Stubborn

Seeing the look of befuddlement on Thomas's face, Vivi made her way over to his side, linking her left arm through his right as she asked, "What is it? Did something happen?"

Furrowing his brows in consternation, Thomas showed Vivi Drake's Bounty Poster, explaining, "This is one of my Heroic Spirits. Before we separated, she promised me she wouldn't go out of her way to attack any Marine vessels. Her second in command is someone I trust, so I can't believe she would do something like this..."

As vicious as Drake could be, Thomas considered her to be honorable or, at the very least, prideful. She was also supposed to be aiming to become a Shichibukai, so it didn't really make sense for her to sink an entire fleet of ships. Something, or someone, must have forced her hand...

Diverting her attention from Drake's dauntless smile and ample bosom, Vivi looked up at Thomas, suggesting, "Why not send Astolfo over to find out what happened? With Griff's flight speed, she should be able to make a round trip in just a few hours."

Though he was tempted to do exactly that, Thomas ultimately shook his head, stating, "I gave Drake free rein until we encountered each other in the New World. Even if these crimes are accurate, I want to trust that she had a good reason to commit them. If not...I'll deal with her myself..."

Nodding her head, Vivi replied, "I understand," before leaning against Thomas's arm. She had never met Drake, but if Thomas trusted her, she would give the pink-haired Pirate the benefit of the doubt. After all, she knew better than most that circumstances sometimes forced you to do things you otherwise wouldn't...

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With Caenis ensuring they didn't get swept away by stray currents, the Merry still had food and water to spare as the Desert Island of Alabasta came into view. As a result, Lucy didn't immediately rush off when their ship anchored at Nanohana, the central port city that managed most of Alabasta's exports.

"Wow, if you just looked at this city, you wouldn't think there is a drought," remarked Nami.

Smiling sadly, Vivi replied, "Nanohana is considered the 'face' of Alabasta. If Crocodile plans to rule the country, he can't compromise the major port cities. Without them, there is no Alabasta..."

Inserting himself into the conversation, Thomas asked, "So, what's the plan? Will we rush to the capital, focus on taking out Crocodile, or bring an end to the drought? It's your decision to make, Vivi."

Though the original plan was to lure out Crocodile and his forces by returning Alabasta's rainfall, that was before Thomas knew about the existence of Install Cards. He also felt guilty about delaying Crocodile's downfall to give himself and the Straw Hats a chance to grow, so he was prepared to rush over to Rainbase right then and there if Vivi asked him to.

As this wasn't the first time Thomas had placed the decision in her hands, Vivi maintained a calm and dignified countenance as she answered, "First off, we should focus on acquiring food, water, and suitable clothing. Once we have everything we need, we'll sail up the Sandora River and get a feel for the situation while Karoo races to deliver a missive to my father. I want to hear what he has to say before we make our final decision."

Nodding in affirmation, Thomas replied, "Sounds good," before shifting his gaze to Lucy to see if she had anything to say. In response, she returned a smile and asserted, "This is your and Vivi's adventure. We're just here to lend a hand."

Smiling wryly, Thomas was tempted to point out that he was the one who was supposed to be accompanying them. Instead, he gave a second nod before passing his gaze over everyone present. Depending on how long it took to deal with Crocodile, he would be parting ways with the Straw Hats in as little as a few days. They were bound to meet again, but the thought of parting with friends was rarely pleasant.

Interrupting Thomas's thoughts, Lucy's smile became even broader as she donned her straw hat and shouted, "Adventure waits for no one~!" before leaping off the ship.

Bolting to the taffrail, Nami shouted, "Lucy! Don't rush off on your own...!" Unfortunately, once Lucy set her mind to something, there was very little anyone could do to stop her.

Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Nami turned to Thomas and asked, "Can you send Benienma to keep an eye on her...?"

As Nami's behavior and tone had become progressively more 'amicable' over the past few days, Thomas didn't hesitate to answer, "Sure," before calling out, "Beni."

Appearing from Thomas's shadow, Benienma asked, "Is there something Master requires of me?"

Nodding, Thomas explained, "Lucy ran off to explore the city. You don't have to intervene unless she is in serious trouble, but keep an eye on her for us, okay?"

Cupping her hands together, Benienma lowered her head and replied, "As you will," before disappearing faster than the people present could blink. In the wake of her departure, the people remaining discussed splitting up into three groups. The main group, consisting of Thomas, Vivi, Nami, Illya, Chloe, and Ruby, went to acquire food, water, clothes, and other supplies. While they were away, Atalanta, Zoro, Usopp, and Chopper would stay behind to guard the Merry while Astolfo and Caenis scouted the area, the former by air and the latter by sea. There were a few Marine and Baroque Works ships in the area, so leaving the Marry unguarded wasn't an option...

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"How do I look...?" asked Vivi, her body garbed in a purple and pink outfit reminiscent of a belly dancer. The top accentuated her ample bosom and left much of her back, shoulders, and abdomen completely exposed. The bottoms were comparably tame, consisting of a skirt that hung low on the hips and extended to the ankles, but if you caught it at the right angle, the fabric was fairly light and translucent.

Without hesitation, Thomas replied, "You look incredible," with a fiery light in his eyes. His 'intensity' caused a potent blush to color Vivi's cheeks, but before they could enter into their own little world, Chloe chimed in to ask, "And what about the rest of us~?" in a teasing tone.

Resisting the urge to exhale an exasperated sigh, Thomas looked over to find Chloe wearing a turquoise outfit that gave her the appearance of a Djinn/Genie. Except for a bikini-like top and bottom that left very little to the imagination, the fabric covering her arms and legs was transparent, accented by golden accessories.

Having gotten used to Chloe's preference for scant attire, Thomas wasn't even remotely surprised by her ensemble. What 'did' surprise him was the fact that Illya was also showing off more than a bit of skin. She wore an ankle-length skirt similar to Vivi and Nami, but her top was little more than a strip of white fabric accented by black and gold, hugging her lithe body like a strapless tube top.

Covering her chest, Illya's face lit up redder than a cherry tomato as she turned her body to the side and stammered, "D-D-D-Don't look at me like that! They didn't have a lot of tops in mine and Chloe's sizes, okay!?"

Stimulated by Illya's behavior, Ruby wriggled in a 'disconcerting' manner as she exclaimed, "Magnifique~! What a marvelously charming reaction~!"

Glaring at the writhing magical wand, Illya growled, "You're not helping, Ruby..."

Undaunted by Illya's threatening tone, Ruby teased, "Staring at me with such an intense and passionate gaze is only going to make me even more excited. When will you learn that there is nothing more endearing than an angry and teary-eyed magi-"

Before Ruby could finish speaking, Illya promptly grabbed and threw her away with the finesse of a professional discus thrower. It wouldn't take long for her to return, but Illya had bought herself at least a momentary reprieve.

Exhaling a weary sigh, Illya retreated into the clothing store to purchase a shawl while everyone observed her with varying degrees of empathy. The moment she was gone, however, Chloe acted as if nothing had happened, returning her gaze to Thomas as she asked, "Well? How do I look~?" while spinning around.

"Like a brat," replied Thomas. Then, shifting his gaze to Nami, he briefly considered complimenting her before returning his attention to Vivi. Chloe just laughed off his remark, but Nami was slightly annoyed. She might not be fishing for compliments, but very few girls enjoyed being 'ignored.'

Crossing her arms in a manner that emphasized her breasts, not that she could avoid it, Nami remarked, "You don't have to be so 'cautious' around me, Tom. Vivi and I are friends. She isn't going to get upset if you stare or compliment me."

Shaking his head, Thomas preempted Vivi's response by asserting, "It has less to do with Vivi and more to do with my pride. I simped for you like an idiot, and all it got me was pain and frustration. I don't hate or resent you, but I'm not going to let you keep breaking me down or treating me like a fool..."

Furrowing her brows, Nami lowered her gaze as she muttered, "I said I was sorry..." in a faint, nearly inaudible tone. She had actually apologized multiple times at this point, but, despite 'accepting' her apology, Thomas still behaved distantly around her. His past trauma, related to the betrayal of the woman he loved and his best friend, made him extremely reluctant to give people second chances. He wasn't lying about not hating her, but the 'appreciation' he once held for her was long gone.

Suppressing her urge to lash out, Nami said, "I need to cool my head..." before following after Illya. As she departed, Chloe, reading the 'room,' added, "And I'm going to go check on Illya," before giving Thomas and Vivi a playful wink.

Waiting until they were alone, Vivi grabbed Thomas's hands, staring up at him as she whispered, "You know Nami isn't a bad person, Tom. She truly is sorry for the way she treated you..."

Exhaling a tired sigh, Thomas replied, "I know...however, the only reason she feels that way is because of the distance between us. If I pandered to her like I used to, there's a chance she might default to treating me like a lackey or errand boy. If that happened, I don't think I could stop myself from resenting her..."

Wrapping his arms around Vivi, Thomas's expression and tone softened as he added, "I don't mind strong and independent women. What I can't stand are those who break down and try to use others. Nami is a good person. I know that. But she is also greedy, selfish, and prone to violent outbursts when she's scared or doesn't get her way. The past me would have tolerated all of that because of her beauty. Now, I have incredible women like you, Caenis, and even Astolfo to support me...why would I let myself be broken down by someone who only sees me as a means to an end?"

Without waiting for her response, Thomas lowered her face to plant a kiss on Vivi's lips. There was a lot the blue-haired Princess wanted to say, but she briefly set them aside to focus on reciprocating Thomas's kiss. At the same time, hidden just out of view, a certain orange-haired, brown-eyed woman had a despondent look on her face as she considered the type of person she was, compared to the kind of person she wanted to be...

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(A/N: Every time Nami got excited to learn about how affluent Thomas would be, she dug deeper and deeper into the hole of his mistrust. Also, sorry for the late releases. I'm very ill at the present moment.)