"Hurry up, hurry up!"
Nami stomped her feet impatiently as she dragged the leisurely Bahr along, gritting her teeth to urge him: "Don't you know Teleportation? Use your ability already!"
"Nami-chan," Bahr swayed slightly from her pulling, "I only agreed to come assess the situation first before deciding. I never promised to definitely intervene."
Teleportation? Did she expect him to just 'whoosh' into the palace and confront Crocodile head-on? He wasn't that stupid.
It wasn't that he feared the Sand Crocodile - he just preferred not to draw attention. The Straw Hat Boy and his crew would handle it anyway. Why should he meddle?
If not for Nami's relentless pestering, he wouldn't have bothered getting involved in this mess.
Just as Nami was about to plead again, a sudden scream made her heart leap. Looking up, she saw Vivi falling straight from the palace walls. Her face turned deathly pale as she gripped Bahr's arm desperately: "Quick! Save Vivi now!"
Bahr glanced up just in time to see the Straw Hat Boy riding a giant eagle through the sky - that would be Garr, the deputy commander of Alabasta's royal guard who had eaten the Avian-Avian Fruit, Falcon Model Devil Fruit.
With rescuers already on the scene, why should he intervene?
But seeing Nami's distress... Bahr flicked his finger slightly, and the falling Vivi instantly landed safely before them.
Now she couldn't accuse him of doing nothing!
Nami gasped and rushed to support the shaken princess: "Vivi! Are you okay? What happened?"
Seeing Nami, Vivi clung to her like a lifeline, tears streaming down: "Nami... Crocodile defeated everyone... The bombs in the square will explode soon... So many will die..."
Bombs?
Nami's heart skipped a beat. Watching Vivi's devastated weeping, she clenched her teeth and turned to Bahr: "Bahr, please! I'll do anything you want, just help us this once!"
This time, she didn't bother concealing his identity, calling him by name directly.
Seeing Nami's deadly serious expression, Bahr felt a headache coming on. Normally this shrewd Little Cat Burglar would never compromise her principles, yet here she was ready to abandon them for others.
"Well... I suppose I can help a little," Bahr scratched his head, giving Nami a pointed look. "Remember your promise."
Show weakness, and others will exploit it. Though clever, Nami truly knew when to go all in!
Nami finally relaxed, shooting Bahr a grateful glance. At least this bastard was finally acting human - truly a man who wouldn't lift a finger without incentive.
Hope reignited in Vivi's eyes.
Crocodile had pushed her to the brink of mental collapse. This mysterious man who had effortlessly defeated Baroque Works' elite agents was her last lifeline.
Quickly, Vivi explained about the bombs: "Mr. Obito... The square will be bombarded in ten minutes. We must find the artillery team immediately."
"Only ten minutes? How can we possibly find them?" Nami exclaimed, then immediately regretted it when she saw Vivi's shoulders slump. "I didn't mean..."
"I understand..." Vivi's voice trembled as she clutched her skirt.
"I know about it..."
"..."
"Stop bothering me." Nami turned and snapped at Bahr, who was watching with folded arms, then froze. "What did you just say?"
But Vivi's sharp ears caught it, and she whirled around to grab Bahr's sleeve. "Mr. Obito, you know where the bomb is? Please tell me!"
"The big clock tower in the square."
"The clock tower?!" Vivi blinked, then her eyes lit up. "It's the perfect place to hide something like a cannon—both concealed and spacious enough. It must be there! Let's go, we have to hurry!"
Though usually laid-back, Bahr was quick to act. He immediately wrapped an arm around Vivi's waist and glanced at Nami. "Coming with us?"
Vivi stiffened at the sudden contact, her cheeks burning, but with the bomb ticking, she pushed her embarrassment aside.
"You two go ahead. I need to find Zoro and the others!" Nami hesitated before answering.
Without another word, Bahr flashed away with Vivi, vanishing around the corner.
Still dizzy from the teleportation, Vivi stumbled, her face flushing at the close proximity.
"Hmm, not bad," Bahr mused inwardly as he steadied her.
"Hey! How did you get in here?!"
A rough voice barked from above. Vivi looked up to see two figures aiming shotguns and gasped. "Mr. 7, Miss. Father's Day!"
"I hate having guns pointed at my head." Bahr's brow twitched. A flick of his fingers sent silver flashes through the air, and with two dull thuds, the figures collapsed, writhing in pools of blood.
Vivi's heart lurched. Mr. Obito really was formidable. But there was no time to dwell on it. Staggering forward, she rushed to the cannon, her trembling fingers brushing its cold surface. Relief washed over her, and her legs gave way as she slumped to the ground. "Thank goodness... we found it..."
"Not so fast." Bahr stepped forward and kicked open the base panel. "It's a time bomb. Even if we're here, it'll still explode when the timer runs out."
Vivi scrambled up and peered inside the cannon barrel, spotting the timed cannonball. She clutched Bahr's sleeve. "Mr. Obito, please, we have to do something—fast!"
Bahr placed a hand on the bomb, and a spatial ripple erupted. The entire device vanished as if swallowed by a black hole.
"Alright, problem solved."
Vivi gaped, speechless as the massive cannonball disappeared into the spatial ripple.
Mr. Obito truly was unfathomable.
She tightened her grip on his hand, her lashes still damp with unshed tears, and pleaded, "Mr. Obito, my father is trapped in the palace by Crocodile... Please, save him. Only he can stop the rebel army and the royal forces now."
With Kohza gravely injured, both sides had lost themselves to bloodlust. She lacked the power to stop them—only Cobra's authority could end the war swiftly.
"I refuse."
He'd only agreed to help with small tasks, not to pick a fight with one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Going after Crocodile? He wasn't that stupid.
Vivi's face paled instantly. The distant clang of blades and screams of battle reached her ears. She looked down at the blood-soaked chaos in the square, her nails digging into her palms. "Mr. Obito... if you help me... I—I can offer myself in exchange."
Watching her people locked in battle, Vivi knew the longer this dragged on, the heavier the casualties would be. At this moment, the only bargaining chip she could stake was herself.
Bahr was taken aback, never expecting Princess Vivi to say such words.
He looked down at the girl before him—her striking azure hair tied in a neat ponytail exuding youthful vitality. Beneath her white cape, glimpses of her slender waist and long legs could be seen, while the curves of her full bust and shapely figure were unmistakable... He'd already confirmed this earlier.
She was undoubtedly a beauty. Should he agree to her proposal then?