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Under Cobra's command, the mighty kingdom of Alabasta started running like a perfectly tuned machine.
Everyone was busy to the point of chaos.
Vivi originally wanted to help out somehow, but Cobra firmly refused—he told her to just spend some time with Logan instead.
So that whole afternoon, led by Vivi, Logan and the girls wandered around the royal capital, taking in Alabasta's unique culture and desert charm.
The girls went wild shopping for all sorts of exotic local trinkets.
They did the browsing, while Logan played the pack mule—carrying bags and paying bills.
Surrounded by laughter and cheerful chatter, the day quickly slipped into night.
Knowing Logan would be leaving tomorrow, Cobra took time out of his packed schedule to personally host a lavish farewell feast for them.
During the banquet, the two men drank and talked. Cobra expressed his deep gratitude for Logan's help in saving Alabasta and, over and over, reminded him to take good care of Vivi.
She was, after all, his precious daughter—the apple of his eye since birth.
Logan promised sincerely. He didn't need to be told; he'd already made that decision long ago.
In this pirate-filled world, there were plenty of beautiful princesses with tragic stories.
But in Logan's eyes, Vivi stood above them all.
At just fourteen, she'd risked her life infiltrating Baroque Works all alone to uncover the truth behind her nation's suffering.
The hardships she'd endured couldn't be summed up in a few words.
In her, Logan saw courage, strength, compassion, patience, and gentleness—someone who could hold onto her light even when surrounded by darkness.
Vivi wasn't just a princess—she defined what a princess should be.
In Logan's heart, she stood on the same level as Nami.
After the banquet ended, Nami and the others went back to rest, while Logan took Vivi and Robin up to the palace rooftop.
A soft breeze brushed through their hair, carrying with it the coolness of the desert night—and stirring Logan's thoughts.
He looked up at the sky, filled with countless glittering stars.
"Leaving tomorrow… feeling a little reluctant?" he asked quietly.
He'd noticed during dinner that Vivi had been unusually quiet.
She hadn't even had the chance to celebrate with her father and her people before she had to leave again.
Vivi shook her head and leaned against his shoulder. "Logan… ever since I joined Baroque Works, I've lived every single day terrified—constantly watching my back, suspicious of everyone around me."
She smiled bitterly. "In the end, I thought I'd uncovered the mastermind on my own, but it turned out Robin had been the one to leak me the information."
"I'm a terrible princess. I didn't even manage to help my country properly."
Robin's expression softened. She reached out and gently patted Vivi's head.
"That's not true," Logan said, turning Vivi toward him and meeting her eyes seriously. "You've already done more than enough for Alabasta."
"In my heart, you're the bravest princess I've ever met."
He meant every word.
If Vivi hadn't done all that, she wouldn't hold such a special place in his heart.
Compared to other princesses, she was on another level.
And as for beauty—well, there were plenty of beautiful women in the world.
"Really?" Under the moonlight, Vivi's cheeks turned pink, her long lashes trembling softly.
Logan nodded.
"Thank you, Logan," she whispered. "I… I really like you."
Then, before he could react, he felt something warm brush his cheek—a quick, shy kiss.
Blushing furiously, Vivi backed away and waved her hands. "You should talk to Robin, Logan. I'm going to pack my things—I'm coming with you tomorrow!"
And with that, she ran off, not daring to look back.
Robin chuckled, shaking her head. "What a sweet girl. Alabasta's truly lucky to have her."
"Yeah… Vivi's great. But so are you," Logan said casually.
Robin rolled her eyes. "Oh? We're talking about me now?"
Logan grinned. "Come on, Robin. You're not usually this hesitant. If you've got something to say, say it."
The mature, composed woman suddenly looked serious.
"Logan… thank you for saving me."
A simple sentence—but heavy with meaning.
Logan understood. Robin wasn't just thanking him for defeating Crocodile. She was thanking him for giving her a place to belong, for freeing her from her past.
He met her gaze and smiled faintly. "Do all women get this sentimental at night?"
Robin stepped closer, her voice dropping into a soft, teasing whisper. Her fingers traced lightly from his neck downward. "Maybe… but Captain, must you ruin the mood so easily?"
For once, Logan was caught off guard.
Usually he was the one doing the teasing—how had the tables turned so fast?
He shot her a playful smirk.
Robin suddenly looked flustered—but before she could react, Logan teleported them both straight to the Going Merry.
"C-Captain, I was joking!" she said quickly, waving her hands in panic. She'd only meant to tease him a little!
"Too late!" Logan grinned.
Her protest was drowned out by action.
That night, Logan truly experienced the heat of Alabasta's desert.
And after what felt like ten thousand words' worth of time had passed—
He went to find Zala (or rather, "Miss Doublefinger"—but "Zala" sounded better to him).
After some serious heart-to-hearts with Valentine and Goldenweek, Zala didn't hesitate long. She agreed to join Logan's crew right away.
With Crocodile gone, what was the point of holding onto the past?
Die for him? No thanks—she was an assassin, not a martyr.
Even so, she'd spent the previous night nervous and restless.
Because of the Logan Pirates' tradition.
Valentine and Goldenweek had told her all about it in secret.
But no one came that night.
And tonight, after how much Logan had drunk at the banquet, she figured she could finally relax.
She was wrong.
For the first time in a long while, she really learned what "a long night" meant.
After another "ten thousand words" worth of time—
Logan stretched, feeling very pleased with himself.
"Time to claim my rewards," he said with a grin.
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully recruited crewmate Nico Robin. Reward: Luxury Living Ship.]
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully recruited crewmate Zala. Reward: 20 Slave Marks.]
A luxury living ship?!
Logan's eyes lit up instantly.
That was exactly what he needed right now.
With more and more girls joining, the old Going Merry was getting way too cramped.
Counting him, there were now twelve people onboard, and rooms were running out fast.
And that's not even considering the women who'd be joining later.
If this reward hadn't come up soon, he'd have had to sail to Water 7 and commission a new ship himself.
Now he could save a fortune.
He opened the ship's details eagerly.
Luxury Living Ship:– Vast interior space, capable of holding up to 500 people.– Includes 100 deluxe suites, 20 themed rooms, and 5 giant-size suites (fit for actual giants).– Comes equipped with multiple cafés, wineries, libraries, kitchens, training rooms, botanical gardens, aquariums, and even an orange orchard…
Logan's jaw nearly dropped after reading just the first two lines.
"This thing's insane."
Themed rooms? What, to keep things from getting boring?
And giant-size suites?!
Wait—don't tell me there are giant women in the story too?
Actually… come to think of it, maybe there are.
And the fish-women weren't exactly small either…
Reno pushed his messy thoughts aside and kept reading.
"The ship runs on controllable nuclear fusion. No need to worry about energy."
"It comes equipped with 200 maid-type AI robots responsible for cleaning and maintenance. You don't need to bother with any of that."
"Fully automated flight capability. Radar scan range: 5,000 miles. If any sudden event occurs, the system will alert the host in advance. Natural disasters can also be avoided automatically."
"In case of danger, activate the energy shield. Defense Level 1 — capable of withstanding a full-scale nuclear explosion."
"Equipped with 180 laser cannons capable of long-range bombardment up to 300 kilometers. Can easily destroy top-tier naval warships."
"Now that's what I'm talking about," Reno muttered, nodding again and again.
Every single line hit him right in the heart.
Aside from being a little lacking in firepower, this thing was basically invincible.
No wonder it was called a luxury lifestyle ship.
One of these days, if he managed to draw a combat-class luxury ship instead, he'd blast Mariejois off the map in one shot.
The massive ship automatically stored itself in the system warehouse, and Reno turned to check his second reward.
Slave Marks ×20
"The host may condense and imprint a slave mark upon another's spirit, forcing them into unconditional obedience. Their life and death are entirely under your control, regardless of distance."
"The target must either willingly submit or be vastly weaker than the host for the mark to take effect."
"If the target is female, the successful imprint automatically counts as a full subjugation."
"Not bad… not bad at all," Reno said, rubbing his chin with a scheming smile.
The first people that came to mind were the Navy's beauties: Hina, Tashigi, Momousagi, Peacock, and Gion.
Different sides, different beliefs — there was no way they'd just surrender easily. Some of them were stubborn enough to die before submitting.
But with this? That problem was solved.
One mark, instant loyalty, automatic collection. Easy win.
Come to think of it, those so-called "Holy Knights" under the Celestial Dragons were supposed to have some gorgeous women among them too.
They were stronger though — he'd have to plan that one out carefully.
Aside from the pretty faces, a few gifted individuals popped into his head as well.
Take Enel from Skypiea — arrogant as hell, sure, but his power and talent were legit.
Too bad for him though. Whether he ended up as someone's lackey or got killed for his fruit, the guy never caught a break.
Reno's next destination was Skypiea anyway, but since the Reno Pirates only recruited women… well, let's just say Enel's chances of survival didn't look great.
The next morning.
After breakfast at the royal palace, Reno and his crew said goodbye to Cobra and prepared to leave Alabasta.
He'd already marked the coordinates, so Vivi could come back anytime she wanted.
Even so, she and Cobra went through a tearful father-daughter farewell scene that had half the girls crying.
"Vivi, promise you'll come back to visit your father!" Cobra said, his old eyes brimming with tears.
"I promise, Father!" Vivi sobbed, nodding hard.
"Huh? Wait—where's the Going Merry?!"
Nami looked around, blinking in confusion.
"Where's our ship?!"
"What the hell—someone stole it?!"
Fuming, Nami rolled up her sleeves, ready to start a fight.
"I put the Merry away," Reno said dryly. "Can you calm down for one second?"
The other girls hadn't even processed what was happening before Nami was already shouting.
"You could've said that earlier!" she huffed, deflating like a balloon.
"Captain, why'd you stash it away?" Makino giggled behind her hand. "You really think anyone would dare steal our ship?"
The rest of the girls burst out laughing, their voices blending into a bright, cheerful melody.
Reno raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Because starting today, we're upgrading."
He lifted his arm, and with a brilliant flash of light, a gigantic, gleaming spaceship appeared in the sky above them.
Every girl froze, staring up in wide-eyed disbelief.
"Reno, where did you even get that thing?!" Nami gasped, flying up on a cloud to circle it in awe.
"That's a ship?! Are you kidding me?!"
"I've never seen anything like it!"
"Reno, what's this beauty called?!"
A storm of questions followed. Reno could only sigh and gesture at the ship.
"Let's talk inside," he said, using an island cloud to lift everyone aboard.
With a whoosh, the ship vanished into the sky, leaving Cobra and his ministers standing below, stunned and windblown.
Once inside, Reno activated the radar and auto-pilot. Then the girls set off to explore every corner of the ship with pure, childlike curiosity.
And "explore" was definitely the right word — the place was enormous.
"So many rooms—and all with different styles?!"
"I want this pink one!"
"No way, I'm taking the orange one!"
"The blue one's mine!"
The girls dashed back and forth through the halls, each quickly finding a room that matched her taste.
A few minutes later, the sound of bouncing on giant soft beds filled the air.
They'd really gone from rags to riches overnight.
"Ahhh!!"
A sudden scream made everyone turn.
"Tashigi, what happened?!" Vivi and Nami ran over, panic in their voices.
Tashigi's face was bright red as she pointed shakily toward the room ahead.
The girls crowded in—then froze just like she had.
Inside were… all kinds of toys. Some familiar, others that none of them had ever seen before. Every shape, size, and color imaginable.
"Captain, what kind of room is this?!"
"Reno, didn't know you were this kinky!"
"Reno, did you decorate this place?!"
A chorus of accusations rang out.
"I swear it wasn't me!" Reno cried, hands raised defensively. Totally the system's doing!
Still, he couldn't help but think privately—Nice work, system.
With all those options, things were about to get a lot more interesting.
For the rest of the day, Reno gave the girls a tour of the ship's facilities.
Kaya and Robin stayed in the library — Kaya flipping through medical texts, Robin absorbed in ancient history.
Nami and Nojiko found the orange orchard and immediately started watering the trees. The place was about as big as the grove back in Cocoyasi Village.
Before, the Merry could only carry a few orange trees. Now? It was practically a whole plantation.
Valentine, Goldenweek, and Sara took an interest in the café, grinding beans and experimenting with coffee blends.
(According to the original timeline, after the Alabasta arc, those three eventually opened a coffee shop called "Spider Café.")
Makino was thrilled by the massive winery, already planning to expand her collection.
Meanwhile, Vivi, Tashigi, and Karoo tagged along with Reno to explore the botanical garden — and somehow ended up playing mahjong halfway through.
And just like that, another perfect day began aboard the Reno Pirates' brand-new luxury ship.
"....."