The next day, when Cobra woke up in frustration and heard the news, he was completely dumbfounded.
"What?! You're going to North Blue?!!!"
At the dinner table, Cobra nearly spat blood. His dignity as a king forgotten, he leaped from his chair and stood atop the dining table.
Igaram, Chaka, and Pell—the king's three trusted confidants who were standing nearby—were also startled, frozen in place by their monarch's outburst.
Faced with her father's exaggerated reaction, Vivi, dressed in a casual short-sleeved shirt and long pants perfect for traveling, nodded with serious determination.
"Yes, I've made my decision. This opportunity will not only allow me to see the outside world, but more importantly, it will help me test my feelings toward Luffy and see if there's any possibility for us to be together."
Cobra subconsciously ignored the first half and zeroed in on the words "test my feelings." In that moment, scenes of his daughter running away from home, eloping, and even getting married and having children flashed through his mind.
Just imagining these possibilities made Cobra break out in a cold sweat. Although he knew this day would eventually come for his daughter, he never expected it so soon—and he certainly wouldn't allow Vivi to leave alone with some man!
As these distressing thoughts swirled in his mind, Cobra's eyes flashed with intensity as he glared at Luffy, who sat silently to his right, head lowered while quietly eating his noodles.
For some reason, Cobra suddenly recalled his first meeting with Luffy yesterday in a completely different light.
"Luffy, who had just disembarked from the Stormbreaker, sauntered up to him casually. With a flip of his hair, he pointed his thumb back at the ship and said flippantly: 'Oi, old man, I am taking your daughter, is that cool?'"
"I'm her father!!!"
This memory must have had such a powerful impact on Cobra that it broke through his usual composure, causing him to roar out loud.
Luffy, who had been feigning obliviousness out of guilt, looked up in surprise at Cobra's sudden outburst.
Vivi, Igaram, and the others who knew Cobra well exchanged astonished glances. In all their years together, this was the first time Vivi had seen her father lose control like this.
Igaram couldn't help but reflect inwardly that the last time he'd seen His Majesty this angry was when Princess Vivi had been bullied as a child. Indeed, no matter how wise and powerful the King might be, he was first and foremost a father—an old father perhaps a bit too devoted to his daughter.
While everyone was still recovering from their shock, Cobra continued, breathing heavily:
"Listen to me, kid. No matter what sweet words you say, I will never let Vivi go to such a distant place with you! Even if you truly love each other, you should wait until Vivi is older. For now, regardless of the reason, I refuse to agree!!!"
Luffy, now the target of Cobra's fierce glare, recovered from his initial surprise. He glanced at Vivi, who appeared equally taken aback, and shook his head helplessly.
Before confronting Cobra, the princess had confidently assured Luffy that she could convince her father. But judging from the results, not only had she failed to persuade him, she'd actually made him even more resistant to the idea.
There was no other option. After all, this was his potential future father-in-law, so Luffy decided it would be better if he addressed the situation himself.
"Ahem, Uncle Cobra, please calm down first."
Looking at Cobra, who was still standing on the table and breathing heavily, Luffy tried to defuse the tension with a few gentle words.
Despite his outburst, Cobra was still the ruler of a nation, and with Luffy's calming influence, he managed to take several deep breaths to suppress his anger before finally sitting back down.
Seeing that the King had regained some composure, Luffy began explaining carefully:
"Uncle Cobra, to be honest, this wasn't only Vivi's idea, but mine as well. Just as she said, I believe we need time to properly get to know each other. And to truly understand one another, there's no better way than living together for a period of time."
Luffy paused here, gauging Cobra's expression, before delivering the decisive point:
"After all, you wouldn't want your daughter to marry someone she doesn't truly know and live an unhappy life forever, would you?"
Cobra, who had been consumed by fury moments before, suddenly felt as though someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him. Luffy's words cut through his anger, leaving him in a moment of stark clarity.