"Ah! How did you say that?!" Vivi gasped, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"That's a secret that cannot be told!!" she immediately blurted out, panic creeping into her tone.
Without waiting for any reaction, Vivi jumped to her feet, waving her hands anxiously as if trying to banish the looming danger with sheer motion. Her breathing grew rapid, her words coming out in a flurry as she tried desperately to explain the gravity of the situation.
"Even though you're strong," she said, looking intently at the group, "he is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea — a Shichibukai — along with Hawkeye! You could never defeat him!"
Her eyes darted around, filled with both fear and urgency. "Now that this secret is out, your lives will be at risk as well!!"
After hearing Vivi's warnings, Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement, and he immediately glanced at Zoro, who stood beside him. The thrill of facing such a notorious figure ignited something in them.
"Did you hear that? It's a Shichibukai!" Luffy exclaimed eagerly.
Zoro, grinning wide, looked at his sword with renewed enthusiasm. The idea of facing off against someone of that caliber energized him.
"Hehehe, we'll get to see him soon enough," Zoro said with a confident smirk.
Leo, standing nearby, remained calm and indifferent, his voice flat as he responded: "You should be thinking about what to do next."
To Leo, the whole situation was just another challenge. Restraining someone as dangerous as Crocodile was already a tall order, especially since one of the key Haki users had weakened considerably.
Vivi inhaled deeply, trying to collect her racing thoughts. She glanced at Leo and the others, then looked down at the wounded Ikalem lying nearby. Her expression hardened with determination.
"Please, can you send me back to Alabasta?" she pleaded, her voice low but firm. "I want to stop this civil war — it's wrong from the start!"
"My country needs me."
Leo exchanged a brief look with Luffy, then nodded calmly in agreement, silently telling Vivi that her wish was understood.
"Huh?" Vivi blinked, startled by their calm acceptance. She had been bracing herself for rejection — this indifferent attitude made it feel surreal.
Why were they so unafraid? Their opponents were terrifying people, yet none of them showed even a hint of fear.
"That's the Shichibukai!" Vivi grabbed Zoro by the arm and shook him twice, hoping to convey the seriousness of the situation.
"Are you not scared at all?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.
But Zoro just touched the hilt of his sword, excitement gleaming in his eyes. He barely glanced at her, clearly uninterested in sharing her panic.
Seeing that Zoro was ignoring her, Vivi turned back to Leo and shouted urgently, "That's the Sand Crocodile! He can summon sandstorms with a wave of his hand! Aren't you afraid?!"
Leo simply reached out and patted her shoulder, offering a comforting smile.
Vivi's heart sank slightly, but the warmth of the gesture reassured her just a little.
"Yes," Leo admitted quietly, "you're right to be afraid. That Sand Crocodile nearly overthrew your country. I can't blame you."
His gaze softened with sympathy, and his tone grew serious. "Don't worry. If we send you back to Alabasta safely, it won't be much of a problem."
As Leo spoke, his eyes flicked toward the direction where Robin had disappeared moments ago.
Would Robin try to sneak aboard the ship again? He didn't trust it, but for now, he stayed focused on Vivi.
Vivi's eyes welled with tears. She felt a strange mix of emotions — relief that they weren't afraid, confusion at their calmness, and a lingering doubt: Did they not care about their own lives at all?
Or was it because of her?
"Thank you," she said softly, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. Her voice was thick with both gratitude and sorrow.
Ikalem, who had been eating non-stop, finally stopped and looked at Vivi with newfound resolve.
Seeing her tearful expression, he felt pity swell in his heart.
"Ahem… Princess, it's okay~~~ It's okay!" he said, trying to lighten the mood.
"I have an idea!"
Without wasting time, Ikalem hurried to the back of the house. When he returned, his appearance had changed dramatically — he was dressed up as a fat, chubby version of Vivi.
Nami, who was standing beside the princess to comfort her, opened her mouth wide and stared in shock, clearly frightened by the sight.
"Hahahaha! Uncle, you're definitely going to be popular in that outfit!!" Luffy burst out laughing, clenching his fists in excitement.
"I... Ikalem, why are you dressed like that?" Vivi asked, wiping tears from her face, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"Princess, please listen to me," Ikalem said urgently. "Since the boss has already sent Mr. 5 and his men to hunt us down, they will not stop until they've caught us."
His voice quivered, but for Vivi's sake, he pressed on with his plan.
"Let's split up. I'll dress up as the princess and go straight back to Alabasta. You guys take another route. This way, we can perfectly avoid being pursued."
"But Ikalem," Vivi protested, "what will you do? Isn't it too dangerous for you?"
She covered her mouth, her tears threatening to overflow again.
"It's alright," Ikalem replied firmly. "As long as the princess is safe, that's all that matters. And I'll need the permanent pointer of Alabasta for this."
Leo's lips twitched as he watched the old man's disguise. Though he knew Ikalem's plan already, seeing him dressed like that was just too funny.
Suppressing a smirk, Leo wondered whether he should intervene. After all, Ikalem had somehow survived the explosion and made it to Alabasta — his instincts were probably better than they looked.
At that moment, Nami approached Leo quietly, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"You seem excited," she whispered. "Did you just help make that doll?"
Leo pushed her aside gently with a righteous air. "Go away. What kind of crazy idea is that? I am an elegant and mysterious magician — I can't be caught up in such nonsense."
Nami rolled her eyes but smiled knowingly. She had been pranked enough times to appreciate the value of such a plan.
Leo sighed and decided to leave things to fate.
"It's okay," he said, stepping forward. "I have a way to show him you're alive."
His words made Vivi hesitate as she reached for the pointer, still unsure.
But for Ikalem's safety, she fixed Leo with a hopeful look and whispered, "What's the solution?"
Leo reached into his inner pocket, fingers searching carefully before pulling out the doll Nami had been mocking earlier.
The toy was finely crafted, its joints moving smoothly, with details so delicate that it looked like something aristocratic children would cherish.
"Hahahahahaha!!!" Luffy and Usopp burst out laughing upon seeing it.
They exchanged glances, then doubled over, clutching their stomachs as tears streamed down their faces.
Luffy even fell to the ground, pounding the floor in uncontrollable laughter.
Even serious Zoro couldn't hide the twitch at the corner of his mouth, struggling to keep a straight face.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Crackling sounds echoed as the boys covered their heads, still laughing so hard their heads felt like they might explode.
Seeing this, Leo nodded with satisfaction.
"Now I can make others smoke with my power to make them laugh!" he joked dryly.
Clearing his throat, Leo narrowed his eyes and addressed Vivi with a sly smile.
"Ahem, where were we?"
Vivi swallowed hard. Cold sweat trickled down her cheeks as she tried to steady her nerves.
She looked at Leo's irritated expression and suddenly felt unsure how to answer his question.
"Why, don't you believe me?" Leo asked teasingly.
---
Vivi bit her lip and hesitated before nodding. She realized she had no choice but to trust Leo and the group. Her country depended on it.
The plan, as strange as it seemed, was their best chance.
Ikalem, dressed as the princess, would act as a decoy to distract their enemies, while Vivi and the others slipped away unnoticed.
Despite the risks, Vivi felt a flicker of hope.
If she could just make it back to Alabasta, she could stop the civil war — bring peace to her homeland.
As the laughter died down, the group began preparing for the dangerous mission ahead.
Luffy flexed his fingers excitedly, eager for the next adventure.
Zoro sheathed his sword with a determined look.
Nami smiled, still chuckling softly as she helped adjust Ikalem's outfit.
And Leo, ever the calm center of the storm, checked his gear and quietly contemplated the coming battles.
Vivi wiped the last of her tears and took a deep breath.
"Let's do this," she said firmly.
Together, they would face whatever awaited them — even the despised Sand Crocodile and the shadow of the Shichibukai.
Because sometimes, the most unlikely allies and the most ridiculous plans were the ones that could change the course of history.
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