Even after making so many preparations, Logan still couldn't fully put his mind at ease.
He turned to Nami and said seriously, "Nami, get me some stationery. I need to write a letter—immediately."
"Got it," Nami replied, heading into the cabin. She quickly returned with a sheet of white paper and a quill pen.
"Big Brother Logan, everything's ready."
Logan sat down at random, took the quill, and stared at the paper for a long time before finally starting to write—
Only to give up after a single character.
The letters he wrote with the quill were crooked and messy, like something a ghost had scrawled.
He sighed helplessly and said awkwardly, "Nami… you'd better write it for me."
Before Nami could respond, Vivi stepped forward, her cheeks faintly flushed.
"Let Sister Nami rest a bit. I'll write it."
Logan didn't really care who wrote it. He nodded, organized his thoughts briefly, and began dictating slowly—careful to match Vivi's writing pace.
"Captain Whitebeard,
I am Ace's elder brother, Logan. I'll skip the pleasantries.
Ace is currently on his way to hunt Blackbeard Teach—you already know this.
But you must stop him.
This time, Ace will be captured by the Marines.
At most six months later, he will be executed at Marine Headquarters.
You don't have to believe me—but I hope you'll send more commanders to support him, so you won't regret it later.
Finally, I'll warn you one last time, old man—don't think I'm joking."
When the letter was finished, Vivi and the others looked puzzled.
"Big Brother Logan… who is this 'Whitebeard' you're writing to?"
"The strongest man in the world," Logan replied casually, clearly uninterested in elaborating.
Right now, there was only one thing that mattered—
Planting trees. As fast as possible.
Six months.
He hoped it would be enough.
After docking at Yuba, they secured the Going Merry and headed into the city.
What awaited them was nothing like the western trade hub of legend.
The oasis was gone.
All that remained were ruins.
Desolation.
Collapse.
Broken walls and shattered structures—there wasn't a single intact building in sight.
The deeper they went, the heavier everyone's hearts became.
No people.
Weeds everywhere.
"What happened here…?" Zoro asked grimly.
Vivi's eyes reddened as she took in the scene. She forced a bitter smile.
"All of this… is Crocodile's scheme."
"I infiltrated Baroque Works for two years just to uncover the truth and gather evidence of his crimes."
"And I finally confirmed it—Dance Powder is what Baroque Works has been smuggling all along."
Nami and the others looked confused.
"Dance Powder? What's that?"
"It can force rainfall in a local area," Vivi explained softly.
"But at the same time, it drains water from surrounding regions, causing drought."
"That's why the World Government banned it."
"But one day, massive quantities of Dance Powder were found in the royal palace."
"From that moment on, the people began suspecting the king—believing he was stealing rain from other regions for his own comfort."
"Rebel armies rose everywhere."
Sanji frowned in thought.
"Crocodile is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He already has authority comparable to a king. Why would he go this far?"
Logan listened quietly.
He knew all of this.
He also knew Crocodile's true goal—
Pluton, one of the Ancient Weapons.
A man who aspired to stand at the top of the seas would never bind himself to a single country.
After a moment, Logan spoke calmly.
"Princess Vivi, if you trust me—then don't go looking for the rebels."
"Take me to the palace instead."
"Let me speak with the king, confirm a few things—then I'll help you kill Crocodile."
Vivi's heart burned with emotion.
Looking at Logan's calm, handsome face, she agreed almost without hesitation.
"Alright! Big Brother Logan—I trust you!"
At that moment, a frail old man emerged from the nearby ruins.
His body was thin, his steps unsteady. He stared at Vivi nervously.
"Vivi…? Did I hear that right? Are you really Vivi?"
"There's no princess here!" Luffy blurted out. "She's not Vivi!"
Bang!
Nami punched Luffy straight into the ground.
"Aaaah! That hurts!" Luffy cried, rolling on the floor.
"Nami, why'd you hit me?!"
Vivi was wearing a deep-blue robe, its loose folds hiding her curves. Even so, the outline of her near-perfect figure was impossible to fully conceal.
Strands of blue hair slipped out from beneath the hood.
The old man's eyes widened.
He staggered forward, gripping her shoulders, his voice trembling.
"It's really you… Vivi… You're alive… thank goodness…"
"You don't recognize me?"
"Well… I suppose I've lost some weight."
Vivi studied the old man carefully.
Suddenly, realization struck.
Her eyes flew wide open. She clapped a hand over her mouth, desperately holding back tears.
"You… you're Uncle Toto?!"
"Yes!"
The emaciated old man nodded heavily.
Vivi could hold back no longer.
She cried out and threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
She still remembered—
Three years ago, when they parted, Uncle Toto had been a round, well-fed man.
"Uncle Toto… you've suffered so much…" Vivi cried.
The old man stepped back, then knelt on one knee.
"Princess Vivi, I believe in the king."
"He would never betray the people or the nation."
"This country has been framed—by villains!"
He then told them that the rebel army had long since left Yuba—
They had gone to Katorea.
Everyone was stunned.
They'd gone through all this trouble to find the rebels—
Only to discover they were back at the very port city they'd departed from.
Vivi's gaze hardened as she turned to Logan.
"Big Brother Logan, I trust you."
"We won't look for the rebels."
"Take me to the royal capital—now."
Logan nodded lightly.
At last, he could see the dignity befitting a princess in her eyes.
"Vivi and I will go ahead on the Flying Nimbus."
"Tuanzi, you stay with Uncle Luffy."
"All of you head to Rainbase—we'll regroup there."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Moments later, the Flying Nimbus swept in from afar.
Carrying Logan and Vivi, it soared toward the royal capital—
Alubarna.
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