Impatience flickered in Ron's eyes.
Without warning, he raised his hand and slashed toward the distant mountains.
A single, thunderous blade of energy tore through the air —
and an entire mountaintop vanished, sheared clean off.
The sound alone sent a tremor across the valley.
Those who had been hiding in the shadows, plotting in secret, froze for an instant… then fled in absolute panic.
Vivi stood stunned.
Only when the echoes faded did she notice a familiar figure among the crowd, the tall man with the curled blue hair and gentleman's composure.
"Igaram!" she gasped.
The reunion was brief.
When Vivi pleaded for him to return with her to Alabasta, to join forces with Ron's crew,
Igaram only shook his head.
"I'll stay," he said firmly. "Someone must buy you time."
He straightened his back, the determination in his eyes as sharp as steel.
"I'll disguise myself as you, travel back toward Baroque Works' routes. That way, they'll believe you're still loyal."
"If they find out you've disappeared, they'll send assassins."
Vivi bit her lip.
She wanted to protest — but one look at him told her his decision was final.
And so, she nodded silently.
She had no choice but to trust him.
Mr. 9, for his part, decided to stay as well.
"I'll watch his back," he said, puffing his chest out proudly — though his trembling knees betrayed him.
With a small, solemn ceremony, Igaram handed over a new Log Pose.
And with that, the Themis raised her sails once more, cutting through the mists toward the desert kingdom of Alabasta.
None aboard noticed the dark silhouette gliding through the fog behind them a massive sea turtle, carrying upon its back a black-haired woman in a wide-brimmed hat.
She was closing in. Slowly. Patiently.
On deck, the wind carried the scent of the sea and the warmth of sunlight.
Nami held up the Log Pose, her brow furrowed as she briefed the crew.
"Our next stop is Little Garden," she said. "We'll have to wait there until the Log Pose charges again before heading to Alabasta."
Nojiko frowned. "Can't we go straight to Alabasta somehow?"
Her tone betrayed her worry.
She knew two things pressed heavily on Ron's mind —
his coming duel with Mihawk, for which he still needed a blade worthy of his skill,
and Vivi's homeland, now collapsing into chaos.
Both, she thought, were battles that could not wait.
"There's no way around it," Nami sighed. "Once we locked in our route at Twin Cape, we can't alter it."
She paused, her eyes glinting suddenly.
"Unless…"
Nojiko and Vivi looked at her expectantly.
"Unless we find an Eternal Log Pose."
"An… Eternal Log Pose?" Nojiko repeated, puzzled.
Vivi tilted her head, equally confused.
She'd missed that part of the conversation back at Twin Cape.
"It's a special type of compass that always points to one island, no matter where you are," Nami explained patiently.
Vivi nodded, trying to smile.
"It's fine. Crocodile doesn't know I've discovered his secret yet. We still have time."
It was a small comfort — but one they all needed.
"You're awfully calm for someone with a kingdom on fire," Ron said lazily from his chair.
He stretched, glancing at her with a teasing smirk.
"Don't force yourself to act strong, little dancer."
"I—I'm not…" Vivi's voice wavered, too soft to convince anyone.
Ron had hit the truth squarely.
Ever since she'd uncovered Baroque Works' true mastermind, she'd wanted nothing more than to rush home and confront him.
But fate had trapped her in detours — in missions, in disguises, in survival.
Her clenched fists trembled under the table.
"Relax," Ron said, waving a hand dismissively.
"I'll just go tame a Sea King later. It'll guide us to wherever we need to go."
He said it like one might talk about fetching groceries.
His original plan had been to sail for Asca Island to retrieve the Seven-Star Sword.
But according to Nami, that island wasn't even on standard sea routes — a wandering landmass adrift in the currents.
For any ordinary crew, it would've been impossible to find.
But Ron was no ordinary sailor.
He was one with the sea itself.
A tamed Sea King could serve as both compass and escort, its instincts leading them across the most unpredictable waters.
Combined with Nami's unmatched navigation, the Themis could cross any storm, current, or mist — in record time.
The real challenge wasn't the Grand Line's path… but its madness.
The sea changed moods faster than a woman scorned,
and a single misstep could send ships spinning endlessly in circles.
Nami's eyes widened. "Of course! That's brilliant!"
She walked up beside him, excitement lighting her face.
"If we use a Sea King as a natural guide, we can bypass the need for a Log Pose entirely!"
Vivi looked at them in disbelief.
"This… works?" she murmured.
But as she watched their teamwork, her heart swelled with warmth.
Even Ron — who teased her endlessly as his "little dancer" — was taking her mission seriously.
She bit her lip to hide a smile.
"That's why I said it before," Ron added with a grin. "Stick with your Captain Ron, and you'll never go wrong."
Then his gaze shifted to Nojiko.
"By the way, that package the old man gave you back at Twin Cape — what was inside?"
Nojiko smiled softly. "Some books on navigation and medicine — mostly medicine. And a hand-drawn map."
"A hand-drawn map?" Ron's eyes gleamed.
Nojiko nodded. "Looks old — maybe decades."
Ron chuckled under his breath. "Figures. The old man's as generous as ever."
Navigation manuals were useful, but the real treasures were the medical texts.
Crocus had once been the ship's doctor for the Pirate King himself.
His knowledge was beyond measure.
Those books weren't gifts — they were legacy.
And that map… Ron suspected it wasn't an ordinary map at all.
A replica, perhaps, of one the Roger Pirates themselves had used.
Both gifts were priceless.
With the map, Nami's dream of charting the entire world had taken a step closer to reality.
And the medical books — with them, Nojiko and even Vivi could study in their spare time, learning the basics of healing.
Ron smiled faintly. "Next time we pass Twin Cape, we'll bring the old man something worthy in return."
He was about to rise, ready to dive into the sea to begin his Sea King taming,
when a strange ripple brushed against his senses.
He paused.
Then slowly, deliberately, reclined again in his chair.
"No rush," he said quietly. "We only just left Whiskey Peak."
Nami nodded, agreeing.
Within moments, the girls were huddled together, eagerly paging through the old books and maps.
"Just don't let the ship hit any reefs while you read," said a calm, lilting voice.
"Got it," Nami replied automatically — before freezing mid-sentence.
"Wait… what?"
Her head snapped up.
That voice hadn't come from Ron.
And then she saw her.
A woman sitting gracefully on the balcony railing, one leg crossed over the other, her black hair cascading under a cowboy hat.
Elegant. Dangerous. Beautiful.
Vivi's face drained of color.
"Y-you…!" she stammered, rising to her feet.
"Why are you here, Miss All Sunday?!"
--------------
Access 30 chapters in advance on my P@treon: [email protected]/OneFic