Luffy grinning from ear to ear, his voice cheerful as ever.
"So, Vivi! Wanna join my crew? You can come with us on our adventure!"
Vivi blinked in shock, her mouth slightly open. "E-Eh? Me? Join your crew?"
"Yeah!" said Luffy without hesitation. "You said you don't have anywhere safe to go right now, right? Then come with us!"
Vivi hesitated, glancing down at her gloved hands. Her mind raced.
Her identity as the princess of Alabasta was exposed. Baroque Works wouldn't leave her alone, and Igaram might be in danger too.
Staying alone would be suicide.
Finally, she looked up. "Alright… I'll go with you."
Luffy grin widened instantly. "Shishishishi! Great! Then it's decided.... you're part of my crew now!"
The others cheered lightly. Usopp and Sanji clapped, while Nami sighed.
Bartolomeo almost teared up again at how casually Luffy accepted people and Nojiko smiled.
But Jack didn't smile.
He stood silently, staring at the floating panel in front of him.
He waited and waited, but nothing happened.
No new power, no system notification... nothing.
Jack's lips tightened. That's strange… if she truly joined, I will gain new ability. Unless… she's lying.
He turned silently toward Mr. 9, who was still tied up and grumbling near the mast.
"You," said Jack flatly, "are going to prison."
Before anyone could react, Jack made a quick gesture and Mr. 9 was suddenly bound by glowing cosmic alloy, floating off toward the lower deck where the prison was located.
"What the.... hey! Let me out!" shouted Mr. 9.
"Stay quiet," said Jack without looking at him. "Or I might accidentally kill you."
After returning from the prison deck, Jack turned his gaze back to Vivi.
His tone was calm, but everyone who knew him could tell... he was serious.
"Princess Vivi," he said evenly, "you're still pretending."
Vivi stiffened. "W-What do you mean?"
Jack's eyes glowed faintly green, the same hue as his energy core.
"I have a special ability. When Luffy officially invites someone to join this crew, I gain a power. But this time… nothing happened."
The deck went utterly still.
Luffy, Zoro, and Nami understood what that meant. The same thing had happened before with Nami, when she'd only pretended to join.
Luffy blinked. "Jack… you mean it's the same case as Nami?"
Jack nodded. "Yes. Which means she accepted the invitation with her mouth but decided to abandon us later."
Vivi breath hitched. Her legs wobbled, and she slowly sank to her knees, her palms pressing against the wooden deck.
Her mask of calm elegance shattered, replaced by guilt.
Nami frowned, remembering her own past with Luffy's invitation. "Vivi?"
Zoro crossed his arms. "So, what's the real story?"
Vivi looked around, then sighed, deciding to tell them everything.
"My name is Nefertari Vivi. I am the princess of Alabasta, and the reason I left home was to find the person trying to destroy my kingdom." She lowered her gaze. "So that's why I came this far. I only planned to stay with your crew until I could return."
Luffy tilted his head. "Why?"
Vivi bit her lip. "Because… I'm scared. I didn't join you because I wanted to. I joined because I had no other choice. If I stayed alone, I'd be hunted down by Baroque Works. I thought… if I traveled with pirates, I could survive long enough to go home."
Jack crouched in front of her. "And your kingdom? What's happening there?"
Vivi looked up, eyes glistening. "Alabasta… my home is falling apart. The people are starving and revolting. Baroque Works has spread lies and violence everywhere. And the one behind it all… is their leader, Mr. 0."
"Mr. 0?" repeated Nami. "Who's that?"
Vivi's hands trembled. "His true name… is Crocodile. One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
The entire crew froze. Dragon's face tightened.
"Warlords or Shichibukai are legal pirates under the World Government," Jack explained. "They're untouchable by the Marines."
Zoro expression darkened. "A Warlord, huh? That's no small enemy."
Usopp's jaw dropped. "You mean that Crocodile?!"
Sanji frowned deeply. "A Shichibukai… that explains the chaos."
Luffy blinked, his face serious for once. "So that guy's hurting your people?"
Vivi nodded weakly. "Yes. He's manipulating everyone from the shadows. My father is losing control of the throne… and soon, there won't be an Alabasta left to save."
Luffy crouched beside her, his tone simple but filled with warmth. "Then we'll help you."
Vivi's eyes widened. "W-What?"
"Shishishishi!" Luffy grinned. "You said your people are in trouble, right? Then we'll just beat that Crocodile guy up and fix everything!"
Vivi blinked at him, half in disbelief, half in awe. "You'd… really do that?"
"Of course!" Luffy said brightly. "You're part of my crew now, right? That means your problem's our problem."
Jack, who had been watching quietly, finally smiled.
His sensors flickered, then he felt it. A faint pulse of energy inside his system.
[Mission Success: Princess of Alabasta — Nefertari D. Vivi]
[New Template Unlocked: Makkari]
Jack almost lost his breath. He'd expected Ajak… but instead, he got something even better, a speedster from the MCU.
A rush of energy surged through him, and instinctively, he understood how to use it.
Jack exhaled softly, lips curling upward. "Now," he said, "that's the real you."
Then, in a flash—ZASSS!—he vanished.
One moment he stood before Luffy, the next he was right in front of Dragon.
Even Dragon, who'd fought opponents using Haki and Soru, couldn't react to Jack's speed.
"What was that? Is that your ability?" asked Sanji, astonished.
"Yes," replied Jack calmly. "Vivi's acceptance awakened it. This is my new power… and I have three more left."
"Woah, awesome! How fast can you move, Jack?" asked Luffy excitedly.
"I could return and pick tangerines from Nami's village in just a second," Jack said with a smirk.
"Woah, awesome!" Luffy repeated, eyes sparkling.
"Jack, if my village was being attacked, could you save them?" asked Nojiko quietly.
Jack nodded, then turned his gaze toward Vivi.
"Vivi… you might have planned to join this crew temporarily," he said softly, "but I believe you should stay until our journey ends."
Everyone fell silent, curious why Jack said that.
"Your real name," Jack continued, "is Nefertari D. Vivi. And that means you might be in greater danger than you realize."
Dragon's eyes widened. Because that name—the D.—was one he knew too well and also his name has moniker D.
Author Notes - There is 10 advanced chapter on my patreon
-patreon.com/zerelix