Chapter 210: The Straw Hat Pirates About To Arrive
“Lord Bell, is there no problem? Letting pirates land in Alabasta?”
“It’s fine.”
“Don’t worry! They won’t dare to cause trouble.”
At the top of the warship’s mast hung the flag of the Alabasta Kingdom. This massive fleet, composed of more than ten large warships, was precisely the Navy of the Alabasta Kingdom, not under the jurisdiction of the World Government or Navy Headquarters, but belonging solely to the Alabasta Kingdom itself.
The Navy of the Alabasta Kingdom had been established for less than two years.
No, that’s not quite right. It should be said that the new Alabasta Navy had been established for less than two years. Previously, Alabasta also had a Navy, but compared to the 600,000-strong Army, the kingdom’s Navy was basically an empty shell. Matters on the sea were basically handed over to the Navy under the World Government to manage.
Nowadays, they had finally broken free from dependence on the World Government Navy and established their own Navy.
As a superpower on the Grand Line, a prosperous country that could afford a Standing Army of 600,000, King Cobra waved his big hand, pouring in massive amounts of money. He purchased warships from Water 7, the Eckmond Kingdom helped train officers, and as for Navy Soldiers… in this world covered by the vast ocean, training a batch of qualified Navy Soldiers was very simple.
“But… they are pirates?”
The adjutant gazed at the pirate ship gradually moving out of their attack range. Although that pirate ship had a very cute sheep-shaped ship’s bow, a pirate was still a pirate. The Straw Hat skull flag fluttered in the wind, declaring the ship’s identity.
“They are pirates, no doubt, but…”
The ‘guardian god’ of the Alabasta Kingdom, the kingdom’s strongest warrior, Falcão gazed at the departing pirate ship. “These guys are not like ordinary pirates, and… they don’t have time to cause trouble either. Letting them land is an order from His Highness Elus.”
“His Highness Elus… I understand.”
The adjutant had also studied in the Eckmond Kingdom under Bell. He had personally experienced how brutal the New World was—a Shura field where the weak had no place to stand. Elus, who could reach the highest position in the New World, was how terrifying… He couldn’t believe it and didn’t dare to speculate rashly. In his heart, there was only deep awe.
…
Going Merry,
“Today’s luck is really good! We shook off the Navy’s pursuit so easily.” Carina, standing at the railing on the foredeck, had a brilliant smile. “I heard in Drum Island that the Alabasta Kingdom’s Navy is very scary, but it turns out it’s just rumors!”
“Rumors? Hmph! Probably not!”
Zoro, holding two swords, turned back to look at the sea behind the Going Merry. “Hey, ero-cook, what do you think? Those guys… it feels like they deliberately let us through?”
“Tch! You think so too? It felt off!”
Sanji didn’t argue with Zoro. He had also noticed something unusual. Such a massive fleet, yet their firepower was far less fierce than imagined. Not only did they easily slip through a gap to escape, but the pursuit wasn’t intense either. It all felt rather perfunctory.
“Huh? Is there a problem?”
Carina looked over with a bewildered expression.
“Those guys deliberately let us go.”
Luffy, not wearing his Straw Hat, had a very serious expression as he cast his gaze toward the sea ahead. “It’s very likely related to that Black Prince. After all… we’re about to arrive in Alabasta.”
“Yeah, that should be it. High chance it’s related to the Black Prince.”
Robin closed the ancient book in her hand.
“Gulp~~”
Usopp swallowed, his expression tense.
The little reindeer wearing a hat beside him also trembled in fear due to the tense atmosphere.
As if by destiny, Chopper still boarded the Straw Hat Pirates’ pirate ship. Luffy and the others defeated Prince Mushuru, who had returned from the Land of Fire to seize the throne on Drum Island, and protected the peace of the Drum Kingdom. There were some twists and turns, but overall, the Straw Hat Pirates gained a reindeer ship doctor.
If not for the trouble left behind by Elus on a whim, the Straw Hat Pirates should be very happy now. Unfortunately, with a partner captured and beloved treasure stolen… their hearts felt heavy, unable to laugh heartily.
“Carina, how much longer until Alabasta?” Luffy asked loudly.
“This is my first time in the Grand Line too! Don’t ask such troublesome questions, okay? Anyway… if the sea chart we gathered from Drum Kingdom is correct… at most one hour, and we’ll see Alabasta’s port.” Carina complained about Luffy making things difficult for her but still gave an answer.
As a navigator, her talent was indeed first-rate. Though there was no way to compare directly, overall, Carina had led the Straw Hat Pirates smoothly over Reverse Mountain and through several crises. They were about to land in Alabasta soon.
“One hour? Great!”
Luffy started rolling his wrists. Everyone could feel that their captain was getting impatient.
“Sanji, Usopp, when we arrive in Alabasta, you two stay behind to guard the Merry. Zoro, Ro-Chopa, we’ll go save Nami together, and by the way… take back our stuff.”
“Damn it! I want to go save Miss Nami too… Fine! Captain, I got it. I promise I’ll watch the Merry.”
Sanji wasn’t too happy with this arrangement.
But he still agreed. No matter what, someone indeed needed to stay to protect the Going Merry. Otherwise, what kind of pirates would pirates be without a pirate ship?
Zoro, because he had lost his swords, couldn’t possibly stay behind waiting for others to bring them back for him.
Leaving only Usopp behind,
wouldn’t be secure enough.
After calculating, he was the most suitable choice.
As for Carina… she was a shipmate friend. Once they reached Alabasta, she would part ways with them. She wasn’t a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, so there was no reason to ask her to take huge risks with them.
“Of course, this is just a tentative plan. The specifics… we’ll decide after landing.”
Luffy jumped onto the sheep-shaped ship’s bow, stretching his neck to gaze ahead, eagerly awaiting the sight of land.
————
Alabasta, the oasis outside Capital Alabarna,
The castle purchased by Elus,
“No good!”
“Eh! No hope at all?”
“If you had trained from childhood and spent more time, it’s not impossible. Your talent is pretty good, strictly speaking. It’s just… wanting to learn Rokushiki in a short time, even just the basics… the hope is too slim. Chapa chapa chap.”
“What the heck! I thought I had a chance to become as strong as Luffy and the others!”
Nami, whose confidence had taken a hit, huffed and downed the iced tea in one gulp.
Jabura scratched his head helplessly. There were no shortcuts to training in Rokushiki body techniques; it required both talent and time to see results. Nami’s talent wasn’t bad at all—Fukurou wasn’t lying. If she had entered the CP Department’s training organization from childhood, she would probably be one of them by now.
Unfortunately, that was just an idealistic assumption with no help for the current situation.
“Mister Jabura, is there really no way at all?”
Nami still wasn’t ready to give up.
She had been in Alabasta for over a month. Strictly speaking, she was still Elus’s captive, but in reality, aside from not being allowed to leave the castle or contact the outside via Den Den Mushi, her treatment was no different from that of a distinguished guest. She could freely move around the castle except where Elus was, and she was even allowed to study here.
Unfortunately, training had no shortcuts. Nami wasn’t like Luffy or Zoro, who had built an extremely solid foundation from childhood and could naturally surge in strength once the time was right.
“We can’t do it, but…”
“But what?”
Nami’s eyes lit up.
This was exactly the kind of turn she wanted.
“…If it were His Highness, he might have a way to help you get strong quickly.” Jabura stated that sole possibility. “Of course, there’s also Devil Fruit. Eating a Devil Fruit could similarly boost your strength dramatically in a short time.”
“Tch!”
Nami clicked her tongue in disappointment. “I thought it was some good method…”
Devil Fruit was impossible. Though she was quite curious about those strange abilities of Devil Fruits, she preferred her current self who could swim freely in the sea. Becoming a landlubber who couldn’t swim would render her swimsuits useless. She respectfully declined that.
Besides, something as rare as a Devil Fruit wasn’t something you could just find whenever you wanted.
As for seeking out Elus,
Well… regardless of whether Elus had a way, she didn’t think he would actually pay attention to her. Through this period, using her skillful indirect questioning from the maids led by Fran, she learned that she seemed to be bait to lure Luffy and the others to come knocking.
By reason, she should be anxious, but she vaguely felt that Elus harbored no mortal enmity toward her or Luffy and the others.
It was almost like—
A game!
Yes, a game. She always felt like Elus was just joking around with them!
Though this joke wasn’t funny to her at all—it was so malicious she wanted to rush to Elus and slap him twice.
However… if it really was just a joke, that would be great. Nami just thought that way; she had no solid evidence to prove her feeling.
“Knock knock!”
Kalifa knocked on the wide-open room door.
“Jabura, Fukurou, playtime with the guest is over. Come assemble quickly; there’s a mission.”
“Mission?”
Jabura’s eyes lit up. “What mission?” He was already striding out as he spoke.
“Finally, a mission. Chapa chapa chap.”
Fukurou was also quite happy. Ever since playing around on Drum Island last time, he hadn’t done any proper missions recently. He didn’t have the patience like Lucci to lurk for five years without flaws. How bored was he?
Just a few compliments from Nami, and he came to teach her Rokushiki.
After all,
Aside from daily personal training, there really weren’t many entertainment activities.
“Hey, um… Miss Kalifa, did something happen?” Nami tried to fish for information.
“Yeah… it seems your companions have come to rescue you.”
Kalifa pondered for a few seconds before answering Nami’s question.
This instead stunned Nami. She had previously tried approaching Kalifa, hoping to evoke sympathy as fellow women for more conveniences, but it had undoubtedly failed. Compared to the easily swayed Fukurou, Kalifa was cold like an ice sculpture, hard to approach.
She had asked with just a try-it-out mentality.
Unexpectedly… she actually answered, and this answer… Nami’s heart raced, her whole body trembling slightly. Luffy, Zoro, and the others had come to save her? Extremely complex emotions flooded her heart, her eyes stinging, vision blurring involuntarily.
She had never doubted that Luffy and the others would definitely come to save her. But upon hearing this news, tears still fell uncontrollably.
“So our mission is related to Straw Hat Luffy and the others? Chapa chapa chap!”
This guy Fukurou really wasn’t dumb.
Flaws like being easily swayed and loose-lipped hadn’t been fixed, but his thinking ability was normal. With a little brainpower, it was easy to connect the two matters. Nothing surprising.
“Straw Hat Luffy, I really want to know what’s so special about this guy.”
Jabura licked his lips, as excited as Fukurou.
“That’s pretty much it. His Highness will explain the specifics in person later… Also, Miss Nami, please don’t do anything unnecessary. Miss Fran asked me to tell you to just wait comfortably for your partners to come rescue you. If you try to escape on your own… don’t complain if you suffer for it that His Highness isn’t hospitable.”
Kalifa left those words and departed with Jabura and Fukurou.
Leaving Nami, face streaked with tears, alone in the room. She wiped her tears, paced around the empty room twice, calmed her restless heart, and seriously pondered Kalifa’s relayed words.
“…Not hospitable? Am I really a guest here?”
Nami stood by the window, looking at the lawn and sculptures in the courtyard, thoughts racing in her mind. “…Wait comfortably for Luffy and the others to rescue me. Could it be…”
The Black Prince was really toying with them?
The idea she had once suppressed stubbornly raised its head again, impossible to press down.
“…Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp… everyone, please be safe!”
The money-loving little thief cat stood by the window, gazing at the animal sculptures on the lawn outside, hands clasped together, sincerely praying blessings for her companions.
