Chapter 123: Vivi, There Is One More Thing
For some reason that he could not quite explain, Roy had somehow become... the master's husband.
If he told anyone that a little girl had taken one look at him and decided he was her "teacher's wife," they probably would not believe him.
Roy felt wronged from the bottom of his soul.
Hancock, this is absolutely your fault.
So dishonest.
So shameless.
...
Back to business.
Two thugs lumbered up the mountain path.
One of them leered openly at Vivi.
Their shadows fell over her, and she instinctively took a step back, fingers tightening on her skirt.
She had only been training for a few days. She had not even really started with the sword yet.
She was not their match.
"Humph."
A cold snort rang out behind them, and Vivi's eyes lit up.
That cool, aloof master.
Before the two men could even turn around, two long legs swept out like whips. High heels cracked against the backs of their heads.
"Fragrant Kick."
In an instant, both men stiffened where they stood. Stone spread across their faces from the point of impact, racing down their bodies until the two of them turned into statues, one in front, one behind.
Hancock stood behind them in a tight purple cheongsam, long black hair flowing in the dry desert breeze. In the harsh sunlight, she looked dazzling and impossibly cool.
"Tsk tsk, I told you, you should not mess with me."
Vivi clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her chin up, smiling brightly.
Her master and her master's husband were both frighteningly strong.
Anyone who tried to bully her now was just asking to be turned into gravel.
Fragrant Kick was a technique Hancock had developed from her Mero Mero no Mi.
As the user of the Love Love Fruit, Hancock could petrify living beings, and with this kick she could petrify whatever she struck, living or nonliving.
Whether they fell for her beauty or not did not matter.
If her heel landed, they turned to stone, and if she wished, she could shatter them with a follow up blow.
"Stop acting so pleased with yourself. Roy is calling you."
Hancock sniffed, turned on her heel and walked away, high heels tapping sharply against the stone.
She had never intended to take Princess Vivi as a disciple.
But the way Roy had looked at Vivi the first time they met...
Hancock had not liked that look one bit. Something about it made her sense danger.
So she made the first move.
She claimed the position of Vivi's master herself.
Reserved the spot in advance.
Hancock did not believe that, once Vivi grew up, the girl would dare to challenge her when it came to Roy.
Prevent problems before they start. That was one of Hancock's strengths.
"Tch, so what? You vixen, someday I will be prettier than you..."
Vivi muttered under her breath as she trotted after her.
She had no idea that her cold, temperamental master was one of the most beautiful women in the world, on the same level as Shirahoshi.
...
"Amazing."
Far away, behind a huge tree, King Cobra and Captain Igaram slowly straightened up from where they had been crouched, peeking out one above the other.
One kick, and the enemy was turned to stone and then shattered.
Only now did they truly understand how terrifying the master their little princess had apprenticed herself to really was.
A monstrous swordsman.
A deadly Devil Fruit user.
To be blunt, it was as if Alabasta had suddenly acquired two powerful foreign protectors.
The king and his guard hastily lifted the lush potted plants they were using as camouflage, held them in front of their faces, and crept after Vivi and Hancock.
Vivi, blissfully unaware, felt nothing strange at all. She was simply happy that she was about to see Roy again.
Hancock, walking in front, frowned slightly and glanced back.
She saw the two "suspicious shrubs" wobbling along.
She chose to ignore them, patted Vivi lightly on the head, and kept going.
The two shadows continued to tail them in silence.
...
On the far side of the slope, a few tough trees created a rare patch of shade in the scorching oasis.
Roy had just finished his weight training. He sat off to the side, arms resting on his knees, silently watching the endless desert and letting his mind go blank.
Otherwise known as resting with his eyes open.
"Vivi was almost kidnapped just now," Hancock said as she approached, heels clicking.
"Yes, yes, thanks to Master, I escaped by sheer luck."
Vivi immediately started singing her praises, her voice sweet as sugar.
But her feet carried her straight to Roy.
Once she finished flattering Hancock, she rushed over, ready to cling to this special "teacher's wife."
The palace was unbearably dull.
Outside the palace walls there was Koza, arrogant, pushy, and even daring to hit her.
Annoying.
There were other kids too, but none of them were as interesting or as pretty as the "teacher's wife."
Her "teacher's wife" was handsome, had a gentle voice, incredible skills, and an easygoing warmth that drew people in.
If you ignored the minor problem of gender, he was perfect.
Sometimes, little girls did not fall for people because they were rich or powerful.
Sometimes, they simply admired someone too much.
That admiration slowly twisted into worship, then blurred at the edges until it felt very much like a crush.
Vivi's feelings were heading in that direction.
So she came every day.
She pestered Roy to teach her swordsmanship.
She pestered him to play with her, to tell her stories.
She did not know why she liked it so much.
She just did.
Roy listened to her calling him "teacher's wife" over and over and felt a vein twitch in his forehead.
"Vivi, do you know how many mistakes you made today?" Roy asked.
If she kept shouting "teacher's wife," Hancock would never let him live it down.
There would be no dignity left for him to salvage.
If you did not know how to address people properly, then stop inventing things.
"I do not know." Vivi shook her head, blinking her big eyes at him.
"Where is the sword I gave you?" Roy asked.
He had given Vivi two blades. One was a wooden practice sword.
In a desert kingdom, resources were scarce. If they could not find bamboo swords, then plain wooden blades would have to do. Bamboo swords had better flex and were ideal for training, but you worked with what you had.
The other was a small iron sword he had commissioned at a local blacksmith.
Just heavy enough for Vivi to lift and swing.
She was a princess, yet she had no combat power, insisted on going out without guards, and loved to run around everywhere.
That was a death wish.
She needed some way to protect herself.
"Ah, I forgot to bring it..." Vivi lowered her head, cheeks red with shame.
Her eyes kept darting up to Roy, and her fingers nervously twisted the ends of her blue hair.
She looked like she wanted to crawl into the sand like an ostrich and never come out.
Roy thought of what his older brother had once said.
A sword was a swordsman's life. Wherever a swordsman went, the sword had to follow.
Because all of a swordsman's skill was built around the blade, and in a critical moment, the sword was the only thing that could keep him alive.
Of course, monsters like Roy did not really count.
His bare hands were harder than steel.
"The sword is a swordsman's lifeline, Vivi. Remember this. A proper swordsman never forgets her blade. It is your companion, the key to defeating your enemies, and the sum of everything you have learned."
Roy chuckled and shook his head while Vivi kept nodding so hard her hair bounced.
The cuteness was almost too much.
But Roy was right.
Even if Vivi was officially Hancock's disciple now, that did not mean Hancock would teach her sincerely.
Hancock was on guard.
She would kick away any potential rival as soon as one appeared.
So Roy personally taught Vivi the basics of swordsmanship.
"Da da."
"Ouch, that hurts."
Roy lightly tapped Vivi twice on the head with a thin practice stick.
Vivi let out a tiny yelp, then immediately put on an exaggerated injured look.
Her lips trembled, her eyes went glossy, and she stared up at him pitifully.
If this did not earn her a gentle hug, she was going to be very disappointed.
"There is one more thing."
Roy lowered the stick and looked at her seriously.
He wanted her to figure it out herself first.
Vivi tilted her head, confused.
Had she done something else wrong?
He was not going to follow her around and nag her forever, was he?
"You cannot call me 'teacher's wife.' I am a man, got it? You are using the wrong word." Roy said helplessly.
"Oh. Then I will call you Brother Roy. One teacher, one big brother, everyone has their own place."
Vivi grinned, then glanced sideways at Hancock, whose expression had turned very dark.
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