"Damn it, that strange woman's speed is insane!"
The two Super Sonic Ducks racing toward the Gobi Desert were forced to stop abruptly.
"Forget it, we've drawn them out far enough."
"Yeah, this should do."
Miss Merry Christmas, in her Mole-Mole Fruit hybrid form, tunneled at astonishing speed, cutting off the fastest mounts in Alabasta.
She emerged from beneath the sand with a wicked grin, blocking their path.
"Alright, Princess Vivi, your little plan to reach the Rebel Army ends here! Come down quietly and surrender!"
Claws extended from her fingertips, long and dagger-like, glowing under the desert sun. Her eyes narrowed menacingly at the two cloaked figures on the ducks.
"Don't try anything funny! Even if I'm alone, I can kill both of you! Kill you! Kill you!"
A chuckle answered her.
"Heh, I didn't think this would actually work. You really fell for it."
Whoosh!
The cloaks were flung into the air.
Sanji and Chopper (in his hybrid form) appeared, grinning.
"Hahahaha!"
"Too bad, you guessed wrong," Sanji smirked. "We're not Vivi."
"What?! You tricked me!"
Miss Merry Christmas's face twisted with rage. She glared at them viciously.
"How dare you trick me, Miss Merry Christmas! I'll make you pay!"
In the distance, Mr. 4 appeared, panting and lugging his massive four-barrel bazooka.
"I'm… here…"
---
"Haha! You guessed wrong, Okama!"
Usopp dramatically flung off his and Karu the camel's cloaks.
A confused Mr. 2 Bon Clay narrowed his eyes.
"A camel?"
Then he noticed the long nose and gasped.
"It's you! Long-nose!"
Usopp waved.
"Hey, that's rude! I'm not just 'Long-nose'! I'm the great Captain Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates!"
Bon Clay's eyes twitched in irritation.
"Damn it, I swear I heard a woman's voice just now!"
Usopp gave him a sly grin, pinched his throat, and mimicked a delicate woman's voice perfectly.
"Was it this voice?"
He laughed proudly.
"Hahahaha! You fell for it! That was one of my ultimate techniques: [Disguised Beauty Voice]!"
Bon Clay froze as if struck by lightning.
He suddenly leaped high into the air, spun mid-flight with dramatic flair, and slammed into a full split on the street.
"How shameful! I, the master of disguise, was fooled by a long-nosed amateur?!"
Usopp puffed out his chest.
"It's an honor to be outwitted by Captain Usopp!"
He then pointed dramatically at the quiet street.
"Now stay put! I've surrounded this place with tens of thousands of troops. With one order, you'll be crushed!"
A glint of menace flickered in Bon Clay's eyes. He advanced slowly, cracking his knuckles.
"Oh really?"
"Don't come any closer! I'm warning you—I'll give the kill order!"
Usopp glanced nervously at Karu.
Help me!
Eyelashes blinked slowly.
Why are you looking at me? I'm just a camel…
---
"Zoro! Go get them! Take 'em down, let's gooo!"
Nami waved from a safe distance behind Zoro, flanked by Super Sonic Ducks and clearly not planning to help.
Zoro groaned.
"Nami, will you shut it?! You're cheering from half a mile back!"
"I'm a navigator, not a swordsman! Also, when are you paying back the money you owe me?!"
"I already paid it all back!"
"There's still interest—on the interest!"
"Your debt system is worse than the World Government's taxes! Are you a loan shark?!"
Their argument echoed across the battlefield.
Mr. 1 frowned.
"This woman isn't Princess Vivi."
Miss Doublefinger nodded with a sinking feeling.
"She's not here… Wait—what if Princess Vivi isn't among any of these six?"
Mr. 1's eyes widened.
"You mean they're all decoys?!"
Zoro smirked and stepped forward, gripping his swords.
"Congratulations. You figured it out. But it's too late."
His voice sharpened.
"Vivi's already on her way to meet the Rebel Army's leader."
---
Meanwhile, at Alubarna's West Gate…
The Straw Hat's decoy teams had successfully pulled five Baroque Works commanders away from the capital.
Whoosh...
Another Super Sonic Duck emerged from behind a boulder on the southern outskirts of Alubarna.
A woman with long, light blue hair rode swiftly atop it.
It was Karoo, the leader of the Super Sonic Duck Squadron.
And on his back—Princess Vivi.
She gripped tightly as Karoo dashed toward the city's South Gate, where the Rebel Army was expected to launch its attack.
Her eyes lit up.
"It worked! The decoys pulled them away! Karoo, let's go stop Koza before it's too late!"
"Quack!"
Karoo responded sharply, his legs pumping into high speed as he sprinted across the desert.
---
Having successfully arrived before the Rebel Army, Vivi and Karoo halted near the South Gate.
"We made it…"
Vivi slid off Karoo and dropped to her knees in the sand, panting. Dust swirled around her.
She clasped her hands tightly—so tightly it hurt.
But that pain… was intentional.
Shirogai had taught her that pain could be used to suppress fear. To steady her voice. To anchor her purpose.
"This is self-defense," she told herself. "This war was forced on us by Crocodile. I can't retreat now."
"These soldiers… they're not our enemies. They've been deceived. Crocodile is the enemy. Baroque Works is the enemy."
"Quack…"
Karoo trembled violently, staring at the clouds of dust from the approaching army.
"Leave now if you're scared," Vivi said softly. "I'll handle it from here. You might get trampled."
But Karoo shook his head.
"Quack!"
Vivi smiled gently, tears threatening to fall.
"Thank you… This is for everyone's sake."
The Rebel Army closed in, their boots pounding the desert floor. Their tired eyes were filled with anger and determination.
She couldn't wait.
It was now or never.
Vivi took a deep breath and screamed:
"Please stop! Rebel Army! You're being deceived! This war is a trap! Please—listen to me!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three cannonballs shot from the city walls.
BOOM!
The explosions struck just ahead of Vivi, hurling sand and rock into the air. The blasts drowned out her voice and concealed her completely in dust and smoke.
"…"
Koza, leading the Rebel Army, galloped past the explosion, unaware Vivi had just been moments away from reaching him.
The chance for peace passed in the smoke.
War had begun.
---
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