After a long silence, Taro finally raised his head, glanced at the two women, leaned in a bit closer, and whispered softly,
"Hina, actually, a long time ago, I sensed that you... had feelings for me that went beyond friendship!"
Hina's body tensed up slightly, her slender fingers curling tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Taro had just started when Vivi interrupted him,
"Taro, come outside with me for a moment!"
She stood up and walked towards the door, not giving Taro a chance to speak.
Taro looked at Hina for a moment. "Hina, I need to step out for a bit. I'll explain when I get back!"
On the rooftop of the Government Hall.
Vivi leaned against the railing, gazing towards the school district in the west. The First Experimental Primary School and Middle School were both located there. It was the morning break, and children were playing soccer on the playground.
The grass had been stimulated into lush life by Benz's ability. Under the blazing sun, the children ran back and forth, sweating profusely.
"Taro, about what we said that night... forget it!"
After a long while, Vivi finally spoke softly.
Taro was stunned for a moment, then took a step forward.
"Don't come any closer! We... let's just talk like this!" Sensing Taro's movement, Vivi's shoulders trembled slightly, her voice quivering.
Taro immediately stopped, hesitated for a moment, and then said,
"Vivi, I will definitely keep the promises I made! As for Hina, I will..."
Vivi shook her head gently, her waist-length blue hair swaying in the breeze.
"I know you value your promises, and you haven't made any promises to Hina. I know all that!"
She paused, then continued in a low voice,
"This time... it's me who is going back on my word!"
Taro's eyes widened, his mouth opening, but Vivi interrupted him again.
"Don't speak! Let me finish!"
Vivi's voice trembled even more. She took a moment to compose herself before letting out a sigh.
"Ever since we've known each other, you've been busy almost every day. Even as the grand administrator of Elmarl, you haven't spent much time here at all!"
A wave of guilt surged in Taro's heart.
"No need for apologies! I'm the one who should be sorry!"
"You're so smart; you must know this! In my heart, neither Luffy and the others nor you are as important as the people of Alabasta. It's unfair to all of you!"
"Even though I like you very much, I love my country more!"
"So... I'm sorry! What I said before was just to keep you in Alabasta!"
"Now that I know you won't stay here, I... we shouldn't... get engaged anymore!"
By the time she finished speaking, Vivi's tears were already streaming uncontrollably down her face. She wept silently, her body trembling.
Vivi truly valued Alabasta and its people more than the Straw Hat crew and Taro. But what Vivi didn't say was that this included herself as well.
Vivi was willing to sacrifice her own life for this country.
In fact, Cobra was the same. This was almost a tradition of the Nefertari Royal Family.
Taro's heart was shaken. He sensed Vivi was crying and understood that much of what she said was just an excuse.
Vivi couldn't possibly not know that, given his personality, since he had proactively made the deal with Cobra to obtain the Elmarl Special Zone, he would do his utmost to develop it no matter what.
After a long while, Taro spoke softly,
"Do you know that even if you go back on your word, I still won't marry Hina?"
Vivi whirled around, looking at Taro with disbelief. "You... you really want to be a Sea King?"
Last time, also here, she had thought Taro truly wanted to be a Sea King. This time, at the same old spot, she made the same judgment!
Taro's cheek twitched. He rubbed his face and turned to look towards the stairway.
"Hina, since you're here, come up. I might as well clear everything up!"
At the corner of the stairs, the normally rational and confident Hina was completely flustered. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop on others' conversations, but she still... couldn't accept it.
Taro's words, 'I still won't marry Hina,' felt like a heavy blow to her heart, making her almost unable to stand.
After a long moment, she walked up with heavy steps.
Taro stared at the two women for a moment, then flicked his finger. 'Finger Pistol: Flick' shot a pellet of Internal Energy, blasting a green plant that had peeked a little over the wall.
"Benz, your ability wasn't developed for you to use it for eavesdropping!"
Taro said flatly.
Downstairs, the sneaky Benz and Ain exchanged awkward glances. Benz obediently retracted the vine.
He was perplexed. With so many vines crawling on the courtyard wall, how did Taro pinpoint the one with eavesdropping capabilities?
The corner of Taro's eye twitched slightly. Damn it, why is even Benz so fond of prying into things now?
Dammit, the intense energy fluctuations on that vine were clearly from Benz's manipulation. Did he think I wouldn't notice?
After a long silence, Taro organized his thoughts and spoke again.
"Hina, there are actually many things about me that you don't know."
He looked at Hina and shook his head gently.
"Even Grandma Tsuru and old man Garp aren't fully aware. Do you understand?"
Hina was stunned for a moment, her eyes widening.
"Taro, what... what do you mean?"
Taro shifted his gaze from Hina to the vast desert in the distance and sighed softly.
"You shouldn't have gotten involved!"
The sadness in Hina's eyes receded somewhat, replaced by her usual rational demeanor. She thought for a moment.
"Taro, what exactly have you done? Hina... doesn't understand!"
Taro, however, didn't want to tell Hina. It wasn't because of her strength, but because the time wasn't right yet.
He shook his head gently. "Not understanding is a good thing, Hina."
Hina frowned, looking at Taro for a while. Realizing he was determined not to reveal anything, she turned her gaze to Vivi.
"Then why is it Vivi... who can be involved?"
Because Vivi had spoken of 'breaking the agreement,' Hina's resentment towards her had lessened, so she addressed her by name again with some familiarity.
Taro withdrew his gaze and looked at Vivi.
"Because, whether Vivi herself is willing or not, she can't avoid it anymore."
In the original story, Cobra asked about the 'truth' of that year at the World Conference, forcing Imu to make the 'lights out' decision.
Moreover, now, due to Taro's appearance, Dr. Vegapunk's research had progressed much faster.
He didn't believe that someone with Vegapunk's intellect wouldn't factor the ancient weapons into his considerations.
Plus, with what Taro himself wanted to do, he might also need to rely on the power of pluton in the future.
Therefore, from any angle, Vivi, as a member of the Nefertari Royal Family, was inescapably involved.
Taro's words sounded cryptic and nonsensical. Hina couldn't understand them at all.
Vivi knew a bit more—about Alabasta's history, Crocodile's schemes, Belo Betty, etc. After pondering for a moment, her eyes widened.
"You mean...?"
Taro shook his head, signaling Vivi not to continue. After a moment of silence, he spoke with difficulty, trying to keep his tone even.
"In short, Vivi, you should understand by now that my agreement to marry you... was actually also... for ulterior motives!"
He paused, then stared at Hina, his tone growing firmer.
"If I had to choose between the two of you, I could only choose Vivi."
"Do you understand now? Hina!"
Hina's fair face instantly turned deathly pale, devoid of all color. The tears that had gathered in her eyes threatened to fall, but a second before they did, she turned abruptly and ran downstairs.
"Hina...!"
Vivi glared at Taro, snorted angrily, and chased after her!
Sweat beaded on Taro's forehead. His expression was grim as he slowly sat down against the wall, his brow deeply furrowed.
He didn't know how much time had passed when Benz's voice sounded.
"Taro...!"
Taro rubbed his face, regaining some composure, and looked sideways at a vine beside him.
"Is something... wrong? Come up and talk."
The vine twisted, and soon, Benz and Ain were brought up to the rooftop.
"Teacher Zephyr just asked when your... wedding with... will be held. He's planning to come."
Taro raised an eyebrow, forcing out a difficult smile.
"There won't be a wedding."
Benz was stunned for a moment, then showed an expression that said 'I knew it.'
Ain's face remained icy cold. She shot Taro an unfriendly look before turning her head away.
Taro waved his hand. "Give me the den den mushi. I'll speak with Teacher Zephyr later."
Benz fished out a den den mushi from his pocket and handed it to Taro, saying as he did,
"Taro, not to lecture you, but you're just too young!"
"You're so smart and so strong. Why rush into marriage? Wait until you're around 40, achieve your dreams, and then find a woman. Isn't that soon enough? Finding a woman now is just so troublesome, really...!"
"Ouch!"
"Ain, why did you hit me?"
Benz stumbled sideways after Ain suddenly kicked him in the shin.
Ain's red eyes seemed to grow even redder, her tone icy.
"Did you just say women are troublesome?"
Benz waved his hands frantically. "No, I didn't mean you! You're not a wo...! Uh, no, you are a woman. I meant...!"
As he spoke, he saw the pink rewind energy gathering in Ain's hand and quickly dodged away in fright.
In Benz's heart, perhaps because he knew Ain too well, he never really thought of her as a woman.
"I meant, for a real man, having a dream is enough!"
"Doesn't Teacher Zephyr often say that a man dying for his dream is the coolest thing!"
Hearing Benz mention Teacher Zephyr, Ain glared at him hatefully and refrained from attacking further.
Taro's mouth twitched.
The way these pirate natives think! I'm really at a loss!
None of them think there's anything shameful about being an old bachelor!
Ain let Benz off, but she wasn't about to let Taro off the hook. Both Hina and Vivi were her good friends; the three had built a deep friendship over the past few months.
But because of Taro, that little boat of friendship had capsized, which made her indignant!
"Taro, do you really want to be a Sea King?"
Damn it, not this question again!
Taro scratched his head in distress.
"Ain, if I really wanted to be a Sea King, do you think with your beauty, you could escape?"
Taro's meaning was clearly that 'being a Sea King' was just a joke. But Ain seemed to have taken it somewhere else. She pointed at him and angrily shouted,
"Taro, you... you jerk!"
Before the words even faded, she ran off!
Taro was dumbfounded for a long moment, then looked at Benz.
"Why... why did she curse at me?"
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