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Chapter 114: One Slash
She turned to her father, her tone becoming firm. "Father, Ganyu is right. Furthermore, I returned this time with critical intelligence—the boss behind Baroque Works is the Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile! He likely orchestrated our country's current state single-handedly!"
She thought her father would be shocked, angry, or demand details.
But Cobra merely nodded slowly, his expression chillingly calm.
"I know," he said.
"What?!" Vivi took a step back in disbelief. "You know? You've known all along that Crocodile is manipulating everything from the shadows? Then why—"
"Why not expose him? Why not let the citizens know the truth?"
Cobra took over his daughter's words, the bitterness on his face deepening.
"Vivi, you are too naive. He is Alabasta's 'Hero,' the 'Guardian Deity' in the hearts of the people. And I? I am a 'Tyrant' suspected of using Dance Powder to steal the entire country's rain. Who do you think the citizens will believe?"
As the ruler of a nation, he naturally knew the state of his country better than anyone.
It could be said to be on the verge of collapse. The Rebel Army could storm the capital at any moment and overthrow him.
Years of drought and harsh weather had robbed the Alabasta Kingdom of its vitality and stripped the people of their trust in the royal family.
What made them despair even more was that for years, not a drop of rain had fallen in any city in Alabasta, except for the capital where the royal family resided.
And this led to the birth of a rumor—that the King of Alabasta, to ensure constant rain in his capital, used Dance Powder (a powder that absorbs moisture from surrounding areas to create artificial rain), stealing the rain from the entire country.
"But the truth is the truth!" Vivi said agitatedly. "As long as we present evidence!"
"Evidence?" Cobra shook his head. "I have sent countless investigators. Most vanished from the face of the earth. The few who survived became 'witnesses' accusing me of using Dance Powder."
The hall fell into silence.
Vivi's face was pale. She finally realized that her father had attempted everything she had worked for over the past two years long ago, and had failed.
That sense of powerlessness nearly suffocated her.
Ganyu watched this scene quietly, her gaze shifting between Cobra and Vivi.
After pondering for a few seconds, she decided to act. "So, have you chosen to give up?"
Cobra looked at her, his eyes complex. "Not give up. It is... accepting reality."
"Father, do you mean..." Vivi's voice trembled.
"I mean, you should leave." Cobra looked straight into his daughter's eyes. "Take your friends and leave Alabasta. The capital is dangerous. The Rebel Army could attack at any time; Baroque Works agents could be lurking in any corner. I... might not be able to protect you."
"I don't need protection!" Vivi raised her voice, tears swirling in her eyes. "What I need is to save this country with you! To stand with the citizens!"
Cobra covered his face with his hand and sighed. "It is enough for me to die alone. There is no need to sacrifice your life too. Vivi, listen to me. Leave."
With that, he turned his back, refusing to look at his daughter's expression.
Vivi's cheeks were wet with tears, yet she remained incredibly stubborn. The princess who dared to leave her country alone at sixteen had not given up.
Ganyu admired her behavior greatly.
She silently marveled; as expected of the character who almost joined the Straw Hats in the original story. Even when her father, the King, had given up, she still wanted to save the country.
It was likely this conviction that made Luffy decide to help her.
Ganyu reached out to wipe the tears from the princess's cheek, gently patting her face to comfort her.
Then, she took a step forward, arriving behind the King. Her voice was as calm as ever:
"Your Majesty, you say the citizens won't believe you. But if you never attempt to tell them the truth, how can you be certain they won't believe?"
Perhaps because he had already noticed this blue-haired girl was extraordinary, Cobra turned slowly upon hearing her voice, sizing her up with great seriousness.
He then said, "If I step forward to explain the truth now, it will only trigger worse consequences."
Ganyu was not surprised by Cobra's answer. She raised her head slightly, staring into his eyes:
"So, what exactly do you fear? The Rebel Army, Baroque Works, or Crocodile?"
"..."
Cobra had a bitter expression and did not answer.
He couldn't exactly say he feared them all, could he?
But the fact remained: whether it was the Rebel Army or the Warlord, he couldn't handle either right now.
"If that's the case, things are simple."
Ganyu gave a soft smile. She reached back to untie the ribbon bound behind her, bringing a long sword with a white sheath in front of her.
Under the slightly confused gazes of Cobra and Vivi, she drew the blade.
She held the hilt with one hand and looked up at the sky.
In that instant, her entire aura changed. She transformed from a gentle-natured girl into a swordsman with exposed sharpness.
Then, she swung her sword toward the sky.
There was no flashy technique name, no exaggerated charging motion—just a simple upward slash.
But along the path of the blade, a cyan-blue slash erupted.
It wasn't ordinary air pressure from a sword, but energy so condensed it almost possessed physical substance. In this world, it was a slash only a Great Swordsman could produce.
Also in this moment, Ganyu suddenly realized that she had always known how to use Armament Haki.
The martial arts of this body, honed over thousands of years of combat and training, had long reached their absolute peak.
After coming to this world, as long as she willed it, she could naturally utilize the power belonging to the physical level of this world.
BOOM—
The ceiling of the throne room seemed non-existent as the slash penetrated it without hindrance, shooting straight into the clouds.
Through the massive hole cut open, one could see the azure sky of Alabasta.
And the lingering trace of the slash that refused to fade.
The clouds were split in two; it was as if the sky itself had been cleaved open by this single strike.
Cobra and Vivi stood frozen on the spot. Heads tilted back, looking through the hole in the palace roof at the phenomenon in the sky, their mouths hung open as they muttered a few words:
"Is this... even human..."
Ganyu sheathed her sword. Waiting for the father and daughter to gradually recover from their shock, she continued to speak:
"If nothing goes wrong, my captain will personally defeat Crocodile and drive him out of this country completely. The remaining Baroque Works senior agents and various members will also be handled by our Straw Hat Pirates."
"As for the internal Rebel Army of your country, that will be left to you." Ganyu changed the subject. "Is that clear, Your Majesty?"
Ganyu's clear voice echoed in the palace. After speaking, she stood quietly, waiting for Cobra's reply.
Even if they wanted to help Vivi, they couldn't do everything.
If they defeated Crocodile and stopped Baroque Works, but the King still couldn't handle the Rebel Army, it would only prove that this country truly needed a new ruler.
Cobra naturally understood the deeper meaning.
That slash just now was a demonstration of power to him.
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