his plans against Alabasta.
Vivi, now blushing and a bit disconcerted by Luffy's proximity, finally regained composure and said, "You can't fight against a Shichibukai!" she asserted.
Luffy, showing his typical disdain for conventions, replied with a simple: "Great argument. Hugo, you can put them in the ship's prison. They have no more use here. Our conversation is over."
"Yes, captain!" replied Hugo, quickly acting to take the two prisoners into the ship.
"Please, let us go!"
"What are you doing!? Wait, I want to say something important!"
Both agents shouted in protest, but it was to no avail as they were being carried by Hugo, being pulled by their clothes.
"You don't mind if I keep these two, do you?" Luffy asked Crocus.
"No, take them; it's better," the old man replied.
"Anyway, Laboon is waking up. I'm going to talk to the whale now." The sound of water stirring next to the whale in the distance indicated that Laboon was regaining consciousness.
"I'll talk to him first; you guys wait here." Luffy announced and jumped into the air with the Geppo technique with agility. He headed directly for the whale before anyone could react.
Jumping in the air, Luffy reached his destination 10 seconds later. He began circling the whale and went close to one of its eyes on the left side.
"Hello, Laboon!" Luffy greeted the whale with a wide smile as he gracefully landed on him in front of his enormous eye.
"Grr?" Laboon woke up, realizing the human he had recently faced, now landing again on his skin.
"Do you remember me? Fought with you a little while ago, it was quite fun!" Luffy continued, observing Laboon's curious reaction.
"GRRRRR!"
"Hey, don't get mad. I won because I wanted to see your strength!" Luffy explained, trying to appease the whale.
"Grrrrrr....?"
"I'm thinking of recruiting you. How about joining me?" Luffy proposed, in his nonchalant style.
"Grrr."
"I know about your promise, but you lost to me in the fight. Now, you belong to me, and you'll have to defeat me to seek your freedom!" Luffy declared with determination, unconcerned about how bluntly he approached the situation.
"GRRRRRRRRR!" Laboon responded with a furious roar, making even Luffy jump again.
"I can defeat you again if needed, but by the way, I know where one of your friends who made that promise more than 50 years ago is!" Luffy communicated, floating above the still agitated whale after seeing that this creature was furious.
"Gr?!"
"Yes, I know where one of them is. If you come with me, I'll take you to him. How about it? Will you join me?" Luffy crossed his arms, challenging Laboon to consider the proposal.
"Gr.... grrr!!!"
"Hahahaha. Of course, you would accept. You want to break the Grand Line to find them. So it's fair that you accept my proposal so easily," Luffy laughed, displaying confidence in the face of the whale's imminent decision.
"But Laboon, your size is way too big for my ship. You're eight times larger than it." Luffy scratched his chin, thoughtful.
"Grr..."
"Oh, don't worry; I have the perfect solution for that." Luffy laughed and touched the whale.
[Moa Moa no Mi: Mass, apply 0.001 times!]
"Get ready; you're about to shrink." Luffy spoke with a smile, before Laboon realized that he was rapidly decreasing in size.
"GR!?"
Everyone watched stunned as the 400-meter whale multiplied his mass by 0.001. Luffy didn't hesitate to use his Devil Fruit ability, turning 40,000 centimeters into 40 as he shrank rapidly.
"GR!" Laboon exclaimed, surprised to see himself so small in front of this human.
"Hahaha. Now you look like Chouchou." Luffy laughed, holding the small whale in his arm. "Come with me; let's introduce you to the others. They'll be your family from now on!"
"How is this possible!" Crocus exclaimed, impressed to see Laboon so small as Luffy approached.
"Did he accept, Luffy?"
"What did you say to him?"
Some members asked curiously, as they heard the whale's enraged cries while Luffy was there, followed by others showing surprise coming from Laboon.
"Hahaha. That's a secret. Now, welcome Laboon, our new group mascot!"
"Grr....." The 40-centimeter whale being carried by Luffy expressed with his unique sound.
"How cute, Laboon-Sama!"
"Sharky!"
"Grr..."
"I see the shark and whale will get along well..." Alvida commented.
"You can't say a 400-meter whale is our mascot!" Nami protested.
"Laboon won't just stay in the sea. he'll come with us until we find a suitable place for him to live with us. At least this way, he won't keep hurting himself by banging his head on the wall, right, Mr. Crocus?" Luffy laughed.
"Yes... I think you're right..." Crocus spoke, serious. "Do you promise me you'll take care of Laboon?"
"Yes, he's from my crew. I'll ensure his safety as I do with mine." Luffy affirmed, and Crocus accepted the decision.
"And is this what you want, Laboon?" Crocus turned his gaze to the small whale.
"GRR!"
"Hahahaha. We'll take care of you, Laboon; I also have my own doctor, right, Lami?" Luffy smiled.
"Yes, I can take care of the whale." Lami spoke.
With that, their first stop in the Grand Line concluded, and they prepared to sail to their next destination, Whisky Peak.
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Status Power Mingguan
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Power 
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