Under a curtain of fine, dense rain, the night in Alubarna was utterly tranquil.
Vivi lay in bed, tossing and turning. For some reason, she couldn't sleep at all tonight.
With a soft sigh, the blue-haired maiden sat up in her soft, plush bed, draped a coat over her shoulders, and walked out of her boudoir.
Strolling through the somewhat dim corridor, her slippers making only the faintest sound against the smooth marble floor tiles, Vivi's mood was exceptionally calm.
(It feels so good to be home...)
Thinking this, the corners of Princess Vivi's mouth curved into a charming arc.
However, just then, Vivi suddenly noticed a familiar figure in the hallway ahead. The person was tall and slender, dressed entirely in black. Who else could it be but Sherlock?
The Sorcerer did not seem to notice that Vivi was nearby. He knocked gently on a door, then pushed it open and entered.
(Mr. Glasses? He's not asleep either? And wait, isn't that Father's study?)
(What on earth do those two have to talk about?)
Vivi blinked, her face full of curiosity. She then tiptoed over to the door of Cobra's study, pressed her small ear against it, and listened intently.
Although the blue-haired girl felt that eavesdropping was very much against protocol, she was currently ruled by curiosity and couldn't care less about the rules.
Because of his busy schedule with official duties, and the fact that the Sorcerer had been in a coma previously, this was the first time Cobra had formally granted an audience to the great hero, Sherlock.
The wise monarch looked the bespectacled man up and down as he sat before him.
Exquisitely tailored black robes perfectly accentuated the man's slender frame. Amidst his jet-black, medium-length hair, a small tuft of silver-white hair grew abruptly; yet, far from looking odd, it created a strange sense of harmony.
His skin was fair and refined. Among his delicate features, a pair of deep black eyes drew one's attention like a black hole, while the silver-rimmed glasses seemed like a stroke of genius, adding a gentle, scholarly nobility to his appearance.
(No wonder Vivi has her eyes on him. He really is quite handsome...)
Even for a King like Cobra, who had seen countless talented youths, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion when facing Sherlock: in terms of appearance, this young man in glasses was simply impeccable.
"I must have disturbed your sleep, Sherlock. I apologize for calling you over so late," Cobra said, bowing slightly with an apologetic look.
"Not at all..." Sherlock returned the bow elegantly. "It is my honor to be summoned by Your Majesty."
"Heh, is that so?" Cobra chuckled, his smiling eyes fixing on the Sorcerer. That look was like a father scrutinizing his future son-in-law, creating a palpable pressure.
Even if he didn't have a "daughter complex," Cobra still felt a fair amount of resistance toward the man who had stolen his precious daughter's heart.
(What does the King want to talk about? Well, regardless of what he wants to say, I'll implement my plan first.)
Sherlock felt a bit creeped out by the strange way Vivi's old man was looking at him. He cleared his throat softly and spoke:
"Your Majesty, there is something I would like to discuss with you."
"Oh? Is it something very important?"
Cobra narrowed his eyes slightly, asking back with some surprise, his curiosity piqued regarding what the Sorcerer would say next.
"Yes, very important." Sherlock nodded and said seriously, "Your country has just ended a rebellion. A thousand things wait to be done, and you need a massive amount of funds and material support."
"It just so happens that this country's spices, perfumes, and various desert specialties hold enormous commercial value, so..."
Sherlock adjusted his glasses gently, the corners of his mouth tilting up slightly. "I would like to discuss a business deal with you."
Vivi, who was lying against the door eavesdropping, instantly shook her head with black lines dropping down her forehead. She thought to herself: Is this an occupational disease of a merchant? Doing business wherever he goes. It was the same on Drum Island, and now it's the same in Alabasta.
At the port in northern Alubarna, aboard a docked Marine warship.
It was deep into the night, so most of the Marines were sound asleep, except for those on night watch and a pink-haired boy wearing glasses.
"1869... 1870..."
As the pink-haired Marine's voice grew increasingly shaky, the movement of his arms became sluggish and strained. Yet, even as he neared his body's limit, he gritted his teeth and persevered.
"... 2000!"
Thud!
After completing the 2,000th push-up, Coby collapsed heavily onto the ground as if liberated. He gasped for air in great heaves, his sweat having long since soaked the ground around him.
"Not bad, not bad. Your movements today were much sharper than yesterday." A Marine dressed as a squad leader looked at Coby, who was lying on the ground tired as a dog, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Um, Big Brother Simon." Coby wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had almost felt like he was going to die of exhaustion just now. "Where did Major Alan go? I haven't seen her these past few days."
"Rear Admiral Alan?" Hearing this, the Marine named Simon shook his head helplessly. "As soon as we docked, the commanding officer ran off to who-knows-where. Sigh, she really is just as worrisome as ever."
Saying this, Simon squatted down and pressed on Coby's still-trembling muscles, sighing.
"You were already a bit old when you started training, and your foundation isn't very good, so we can only proceed with some light training first."
"Light?!" Hearing this, Coby's eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock. If his entire day of training could be described as "light," then what on earth would "heavy" training be like?
Noticing the change in Coby's expression, Simon spoke plainly with a serious face:
"If you don't undergo monster-like training, how can you possess a monster-like body?"
"And possessing a monster-like physique is one of the prerequisites for mastering the [Marine Six Powers]."
"Marine Six Powers?" The young Marine struggled to climb up. He had heard other Marines mention these words quite a often back at Marineford, but he had never known what exactly they were.
"Yes, the Marine Six Powers—Rokushiki. These are skills that powerful Marine officers all know." A trace of longing flashed through Simon's eyes.
"You could even say that if you want to become a Marine Admiral, then the Six Powers are something you must learn!"
Coby couldn't stay calm hearing this, because wasn't his dream to become a Marine Admiral?
(Luffy...)
The figure of a boy wearing a straw hat flashed through the pink-haired Marine's mind. Immediately, Coby felt as if he had received an invisible boost of encouragement. His eyes shone with high-spirited fighting will, and his sore muscles gradually seemed less painful.
(When we meet again, I will definitely surprise you, Mr. Luffy!) Coby pushed up his glasses and swore silently in his heart.
It was a very pleasant business negotiation—at least, that was what Sherlock thought.
"I remember Vivi mentioning before that you were a successful merchant in the East Blue. It seems Vivi wasn't wrong..."
Cobra sighed, then nodded in agreement. "I hope things will truly be as you say, Sherlock."
After all, looking at the business plan Sherlock had laid out, cooperation with the Goldglint Trading Company would absolutely be all benefit and no harm for Alabasta.
"You can rest assured on that." Sherlock smiled and adjusted his glasses, his tone calm yet firm.
"You will soon discover that your wise decision today will definitely bring your country to new heights!"
"Is that so? I am looking forward to this cooperation more and more." Cobra laughed heartily, his gaze toward Sherlock growing increasingly satisfied.
(Powerful strength, outstanding appearance, superior intellect, and he possesses such a massive industry. Really, how can there be such a perfect person?!)
Sherlock probably didn't realize it himself, but he had merely negotiated a business deal with Cobra, yet inadvertently maxed out the King's favorability meter.
In Cobra's heart, Sherlock had now transformed from "the bastard who stole my daughter's heart" to "the ultimate son-in-law candidate who simply has to be the one."
This should probably be attributed to Sherlock's passive talent for being extremely good at grinding favorability...
"By the way, Sherlock, I have a question for you." Cobra suddenly straightened his expression and asked seriously, "Do you have an engagement arranged?"
After all, in noble circles, arranged marriages by parents were the most common thing in the world. Based on the Sorcerer's noble temperament, Cobra subconsciously assumed he was the descendant of some aristocrat.
(Engagement!!!) The blue-haired girl outside the door instantly went pale. She clamped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming, while a monstrous wave rose in her heart.
(If... if Mr. Glasses really has a fiancée...) Tears swirled in Vivi's eyes; she didn't dare to imagine any further.
"No. My parents passed away very early, so there were no elders to arrange such things for me." Mentioning his parents, Sherlock's expression was filled with sorrow. At the same time, he felt very puzzled by Cobra's random question.
Hearing this answer, the father and daughter, separated by a door, exhaled a long breath almost simultaneously. The scene was quite comical.
"So, Sherlock." Cobra blinked, pretending to ask casually:
"What do you think of Vivi?"
"Vivi?" Sherlock paused for a moment, then answered subconsciously:
"She is a very cute, very kind, and very responsible, excellent princess."
Although the Sorcerer felt in his heart that the word "ditz" would be more appropriate to describe Vivi, he was in front of her father after all, so Sherlock tried to pick the nicest words possible.
(I didn't expect my image in Mr. Glasses' heart to be so good, hehehe...)
Hearing the Sorcerer's extremely direct praise for the first time, Princess Vivi giggled sweetly like a fool, happier than words could say. If she could, she really wanted to perform a dance to show her excitement.
"Is that so... In that case, you like Vivi quite a bit then."
The wise King pondered for a moment, then, as if he had made a major decision in his heart, looked at Sherlock with a serious face, his eyes twinkling with inexplicable meaning.
(Daughter, this is as far as Father can help you.)
A certain calm man with glasses saw his expression change slightly, and an extremely bad premonition inexplicably rose in his heart.
"Actually, my main purpose in calling you here tonight was just to ask you..."
Cobra smiled sincerely at the Sorcerer.
"...Do you want to get engaged to my daughter, Vivi?"
Do you want to get engaged to my daughter, Vivi?
Get engaged to my daughter, Vivi?
Vivi engaged?
Engaged?
Huh?
?
BOOM!!
Cobra's sentence was like a bolt from the blue, exploding thunderously in Sherlock's mind!
(O_O)!!!
He opened his eyes wide in astonishment, staring at the monarch who wanted to be his father-in-law. His brain went completely blank as if it had crashed—something that hadn't happened to the Sorcerer in twenty-four years.
As expected of the twelfth King of Alabasta; to think he could scare the Sorcerer, who was famous for his calm and composure, into stupidity with just a single sentence!
Regardless of anything else, Cobra could brag about this feat for the rest of his life.
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