57. Heavenly Tribute

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This was already considered a high-end reception, with an elegance befitting royalty.

Although the speed wasn't fast, and the journey was much farther than taking a ship, the slow pace allowed one to fully take in the sights of Alabasta.

Travelling across the arid desert on a camel-drawn carriage, you could feel the pulse of the kingdom's condition and its grandeur mixed with the unmistakable signs of hardship.

The path wound through villages and open plains, revealing small clusters of homes and struggling farmlands.

The once-vibrant rivers that sustained these communities had long since dried up, leaving behind barren, cracked soil.

What they encountered along the way resembled the state of the Tru Kingdom just two years prior a Kingdom weakened by famine, drought, and internal strife.

The people here were in similar dire circumstances, their faces etched with fatigue and their bodies marked by poverty.

Vivi's heart ached as she saw children playing with scraps, their clothes mere rags, while the adults toiled under the scorching sun for meagre returns.

"I heard your Kingdom is planning to join the World Government?" Vivi asked, breaking the silence. Her question floated on the desert wind as the caravan moved steadily through the barren landscape.

She looked over at Anos, who sat calmly beside her, his face impassive as usual.

Vivi often found it hard to read him, as his stoic demeanour rarely wavered, even in conversations like these.

"Yes," Anos replied simply, his voice calm yet firm, offering no further elaboration. He was a man of few words, preferring action over long-winded explanations.

"Why do so many Kingdoms want to join the World Government?" Vivi pressed, curiosity overcoming her restraint. "They have to pay such high Heavenly Tribute fees every year. I don't understand what the benefit is."

There was a slight edge to her voice, as she had often seen how the poor suffered while the rich became wealthier in such arrangements.

Alabasta, under her father's reign, had resisted joining the World Government's tribute system, seeing it as an unnecessary burden on its people.

Anos smiled faintly at her question. He had anticipated this topic, especially given Vivi's strong sense of duty toward her people. "If I remember correctly, Alabasta does not have to pay the Heavenly Tribute, right?"

He remarked, raising an eyebrow slightly. His eyes, though sharp and cold, held a glimmer of understanding.

He knew the delicate balance Vivi was trying to strike between loyalty to her Kingdom and her curiosity about global politics.

"Yes, but even so," Vivi began, her brows knitting together, "it seems like a massive burden on the Kingdom that do join. Why would anyone willingly subject themselves to such fees?"

She was genuinely puzzled. As a princess, she had been privy to the workings of governance, but the full extent of the World Government's dealings often eluded her.

"Managing a Kingdom isn't as simple as it seems," Anos replied, his tone growing more serious. "Joining the World Government isn't always a choice people make willingly. Sometimes, leaders have no other option. Their circumstances force their hand."

He glanced out at the desert stretching endlessly in front of them as if the arid land symbolized the harsh reality of governance.

Vivi listened carefully, sensing there was more to his explanation. She admired the way Anos carried himself, a king who understood the weight of responsibility.

His calm and collected nature was a reflection of someone who had seen the burdens of leadership firsthand.

She had often wondered how Tru kingdom would maintain their sovereignty after they joined the World Government, but her father had always been adamant about maintaining their independence.

Anos continued, "However if a kingdom is developing economically and politically, joining the World Government could offer more advantages than disadvantages. That's the case for our kingdom." His gaze shifted back to Vivi, who was still deep in thought.

"Tru Kingdom is still in its early stages of development. By joining the World Government, we've been able to boost our economy in ways we couldn't have imagined. Access to trade routes, protection, and diplomatic ties these things make a difference."

"Is that really how it works?" Vivi asked, her voice softer now, less sceptical. She was beginning to understand the logic, but part of her still resisted the idea.

Anos nodded thoughtfully, letting the silence between them linger before responding. "Yes. While we do have to pay the Heavenly Tribute each year, which is no small expense, we also gain some significant benefits. For one, we receive protection from the Marines."

"This means we don't need to worry about security as much while sailing or conducting trade. Most pirates wouldn't dare attack a ship flying the World Government flag."

His words made sense, but Vivi wasn't fully convinced yet. "And that's worth paying the tribute?" she asked, glancing at him.

Anos allowed himself a brief chuckle. "It depends on the Kingdom's situation. For us, it is. For others, it may not be. But there's another, even more important benefit our goods now have unrestricted access to the Grand Line."

"They can easily pass through the Red Line without issue. Trade and commerce are the lifeblood of any Kingdom, and having such a powerful network opens up countless opportunities."

Vivi's eyes widened slightly as she considered the implications. "So, by joining, you can bypass a lot of the dangers on the Grand Line and the Red Line. That's... quite profound."

She hadn't fully realized the extent of the advantages such political alliances could bring.

In her mind, she had always associated the World Government with greed and control, but perhaps there was more to it than that.

In truth, Vivi still didn't fully grasp the weight of Anos's words. She had never been involved in such high-level politics, and so much of this world remained a mystery to her.

But she was learning, slowly but surely. The more she saw, the more she understood just how complicated ruling a kingdom could be.

---

Meanwhile, in the rapeseed fields near Nanohana, Daiki had issued orders to the Royal Guards to disperse and begin searching for their missing navigator, Barlow.

The task was urgent they had only one hour to locate him. Daiki knew it was a tight deadline, but he also knew his men were capable of quick and efficient work.

The rapeseed fields stretched far, but not so far that they couldn't be covered in the allotted time.

The guards, all seasoned professionals, knew exactly where to start searching.

They followed the likely routes Barlow would have taken, combing through each area systematically.

Barlow, a man of small stature, was easily recognizable. His short frame and distinctive features made him stand out.

It wouldn't take long to find someone who had seen him, and once they had a lead, the rest of the search would fall into place.

But time was of the essence. Little did the Royal Guards know, Barlow was already in grave danger.

---

Inside a dilapidated, abandoned house on the outskirts of the city, Barlow sat slumped against a post. His face, once round and cheerful, was now swollen and bruised from a night of beatings.

He had been captured by a group of pirates; their motivation was clearly the ransom.

"Have you decided yet?" one of the pirates asked, his voice low and menacing. "Are you going to contact your crewmates and have them bring 10 million Beris? It'll be good for both of us if you do."

Barlow, despite his battered appearance, managed a weak smile. His faith in his king and crewmates remained unshaken. He knew Anos would come for him.

"Captain," another pirate, a scrawny man with a nervous energy, piped up. "Why don't we just rob their ship? Why bother with this ransom business?"

Their leader, a one-eyed pirate with a cruel sneer, shook his head. "You idiot. If we rob their ship and Alabasta's army gets involved, we won't stand a chance. This way, we get the money without the risk."

The conversation continued, with the pirates dreaming of how they'd spend their ill-gotten gains.

But none of them realized the peril they were in. Anos was already on their trail.

Barlow, though beaten, remained defiant. He knew his king's strength, and he wasn't worried.

"If you want me to contact my crew, at least give me a Den Den Mushi," he muttered, leaning heavily against the post.

After hearing this, the one-eyed captain looked at the others with curiosity and asked with a hint of frustration, "Didn't you give him the Den Den Mushi?"

"Captain, but he never asked us for it before," the man wearing a beret responded directly.

"You idiots! You've been at this for so long, and this is the result? If this guy hadn't spoken up, when would we have gotten the money?" the one-eyed captain shouted angrily.

The group of pirates below noticed their captain's anger and quickly began searching for Den Den Mushi.

Eventually, they found a Den Den Mushi with a crown and placed it in front of Barlow.

"Porlu Porro..., Porlu Porlu..."

As the Den Den Mushi started ringing, it croaked after a moment, and a loud voice came from the other side, "Barlow, where are you, bastard?"

Barlow recognized the voice and smiled through his swollen face, but the pirate next to him punched him and growled, "I told you to speak!"

"Barlow, are you in trouble?"

Daiki's voice came through the Den Den Mushi again, but he didn't know that the moment the device was activated, Daiki had already sensed Barlow's location using his Haki.

"The so-called Barlow you're asking for is in our hands. Bring 10 million Beris to the Crimea Tavern, or your companion will die here." The one-eyed captain grabbed the Den Den Mushi and shouted this directly to Daiki

"Idiots!"

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