The morning sun over Alubarna was fierce, a reminder that despite the new water flowing through the canals, this was still a desert kingdom. Inside the guest wing of the palace, the air was filled with the chaotic energy of departure.
The Straw Hat Pirates were packing. Well, Nami was packing. Sanji was preparing a travel lunch. Zoro was sleeping against a pillar with his swords. Usopp and Chopper were chasing each other around the room, and Luffy was trying to stuff a golden candlestick into his pocket before Nami slapped his hand away.
Sabo and Koala stood by the balcony, watching the crew with amused expressions.
"They really are a hurricane," Koala laughed, adjusting her cap. "I can't believe this is the crew that took down a Warlord."
"That's Luffy for you," Sabo grinned, tilting his top hat. "He creates chaos, but he leaves freedom in his wake."
The heavy double doors creaked open. The room fell silent.
Princess Vivi stood there. She was dressed not in the rugged traveler's clothes she had worn as Miss Wednesday, but in the fine, silk ceremonial robes of the Nefertari house. Her hair was pulled back in an intricate royal braid, and a golden circlet rested on her forehead. Caroo, the spot-billed duck, stood beside her, wearing a sad expression and a small royal cape.
Vivi looked at them—her friends, her nakama. Her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears.
"Everyone," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "You're leaving."
"Vivi!" Luffy grinned, stretching his arms out. "You're ready! Go get changed!"
Vivi didn't move. She clutched the fabric of her dress.
"I... I came to say goodbye."
Luffy's smile vanished. He tilted his head, confusion clouding his face. "Goodbye? What are you talking about? We're leaving. You're coming."
"I can't, Luffy," Vivi whispered, looking down at the floor. "I love you all. I want to go to the sea more than anything. But... look at my country. The war is over, but the scars are deep. The people need their Princess. My father is tired. I cannot abandon my duty."
"So what?!" Luffy shouted, his voice echoing off the high ceilings. It wasn't an angry shout, but a stubborn, childish refusal to accept reality. "You're our friend! We're pirates! Who cares about being a Princess? Just come!"
"It's not that simple!" Vivi cried back, tears finally spilling over. "I love this country! I am Nefertari Vivi! If I leave now, I am turning my back on the people who suffered for me! I can't do that!"
"You can!" Luffy argued, stomping his foot. "We'll just take you! I'll kidnap you if I have to!"
"Luffy," Nami said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Stop. She's made her choice."
"I don't accept it!" Luffy crossed his arms, pouting furiously. "Vivi is crew!"
The atmosphere was thick with heartbreak. Usopp was sniffling, hiding his eyes behind his goggles. Chopper was openly bawling, clinging to Zoro's leg. Even Sanji looked devastatingly sad, his cigarette burning low.
At that moment, the side door opened.
Ben walked in.
He looked refreshed, wearing his signature trench coat, looking like he hadn't just spent the last 48 hours terraforming a country and building who knows what. He scanned the room, noting the tears, the shouting Captain, and the distraught Princess.
"Well," Ben said, breaking the tension. "This is a depressing packing party. Are we ready to move?"
"We're not leaving!" Luffy barked. "Vivi says she's staying! Make her come, Ben! Use magic!"
Ben looked at Vivi. He saw the conflict in her heart—the duty of a ruler warring with the spirit of an adventurer.
"Is that true, Vivi?" Ben asked calmly. "You're staying because of your duty?"
"I have to, Ben," Vivi wiped her eyes. "My father needs help. The restoration... the politics... I can't leave him alone to handle it."
Ben hummed, scratching his chin. "I see. So, if the administrative burden was handled, and the King had support, you would want to come?"
"More than anything!" Vivi admitted.
"Good," Ben smiled. "Then go change your clothes. You're coming with us."
The room froze.
"What?" Vivi blinked. "Ben, did you not hear me? I just said—"
"I heard you," Ben interrupted. "And I ignored it, because it's a non-issue. I've already taken care of the thing that's troubling you. I spoke to your father this morning. He doesn't just accept you leaving; he insists on it."
"He... what?" Vivi looked stunned. "But the kingdom..."
"Is in good hands," Ben assured her. "Better hands than yours, no offense. You're a great Princess, Vivi, but you're eighteen. You have a lifetime to rule. Right now, you need to see the world."
"But how?!" Nami asked, stepping forward. "Ben, you can't just 'magic away' the responsibilities of a state government!"
"Watch me," Ben winked.
Luffy didn't need details. He heard "Vivi is coming."
"YOSHA!" Luffy screamed, throwing his hands in the air. "Vivi is coming! CAMPING!"
"The Princess is staying!" Sanji twirled into a tornado of hearts. "Oh, glorious day! My love remains!"
"We're all together!" Chopper and Usopp joined Luffy, the three of them locking arms and doing a can-can dance in the middle of the room.
"IDIOTS!" Nami smacked all three of them on the head instantly. "Don't celebrate yet! Listen to the explanation! Ben, what did you do? Did you brainwash the King?"
"Sanji, calm down before you burst a blood vessel," Nami hissed, kicking the cook in the shin.
Ben chuckled at the chaos. "Follow me. All of you. King Cobra is waiting."
---
The crew, along with Sabo and Koala, followed Ben through the winding corridors of the palace. They reached the King's private study, a heavy oak door guarded by Chaka and Pell.
The guards nodded to Ben with immense respect—fear, even—and opened the doors.
Inside, King Cobra was sitting at his desk. But he wasn't alone.
Standing next to his chair, reviewing a stack of documents with precise, mechanical efficiency, was...
Vivi.
The crew stopped dead in their tracks.
They looked at the Vivi standing next to them—the one with red, puffy eyes.
Then they looked at the Vivi by the desk—the one looking calm, composed, and wearing an identical royal outfit.
"H-Two Vivis?!" Usopp screamed, grabbing his head. "I'm hallucinating! The heat got to me!"
"It's a clone!" Chopper gasped, hiding behind Zoro.
"It's a mirror trick," Nami guessed, narrowing her eyes.
The "Vivi" at the desk looked up. Her movements were smooth, but slightly too perfect. She smiled.
"Hello, everyone. Hello, Original."
"W-Who are you?" real Vivi stammered, stepping forward.
"I am Unit N-01," the doppelganger said, her voice identical to Vivi's. "But Ben calls me 'Neo'. I am a bio-android construct designed to administer the Kingdom of Alabasta in your absence."
Ben walked over and patted the android on the shoulder. "Remember, Merry? Same tech. I made a clone with Vivi's physical appearance. Then, I uploaded a high-level governance AI, overlaying it with Vivi's personality matrix."
"Personality matrix?" Luffy tilted his head. "Does she poop?"
"Focus, Luffy," Ben sighed. "She looks like Vivi. She talks like Vivi. But she has the processing power of a supercomputer. She can read trade agreements in seconds, calculate drought relief logistics instantly, and never gets tired."
King Cobra stood up. He walked over to his real daughter. He looked aged, but his eyes were warm and full of love.
"Vivi," Cobra said softly. "When Ben-dono proposed this... I was skeptical. It felt like replacing you."
He looked at the android, who was currently cross-referencing grain import taxes with a smile.
"But then I realized... you have sacrificed your childhood for this country. You infiltrated a criminal organization. You fought a war. You almost died a hundred times. You have done enough."
Cobra placed his hands on Vivi's shoulders.
"The country needs a ruler, yes. And Neo can be that administrator. She is efficient. But the country also needs a spirit. And that spirit... needs to be free."
"Father..." Vivi's lip quivered.
"Go," Cobra commanded gently. "Go with your friends. See the world. Find the answers you seek. And when you are ready... come home. Alabasta will be waiting. I will be waiting."
Vivi couldn't hold it back anymore. She threw her arms around her father, burying her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Thank you... sniff... thank you, Father!"
Cobra held her tight, tears streaming down his own face. "My brave girl. My precious daughter."
The room was silent, save for the sound of weeping.
Nami wiped a tear from her eye. "Ben... you really think of everything, don't you?"
"I just hate bad endings," Ben murmured.
Sabo watched the scene with a soft smile. "Freedom," he whispered to Koala. "That's what this is about. Not just liberating countries, but liberating people."
Ben cleared his throat. "We should give them a moment."
He ushered the crew out of the room. Luffy, for once, didn't protest. He just grinned, adjusting his straw hat. His crew was complete.
---
By early afternoon, the emotional heaviness had lifted, replaced by the rowdy celebration of the Straw Hats.
The Dining Hall was packed. It wasn't a formal state dinner; it was a pirate banquet.
Luffy was currently engaged in a meat-eating contest with Brogy the Giant.
"More!" Luffy demanded, his cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk.
Sanji was running back and forth from the kitchen, bringing out platters of his own creation to challenge the royal chefs.
"Vivi-chan! Try this desert parfait! It represents the sweetness of your freedom!"
Vivi, changed into her casual pirate attire—a simple top and pants—laughed and took the plate. She looked lighter, younger. The weight of the crown was gone, left in the hands of the capable machine upstairs.
At the head of the table, Ben sat with Sabo and King Cobra.
"The Revolutionary Army will be moving as well," Sabo said, cutting a piece of steak. "We have business in the North Blue. Dragon will be interested to hear about your... 'innovations', Ben."
"Tell Dragon he owes me a drink," Ben replied, sipping his wine. "And keep an eye on the World Government's movements regarding the Warlords. With Crocodile down, the balance of power is shifting."
"We know," Koala nodded.
Cobra raised a glass. "To the Straw Hat Pirates! The saviors of Alabasta!"
"CHEERS!" the room erupted.
The feast lasted for hours. Stories were swapped, promises were made.
Finally, as the sun began to dip, painting the sky in shades of orange and violet, Ben checked his pocket watch.
"It's time," Ben announced. "Let's go."
---
The group moved to the massive Palace Courtyard.
In the center sat the Going Merry.
It looked out of place sitting on the stone pavement, miles from the nearest river.
Ben raised his hand. His eyes flashed green.
"Magic: Command T - Shrink."
ZWOOP.
The air rushed inward to fill the vacuum.
The caravel, a ship capable of holding ten people and tons of cargo, instantly compressed. It shrank down... and down... until it was the size of a toy boat, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.
He placed the shrunken ship into his magically expanded coat pocket, right next to his wand and the infinite supply of snacks.
King Cobra stood at the palace gates, flanked by Chaka, Pell, and the android Neo-Vivi.
"So this is it," Cobra said, his voice thick with emotion.
Vivi walked up to him one last time. She hugged him tight.
"I'll call," she promised. "Every chance I get."
"Take care of yourself," Cobra whispered. He looked at Luffy. "Take care of her, Captain Luffy."
"Shishishi! Don't worry, old man!" Luffy gave a thumbs up. "She's my crewmate! I'll protect her!"
"And Ben-dono," Cobra looked at the magician. "Thank you. For the water. For the truth. For my daughter."
"Don't mention it," Ben nodded. "Just remember what we talked about. The war is coming. Be ready."
"We will be," Cobra vowed.
Ben turned to the group.
"Alright, everyone. Gather round. Grab a shoulder, an arm, a leg, whatever. We're doing a long-distance jump."
The Straw Hats huddled together.
Dorry and Brogy had a hand on Luffy's shoulder. Luffy grabbed Zoro and Sanji. Mini Merry sat on Zoro's shoulder. Nami grabbed Vivi. Usopp and Chopper clung to Ben's legs. Robin stood calmly, placing a hand on Ben's shoulder. Sabo and Koala joined the circle, as they needed a lift to the coast.
"Next stop: Nanohana Port," Ben announced.
CRACK-BOOM.
The sound was like a cannon firing.
A swirl of space-time distorted the air.
One moment, the courtyard was full of pirates and revolutionaries.
The next moment, there was nothing but empty air and swirling dust.
King Cobra stood alone in the silence of the courtyard. He looked at the empty space, then at the android daughter standing beside him.
"Well," Cobra smiled, a tear tracing a path through the dust on his cheek. "It seems life is going to be very quiet from now on."
"Inefficient use of tear ducts, Father," Neo-Vivi stated, handing him a handkerchief. "Shall we review the budget proposals for the Northern Canal project?"
Cobra laughed aloud. "Yes. Yes, let's do that."
---
POP.
The air exploded on the docks of Nanohana.
Passersby screamed and dropped their crates of fish as fourteen people suddenly materialized out of thin air in the middle of the pier.
"Oof!" Usopp landed face-first on the wood.
"My hair!" Nami complained, smoothing out the static.
Ben stood tall, dusting off his coat. He checked the perimeter.
The sea breeze was salty and fresh. The scent of spices and sea brine filled the air.
Nanohana was recovering fast. The shops were open, and the people looked hopeful, no longer crushed by the drought.
"We're here!" Luffy cheered, running to the edge of the dock and looking at the ocean.
"Alright," Ben said, reaching into his pocket. "Let's get our ride back."
He pulled out the tiny toy boat.
"Magic: Command T - Restore."
VWOOM.
He tossed the toy into the water. In mid-air, it expanded rapidly. By the time it hit the surface, it was the full-sized Going Merry, splashing down with a mighty wave that rocked the nearby fishing boats.