After returning to the ship, the three of them split up to handle their tasks.
Sanji headed straight for the kitchen to gather supplies for the upcoming bonfire celebration. Despite the late hour and exhaustion from the battle, his chef instincts wouldn't let him show up empty-handed to a party.
Alvida, meanwhile, made her way to the bathhouse.
Though Vivi had also participated in the battle, she'd managed to stay relatively clean. Still, after everything that had happened tonight, a bath sounded like exactly what she needed. She followed Alvida to the bathhouse without hesitation.
The warm water felt incredible as it flowed over her body. She let out a small sigh as she sank into the large wooden tub. Bath time was always when she felt most relaxed.
She glanced over at Alvida, expecting to see her settling in for one of her famously long soaks. Instead, she was already scrubbing herself down, moving like someone with a schedule to keep.
"You're done already?"
It was completely out of character. Normally, the women on the crew loved taking their time in the bath, especially after a fight. And Alvida, despite having eaten the Slip-Slip Fruit, which theoretically meant no dirt could ever stick to her body, was usually the one who spent the most time bathing.
Ever since Marcus had brought that cherry blossom tree aboard, petals would fall throughout the day. she had taken to collecting them for her baths, and now there was always a faint, pleasant scent of cherry blossoms lingering around her. It had become her signature fragrance.
Alvida was already pulling on fresh clothes by the doorway. "I've got something I need to take care of. They'll probably start the bonfire party soon, feel free to head up without me."
"Alright..." Vivi didn't quite understand what could be so urgent, but she nodded anyway.
After Alvida left, closing the door behind her, she finally had the bathhouse to herself. She stretched out in the tub, letting herself fully relax now that she was alone.
She found herself reflecting on everything that had happened since she'd joined the crew. Just a few weeks ago, she'd been planning to sacrifice everything to save Arabasta. Now she was living a completely different life, one where she actually had time to think about herself and what she wanted.
"I wonder how Father's doing... It's only been a few days, but it feels like I've been gone for years."
She chuckled, then slowly sank beneath the water's surface, holding her breath as the warm current enveloped her completely.
For a moment, there was nothing but warmth and the gentle pressure of water against her skin.
When she finally surfaced to breathe, gasping slightly, she found herself staring at the wooden ceiling above.
"Power... If I had that kind of power, could I become strong too? Could I protect people instead of always needing protection?"
From Arabasta, to Baroque Works, to where she was now, there had always been people with incredible abilities around her. Crocodile with his sand powers. Marcus with his bizarre but versatile abilities. Luffy with his rubber body. But she'd never really thought seriously about whether she needed one herself.
"Munch, Shroom, Bomb..." She hugged her knees to her chest, curling up in the warm water. "Maybe I should ask him what kind of path would suit me. After all, Kira became so much stronger thanks to his guidance, right?"
Kira had been even more helpless than Vivi when she'd first joined. Now she could fly, had developed her fruit abilities, and could actually contribute in combat situations. If Kira could do it, maybe she could too.
Then she frowned slightly.
Come to think of it, when she'd gotten back on the ship, she hadn't seen Marcus anywhere.
Maybe he was in the men's quarters, resting after that ordeal with the cursed sword?
She decided to find out. She stepped out of the bath, wrapped herself in a towel, and cautiously peered into the hallway. It was empty and quiet except for the creaking of the ship.
Quickly, she returned to the women's quarters and dressed in the outfit she'd prepared earlier, clothes Nami had bought for her during their last port stop. A simple shirt with a small cat design and comfortable pants.
The fit was perfect.
"Simple but cute," Vivi said to herself, turning once in front of the small mirror mounted on the wall. She brushed her hand over the cat design.
Seeming to make up her mind about something, she headed toward the men's quarters.
She knocked softly on the door, then nudged it open when there was no answer. "Excuse me? Anyone here?"
The room was empty.
It was her first time actually entering the men's quarters. Everything was surprisingly neat and organized, with no unpleasant smells. The items were neatly arranged as well.
"Not here either?"
Confused, she decided to check with Alvida. But when she arrived at the women's quarters, Alvida wasn't there either.
"Where is everyone?"
Puzzled now, she made her way to the kitchen, where she found Sanji still busy preparing food. He'd already packed large bundles of supplies and was tying them up with rope, humming some song to himself as he worked.
Seeing her casual outfit, he looked up and smiled. "What's up, Vivi? Looking for something?"
"Have you seen Marcus? I wanted to ask him something."
"If he's not on the main deck... maybe he's in Hell? He tends to go there when he has free time."
"Hell..." Vivi had been there once before, and the experience had been deeply unsettling.
"I'm just about finished here," Sanji said, hoisting his bundles onto his shoulders. "Want to come back to the mountain with me? Party's probably starting soon."
Vivi thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I'll head up with the others later. I really do want to talk to Marcus first."
"Alright then. Don't take too long, you know how Luffy gets when the food arrives. See you at the party."
After Sanji left, whistling cheerfully as he made his way off the ship, Vivi stood alone before the Nether portal.
She took several deep breaths.
"Just a quick look. If he's not there, I'll leave right away."
After psyching herself up, she stepped forward into the swirling purple energy.
The transition was disorienting. The world spun around her in circles, and she felt like she was falling.
When she finally opened her eyes again, gasping slightly, she was standing in a gray, hazy landscape that looked nothing like the hellish red terrain she remembered from her previous visit.
"What...?"
Where was the red stone? The lava pools? The strange pig creatures? Had Marcus changed something about this place? Built a new area?
Just as she was trying to make sense of her surroundings, she heard voices in the distance. They were muffled by the strange atmosphere.
One of them sounded familiar.
She quietly crept closer to investigate, and froze in place. Her legs gave out, and she sank to the ground.
---
Back on the mountain, the bonfire was already blazing high.
"Where's Sanji? I'm starving!" Luffy complained, his stomach growling loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear. "I can't wait anymore!"
"You just ate before we left the ship," Nami pointed out. "How are you hungry again?"
"Fighting makes me hungry!"
Just then, Sanji appeared at the edge of the clearing, hauling his massive bundles of food and supplies.
The crew cheered at his arrival.
"Finally! Food!"
As people started unpacking and setting up the feast around the bonfire, Nami looked around the clearing with a slight frown. "Hey, where are those three? I thought they were right behind us."
Sanji shrugged as he began unpacking wrapped meat and vegetables. "Vivi said she wanted to talk to Marcus about something. Probably still on the ship."
"Talk about what?"
"Devil Fruits, I'd guess. She was feeling pretty bad that she couldn't contribute much during the fight." Sanji arranged the food on wooden platters.
Kira looked understanding. Ever since joining the Straw Hats, she'd felt aware of how far behind she was in terms of combat ability compared to the others.
At best, she could serve as transport with her wings. At worst, she was just someone who needed protecting while everyone else fought. It was a frustrating position to be in.
That was exactly why she'd asked Marcus to help develop her Devil Fruit abilities, so she could actually contribute to the crew instead of just being dead weight during battles.
"What about Alvida?" Nami asked.
"Probably still taking a bath," Sanji replied, lighting a cigarette. "You know how she is."
Everyone nodded knowingly.
"Forget about them! Let's start!" Usopp announced, spreading his arms dramatically. "I officially declare this bonfire party open!"
No one objected. The smell of cooking meat was already making everyone's stomachs rumble. Soon, the island's natives joined in as well, emerging from the forest with drums and their own food to share.
Luffy welcomed them all with open arms and an even more open stomach, immediately striking up conversations and making friends.
Under the rare blood moon, the night was filled with joy, laughter, music, and celebration. People danced around the bonfire, told stories, and shared food. The tension and fear from earlier had completely evaporated.
As dawn crept in, the wild festivities finally wound down. Everyone was completely exhausted, scattered around the clearing.
---
Back on the ship, in the men's quarters, someone else lay there too, utterly drained and sleeping peacefully.
In the women's quarters, Alvida stretched lazily before flopping onto her bed with a contented sigh. She noticed that Vivi had returned as well, already in her own bed, though she didn't pay it much attention. The girl was probably exhausted from the night's events.
After such a long, tiring night, she quickly drifted off to sleep, her breathing evening out.
Vivi, however, lay with her back turned toward Alvida, staring at the wooden wall. Her face was burning bright red, and her mind was unable to stop replaying what she'd witnessed.
She squeezed her eyes shut, but the images wouldn't go away.
Sleep was going to be impossible.
-----
You can ignore the next chapter (132 - Breathe Me [18+ Version]), as it is simply the 18+ version of this chapter and contains no new plot. As I mentioned many chapters ago, it was the only 18+ chapter at the time and still is (I am past Chapter 200). Also, as requested, there is no harem, only Alvida.