The next day, at a port in northern Alabasta, aboard Rear Admiral Alan's warship.
"What?! Big Brother Simon, is everything you just said true?"
Coby stared at Simon, who had been mentoring his training these past few days, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"It is true. Why would I lie to you?" Simon looked at the pink-haired Marine, whose expression had become extremely troubled, with a hint of surprise. He spoke calmly:
"According to reports from the Den Den Mushi, the Straw Hat crew has appeared downstream on the Sandora River. That direction is guarded by Captain Hina. With her Iron Spear Formation in place, that Straw Hat kid won't be able to escape even if he sprouts wings!"
"How could this be..." Coby lowered his head, biting his lip tightly, his fists clenched.
(Mr. Luffy, please don't get caught!) The young Marine prayed silently in his heart for his benefactor.
Do you want to remain a coward for a lifetime, or be a hero, even if just for a few minutes?
Mr. 2 Bon Clay, the okama, had no interest in being a hero. But for the sake of his friendship with the Straw Hat crew, he absolutely could not be a coward!
"One may stray from the path of a man."
"One may stray from the path of a woman."
"But there is no straying from the path of a human!"
"Scatter, my friends, under this sky of truth."
"Blossom, The Okama Way!"
Carried by the briny sea breeze, pale pink petals drifted down, scattering in the air—a truly beautiful sight.
All the Marines stared dumbfounded at Bon Clay, who had just delivered such impassioned words. Mr. 2's subordinates were so moved by their boss that they were sobbing uncontrollably.
"Hina is humiliated." Having been played by Mr. 2's disguise, 'Black Cage' Hina tossed aside her half-smoked cigarette and ordered her Marines: "Open fire!"
"Just try it!!!" After roaring his challenge, Mr. 2 and his followers charged forward without fear...
Boom! Boom! Boom! It was an extremely tragic clash.
Watching the swan-shaped ship being swallowed by flames in the distance, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji were all moved to tears.
"Bon-chan! We... we will never forget you!!!"
"Even if he is an okama, he's a guy who truly understands duty and loyalty."
"That was completely idiotic..." Sherlock muttered softly, pushing up his glasses. He then spoke coolly to his partners, who were still weeping with snot running down their faces: "Now is not the time to be emotional. To ensure Mr. 2's sacrifice wasn't in vain, we must sail the ship to Tamarisk in the east as quickly as possible."
"The Marines definitely have more than just these few ships!"
Although there was still some time before ten o'clock in the morning, the plaza in front of the palace was already packed with people. Judging by the smiles on their faces, they were very much looking forward to Princess Vivi's coming-of-age ceremony speech.
"It's already a sea of people out in the plaza, Princess Vivi," Terracotta chatted with Vivi while arranging the princess's flowing aqua-blue hair.
"Eh? But... I still haven't decided what to say."
"Don't worry. Everyone just wants to know how the Princess is doing. Just tell them about your experiences outside over the past two years," Terracotta said, setting down her tools and smiling kindly at Princess Vivi.
"Because everyone deeply loves their Princess, their King, and their country!"
"Deeply loves... the country..." Vivi clenched her delicate fists, her large, dark eyes filled with complexity, her thoughts unreadable.
"Gum-Gum... Balloon!"
"Mirror Reflection!"
"Two Sword Style: Hawk Wave!"
"Mutton Shot!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The Marine cannonballs were useless against these monsters.
"Damn it, these pirates are really tough to deal with!" a Marine gritted his teeth.
"Hey, another warship is approaching from the distance!"
"It's Vice Admiral Leiman's warship!"
"Vice Admiral Leiman? The Scorching Sun, Leiman? Great! With him here, the Straw Hat crew is finished!"
A bearded Marine Vice Admiral walked to the bow of his ship, staring sternly at the small caravel with the sheep figurehead in the distance.
"Evil must be strangled in the cradle!"
After speaking, Leiman looked up at the sun in the sky and closed his eyes. Countless tiny particles of light began to converge on his body like homing fireflies. Gradually, his massive frame transformed into a sphere of light, resembling a miniature sun.
"There it is! The power of the Sun-Sun Fruit!" A Marine looked at his commanding officer with fanatical eyes and forcibly explained: "Although the side effect is extreme drowsiness during cloudy days or at night, when the sun is out, Vice Admiral Leiman can unleash terrifying destructive power!"
The light was so blinding that the group on the Going Merry naturally noticed the commotion in the distance.
"What the hell is that?!" Zoro removed Wado Ichimonji from his mouth; his keen swordsman's intuition gave him a chilling sensation.
The love-struck cook raised an eyebrow. "Usopp, can you hit that warship with the cannon?"
"No way, it's too far! The shells won't reach that distance at all!"
However, at that moment, the bearded Vice Admiral on the distant warship snapped his eyes open and extended his arms forward.
"Turn to dust under the sunlight!!!"
—Solar Beam!
With a flash of brilliance, a pillar of light as thick as a water tank shot violently toward the Going Merry. The intense heat scorched a long line across the sea surface. Even from a great distance, Marines on other ships could feel the terrifying energy radiating from the sun.
They had no doubt that this laser, with power comparable to Admiral Kizaru, would absolutely blast the Straw Hat crew and their ship into atoms!
However, the gap between imagination and reality was a bit wide...
—Mirror Reflection! Ripples appeared in the void like disturbed lake water.
As if sunlight hitting a mirror, the terrifying laser was reflected back along its original path less than a meter away from the Going Merry.
BOOM!!! Vice Admiral Leiman's warship exploded instantly, igniting a raging fire that painted the sea surface a deep crimson.
"!!!!!"
All the Marines were stunned by the scene before them. They truly hadn't expected Vice Admiral Leiman to be defeated by his own attack!
As mentioned before, Sherlock's Mirror Reflection has a reflection limit. This limit varies for different types of attacks; the limit for reflecting Logia-style natural attacks is much higher than for physical ones.
As for light-based attacks... you could say it's a perfect counter.
What a tragedy...
After enduring untold hardships, the Straw Hat crew finally arrived at the meeting point with Vivi. By this time, it was very close to 12:00 PM.
However, on the shore, the group didn't see Vivi. Instead, they heard a speech echoing across all of Alabasta.
"I went out on a little adventure..."
"It's Vivi's voice! Where is she?!" The oblivious captain leaned over the railing, looking around wildly.
Sanji lit a cigarette, lowering his eyes. "It's a Den Den Mushi broadcast, you idiot."
"She's currently giving a speech in Alubarna. It looks like she isn't coming..." the green-haired swordsman said indifferently.
"No! Vivi will definitely come!" Luffy insisted stubbornly.
Nami checked the pocket watch in her hand and asked the bespectacled man beside her, "Sherlock, do you think Vivi will come?"
"Who knows..." Although he already had an answer in his heart, Sherlock didn't say it out loud. Perhaps deep in the warlock's heart, he still held onto a slim, faint hope.
Vivi's speech continued.
"...When I was most lonely and helpless, that small ship took me in. They are all very interesting people."
"There is a captain who can eat all the food on the ship by himself but is absolutely reliable."
"Shishishi." Luffy held his straw hat and laughed.
"There is a swordsman gentleman who usually seems lazy but is actually a training maniac."
"Training maniac?" Zoro automatically ignored the 'lazy' part.
"There is a cook gentleman who is very chivalrous and has superb culinary skills."
"Ah~~ Miss Vivi's impression of me is so wonderful!" Sanji's body twisted as if he had no bones.
"There is a navigator lady who is kind-hearted and has excellent sailing skills."
"Vivi..." Nami lowered her eyes, feeling an indescribable mix of emotions.
"There is a long-nosed gentleman who is very good at telling funny stories."
"Oi, oi, come on! My glorious deeds in the East Blue years ago aren't just funny stories!" Usopp retorted righteously.
"There is a ship doctor who looks cute and has exquisite medical skills."
"Idiot! Vivi, you jerk! praising me like that won't make me happy at all!!" Chopper danced around in excitement.
"And there is one more..." For some reason, Vivi's voice was clearly choked with tears.
"And a handsome, elegant gentleman with glasses..."
"..." Sherlock pushed up his glasses and let out a soft sigh.
"It was them who gave me courage and hope, helped me stop the war, and took back my country!"
Time passed, second by second. Yet, when twelve o'clock struck, Vivi still hadn't appeared. Instead, the Marine warships had caught up again. Even though the crew was unwilling, they had to leave quickly.
But just then, a familiar voice rang out from the shore.
"Everyone!"
"Vivi!"
Looking at the elegant figure on the shore and the goofy giant duck, everyone instantly became excited. They hurriedly turned the rudder, intending to turn back and pick Vivi up, but were interrupted by her next words.
"I'm here to say goodbye to everyone!"
With tears pooling in her moist eyes, Princess Vivi raised the Den Den Mushi microphone. She grit her teeth and spoke with a trembling voice:
"Although I long to go out on adventures with you all... I... I love my country too much!"
"I... I have to stay here."
"Is that so? I see..." Luffy pressed down on his straw hat, revealing a carefree grin.
(Vivi...) Listening to the blue-haired girl's words, Sherlock gently closed his eyes, his expression calm.
Thinking of the happy times she had spent with her friends on the Going Merry, the blue-haired girl couldn't hold back anymore after speaking, and large teardrops rolled down her cheeks. She composed her emotions and bit her lip.
"If we ever meet again, will you still call me your 'friend'?"
"Of course we..." Luffy, being thick-headed, was about to answer when Nami covered his mouth. "Idiot, we're pirates! The Marines nearby have already noticed us. If you say that out loud, it will cause serious trouble for Vivi!"
"Then, let's have a silent farewell..."
The seven of them turned around in tacit understanding. They stood in a row at the stern of the ship, their backs facing Vivi. Then, in unison, they raised their left arms high, making the "X" mark on them particularly conspicuous.
"Everyone..."
Seeing the gesture from Luffy and the others, how could Vivi not understand? She hurriedly wiped her tears and, together with Carue, raised her left arm. The identical "X" mark shone in harmony with the seven in the distance.
(Anyway, once we reach our destination, the bandage on my left arm must not be removed!)
(Because, this is the symbol of our friendship!)
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my pa-treon:
pat reon .c-om/windkaze