While Sengoku and the others were reading the latest newspaper and reeling from the sudden announcements by the Ninja Association and the Revolutionary Army, countless others across the world were reading the same paper, experiencing similar shock!
On a certain sea in the first half of the Grand Line, a small, lightweight sailboat with a cute sheep's head figurehead sailed smoothly.
Onboard this ship was none other than the Straw Hat Pirates crew.
Having just participated in the Summit War, Luffy had now returned to this ship.
However, clearly, because they had shown their faces at the Summit War, their previously inconspicuous pirate crew had now caught the Navy's serious attention.
Luffy's bounty had skyrocketed to a hundred million Berry!
Because of this, they had faced numerous hardships along the way. If not for the exceptional medical skills of their new ship's doctor, Chopper, they might have already met their end!
At this moment, having just barely escaped a Navy pursuit, they were lying on the deck resting like a bunch of salted fish.
Suddenly, a newspaper delivery bird flew over the ship.
Nami waved her hand, and it landed.
After buying a paper, Nami began to read. A short while later, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed loudly: "W-What?! Lu… Luffy, something huge has happened!"
Everyone else on board jolted in alarm, thinking pursuers had found them again. They all jumped up instantly, scanning their surroundings with vigilance, but found nothing.
This left them confused, and they all turned to look at Nami by the tangerine trees.
"Hey, Nami, what did you see?" Zoro asked.
They saw Nami's gaze still fixed on the newspaper in her hands as she waved them over urgently, saying, "Come here and look at this!"
Everyone gathered around curiously and quickly saw what had caused Nami's outburst.
"What? The Revolutionary Army is moving to Marineford? Isn't that the Navy Headquarters?" Sanji said in surprise.
"Former Navy Headquarters. It's the Ninja Association's turf now!" Nami corrected him.
"Eh? The Ninja Association is hosting a World Conference? Didn't the World Government just announce they were hosting one not long ago?" Usopp noticed another piece of news.
"What's a World Conference? Is it edible?" Luffy asked curiously.
"Luffy, be quiet!" Nami promptly smashed a fist onto Luffy's head.
Seeing their boisterous antics, Vivi, who was currently a guest on their ship, couldn't help but laugh.
She always felt there was so much joy with this group, as if no trouble could ever truly get them down.
Then, looking at the newspaper on the table, she fell into thought. "The Ninja Association hosting a World Conference is clearly aimed at challenging the World Government."
Her feelings towards the Ninja Association, an organization daring enough to confront the World Government head-on and win repeatedly, were quite complex.
As a descendant of one of the twenty kings who founded the World Government eight hundred years ago, she should logically support the World Government and oppose the Ninja Association. However, the World Government's actions in recent years had been so disappointing that she had almost lost any sense of belonging to it.
Of course, this didn't mean she approved of Luan and his group's methods. Challenging the World Government's authority had indeed plunged the world into turmoil. Still, she did appreciate how Luan and the others had subsequently quelled the chaos and震慑d the world.
In the end, Vivi thought to herself: Perhaps with the Ninja Association's existence, the World Government might be jolted awake and become better, more complete.
But then, remembering that her own country's problems weren't even resolved yet, she found it somewhat laughable that she was worrying about the World Government.
So, Vivi shook her head lightly, dismissing the thought.
Her gaze returned to the horizon ahead of their ship, where Alabasta was now coming into view.
This time, no matter what, she would quell the unrest in her country!
However, what took Vivi completely by surprise was that when she secretly entered Alabasta with the Straw Hat Pirates, planning how to return to the capital without alerting Crocodile, she found the Rebel Army leader, Koza, and the Royal Guard captain, Igaram, waiting at the port to welcome her!
What was going on?
Vivi was stunned, then overjoyed. "Could it be that the civil war has been resolved? Has the kingdom's crisis been lifted?"
After questioning Koza and Igaram in detail, she discovered the truth was even more bizarre than she had imagined.
Igaram explained, "After Crocodile returned from the Summit War, for some reason, he seemed shaken. He began to reveal his true colors, which he had hidden for years, and we finally uncovered the truth."
Vivi asked nervously, "And then? Did you fight him and drive him away?" But thinking of Crocodile's immense strength, she felt her idea was naive.
Sure enough, Koza shook his head with a bitter smile. "Crocodile and his subordinates were far too powerful. We were no match for them."
"Then what's the current situation?" Vivi pressed immediately.
Koza said, "Later… Crocodile ran away on his own!"
"Nani?"
Not only Vivi, but Luffy and the others were also dumbfounded upon hearing this.
Nami said incredulously, "You mean Crocodile, who had all the advantages, suddenly just ran away? Did he have a sudden crisis of conscience?"
Igaram said, "At first, we didn't know why either. But later we found out that a few special travelers happened to be in Alabasta that day!"
"Special travelers?" Vivi was puzzled.
"Yes. A few people from the Ninja Association!" Koza said.
"The Ninja Association?!" This time, the entire Straw Hat crew exclaimed in unison.
"The Ninja Association from Sabaody Archipelago?" Chopper asked excitedly.
"Correct, that's the one!" Koza nodded.
"Wait, hold on! The guests you mentioned… they wouldn't happen to be those uncles from the Ninja Association who are really good at playing with sand, would they?" Luffy suddenly shouted.
Instantly, all eyes turned to Luffy.
Then, they heard Luffy say, "I saw them at Marineford! The Ninja Association has some uncles who are super good with sand, called Kazekage! That Sand Crocodile must have run away when he saw them!"
Igaram said excitedly, "Yes, that's right! They called themselves the Kazekage! It was their appearance that scared that despicable Crocodile into fleeing!"
Hearing this, everyone finally understood completely!
Yet, they still found it somewhat unbelievable. The Ninja Association was so formidable that their mere presence, without even lifting a finger, was enough to scare away a powerful foe like Crocodile!
Vivi felt her mind reeling.
The problem she had worked so hard to solve, nearly losing her life in the process, was resolved by the Ninja Association's Kazekage without them even having to fight?
She wondered if she was dreaming.
But then she immediately asked, "Where are those honored guests from the Ninja Association now?"
At this question, Koza and Igaram's expressions turned strange.
Koza said, "They vanished suddenly, leaving only a few trees behind. We investigated later; it seems they all returned to the Ninja Association. It's their unique way of leaving."
"Is that so?" Vivi was visibly disappointed. "I was hoping to thank them in person."
"His Majesty the King also said he wished to thank them personally. We'll find an opportunity later," Igaram said.
Vivi's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had thought of something. "Actually, there's a perfect opportunity right now! Perhaps… we can attend the World Conference hosted by the Ninja Association!"
This statement shocked everyone present.
They all knew what such a decision by Vivi, the Princess of Alabasta, would signify!
Only Luffy reacted with excitement, saying, "Great, great! Let's all go together! It'll be so much fun!"
No one paid him any mind.
Igaram immediately tried to dissuade her, saying, "Princess Vivi, please don't make a rash decision! If we do that, it would mean becoming enemies with the World Government!"
Vivi, however, retorted, "So what? Where was this so-called World Government when our country was on the brink of destruction? They didn't care about our survival at all! On the contrary, it was the Ninja Association that saved our country. Shouldn't we support our benefactors?"
Koza and Igaram were left speechless.
However, this matter was of grave importance and not something Vivi could decide alone. So, she decided to return to the palace immediately to discuss it thoroughly with her father.
At the same time, similar events were unfolding all across the world.
Luan's initial intention of having his guild members go out to show off and earn him prestige points was now yielding unexpected benefits!
The World Government had thought the Ninja Association's so-called World Conference was a joke. Little did they know the Ninja Association's influence on the world was far greater than they could ever imagine!
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T/N:
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