Annoying thoughts

...

"Honestly, what a pain"

Groaning slightly, Farid could be seen at his house sweeping the floor with a frown on his face.

A few hours had passed since he and Vivi had re-met, and after both of them parted ways, Farid had simply gone home in hopes that he could be able to forget everything that had happened today.

He even began cleaning the house, trying to distract his mind a little bit from what had happened.

However, Unfortunately for him, at times like this, his memory was too good for his taste.

-Sigh...-

Massaging his temples softly, Farid sighed in frustration, before he then shook his head and walked towards the couch to rest a bit.

-Rustle-

'Honestly, what kind of luck do I have?' Cursing in his mind as he sat, Farid turned to look at the ceiling with a complex expression on his face, as he began pondering deeply over what had happened earlier at Nanohana.

He had never expected that trying to capture a pirate would lead him to end up meeting with Vivi again. Well, who would? It's not exactly a common thing for princesses to appear when you beat up pirates... Or was it? Who knows.

However, in a certain way, it might have been a good thing for the two of them to meet there. As they had been able to talk to each other and finish the matter for good. Even if it wasn't exactly in a good way.

'At the very least, it's one less weight off my shoulders...'

Stretching his limbs as a long groan escaped from his mouth, Farid looked at his hands, before he then closed his eyes to rest for a bit.

During all the six years that he had been traveling across the Grandline, capturing pirates and going back and forth between Arabasta and other islands, the matter of how his last meeting with Vivi had ended up was always something that bothered him a lot.

Not only had they ended up yelling at each other, but he had ended up scaring Vivi after not being able to suppress his anger when he smashed the door's frame. Something that affected him a lot at that moment, as it was at that time when he was starting to fear his own strength and see how it scared others.

It was during those moments that he was seeing himself as something more similar to a monster than to a human.

Because of that, the fact that he never got to at least say goodbye to her and resolve that matter between her and him always bothered him. However, finally, after six years, it had been solved... And although it hadn't been in the best way, it worked for him.

It was fine even if she resented him. After all, she actually had all the right to do that, as like she had said before, he hadn't even tried contacting her even once after he left, nor did he tell her where he had gone off to.

He hadn't even said one word to her when he left. Just like throwing their friendship out of the window.

He had completely abandoned her, along with everything that was once part of his old life.

Because of that, he could accept it, even if she were to resent him.

'In the end, it all ended like this because of my own mind... So she's not one to blame...'

Even more, when he knew that the reason things were the way they were now, was in a certain way his fault.

He had been alone for six years, capturing and beating down pirates at several places in the Grandline. During that time, he had a lot of time to think about what had happened at that moment, and to see things from a different perspective. And thus, he became aware that he had probably overreacted over the words of those Royal Guards that were cursing at him behind his back.

At that time, he had been scared and fearful of his own being. Believing that the only reason why the people around him liked him was because of how valuable he was with all the strength he had gained from the System... And when those Royal Guards reiterated that very same idea, his mind became way more unstable.

The years he had been alone at the orphanage had also somehow come back to haunt him at that time and made him believe that it was impossible that someone had actually tried to be his friend. The kids at the orphanage had, after all, taught him that such a thing was normal.

All that, combined with the memories of himself making the building where the kids and Sister Elena were collapse because he couldn't control his anger, and injuring Sister Elena in the process, made the turmoil of emotions inside him explode, and resulted in him running away from the life that he had been having until then.

'If only I had been more cool-headed at that time, maybe things would have gone very differently...'

However, now that he was older, he could clearly see how his perception of things had been distorted at that time, and how he had not been able to see clearly how Vivi and many others appreciated him rather than his strength.

Even Pell, despite his slight desire for his power to be under the service of the Kingdom, had still taken care of him for some years when he left the orphanage. In a way, he could say that he had even been a friend of his as well.

But alas, it was far too late to fix something that had already passed.

'What's done it's already done'

He had not tried to fix his relationship with Vivi at Nanohana, despite him knowing that there was no real reason for him to hate her or the royalty, because he no longer had any desire to go back to his old life.

He had left everything behind six years ago, and even now, he had no desire to go back to that life.

The six years he had been alone forged him a new life, and he was not willing to leave it behind just to go back to the life he had once had. Nor did he want to have any connection to the past that he left behind.

He had already mourned enough during his first years alone for what he had abandoned... And honestly, he was way past that by now.

'And besides... I simply didn't want to'

Of course, that was not all. There was another reason as well... Though this one was much much simpler...

Like a little kid who knew that he had been in the wrong, but didn't want to experience the shame of apologizing, Farid was the same. The strong front he had built during his life was something that made it ten times harder for him to face Vivi and try to mend things to how they were before.

It was also because of that that he hadn't tried to go back to the castle during the past six years that he had been alone hunting down pirates, even when he was still just a kid who had never lived alone.

He didn't even want to imagine what would happen if he went back and apologized, so he just simply stayed as he was, and continued capturing Pirates while drowning himself in work to forget about everything.

Because of that, now that the matter with Vivi had concluded, in a certain way it would be said that his connection to his past had ended right there as well. Making him feel as if he had been freed from the shackles that he had been carrying during all this time.

-Sigh...-

However, despite the relief that he was experiencing, there was still something that bothered him.

'Why do I feel uncomfortable?'

A certain feeling lingered in his heart that couldn't allow him to rest completely at the moment. Something that had been haunting him ever since he arrived at his house, and that he had not noticed until now.

As he wondered what the uncomfortable feeling that was assaulting him was, the image of Vivi's sad and trying face appeared in his mind and made him frown in response.

"Why does having a good memory have to be so annoying at times like this?..."

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Farid smacked lightly his head as he cursed at his own memory in a low voice, before he then shook his head and looked at the ceiling with annoyed eyes.

Then, taking a deep breath, Farid looked to the side and saw his cow mask lying on the couch next to him. Making him snort as he picked up the mask with a raised eyebrow, before then he put it down and stood up from the couch.

Now with a much more focused look in his eyes.

"There's no time for sentimental things... l better get to work"

Shaking his head to disperse his lingering thoughts, Farid then cracked his neck and started walking away.

Tomorrow was the big day when he and Robin were going to infiltrate the castle. If he didn't want anything to get messed up. He had to be ready.

...

°

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|The next day, in Alubarna's Royal Castle...|

...

At the entrance of the castle, the straw-hat crew could be seen waiting patiently as Vivi talked with two men who seemed to be guards. Both of them had tears falling like waterfalls from their eyes as they glanced at Vivi in front of them.

"Vivi-sama, you were alive! We thought we had lost you..."

"-Hic...- It's good that I managed to survive until now... To think that I would get to meet you again, Vivi-sama!"

At that, Vivi could only smile wryly seeing the two grown men crying like babies in front of her. The straw hats, on the other hand, simply watched with amused expressions everything that was happening.

"Vivi sure is loved in this country" Usopp said, as he looked curiously at Vivi talking happily with the two guards.

"Of course! Vivi-swan is beautiful both on the outside and the inside, there's no way someone would hate her!" Hearing Usopp, Sanji nodded his head, as he made a fist while looking at Vivi with heart-like eyes.

At his words, Nami raised an eyebrow before she then looked at Vivi with a slightly sad expression. Remembering what had happened when they arrived at Nanohana, and how Vivi had been acting since then.

"Except for that guy we met at Nanohana... he seemed to have a bad relationship with Vivi..."

Remembering him, Sanji gritted his teeth, as his happy expression from earlier disappeared completely and rapidly turned into a scowl.

"That bastard... I swear that if I meet him again, I will kick his ass"

"Hmph"

As Sanji said those words, suddenly a small snort came from behind him and made him turn around with a pissed-off expression.

Behind him, was Zoro looking at him with contempt in his eyes.

"More like he will be the one to kick your ass"

"Like you are one to talk, Marimo!"

"Huuuuh...?! You wanna fight?"

"Let's go, green-haired bastard! I will kick you so hard that you won't be able to remember what day is today!"

"Big words for an idiot like you"

As both Sanji and Zoro began to bicker with each other, suddenly Nami approached them from behind them and aimed her fists at their heads. Ready to deliver the final blow and stop them.

However, right as she was about to do so, an enormous sound reached their ears and attracted everyone's attention.

-Creeeeeaaaaaack...-

Turning to look at the source of the sound, the straw hats soon widened their eyes in surprise seeing that the enormous gate blocking the entrance began to open, and from behind it, a man of black hair and a tied-off beard, wearing several luxurious and colorful clothes, appeared.

Then, looking around in a hurry, as if trying to find someone, the man's eyes soon landed on Vivi, and tears began falling from his face.

"Vivi... It has been such a long time since I saw you..."

Seeing the man, Vivi suddenly teared up as well, before she ran towards the man and hugged him tightly as the tears ran down her smiling face.

"Father... I'm back"

"You have grown a lot..."

As the pair hugged tightly and exchanged words, the straw hats simply smiled and watched the scene from afar. Letting Vivi and Cobra have their moment.

After all, it had been two years since Vivi and Igaram infiltrated Baroque Works, and since then, neither Cobra nor his daughter had any contact. It was obvious that there were a lot of things that the two of them wanted to talk about, so the straw hats would only let them.

Then, as Vivi and her father continued to talk, suddenly Igaram appeared from behind the gate and walked towards Vivi with a pleased expression on his face.

"Vivi-sama, I'm glad you managed to come back safely"

Then, turning around to face the straw hat crew, Igaram smiled happily, before he then bowed in gratitude against them.

"Everyone, I have to thank you for your help... If not for you, who knows what would have happened to Vivi-sama and me..."

"Oh, old man! You are here as well!" Seeing Igaram, Luffy smiled as he waved at him.

Nami, on the other hand, looked at Igaram with a raised eyebrow, as she muttered in a low voice.

"It seems like you didn't meet any trouble either, right...?"

At that, Igaram shook his head in denial, as he reminisced what had happened a few days ago at Nanohana before he then sighed.

It wasn't the time to be explaining these things. Vivi had just reunited with her father, and the atmosphere was as good as it would be. There was no need to ruin the mood by revealing them the shocking truth of what he had seen that day. So, he did not say anything and simply turned to look back at the king, before pointing at the straw-hat crew with a smile on his face.

"These people are the ones that helped Vivi-sama and me, your majesty"

"These people? I see... Then, I owe you all for helping Vivi" Looking at the Straw-hats with a curious gaze, the king nodded his head, before he then bowed slightly toward the group. Making most of them panic at seeing the King of a country bowing down to them.

However, before they had the chance to say anything, the king stood straight again, before he then smiled at the group and looked at them with a generous expression.

"I'll gladly reward you all for your help. Tell me, what do you guys want?"

"Meat!"

"Money!"

"Some booze would be nice"

"Hmm... Maybe some fish to cook would come in handy"

"Medical books would help a lot"

"New ammunition!... And some money if you could be so generous"

At the King's words, every straw hat started yelling what they wanted. Making the King laugh softly while seeing them act like that.

"Hahaha, very well, then...-"

-BOOOOM!!-

However, it was when the King was about to tell them something when suddenly an explosion came from inside the castle and made the group look there in confusion.

Then, suddenly from behind the gate, three Royal guards appeared with hasty expressions on their faces, before then they looked towards the King and ran towards him with worried faces.

"Your majesty, someone broke into the castle!"

"What?!"

...

-To be continued-

°°°

(A/N: Sorry for the wait again, I have been busy all week with the university as this is the last month before vacations, and the tests had been stacking up until this month, so I'm really busy nowadays.

So much, in fact, that yesterday I only slept for 1 hour, as I had to finish a project to present it the next day.

And guess what :)?

When I arrived at the class, I found out that it had been postponed for two weeks from now on...

-Sigh...- I'm suffering...

Also, thanks a lot to the people that had been donating to me. Thanks to you, now I don't have to eat Doritos as lunch. I will try to bring much more chapters when I get done with university just for you guys!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and sorry for the cliffhanger.)