"The wind's back to a steady strength. I think we must be close to Alabasta."
"Good thing we arrived faster than planned."
Luffy said this as he watched the swirls of bubbles Nami made hover above her upturned hand on the deck of the Going Merry.
Just before answering her, Luffy recalled the conversation he'd had with Portgas D. Anne on Bartolomeo's ship not long ago.
****
"I'm serious—it's a promise. You're coming back to Whitebeard's ship in one piece."
"Ah—okay, Luffy! I swear I'll come right back!"
"That's a relief, then."
"And it wasn't because of you I cried—I cried because I'm weak and it hurt!"
"Whatever. Hey, Bartolomeo, get us there."
"Of course, Luffy-senpai! If we pull this off, you'll make us subordinates of your pirate crew…!"
"No, I'm not accepting that. This isn't the time to talk about subordinate pirate crews."
"B-but…"
"Still, if you really help Anne out, I'll be personally grateful to you guys."
"We'll treat onee-san with the utmost respect! Got that, everyone~!"
"You don't have to go that far…"
'I knew in my head they weren't so bad, which was why I only roughhoused the captain a bit.'
'But for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to treat them harshly. Now I know why.'
Luffy looked at Bartolomeo and his crew laughing and realized they reminded him of his old Marine comrades.
'They've got fierce faces and reckless ways, yet they're so innocent and kind… they're just like those guys.'
At that moment, Portgas D. Anne stepped forward and handed Luffy a sheet of paper.
"Here, Luffy."
"What's this… a Vivre Card?"
"You know what it is. With this, you'll always know the direction I'm in."
'A Vivre Card is paper made by mixing in a sliver of its owner's nail. When torn, each piece points toward its owner, so you can always tell which way they're headed.'
Luffy placed the paper in his left palm.
The card slowly shifted toward the upper right—Anne's direction.
"What good is that if I lose it? If you lose this card, it's useless…"
"I won't lose it! What do you take me for?!"
"All right, then. I'll keep it safe, onee-san."
"..."
"Anything else?"
"Um, Luffy…"
Portgas D. Anne remembered the words she spoke to Luffy when he'd fallen from her punch:
"I'll always come back, just like I always have. So I'm going—okay?!"
"I didn't have much confidence earlier, but I'll say it right this time: I promise you as family."
Anne extended her pinky to Luffy.
"I'm going, Luffy."
"…Come back safe, sis."
****
Luffy recalled that pinky-swear moment with Anne.
The crew, now all on deck, watched Vivi study the bubbles on Nami's hand.
"Nami, do those bubbles you're making relate to each other somehow?"
"Bubbles are incredibly sensitive, Vivi."
"But by turning that sensitivity into a power, I feel I can sense the climate better than before."
"Hold on, Nami—are we really entering Alabasta's climate zone?"
"I told you, Usopp—you can see Alabasta right ahead of us, can't you?"
"I see it, but… why does it look so huge? According to the map, we're still far from arrival…?"
"What's the problem?"
"Compared to the other islands we passed, Alabasta should start as a speck on the horizon and gradually grow as we approach. But it's already wide enough to fill my entire view!"
"You're right… it shouldn't look that big this far out."
"You're not imagining things, Nami. I grew up in Alabasta, and among the World Government's allied countries, it ranks in the top ten for size."
"It's a massive country, huh…"
The crew confirmed that from afar, Alabasta's scale far exceeded any island they'd visited.
Meanwhile, Zoro looked back toward the tail of the fleet:
"Those ships behind us are proof we're near Alabasta, too."
"Those vessels…!"
Vivi turned to see a dozen ships flying the same mark as the others—Baroque Works.
"They used to keep that emblem hidden when I was in the Marines. Now they're flying it wide open."
"Boss Mr. 0—Crocodile—is using this rebellion as an excuse to summon his operatives. They've gathered here under orders to build their criminals' utopia."
"Now we have to decide what to do."
"What do you mean, Luffy?"
"Our deal was clear, Vivi. We were contracted to take you to Alabasta."
"…Right. You're right."
"But contracts can be renewed. Changing the terms and continuing counts as renewal."
"And I'm the captain of a small crew of six."
"I don't want to go against my crewmates' majority, get resented, then wake up thrown overboard and drowned."
"So whether we help you save Alabasta or cut ties here, I'll support whatever the crew votes for."
"…So this means we'd be jumping into a war in your homeland, Vivi—one million citizens, forty thousand government troops, sixty thousand rebels."
"And we'd have to face Baroque Works, starting with the Seven Warlords' Mr. 0, Crocodile, and all those ships behind us."
"If things go badly, we might even have to fight the royal army and the rebels, like Erokku warned…!"
Hearing Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp spoke in turn, the crew remembered their days with Vivi—her kneeling before Laboon asking forgiveness, her plea for help at Whiskey Peak, her fury at Wapol's deeds on Little Garden, her putting Nami's health first despite the country's peril, and the depth of her thoughts on Drum Island.
Mid-reverie, a single tear rolled down Vivi's cheek.
'Yes—just getting me to Alabasta despite facing the company's threats is help beyond measure.'
'Even if this is where our bond ends… even if we never meet again, I'll never forget the help you gave me.'
Someone gently grasped Vivi's hands, and she raised her head.
"I'd forgotten, but thanks to Luffy and everyone, I realized there are things more important than money."
"That's what friends are for."
"Nami…"
"And once we save the country, I'll make sure you get a fair reward. So be ready."
"Heh heh, I stole the show from Nami, huh?"
Hancock smiled at Nami's remark, and the other crewmates approached Vivi:
"Don't worry, Vivi—we'll protect you no matter what."
"A brave sailor never abandons a friend in need!"
"Wouldn't it be boring to just sail off after coming this far, Captain?"
Quack~!
"You guys…"
Touched, Vivi's eyes brimmed with tears.
'If even one person hesitated, I was going to refuse.'
'But you're all too kind… and I love you for it.'
"Then it's decided by majority vote: we launch the Alabasta Recovery Operation."
"Luffy, what about your own opinion…?"
"What opinion? As captain, it's my job to follow the crew's will."
"It's only natural that charting our course requires everyone's consent, even if it means setting aside my personal desire to help you."
"You understand, right, Vivi?"
"Luffy…"
"Everyone, prepare to go ashore. There'll be plenty to do once we land, so stay sharp."
Luffy looked at Alabasta with an excited gleam: 'Alabasta… time to play rough again.'
****
Alabasta Kingdom's port city, Nanohana.
In this dry, sweltering land, the port city of Nanohana balanced heat and humidity thanks to moisture evaporating from the nearby sea.
"I thought so before we got off the ship—this place is scorching."
"Yeah, Zoro. Maybe because of the intense sun, everyone here wears wide-brimmed clothing."
Walking through Nanohana's market street with Luffy in front, Usopp replied to Zoro:
"While we're in Alabasta, everyone should dress like the locals. I hope we can buy some clothes at the market…"
"By the way, the smell of perfume is everywhere, Vivi—did someone just spray it, or is it for sale?"
"Perfume is famous in Nanohana, Sanji. They also sell special spices that only grow in this climate."
As they talked, the busy market gave way to a normal street, and the crowds thinned.
"Wait a second—isn't something weird?"
"What is it, Nami?"
"You're the one who knows this place, Vivi—so why is Luffy walking up front instead of you?"
"…That's true."
"Huh?"
Everyone except Luffy wondered silently, and then Usopp spoke up:
"I assumed Vivi must have told Luffy something, but…?"
"Luffy leading the way is normal, Usopp. Everyone just took it for granted," Hancock said.
"It shouldn't be normal right now, Hancock. Luffy, why…?"
"Ah—sorry, everyone. I forgot to mention: someone was supposed to meet us around here."
"You're only telling us that now?"
"We agreed I'd confirm the meeting once everyone decided to keep helping Vivi."
"On the ship, I was busy sending word by [Transponder Snail] about the decision, so I couldn't speak. Once we arrived, I was focused on finding the meeting spot."
"That's why you suddenly went to make a call on the ship…"
"They're someone who can help us help Vivi. Please trust me and meet them."
"…All right, Luffy. I trust you."
With Vivi's agreement and no objections, Luffy led the crew into a building that looked like a restaurant.
"Welcome~!"
"We'll eat upstairs."
They climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Although it was lunchtime, the second floor was empty except for a man and woman in the corner.
"Wait, Luffy—who are they…?"
"They're here, Luffy,—the princess and her companion."
Coby replied, "You've probably seen their faces before."
The two were Coby and Hibari, the faces they'd seen in Loguetown.
"We probably need an explanation, but we didn't have time for breakfast."
"Let's order first."
"Leave it to us, Luffy!"