Cobra's realization left Igaram and the others feeling lost. There are several kinds of children who grow weary of their family's constant protection.
Of course, Cobra didn't want to see the situation Luffy had described. No matter what, Vivi was his precious daughter, his most beloved little princess. Compared to Luffy's current strength and reputation, what Cobra cared about most was whether his daughter could truly be happy. If even this couldn't be guaranteed, he would rather keep Vivi by his side for the rest of his life. After all, it wasn't as if he couldn't afford to support her—he had an entire kingdom's worth of assets at his disposal.
After thinking all this through, Cobra slumped in his chair like a deflated balloon. When he turned to look at Vivi, tears had already welled in his eyes, as if the two of them would never see each other again.
Vivi felt helpless when she saw this, but also felt a warmth spreading in her heart.
"Dad, we agreed that we're just going to North Blue to take a look around, not to elope," she said softly.
Cobra waited anxiously for Vivi to continue.
Vivi solemnly raised four fingers and promised, "I'll send messages regularly—every four days!"
Cobra sighed. "...I still have a bad feeling about this."
Whether Cobra's feeling was correct or not remained to be seen. In short, after Luffy's persuasion, the old king finally agreed to let Vivi, Luffy, and the others leave together. But he still couldn't bear to let Vivi go alone, so he insisted on sending Igaram, Pell, and Chaka along with them.
However, Vivi firmly rejected the idea.
In her words, her potential fiancé was one of the most powerful admirals of the World Government. If it was dangerous to follow him, it would be useless even if Cobra sent an entire army with her.
But Cobra's protests weren't completely in vain. At least after her father's repeated pleas, Vivi, whose mind had already drifted far away with thoughts of adventure, reluctantly agreed to stay with Cobra for three more days before departing.
These three days of companionship made Cobra feel much better. His attitude toward Luffy returned to the camaraderie they'd shared when they bathed together, and he no longer harbored any hostility toward the young Marine.
Luffy also took the opportunity to make a positive impression. Thinking that since he was already here, he might as well do something meaningful, he asked Nami to use her weather abilities to summon rain clouds. Soon, a rare rainfall blessed Western Alabasta.
The whole water-scarce country was plunged into jubilation. Even though this feat hadn't been publicly announced, many citizens correctly linked the heavy rain to Luffy's arrival. They believed it was the hero's presence that caused the gods to bestow this precious rainfall upon them.
For a time, Luffy's reputation among the people of Alabasta reached new heights. As for Cobra, who had witnessed the entire process, he was so overcome with gratitude that he nearly knelt on the spot, begging Luffy to let Nami stay in Alabasta permanently.
To sweeten the deal, he offered to grant Nami a vast tract of land and the title of duchess. The notoriously money-loving Nami almost nodded in agreement right then and there. If Luffy hadn't intervened and spoken with Cobra, promising to help Alabasta find a permanent solution to its water shortage in the future, the king might have gone so far as to offer his throne to Nami in exchange for her staying in the country.
Three days later, outside the city of Alubarna, Vivi stood ready to depart, carrying a suitcase filled with only some spare clothes. Her role had changed—from being the host who had greeted Luffy a few days ago, she was now a guest joining his journey temporarily.
"Goodbye, Dad, Igaram, Pell, Chaka, and everyone! I'll call you often, so please don't worry about me," she said cheerfully.
Poor Cobra took the handkerchief Igaram handed him, wiped his tears vigorously, and said with reluctance:
"Be careful out there. Listen to Luffy and don't wander off on your own. When you meet the royal families of the member states, remember to be polite and send them your father's regards. Likewise, if anyone dares to bully you, don't suffer in silence—Alabasta is not to be trifled with!"
Although Vivi had heard these words countless times during the past three days at the palace, she didn't show any impatience.
With a light laugh, she affectionately took Luffy's arm and said jokingly, "Don't worry, I have Luffy here. If anyone dares to bully me, I'll have Luffy beat them to a pulp."
After saying this, she raised her head and looked at Luffy with hopeful eyes and asked sweetly, "Right, Luffy~?"