Departing for Little Garden

The moonlight was bright, casting a cold glow on the quiet town. The streets were...

"What princess? I never said that," Igaram gritted his teeth, glaring resentfully at Lina and the others.

"You two scoundrels!"

A shout erupted from the distance. The group looked over and saw an enraged Luffy. "They were treating us to a meal, and you knocked them all out!"

"It's one thing for Sanji and Zoro to have just joined the crew, but why didn't you stop them, Lina!"

Lina's face instantly darkened. "..."

"So... so dense!" Igaram, sprawled on the ground, looked speechlessly at the captain with a bounty of thirty million Belly.

Even outsiders couldn't stand it.

"Bastards! Today, I'll teach you the rules of this ship!" Luffy, his expression furious, clenched his fists and stomped over in his slippers.

"The rules of this ship, huh..." Lina looked helplessly at the suicidal Luffy. "Who exactly doesn't understand the rules here?"

Duang! Duang!

"You idiot!" Nami's fierce punches brought Luffy to his senses.

Seeing Luffy curled up on the ground, holding his head, Lina and the others could only offer sheepish smiles.

The rule of this ship was Nami, that wicked woman!

Meek on the outside, but a heavy fist on the inside, the captain's tyrant.

"Alright, let's get back to business." Lina lit a cigarette and crouched down, addressing Igaram. "The princess you just mentioned, it was her, wasn't it?"

As he spoke, Lina pointed to Vivi, who was lying on the ground nearby, knocked out. "Explain clearly, or I'll throw you all into the sea to feed the fish right now."

"Wait!" Igaram shouted urgently. "There's no benefit in killing us! I want to commission you for a task. If you succeed, I can guarantee you a generous reward!"

"Uh-huh~" Nami's interest was piqued. She tugged at her shorts, squatted down, and looked at him with amusement. "Tell us about it."

Igaram gritted his teeth, thought for a moment, and then began to explain the commission.

Lina and the others listened quietly.

Pirates naturally engaged in burning, killing, and looting as their usual activities, but most pirates also took on various commission tasks, much like mercenaries.

Both legal and illegal commissions were important sources of income for many pirates. Sometimes, accepting a commission from royalty or nobility could bring in money faster than robbery. After all, what noble didn't have some unsavory secrets.

"The Princess of Alabasta!?"

After hearing Igaram's words, everyone except Lina was clearly shocked.

"Hey! That's a super superpower!"

"And, if I recall, that country is in a state of war, right?"

Nami said, as she had a habit of reading newspapers. "Why would the princess of such a large country be in a place like this?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Knowing too much will only harm you..."

"So, our task is just to escort you to Alabasta, right?"

Lina walked towards Vivi, who was lying on the street. "How long will it take to store the Log Pose here?"

"One day should be enough," Igaram replied.

"So, Luffy, should we take this commission?" Nami rubbed her hands together.

"A princess from a superpower! Let's set the commission fee at ten billion!"

"What!?" Igaram exclaimed. "Wait! I can't make a decision on such a large sum. I'll have to discuss it with the royal family after you've escorted the princess back."

Lina, standing next to Vivi, knew the financial situation of the Sand Country. Cobra had already sold off all valuable assets to aid the citizens.

The king himself lived a meager life. How could he possibly afford ten billion?

"Alright!" Luffy exclaimed for some reason, a grin spreading across his face. "We'll take this commission!"

Lina crouched down, grabbed Vivi's sky-blue hair, lifted her head, and patted her face. "Hey, wake up, little punk."

Vivi slowly opened her eyes, unaware of what had happened. She glared angrily at Lina. "Damn it!"

"Alright, stop looking so indignant."

Lina and the others briefly explained the situation to Vivi, and soon the group dispersed.

The Straw Hat crew returned to the Merry to continue their nap, leaving only Vivi and Igaram at the scene.

"Is it really okay, Igaram?" Vivi showed a hint of worry.

Igaram's expression changed, regaining the calm composure expected of a captain of the guard. "Princess, you saw their strength. More importantly..."

Looking at the people lying scattered around, he paused and added, "After all this fighting, they haven't killed anyone. Even though we were opponents, they still remembered the favor of a meal. I believe in their character."

"Is that so? I understand, Igaram. I believe you. Shall we set off with them tomorrow?" Vivi slowly got up, supporting herself with her hands on the ground.

Igaram, however, calmly refuted. "No, Princess. You should go with them. I will leave via another route."

"Why!"

"I just saw the Bringer of Bad Luck..."

Igaram said grimly, "News of what's happening here will reach the boss soon. I'll leave tonight and go on ahead to draw fire away from the princess."

"Wait a minute! Igar..."

"Don't say it, Princess!"

Igaram interrupted decisively, then slowly continued, "The country's situation is dire. You should know what the priority is right now."

"I..."

Vivi bit her lip, a hint of unwillingness showing. "...I understand."

The next day at noon, the sun blazed in a cloudless sky. The Merry was docked in a calm port.

On the ship, several imposing undead eagles perched on the crow's nest. Liner, as usual, was in the living quarters behind the deck, working out with Zoro.

"Get ready to set sail, everyone!" Luffy clung to the bow of the Merry, holding a sheep's head.

The undead retracted the anchor and slowly steered the Merry away from the port.

Everyone on board was doing their usual activities. The only difference was that the ship had gained one passenger and some emergency food.

"Is this really okay?" Vivi asked, placing her left hand on 'Fast Runner,' feeling a bit strange.

It was as if no one cared that a princess had come aboard. She was the key person for the entrusted mission, yet here she was, treated like a ghost.

Except for Sanji...

"Dinner's ready, everyone!" Sanji called out, emerging from the kitchen and fawning over Vivi again.

"Coming, coming!" Luffy quickly rushed to the second floor.

Liner also put down his workout equipment and joined Zoro in the living room dining area.

The group soon gathered around a table. Compared to their hearty feasting, Vivi and Fast Runner, huddled in a corner of the table, appeared much more reserved.

"Nami, is our next stop Little Garden?" Liner asked, unsure if they were going anywhere else before Little Garden.

Since entering the Grand Line, Liner's urgency regarding the 'blue demon' and 'red demon' had only intensified.

"Ah, yes, Little Garden," Nami had checked the route before setting sail.

Luffy's eyes lit up. "Little Garden?! Sounds like a great place, hehe."

"It should be beautiful," Nami said, also looking forward to it.

Liner knew Nami's anticipation wouldn't last long.

"Elbaf is a renowned nation in the New World. It's hard to imagine the leader of the Giant Warrior Pirates not having Haki," Liner mused inwardly.

Meanwhile, in Alabasta, Raindinners.

In a luxurious room, a man with a cigar in his mouth stood before a massive floor-to-ceiling window.

Tap~ tap~, the crisp sound of high heels echoed in the empty room.

"You're back, Miss All-Sunday," the man said in a low voice, turning to face the black-haired woman entering.

"One of our outposts at the entrance to the Grand Line has been destroyed. This is intelligence brought back by a messenger of misfortune."

The black-haired woman placed two photos on the table. One depicted Vivi, the other Luffy.

"The person Mr. 5 captured was Igaram in disguise. The real Princess Vivi has already left with the Straw Hat Pirates."

"And then?" the man's low voice sounded again.

"Their next stop is Little Garden. Mr. 5 and Mr. 3 have already been dispatched as a pair."

"What if they fail again this time?" the man's tone was clearly displeased.

"I've sent Mr. 2 as well. He'll clean up the mess and execute those failures."

"As expected of Miss All-Sunday. You always get things done so efficiently," Crocodile said, a low smile playing on his lips.