"So, Vivi is our new crewmate?" Yamato asked.
"She's a comrade, but she won't be boarding the ship."
Caesar casually explained, "Vivi will remain in Alabasta. After all, she's the princess of this kingdom."
Hearing this, Vivi gently tugged at Caesar's sleeve, her eyes betraying a hint of reluctance.
Though their relationship had begun with some degree of mutual benefit, she was still just a young girl—an age filled with dreams and expectations of love.
Moreover, their bond had only just deepened, making it hard for her to let go.
It was strange. They had only met for the first time today.
Could this be the legendary love at first sight?
As the thought crossed her mind, Vivi's cheeks flushed faintly.
"I've just seized control of Alabasta's royal authority. From now on, this country belongs to us."
After briefly introducing everyone, Caesar declared, "Vivi will serve as this nation's administrator. Additionally, Alabasta's vast territory and large population make it a crucial source of military strength for our future."
Yamato blinked her innocent, wide eyes. "Haha, I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"Never mind, forget it."
Caesar sighed, rubbing his forehead before pulling Vivi down to sit. "Let's eat first! Anything you'd like?"
Vivi glanced at the fresh, abundant ingredients by the campfire—Sea Kings meat and fruits—and couldn't hide her surprise. "You didn't bring dried meat or rations?"
Yamato grinned. "With Caesar around, we don't need to worry about that! Just enough food for a day is plenty."
"Eh? But this is a vast desert! It's easy to get lost—it's dangerous."
Vivi warned, concerned they might underestimate the risks of the desert.
"No problem! We're basically a desert special ops team!"
Yamato flashed another grin and handed Vivi a slice of watermelon. "Here, have something tasty!"
"It's cold?"
Vivi took the watermelon, startled by the chill in her hands, and looked at Yamato in surprise. "How did you preserve this?"
"Like this!"
Yamato blew on the watermelon, instantly coating it in a layer of frost.
"A Devil Fruit?"
"Yep!"
"That's amazing!"
Vivi gasped. "No wonder you dared to venture into the desert like this! You have abilities like that?"
Bonney chuckled. "We're all Devil Fruit users—except Nami."
"Sorry for not being a Devil Fruit user!"
Nami's face darkened, though she then smirked for some inexplicable reason, her tone playful. "But Caesar promised me he'd get me the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. I looked it up—it's said to be the strongest Logia Devil Fruit."
"The strongest Logia?"
Vivi glanced curiously at Nami before whispering to Caesar, "She's not your girlfriend?"
Earlier, Caesar had explained that aside from Yamato, the quiet Nico Robin and Baby 5—who was busy grilling meat for Caesar by the fire—were both his girlfriends. As for Nami, he had introduced her simply as the crew's navigator.
As a princess, Vivi was naturally adept at reading people. Judging by the reactions and attitudes of those present since her arrival, it seemed the navigator had some special feelings for Caesar as well.
Caesar glanced subtly at Nami before leaning in to whisper in Vivi's ear.
"Not yet."
"You're such a jerk!"
Hearing his words, Vivi's pretty face darkened.
Couldn't he even pretend a little?
Caesar grinned slyly and quickly pecked her cheek.
Vivi's expression immediately shifted from dark to red, appearing much more docile now.
Different girls required different approaches.
For straightforward girls like Yamato, one needed to talk about ideals.
For gentle girls like Vivi, a bit of ambiguity worked best.
By the time dinner ended, it was already late at night, and everyone retired to their tents.
Caesar's tent was spacious enough for four or five people, but since they were camping in the wilderness with others nearby, he didn't do anything outrageous.
However, with a beauty by his side, simply sleeping seemed like a waste. So he took the opportunity to teach Vivi how to play an instrument.
With Robin and Baby 5's enthusiastic assistance, Vivi quickly grasped the basics of playing the flute. Though her playing was still a bit clumsy and hesitant, it brought Caesar a sense of relaxation and joy. Surrounded by the girls, he eventually drifted off to sleep.
Early the next morning, after breakfast, the group finally located Crocodile's treasure trove with Vivi's help.
It was an ancient temple buried dozens of meters beneath the desert sands. The temple had few traps but was adorned with numerous murals depicting Alabasta's history, much to Robin's delight.
While the others studied the murals, Caesar and Nami found the treasure Crocodile had left behind.
Perhaps overly confident in his abilities, Crocodile had simply piled up billions worth of treasure in the temple's main hall.
Caesar wasn't particularly interested in the treasure itself, but aside from Nami's love for riches, everyone else enjoyed the treasure-hunting process.
At this stage, aside from Vegapunk, there wasn't much else demanding his attention, which was why he'd specifically asked about Crocodile's treasure location—this outing was essentially a team-building exercise for them.
"Aside from historical value, it's all worthless junk."
Casually picking up a crown, Caesar flicked it with his finger before tossing it aside.
Nami's eyes flashed, and she instantly used Shave to catch the crown mid-air: "Don't just throw it around! This gold crown could sell for at least three million!"
"It's all just gold-plated or gilded."
Caesar waved his hand dismissively. Most countries in this world had mediocre metallurgy skills—those shiny treasures were usually just thin layers of gold over base metal.
Honestly, the treasure paled in comparison to the pleasant surprise of Nami suddenly demonstrating Shave.
He'd never let up on Nami and the others' training. Combined with the fact that he and Issho could easily hunt nutritious sea beasts and Sea Kings, both their training and nutrition were well taken care of. Everyone on the ship had been making rapid progress in strength.
Being able to use Shave, by the Navy's standards, meant she was at least a lieutenant-level officer. In pirate bounty terms, that would equate to around twenty million berries—though exceptions like Arlong didn't count.
"You really showed me something there..."
Caesar tilted his head, studying Nami. After this period of training, her figure had become even more striking—not just exuding a charming femininity but also radiating a vibrant, healthy beauty.
"Hmph~ I haven't been wasting my time, you know!"
Noticing Caesar's surprise, Nami smirked smugly and playfully flicked the crown in her hand. "So? Do I qualify to eat the Rumble-Rumble Fruit now?"
"You've improved, but I'll still need to test you properly," Caesar chuckled.
Truthfully, he didn't have high expectations for Nami's strength—just as long as she could grow stronger through training. What he feared most was that no matter how much she trained, she wouldn't improve. Even if he were generous, he couldn't afford to waste such a precious Devil Fruit ability on someone who wouldn't benefit from it.
Hearing his words, Nami gave Caesar a lingering look. "Did Vivi also go through a test?"
"Ahem…"
Caesar glanced at Vivi, who was explaining Alabasta's history to Robin and the others nearby, his expression unreadable.
Was she… jealous?
"Of course she did!"
Caesar leaned in and whispered, "I even made her cry during the test!"
"Nani?!"
Nami's eyes widened in shock. "You actually had the heart to do that? How did you test her?"
"With a stick."
"A sti—"
Nami paused, then seemed to realize something, her face flushing red. She shot Caesar a glare. "You pervert! I swear, if you—"
Before she could finish, Caesar pulled her close by the waist and lightly pecked her lips.
"!!!"
"Thanks for the treat."
Licking his lips, Caesar grinned at her.
Nami touched her lips in stunned silence before her expression gradually shifted to flustered anger. "You—"
"I'll go easy on your test later," Caesar murmured.
Nami hesitated, then her eyes gleamed with mischief. "If I let you kiss me a few more times, will you go even easier?"
"Absolutely!"
Caesar nodded eagerly. Going easy was something he had plenty of experience with.
He'd make sure her pockets were soaked by the end of it…
Nami's cheeks tinged pink, and then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she eyed him slyly. "That was the first kiss, so the price should be separate, right?"
"What do you want?"
Nami grinned. "Well, about these treasures…"
Caesar waved a hand. "Leave 10 billion for Alabasta. The rest is yours to distribute."
"10 billion?!"
Hearing the number, Nami's heart skipped a beat, and she winced as if physically pained. "That's 10 billion! Just giving it to Alabasta like that?"
"What's the problem? Alabasta is my territory too."
Caesar shrugged, unfazed. If anything, he thought it wasn't enough.
Though, truth be told, Alabasta's real issue wasn't money. With its population, developing commerce or light industry wouldn't be a problem. What Alabasta lacked most right now was forest resources. Once he ran into Ryokugyu, Caesar was definitely going to kill him—that ability was too wasteful for combat.
Still, Caesar wasn't sure where that guy was right now. Maybe he should call Kozuki Hiyori first and have her send Shinobu, the user of the Ripe-Ripe Fruit.
"Yeah, and even the princess is your woman…"
Nami tossed the crown onto the pile of treasures, her mood inexplicably dampened.
Seeing this, Caesar stifled a laugh. "That money is for rerouting Alabasta's canals. Baroque Works has been abusing Dance Powder lately, causing a severe drought."
"Then it's fine."
Nami instantly regained her spirits.
She then turned to Caesar, seemingly casual as she said, "The Rumble-Rumble Fruit is too valuable, which is why I asked you to go easy. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel right taking something so precious. But I'm only interested in the Rumble-Rumble Fruit."
"Mhm, I won't misunderstand."
Caesar nodded, smiling at her: "So you'll only kiss me, right?"
"Shut up!"
Nami's face flushed red. Though that was indeed what she meant, did he have to say it so bluntly? What about her dignity?
With a light huff, she turned away and skipped off to inspect the treasure.
"Call this guy poor, yet he's got over ten billion berries—enough to buy a small country. Call him rich, yet… he doesn't even have a single Devil Fruit!"
After thoroughly searching through Crocodile's treasure, Caesar sighed helplessly.
Look at Hanafusa!
Not only did he have several Devil Fruits on hand, but he was also generous enough to gift them—along with a woman.
Now look at Crocodile!
Both were Royal Shichibukai, so how could the gap be this huge?
Leaving the underground ruins, the group, satisfied with their treasure hunt, cheerfully made their way toward the capital.
Before entering Alabasta, Caesar had already split their forces into three groups.
He went alone to recruit Baroque Works executives.
Yamato and the other women, along with Kuma and his daughter, Ace, and Deuce, went treasure hunting.
Issho, Law, Bepo, Dr. Wolf, and Barto followed the canal toward the capital Alubarna, making purchases along the way.
Aside from Caesar, each group had at least one doctor and two support team members to ensure communication between the two teams.
Additionally, Yamato had made Life Cards for everyone. Caesar held Life Cards for the entire crew, while everyone else had his. If they got separated, they could still locate each other through the cards.
And everyone was equipped with Den Den Mushi. If something still went wrong despite all this, Caesar would really have to consider retiring from the pirate life.
Soon, they arrived at the royal capital, Alubarna, where Issho and the others were already waiting by the canal docks outside the city.
"Captain, who's this?"
Bepo stared blankly at Vivi.
"Let me introduce you. Nefertari D. Vivi, Princess of Alabasta, my fourth girlfriend."
Caesar added, "Also the new user of the Sand-Sand Fruit ability."
Bepo bowed his head. "Sumimasen."
"Such a flirtatious captain…" Wolf chuckled.
"Well, he is young." Issho also laughed.
"Ohhh—this is the man himself!"
Barto wiped his tears. "Only the boss could have such charm. I'm not jealous at all, really. The boss even promised to introduce me to a girlfriend."
"Pathetic." Law rested his sword on his shoulder, completely indifferent.
"..."
Vivi looked at Caesar's assembled crew and had to admit—whether in presence or sheer intimidation, these people were on a completely different level compared to those Baroque Works members.
Especially Yamato, Kuma, and Issho. Their towering heights alone practically screamed power!
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I look forward to your guidance!"
Vivi performed a graceful noble's curtsy—her royal upbringing showing.
"Please, everyone, come to the palace. Let me fulfill my duties as host."
"Oh! The palace, huh?"
Bonney cheered, "Is there something delicious to eat?"
"You can eat to your heart's content!"
Vivi smiled gently and patted Bonney's little head.
The crew members around Caesar were undoubtedly strong—befriending them would also benefit Alabasta's national security.
"Let's go, to the palace!"
Caesar draped an arm over Vivi's shoulder like a playboy, boldly waving to the crowd behind him.
"Perfect timing—I'll give you something before we leave!"
Vivi's cheeks flushed slightly as she recalled Caesar's earlier promise to "give her a child."
(End of Chapter)