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Half a month later.
Alabasta, Southern Palace Hall.
This was one of the more secluded areas within the royal palace, which is normally uninhabited. But over the past half month, it had been under heavy guard, with a considerable number of soldiers stationed here.
"Tap!" "Tap!" "Tap!"
Crisp footsteps rang out. The guards' expressions tightened, and they turned toward the approaching figure.
"Princess Vivi… Your Highness?!"
When they saw the blue-haired, beautiful princess, they immediately bowed in unison.
"By my father's orders, I've come to meet that honored guest and offer thanks for the rainfall in Katorea," Vivi said succinctly. "Please step aside."
Hearing this, the guards hesitated. But their hesitation didn't last long, and they stepped aside as instructed.
In fact, when that "honored guest" had first been stationed in the Southern Palace Hall, they had been extremely vigilant, especially those guards who had attended the meeting in the reception hall before. They knew very well the identity of that guest and the terrifying strength he possessed.
But as time passed, that vigilance gradually faded.
After all, up to now, that guest had already used his miraculous abilities to bring rain to the three cities of Yuba, Katorea, and Erumalu, stabilizing Alabasta's domestic situation.
King Cobra had also held a one-on-one meeting with him.
On top of that, the king had recently been busy traveling across the country to appease the people. Within the palace, Princess Vivi now held the highest status.
Naturally, they didn't dare disobey her orders.
After the guards stepped aside, Vivi entered the Southern Palace Hall.
From afar, she saw a lounge chair.
Sunlight streamed down through the transparent dome, falling perfectly onto the chair, where Shinryu, wearing a mask, was seated.
He held a cup of cola in his hand, the straw slipping through a gap beneath the mask.
"Oh? Princess Vivi, did you come to interrupt my sunbathing again?"
When he saw Vivi arrive, Shinryu turned his head to greet her. She clearly saw him quickly hide the cup behind his back.
'Who would steal something like that?' Vivi complained inwardly.
But after a month of interactions, she had become fairly familiar with Shinryu.
She also understood that this self-proclaimed high officer of the 'Twelve Zodiac', an incredibly powerful individual, had a rather peculiar personality.
So she simply performed a standard royal salute.
"Good day, Shinryu Sama. I've come on my father's orders to thank you for the rainfall in Katorea not long ago.'
She gave what sounded like a perfectly reasonable explanation.
However...
"Ah, about that reason, I'm very sorry to inform Your Highness that you've already been found out." Shinryu said bluntly, offering no courtesy at all.
After confirming that Vivi had no intention of stealing his drink, he resumed sipping his cola.
"Not long ago, your guard commander, Igaram, came to see me. From what he said, I learned that King Cobra never gave you any such order."
As he spoke, the voice beneath the mask took on a teasing tone.
"And judging by my guess, those plotting against your country should be ready to make their move on me soon. So I'd advise you not to come here unless you really have to."
Hearing this, Vivi's expression changed.
"Igaram…"
She clenched her teeth in irritation at her guard commander's loose lips.
Then she stubbornly looked at Shinryu.
"That won't do. You have to tell me who the mastermind behind all this really is. Why won't Father tell me, no matter what?"
"I'm the princess of Alabasta. I have a responsibility to the people too!"
That was right.
That was the reason she had been coming here so often, even resorting to excuses and lies. Not long ago, her father had met with Shinryu, but this time he hadn't taken her with him.
However, based on what Igaram had revealed, she was certain that Shinryu had identified the mastermind behind Alabasta's great drought at that meeting.
However, when she questioned her father afterwards, King Cobra only shook his head and refused to tell her the answer, no matter what.
"That's not something you need to know, Vivi."
That was all the king had said.
However, Vivi couldn't accept this, she believed that, as princess, she had the right to know who was trying to destroy her country.
"He must be made to pay for what he's done to Alabasta!" Vivi exclaimed angrily.
Faced with Vivi's attitude, Shinryu neither confirmed nor denied it.
"Princess, allow me to ask you a rather impolite question," He said softly. "Have you ever left Alabasta?"
"I..."
Hearing this question, Vivi was momentarily confused.
However, she answered reluctantly, "Of course I have."
As the only princess of Alabasta, she had almost never left the country.
There was only one exception.
"I accompanied my father to the last Levely three years ago."
She clenched her teeth as she recalled that conference.
During the meeting, her father publicly reprimanded Wapol, the king of the Drum Kingdom, and afterwards, Wapol took revenge by targeting her.
Although she had calmly chosen to compromise, swallowing her pride and apologizing, she had later cried uncontrollably in her father's arms.
It was not a pleasant memory.
So Shinryu spread his hands.
"That's the reason, Your Highness. You haven't truly seen this 'world' yet, and your father clearly thinks the same."
He smiled lightly.
"So please, go back."
"..."
Vivi bit her lower lip and stared at Shinryu. After a long moment, she snorted.
She stood up and turned to leave.
But halfway there, she suddenly turned back.
Amid Shinryu's startled cry of "Ah…!", she grabbed the bottle of cola he had set beside him and gulped down the rest in one go.
Then she shot him a smug glance and strode out of the Southern Palace Hall.
"…"
Staring at the now-empty cola bottle, Roy, beneath the mask, could only feel like crying without tears.
It had to be said: no wonder she was someone who would nearly become a crewmate of Luffy in the future. Even now, her unconventional way of doing things and thought process were already showing.
Just as he was about to ask the guards outside for another bottle of cola…
"Princess, why have you come back again?" The voices of the guards sounded from outside the hall.
"I forgot to tell the gentleman inside something earlier. Yes, it's very important and highly confidential. You should all leave for now."
"Huh? But Senior Officer Igaram said…"
"What? Are you saying you won't obey the orders of your princess?"
"O-of course not! We wouldn't dare… We'll leave immediately."
As the voices outside faded away, Shinryu saw Vivi, just as expected, walking back into the Southern Palace Hall.
Upon seeing Roy, she smiled warmly.
"My lord, I have something to tell you." She walked briskly to Shinryu's side.
"What a coincidence… I have something to ask you too."
Still reclining on the lounge chair, Shinryu smiled and asked, "So? Is it just you?"
Vivi's expression visibly froze for a moment. But in the blink of an eye, she adjusted herself and replied with a smile,
"What do you mean, just me? Wasn't I alone when I came earlier?"
"That's not what I meant." Shinryu continued smiling.
"I mean, are you the only one who's come to take my head?"
"Swish!"
The instant those words left his mouth, Vivi's smiling face turned ice-cold. Her legs snapped out like a long whip, delivering a fierce kick straight at Shinryu.
At the same moment, her appearance changed abruptly, Vivi's beautiful face transformed into that of a man with heavy makeup and straight bangs.
And the latter half of Shinryu's sentence, spoken at that very moment, revealed the man's identity.
"Baroque Works agent… Mr. 2."
(End of Chapter)