Luffy would have protected Vivi even without her saying anything. As a high-ranking Marine officer, how could he allow his potential fiancée to be bullied by others? What would be the point of his position if he couldn't even do that? He might as well resign and go home.
"Of course, my little princess, I'll protect you well," Luffy assured her with a smile.
"Hehe~" Hearing Luffy's answer, Vivi rubbed her head against his arm affectionately.
Cobra didn't miss any of these small, intimate gestures between them. At that moment, he suddenly felt a pang of regret. The way they acted around each other made it clear there was no need to "test" their relationship. Even when he was young, he and Vivi's mother hadn't been so inseparable!
As these thoughts ran through his mind, his expression toward Luffy grew increasingly disapproving.
Sensing the hostile intent, Luffy turned his head and met Cobra's gaze. Noticing the king's reddening eyes, he remained silent for a moment before breaking into a wide, disarming smile.
"Well then, Uncle Cobra, we'll be taking our leave now."
At Luffy's words, Vivi raised her head and waved goodbye to her father and the others. Though his heart was heavy with reluctance, Cobra forced a smile onto his face.
Luffy turned around and took Vivi's small suitcase. He then called out to his crew who had been waiting patiently—Ain, Nami, Sanji, and Zoro among them:
"Let's go! Our destination is North Blue—set sail!"
"Oh my goodness! The top of the ship is actually transparent!"
"Wow!! A swimming pool! There's an entire pool area on this battleship?!"
"Hey—there's even a beach! Is this really a warship and not some luxury yacht?"
Vivi explored the ship with childlike enthusiasm, running from one marvel to the next. Luffy took her luggage to her assigned room first.
Nami was in charge of the ship's command at the moment, so for the time being, only Ain accompanied Vivi.
The princess had removed her sandals and dipped her bare feet into the clear water. She sat on the edge of the artificial beach with her eyes half-closed, clearly enjoying herself. With amusement, Ain removed her Marine coat of justice, took off her shoes as well, and sat down beside Vivi.
"Is it different from what you imagined a warship would be like?" Ain asked.
Vivi opened her eyes—large and sparkling with wonder—and nodded vigorously.
"It's completely different!"
Speaking of the ship, Ain couldn't help but feel a touch of pride.
"Don't be shocked when I tell you this, but the cost of this ship is 3.5 billion Berries."
"How much?!" Vivi screamed in astonishment, nearly falling into the swimming pool. Fortunately, Ain reached out quickly and caught her in time.
Even so, Vivi couldn't recover from the shock of hearing such an enormous sum. With her mouth slightly agape, her mind began to process what this meant.
Over recent years, because of Crocodile's secret sabotage, Alabasta had been plagued by sandstorms and drought. As a result, a large portion of the kingdom's residents were struggling to survive. Her father Cobra, unable to bear witnessing his people's suffering, had been using the royal family's private coffers to supplement the national treasury—buying food, fresh water, and other essential resources from overseas.
After years of these subsidies, the royal family's private treasury had been stretched to its limits. Apart from precious antiques and heirlooms passed down through generations, even the Alabasta royal family couldn't produce such a staggering sum as 3.5 billion Berries at once.
Only with Crocodile's interference eliminated, had the kingdom's climate begun to stabilize. There had been occasional rainfall, and crops were growing again. The situation had improved considerably. Otherwise, Cobra might have soon needed to start selling family heirlooms to support the national treasury.
Vivi found it astounding that the private treasury of her own royal family—a dynasty that had existed for thousands of years—couldn't even afford the ship she was currently standing on. What made it even more remarkable was that this ship belonged to a single Marine officer. When had the Marines become so wealthy? Surely Luffy hadn't embezzled public funds?
Looking at Vivi's expressions shifting between surprise, concern, and hesitation, Ain could easily guess what she was thinking.
"Don't overthink it," Ain reassured her. "It is an extravagant sum to spend on a single vessel, but this ship was approved directly by Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself. Besides, the Stormbreaker is the world's first electric-powered, integrated sea-and-air unconventional warship. It's far more advanced than it appears, and the 3.5 billion Berry cost is absolutely justified."
After hearing Ain's explanation, Vivi finally relaxed. She began asking Ain more questions about the Stormbreaker's capabilities. The princess was still deeply engaged in conversation when Luffy arrived, shirtless and carrying exercise equipment. Upon seeing him, her curiosity only grew stronger.