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"Though it wasn't the case before, doesn't an it won't be in the future," Nico Robin said with a smile. "If you don't believe , you can contact the Alabasta royal family. I'm sure His Majesty the King will give you the answer we both want."
By this ti, Ikki, Vivi, and the others would have already reached the royal city of Alabasta. Thinking about what she had told Cobra regarding Ikki and Vivi before leaving, Robin felt amused and wondered what their faces looked like now.
Igaram glanced at Robin suspiciously. Considering Ikki's attitude toward her during their voyage, he finally nodded, pulled out his Den Den Mushi and made a call.
"Your Majesty the King, it's , Igaram!"
"Oh, Igaram! Where are you now?" Cobra's voice ca through.
"I'm still aboard Captain Ikki's ship, the Explorer, watching over it for him."
"Well, then you might miss Vivi's wedding."
"Wedding? Princess Vivi is getting married?!" Igaram exclaid in shock.
"Yeah, thanks to Robin, Ikki and Vivi are getting ready for their wedding now."
"Thanks to Nico Robin?!" Igaram looked at Robin with a totally confused expression.
"No way, I have to attend Princess Vivi's wedding!" he insisted. "Your Majesty, is Captain Ikki with you? Nico Robin is here with —can I leave the Explorer in her care?"
Though unclear about exactly what had happened to make Vivi and Ikki hold a sudden wedding, Igaram's love and concern for Vivi made it impossible for him to stay quietly aboard the ship.
"Hold on, let ask..." After a brief pause, Cobra continued, "Ikki says it's fine, and he also wants you to tell Robin that he'll have a good talk with her later."
"Got it, Your Majesty," Igaram replied. "I'll hand things over to Nico Robin right away."
After hanging up, Igaram quickly turned to Robin. "Nico Robin, Captain Ikki's okay with you watching the ship. You heard what he said—he wants to have a word with you later. Don't go anywhere. Also, don't let those Baroque Works agents locked up below deck escape. That's it—I'm outta here!"
Too anxious to wait for Robin's response, Igaram jumped off the boat and ran toward the royal city of Alubarna.
"How interesting," Robin mused, holding her chin with one hand. "Are Ikki and Vivi really going to have a wedding? Things seem to be going quite differently from what I expected."
Unable to figure it out, Robin shook her head and walked into the cabin, heading toward the storage room that Ikki had temporarily turned into a prison.
"Miss All Sunday, it's you!" Mr. 1 raised his head imdiately when he heard footsteps approaching. The imprisoned agents hadn't expected to see their forr colleague, now a traitor.
"How dare you show your face here, woman!" Mr. 2 Bon Clay struggled to stand up but was too tightly bound by chains to move. "Let Bon Clay go! Bon Clay challenges you to a duel!"
Though the other Devil Fruit users remained silent, they all looked at Robin with clear hostility.
"Miss All Sunday, you've co back alive," Miss Doublefinger remarked, taking a deep breath. "Should I take that to an you've beaten the boss?"
"Sharp as ever, Miss Doublefinger," Robin smiled. "As you guessed, Mr. 0—or should we call him Shichibukai Crocodile—has been defeated by Ikki and his crew. Right now, Ikki and Princess Vivi are busy having a celebration in Alabasta."
Hearing this, all the senior agents, including Miss Doublefinger, widened their eyes in disbelief.
"Did you just say Mr. 0 was Shichibukai Crocodile?" Mr. 3 pushed up his glasses, surprise clear in his voice. "Miss All Sunday, you must be lying to us."
"Baroque Works is history now," Robin replied. "There's no harm in telling you this. Mr. 0 was indeed Crocodile. Besides, in this desert country, who else but Crocodile could have led us all?"
After Robin's revelation, everyone fell silent, deep in thought. Indeed, as she had pointed out, throughout Alabasta, the powerful Shichibukai Crocodile certainly had what it took to be their boss.
"So that's it," Mr. 3 finally said. "No wonder Mr. 0 needed to hide who he was. Even a Shichibukai would lose his position if the World Governnt found out about his plot to overthrow a kingdom. Speaking of which, Miss All Sunday, now that Baroque Works is done for, there's no point in keeping us locked up. Could you please let us go, for old tis' sake?"
After he finished speaking, all the senior agents except Mr. 1 looked at Robin hopefully. They clearly wanted their freedom.
"Sorry, can't do that," Robin shook her head. "Though I'd like to release you, Captain Ikki would be mad if I did. To keep him from getting upset and kicking out, I need to keep you here. But if you have any other requests, I can try to help, as long as they're reasonable."
Upon hearing this, Mr. 3 and the others imdiately looked disappointed.
"But what does that guy want to keep us here for?" Miss Valentine asked worriedly. "Are we gonna be handed over to the Marines for bounty money?"
The thought of potentially ending up in a Marine prison made Miss Valentine feel super anxious.
"Probably not," Robin replied. "Captain Ikki likely has other plans for you. Unfortunately, he didn't share them with , so I can't give you a clear answer."
Robin herself was curious about why Ikki had kept these people. She had asked him, but since she wasn't officially part of his crew, Ikki hadn't told her the reason.
"Then... are our lives in danger?" Mr. 5, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up.
Robin stayed quiet for a mont before responding, "Maybe. After all, Ikki killed Mr. 4 and Miss rry Christmas without thinking twice. As for the rest of you, perhaps it's not yet ti for your elimination. You were all part of Baroque Works, and Princess Vivi has now beco Ikki's crewmate—I've even heard they're currently having a wedding ceremony. From Vivi's point of view, your chances of survival don't look so good."
After Robin finished speaking, everyone in the cell except Mr. 1 visibly paled.
"No, I don't wanna die!" Miss Valentine cried out. "I'm still young and have dreams to fulfill! Miss All Sunday, can't you think of a way to at least save our lives? Tell that guy nad Ikki that I'll do anything he wants if he spares !"
"Really?" Robin held her chin and stared into Miss Valentine's eyes. "I'll pass your ssage to Captain Ikki. He seems to enjoy sketching beautiful won, particularly in revealing poses. Maybe that's why he kept you and Miss Doublefinger alive—though I can't say for sure."
Miss Valentine's eyes lit up. Although Robin's tone wasn't very encouraging, even the smallest hope of survival was reason to be happy.
"So that guy likes that kind of stuff?" Miss Doublefinger asked with interest. "Miss All Sunday, is that why he keeps you around? To be his model?"
Robin didn't answer directly, instead looking Miss Doublefinger up and down appraisingly. "A mature woman like you might appeal to Ikki even more. After all, he prefers won with a certain... experience. Want to put in a good word for you too?"
"I'd really appreciate it," Miss Doublefinger smiled, a calculating look in her eyes. Though Ikki was an enemy, she understood that survival ca first.
"What about us?" Mr. 5 asked nervously. "Could we also be models for his artwork?"
"I doubt Ikki has any use for male models," Robin chuckled, shaking her head.
Upon hearing this, Mr. 5 and the other n imdiately showed expressions of despair.
anwhile, Ikki had no idea what Robin was doing aboard the Explorer, nor was he particularly worried she might sail it away. Even if she did, he could always move the gym and sword training room elsewhere. Due to Cobra's arrangents, he was currently busy with his "wedding" to Vivi.
"Princess Vivi is so gorgeous, and Captain Ikki looks just like a prince!" the citizens of Alabasta exclaid. "They're perfect for each other! It's so touching!"
"Bless Princess Vivi, and bless our hero Captain Ikki!"
Throughout Alabasta, people who had heard news about Ikki and Vivi's wedding raised their hands and cheered loudly. Amid everyone's blessings, Ikki and Vivi gradually completed the wedding ceremony, after which Cobra and the others escorted them to Vivi's chambers.
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