The endless sea stretched out before them.
The newly joined Chopper was staring at the water with a face full of curiosity, while Luffy sat beside him fishing.
"I’m so hungry..."
"There’s no food left at all..."
They had been fishing for ages, yet caught nothing.
Vivi, Nami, and the others stood by the railing on the deck, gazing toward the direction the Log Pose pointed—toward Alabasta.
"..."
"What’s wrong, Vivi? Your face looks a bit pale."
Although Nami could be violent at tis, she had a soft heart for girls—especially for soone like Vivi, who had suffered the collapse of her country.
Seeing Vivi standing alone by the railing, staring anxiously out at the sea, Nami couldn’t help but approach her with concern.
"I just feel that with my strength... even if I return to Alabasta, it’s absolutely impossible for to defeat Baroque Works."
Unlike the petty coup attempt in the original story, the Shichibukai had now beco a truly powerful organization.
So Crocodile didn’t bother hiding her ambition. On this sea, aside from the ignorant common masses, most people with status clearly understood exactly what Crocodile was plotting.
If Crocodile hadn’t been worried that seizing the country by force would provoke massive resistance from the people, the Alabasta royal family probably would’ve been unable to hold on long ago.
"It’s okay! You’ve seen what our crew is like~"
Nami spoke proudly—after all, she had witnessed the combat power of Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and the others firsthand.
"We will definitely help you take Alabasta back."
Perhaps hearing Nami’s words made him want to show off in front of Vivi, so Sanji imdiately flashed a confident smile and brushed aside the long hair in front of his eye.
"Vivi-chan, you can trust us."
Zoro said nothing; he simply rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, his gaze sharp.
Clearly, his aning was the sa as Sanji’s.
Even Luffy—though weakened from hunger and visibly droopy—was still grinning widely.
"That’s right! I’m definitely going to send that guy called Crocodile flying!!!"
"Yeah!!! Crocodile? Hah! For soone like —Captain Usopp—I just have to move a single finger and..."
Surrounded by the crew’s support and comfort, Vivi felt a little better and managed a small smile—but only barely.
"But... even if you can defeat Crocodile, it won’t matter. After all, she is—"
"One of the Shichibukai!"
"What Shich-What? Can you eat it?!!"
The starving Luffy was already hallucinating, but Nami instantly smashed a huge bump onto his head.
"It’s the Shichibukai!!!"
The mont she said that, Sanji, Zoro, and the others’ expressions changed instantly—their eyes becoming extrely serious.
"Nani? What’s that?"
Country-bumpkin Chopper, having never experienced the outside world, looked at the others with clueless innocence.
"The Shichibukai... they’re an extrely dangerous organization on this sea..."
Sanji finally explained, his voice dark, as he slowly lit a cigarette.
"They’re an organization recognized by the World Governnt—powerful enough to intimidate the entire ocean—ford by seven infamous and extraordinarily strong pirates."
"The Hawk Eyes Dracule Mihawk we t at Baratie last ti—he’s one of them."
"Nani!!!"
Chopper was still confused, but Usopp and Luffy—who had witnessed Mihawk firsthand—grew pale.
Especially Usopp. His long nose drooped like a wet noodle as his face filled with terror.
"W-We’re actually going to fight enemies like Hawk Eyes?!!!"
He recalled those falcon-like sharp eyes, and that black greatsword.
"No good... I’ve suddenly co down with a disease... the kind that makes faint the mont I step on land... Looks like I won’t be able to help Princess Vivi this ti..."
After saying that, he collapsed onto the deck and refused to get up.
The others ignored Usopp’s nonsense and remained silent, their expressions grim.
But Luffy refused to give up.
"I don’t believe it! There’s no way every mber of that organization is as strong as Hawk Eyes! We can definitely defeat him!!!"
Seeing this, Vivi felt moved, but still shook her head and bit her lip.
"Even if you defeat her... it still won’t work."
"Because she’s backed by a great figure—the Black Gun. Honestly... Father has already thought about giving up many tis."
But when Vivi said this—
"Wait... did you say, the Black Gun?"
Zoro suddenly lifted his head, staring at Vivi in shock. The other crew mbers reacted similarly—except Chopper.
Vivi was stunned when she saw all of them look up at once.
"Yes. I saw that great figure once at a banquet when I was a child. He is the ruler of the Shichibukai—the king of the previous generation of this sea..."
"Hahahahahaha!!!"
At that mont, Luffy burst out laughing.
Sanji, Zoro, and the others also showed expressions of relief.
"I thought the terrifying big shot backing the Shichibukai was soone impossible to deal with!!!"
"He really is sothing... His shadow is everywhere."
"Hahahaha! Yeah! If it’s Orin-san, then there’s absolutely no problem with us sending Crocodile flying!!!"
Only Nami looked a bit unnatural when hearing that na.
But for so reason, once they heard that the potentially dangerous person behind all of this was Orin, everyone instantly relaxed.
Maybe it was because Orin gave them an impression that was far too gentle—so gentle that it created an illusion.
An illusion that they...
These rookies who had just entered the sea, with strength not even comparable to New World grunts... weren’t actually that far from Orin.
And Orin’s personality was the type most skilled at delivering surprises.
Which was exactly why, when the Straw Hats later caused a commotion in the Black Gun headquarters—the Sabaody Archipelago—they finally experienced the true difference between themselves and "the King."
It was a gap so overwhelming it crushed all hope. No father-son bonds, no master-disciple bonds, no elder-junior bonds—just pure domination.
But at least for now—
Whether it was the Straw Hat crew, or Baroque Works under Crocodile in Alabasta...
Both sides were absolutely convinced that no matter who won or lost...
Orin would be on their side.
What they couldn’t imagine was—
This Orin guy...
Was famous for stabbing people in the back~
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