41 A New Crew Member

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"Everyone, I want to introduce our new crew member!" He announced, making everyone confused since they all knew Vivi well by now.

"You can come in," Luffy said. The second door of their chamber opened, revealing the beautiful woman, Nico Robin. Vivi gasped, her eyes widening, as Robin simply smirked deviously, stepping inside, which made her look deadlier and more attractive.

"Long Time No See, Princess!"

As soon as Nico Robin made her grand entrance into the room, all eyes were on her, and the rest of the crew members, except for Luffy, sprang up from their seats in a state of heightened alertness. The air was thick with tension, and Zoro's hand instinctively went to the pommel of his swords as he braced himself for a potential attack, but his restraint held him back from making a move. Nami, on the other hand, spread out her wings in defense, mirroring Zoro's caution, but she, too, refrained from striking. Sanji, the chivalrous gentleman, narrowed his eyes slightly at the enigmatic woman, his guard up in case of any danger, but he, too, showed admirable restraint by not acting on impulse.

Usopp screamed in fear, as did Chopper, who decided to hide behind Zoro's leg; Usopp's fear was palpable as he aimed his trembling revolver at Nico Robin, who stood calmly in the distance. Despite the chaos, Nojiko appeared unfazed, her eyebrow raised as if she knew Robin had been lurking in the shadows all along.

As Vivi saw Robin standing there, her first reaction was that her face turned pale momentarily, like a ghostly apparition had appeared before her. But then, as the reality of the situation set in, her face turned bright red almost instantly from anger.

She couldn't believe Robin had the nerve to show up here after everything that had happened. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, ready to strike out at him.

"You, What are you doing here?!" She shouted angrily, trying to get to Robin, but Igaram stopped her. She struggled against his grip, her eyes blazing with fury.

As Robin stood there, a smirk formed on her lips, and her eyes sparkled with amusement. She was thoroughly enjoying the current situation, relishing the fact that she seemed to be one step ahead of the princess. With a sly expression on her face, she spoke up, and her words dripped with sarcasm and confidence.

"Didn't you hear the captain?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm the new crew member." Her tone was casual as if she was stating the most obvious thing in the world. The princess, on the other hand, looked taken aback, her expression a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"Like hell. You will never be a crew member." Vivi shouted, pointing her finger at her. It was taking everything for her not to try and attack the woman.

Upon hearing that, Luffy's facial expression immediately shifted into a deep frown, his usual cheerful demeanor replaced by a serious one. He raised his hand to adjust his beloved straw hat, which had slid slightly to the right, and he took a deep breath before speaking.

With a confident and clear voice, he declared to everyone present, "Actually, she is." As he spoke, his eyes remained hidden behind the brim of his hat.

This made some raise an eyebrow at him. Upon hearing that, Zoro sat down without a care, his hands no longer on the pommel of his swords. Nami's wings, which were made from her devil fruit, began to flutter and then disappeared into the air like delicate petals in the wind.

Sanji slowly slid a sleek cigarette between his lips, flicking his lighter open with a satisfying click and holding it up to the tip until a small flame emerged, igniting the end of the cigarette. With a deep inhale, he savored the smoky taste and felt the nicotine rush through his veins as he exhaled a cloud of thick smoke into the warm air.

She couldn't believe what she had just heard, and her neck jerked to face Luffy, hoping it was all just a misunderstanding. However, Luffy's lack of response and distant demeanor made it clear that this was no joke. With a look of confusion and concern plastered on her face, Vivi opened her mouth to ask what was going on, "What do you mean, she-" "Vivi." Luffy interrupted her with a cold tone; his cold and emotionless voice cut through the air, sending shivers down everyone's spine.

"Last I checked, I am the captain of The Straw Hat Pirates. If she weren't here because I invited her, then she wouldn't even be able even to pass the gates of the castle before I detected her. She's here because I invited her, and I will explain why. Are we clear?" Luffy said seriously, his tone leaving no room for discussion. Vivi had a downcast look on her face before reluctantly nodding her head.

Robin was a little impressed by Luffy's voice; in one moment, he acted like a goofball, but when necessary, he acted like an actual captain who took things seriously.

Robin sat down near Nami; everyone's attention was on Luffy, who cleared his throat. The captain quickly explained what had happened between him and Robin. After defeating the warlord, she cared for him, excluding the part about finding the fruit and the Poneglyph. Once he explained everything, Vivi gasped loudly, her face clearly showing that she didn't believe Robin was on their side, but she decided not to voice it out. She understood that Luffy was the captain.

"Very well, now," he began, "I want to know if anyone here has objections to Robin becoming part of the crew?" His eyes scanned each member of his beloved team, taking in their expressions and carefully considering their thoughts. As the captain, Luffy knew that what he said ultimately went, but he valued the opinions and perspectives of his crew above all else. He refused to simply go along with a decision without first taking into account the thoughts and feelings of those who mattered most to him.

"I don't really care, Captain. I trust your decision," Zoro said with a little shrug, leaning back against the chair and eyeing Nico Robin carefully.

"Well, it was about time we had a new female pirate on our ship," Nami commented with a little smile.

"Robinn-Chawnnnn!" Sanji drooled like a dog at Robin's figure. The latter laughed in amusement.

Nojiko simply shrugged her shoulders. She didn't care much.

The others didn't say anything against it, and Vivi was mainly quiet.

"Well. That settles it." Luffy stood up from his chair, and so did everyone else. "Nico Robin, you're a new member of our crew," Luffy said with a loud laugh; the others, except Vivi, welcomed her.

Seeing that she wasn't supportive, Luffy walked up to her before touching her shoulder, making her look up at him. "How about we take a walk around the city?" Luffy suggested with a broad smile. Vivi found herself smiling back; despite everything, Luffy could always make her smile.

"Alright, Luffy."

Later

Luffy and Vivi meandered along Alubarna's main street, bustling with activity as shopkeepers sold their wares, hurriedly stored away shipments, occasionally shooed away pesky children, and in general, did a thriving business catering to the throngs of people who daily came to the regional capital to work or just to sightsee.

The two of them were among the sightseers and well-recognized enough that people gave them room to pass. Even so, every now and then, they bumped into someone, and they would exchange apologies.

She smiled at Luffy and leaned into him, her arm snaking its way around his waist.

There was one thing different about this trip. She had her lover/captain with her, and she didn't have to watch her back.

Even so, when she quickly looked back down the wide roadway, she thought she spotted the curl of a wig sticking out past a clothing rack. That particular wig could only belong to one person.

She chuckled and said to Luffy, "Poor Igaram. He's not going to be enjoying himself today."

She felt the air leave him as he groaned out a gusty sigh. "He's trying to keep an eye on you, isn't he?"

"C'mon, Luffy, forget about him. I saw through his disguises when I was a kid, but he never tried to take me away or anything. He's just his usual worried self," Vivi announced.

Vivi looked back. She couldn't see any sign of Igaram this time.

Either he had actually gotten better at hiding, or he'd given up and gone to a café to relax.

Oh well. Time to sample the wares!

"Luffy! Look at these beautiful beaded necklaces!"

Igaram warily eyed the babbling throngs of people as they strolled about the main alley in Yuba. Several bazaars down, he could see Luffy and Vivi walking at a leisurely pace, and nobody had attacked them yet, so far.

That hadn't stopped him from tailing them, hiding behind anything he could spot to stay out of the keen eyes of his charges. Currently, he was secreted behind a clothing rack, having just darted there in the nick of time as he spotted Vivi's head turning.

She turned back and didn't show any hesitation or concern. Good. He was undetected still.

As he meandered past the sword bazaar, the tall salesman was barking his sales pitch: "And for our special of the day, this scimitar, forged in the metal works right here and personally tested by her Royal Highness Vivi!"

Igaram had never wanted to roll his eyes so hard before.

But now he was secreted behind a palm tree, trying to keep watch on Vivi as she handed necklaces back and forth with Luffy. Her smile, so wide and unforced, was a heartening contrast to those years before when she exuded grimness in her very aura as Miss Wednesday in the Baroque Works.

A hand on his shoulder nearly gave him heart failure again as he nearly jumped into the air, whirling round to face his assassin, who wore a hood—

Wait.

He hissed, "Your Highness! What in the name of—"

Cobra put his finger to his lips and smiled. "Come, Igaram. Let's sample the drinks and foods this fine city has to offer us."

Igaram's shoulders slumped. He dragged his feet leaving, but he couldn't exactly disobey the orders of his King.

Shortly after, in a partially shaded corner of an open-air café, the two men had small cups of strong coffee prepared with plenty of cream. Cobra's hood hadn't attracted too much attention. Igaram was in the shade fortuitously offered by the overhanging shop awning, but Cobra was in the direct sunlight facing Igaram.

Cobra took a sip of his coffee and chuckled. "I think being in the same city as my daughter and her lover is enough, Igaram. Don't you?"

Igaram sighed. "She did carry off her part well in the Baroque Works. But we were attacked; I nearly died, and from her reports, she faced dangers the likes of which I cannot conceive. And – well, I couldn't always be there for her. Either I had my own duties as 'Mr. 8', or I just couldn't be there. Well, now I can, Sire."

"Igaram," Cobra said. He leaned in. "Are you forgetting that we are talking of the same young woman who infiltrated the Baroque Works with limited help from you, who later struggled against mounting odds to save this kingdom, and who has managed to keep herself in good condition since? She's a good warrior."

Igaram looked away and said nothing.

"We are at peace, my friend. You don't have to worry anymore!"

Igaram ran his hand along the table's surface, feeling the grain of the wood as he searched within himself. Finally, he blurted, "The truth? I feel useless. I know I don't need to stand guard over her anymore. I know the Baroque Works is a vanished memory. And yet, if I can't do this, what am I supposed to do, Sire?"

Cobra chuckled. "Well, then, I suppose I need a bodyguard today while we enjoy lunch. Heaven knows when a coffee cup may attack me."

Igaram couldn't stop the small smile on his face from turning into a giant grin as he let out a full-throated chuckle at the King's humor. "I suppose I am taking myself too seriously, Sire," he mused.

Cobra just raised his hand for the server and began ordering some sandwiches and local fruits.

Vivi

Vivi fingered the beads around her neck. "Hmm. I like the pearl green ones, I think."

She turned to the shopkeeper and said, "How much?"

Luckily, he was one of the few unfazed by the Princess herself offering to buy baubles and said, "For that? Two thousand beli."

"Ha! Surely you must mean one thousand and four hundred!" She had mastered the art of haggling as a disguised commoner, and it wasn't much different on Alabasta, she knew.

"The bones of my dead mother themselves would rise and strangle me if I were to dare sell for less than nineteen-hundred, Highness."

Luffy looked upon in perplexed amusement as the two finally settled on 1700 beli but spotted his opportunity as soon as she began rummaging around in her belt bag. He pulled a stack of bills out of his pocket and quickly counted off the notes, then handed them to the shopkeeper.

As they walked away, Vivi hissed, "I had the money!"

"I know." Luffy raised his hands. "Vivi, I just wanted to be able to buy you one thing you liked today."

She huffed, "All right. But I don't want or need you to be some kind of doting househusband or boyfriend."

"But you're right." She stopped and looked at him, heedless of the crowd milling around them. "It is the first real gift from you I have if you think about it." She fingered the necklace again.

"Well then, I suppose I should be flattered by what we did last night," Vivi said archly, her eyebrow raised.

"Not here, Vivi. Please." Luffy hurriedly began brushing imaginary dust off his pants.

"Fine." Vivi spotted the shoe shop and pointed. "Look! Come with me!"

She linked hands with him and pulled him along, deftly avoiding oncoming pedestrians on the way to the shop. The owner of the sandals shop had a couple of apprentices working sandals behind a counter a few feet inside the tented bazaar, and he himself stammered, "Greetings, Your Highness and Captain Luffy!"

Vivi grinned. "And good day to you, sir." She pointed at Luffy's sandals. They were still rather well-kept, but they had a bit of wear and tear on them to the practiced eye. "Now, do you think Captain Luffy ought to be walking around in these?"

A glint of amusement showed in his eye, but his face betrayed nothing as he said, "Well now, Highness, that's certainly a good point. We should get you seated here, Excellency, and examine them."

And before Luffy could protest, he was bodily seated in the raised chair, his feet bare of sandals as the shoemaker hemmed and hawed and made much of every minute scratch in Luffy's old sandals.

"But I don't need new sandals! Tell him, Vivi, please," Luffy said, a doleful expression on his face. He made as if to rise out of the seat.

She pointed. "Sit." Luffy sat back with a groan. "You are going to get brand-new sandals befitting your station, and I will buy them for you, and that's that."

It was not lost on Vivi that it could take a while for the right-fitting sandals to appear, and the shoemaker was happy to play along with her in the matter.

"Oh, Anen?" she asked of the shoemaker. "Would you terribly mind telling me if I can get some good riding boots fitted for me as well?"

She had to press her lips even tighter together to keep from laughing out loud at Luffy's audible groan.

Soon Luffy and Vivi were done in the shop and found themselves in a private area of the city. Luffy suddenly stopped Vivi in her tracks.

"I know you're not happy with Robin being in our crew, but trust me. She's a good person." Luffy said, looking into her eyes and grabbing her hand. The princess ignored his eyes for a second before looking back at them. Vivi took a deep breath.

"I will follow you, Luffy. I guess I was just angry when I saw her. My captain." She said the last part seductively, earning a kiss from Luffy.

"We will leave tomorrow morning. Are you sure about this?" Luffy asked after pulling away and wanting to make sure that Vivi had no regrets.

"I'm Luffy. I want to travel the seas with you." Vivi exclaimed, holding him close to her. Her eyes looked up at the skies; soon, she would be out there with her friends. In the Vast Sea.

Tomorrow

"We are almost there. Don't stop moving," Luffy shouted, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rushing wind as the duck squad sped through the seemingly endless desert. The sun had just begun to rise, casting a warm orange glow over the vast expanse of sand that stretched out before them. The crew had left the towering castle hours ago, shrouded in darkness and secrecy, determined to reach their ship before the sun rose too high in the sky.

As they rode, the crew members gritted their teeth against the stinging sand that whipped at their faces, their eyes fixed firmly on the horizon.

They had been riding for what felt like hours, the only sound the steady thump of the duck squad's feet against the sand. But finally, they could see it - the gleaming white sail of their ship, just visible over the crest of the next dune. Luffy's heart leaped with excitement, and he urged the duck squad to go faster. "We're almost there!" he cried, his voice full of hope and determination.

Vivi was riding alongside Nami, and Nojiko, avoiding Robin as much as possible. Her eyes were looking forward, but her thoughts were on her father.

After telling her father and Chaka that she wanted to talk with them, she smiled, trying to hide her inner conflicts from them, and walked up to them.

"Father. I want to follow Luffy." Vivi claimed, feeling her heart beating faster.

"But, my princess-" "Please, Chaka." Vivi interrupted him, her eyes returning to look at her father again.

"I have thought of this long and hard. I want to follow my Captain. I know it is selfish of me. I know you might say I should stay here, but I want to do what I want. I want to travel the whole Sea and be Free. One day, I will return. I promise."

Love over Duty, Cobra thought bitterly, remembering his grandfather's words.

"What is honor compared to a woman's love? What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms ... or the memory of a brother's smile? Wind and words. Wind and words. We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory and our great tragedy."

Vivi felt her eyes welling up, and the image of Going Merry slowly appeared on the Horizon.

"Well, father, Chaka. I suppose this is it."

"Yes, I suppose it is Vivi-sama," Chaka said.

"Chaka, thank you for helping me all this time. And..." The tears began to form, but she held them back. "Thank you for everything else you have done for me. I will never forget you." She stepped forward and gave him a big hug, probably the last one she would ever give him. Chaka returned the hug and stepped back so that Cobra could say his part.

"Vivi, ever since you were little, I knew that you were destined for something other than this life. When you got into that fight alongside Luffy, it confirmed my feelings. It was always there, that will to explore this vast sea. You just needed someone to give you that little push in the right direction. The straw hat boy gave you that push, and now you are going out to fulfill that destiny. Tell him I said thank you. You were, no, you will always be the daughter I have always wanted to have, and even though you won't be staying here, I will always love and remember you as the princess of the greatest country on the grand line."

This was almost too much for her to bear, and the tears were now streaming down her cheeks. "Father... I...I..." Without words coming to mind, she simply threw herself into her father's arms. "I won't ever forget you, father. I will always love you."

As the salty tears streamed down Vivi's cheeks, she watched them fall, one by one, until they finally reached the ship, Going Merry. The gentle breeze swept over her, causing her hair to dance and sway in the wind as she took one last look at her beloved Alabasta.

She gazed out at the vast deserts that stretched out before her, the only home she had ever known and felt a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving it all behind.

But with a deep breath, she lifted her head and made her way on board the Going Merry, her heart filled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

As she stepped onto the ship, she knew that her life was about to change forever. She was no longer just Vivi, the princess of Alabasta. She was now a Pirate of the Straw Hats, ready to embark on a journey full of adventure, danger, and uncertainty. No Regrets...