"Coward!"
"Coward!"
"Shame on men!"
Mr. 9's abusive voice grew louder and louder, his anger flaring wildly, and his insults becoming increasingly ugly.
Seeing that this hot-blooded fool was about to swing a stick at someone, Vivi hurriedly pulled Mr. 9 away. Was he crazy? This Duddy fellow's gaze was as sharp as a falcon's, carrying a dangerous, deadly air. He felt more like a threat than an ordinary citizen. Especially considering Duddy had a gun in his hand. At this distance, against a sharpshooter who might have once wielded thirty pistols simultaneously, and without any Armament Haki or defensive techniques, there was no guarantee she could protect herself or Mr. 9.
Not daring to set foot onto the Grand Line and being timid about it were merely superficial excuses. Only an impulsive boy like Mr. 9 couldn't see the deeper meaning.
The truth was, Duddy didn't want any trouble. Vivi and Mr. 9 were not wanted pirates with bounties yet. Duddy simply wished to live quietly in Loguetown, taking care of his young daughter, without firing a gun at his own doorstep. He endured their nonsense with patience because he didn't want bloodshed at his door.
Vivi firmly held back the still furious Mr. 9 and said soothingly, "Forget it, forget it. Let's just go recruit the next person. Let's go."
Even while dragging and pulling, she finally managed to haul the furious Mr. 9 away.
As they walked to the entrance of the alley, Vivi suddenly had a flash of realization. She slapped the palm of her left hand with her right fist, her face full of panic: "Oh no! I forgot to buy dried small fish for Karoo! Terrible! You go first, I'll catch up later!"
If this were someone smarter or more alert, they might have noticed her poor excuse, but Mr. 9 was too enthusiastic, too simple. He didn't sense anything wrong at all. Carrying two iron bars over his shoulder, he wandered off on his own.
Vivi waited quietly for a few moments. When Mr. 9 had gone far enough, she turned around and quietly re-entered the alley, stopping Duddy, who was just about to unlock his door and head inside.
The middle-aged man was extremely cautious. He didn't underestimate Vivi just because she was a young woman. Nor did he bother with any polite words like "Come inside and have a seat."
Vivi asked straightforwardly, "Mr. Duddy, I heard that you and Smoker the White Hunter were trained together back when you served in the Navy?"
As a Marine Colonel stationed in Loguetown, Smoker's name was known to every soul in town. It wasn't surprising for Vivi to mention him. Anyone investigating Duddy's past would easily uncover that detail.
Duddy snorted coldly through his nose: "Yeah. I used to serve in the Navy. What's it to you?"
Vivi pressed further: "Were you also a student of Admiral Zephyr? Can you help me contact him?"
Duddy raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised. Knowing Smoker's name was normal, but mentioning Zephyr—that was something else. Given Vivi's young age, it was unusual for her to know such a detail.
It was similar to when Vivi once tried selling cables and umbrellas—most rookie pirates hadn't even heard of the Golden Lion or Red Earl. Was it because they were stupid? No. The truth was deeper: in the world controlled by the Celestial Dragons, the World Government had always intentionally kept the general populace ignorant. The less people knew, the easier they were to control.
When Colonel Hina casually mentioned during a dinner at Red Harbor that Kaido and Big Mom had both originated from the Rocks Pirates, even Garp, the Navy hero, praised her: "You sure know your history." That was an event more than 30 years ago, yet most Marines and pirates alike didn't even know their true enemies' histories.
Ignorance was normal in this world. Knowledge didn't pass from one generation to the next. The World Government saw to that.
It had already been decades since Zephyr retired from active service and became a Navy instructor. It stood to reason that a young bounty hunter like Vivi shouldn't know his name at all.
Duddy sneered: "Haha, interesting. Am I misunderstanding something? Are you seriously thinking about recruiting Teacher Zephyr?"
An obscure kingdom could already make Nico Robin tread carefully. If someone managed to recruit the former Navy Admiral Zephyr back, the shockwaves would be earthshaking. It wouldn't be strange if Aokiji himself came hunting them down afterward: "Oh? Nico Robin is hiding here too? Catch them all!" …With such a move, even Crocodile would be blown to pieces on the spot, and Baroque Works would be crushed in minutes without negotiation.
Vivi didn't mention Baroque Works at all. She calmly said, "I heard that Admiral Zephyr is a masterful instructor. I want to recruit him as the national head teacher for the Nefertari family."
Duddy maintained his natural wariness toward nobles. For a moment, he was unsure of who exactly the Nefertari family was.
Vivi's voice turned solemn. She said with grave emphasis:
"Eight hundred years ago, twenty royal families formed an alliance to create the World Government. Nineteen of them moved to the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, and became the ancestors of today's Celestial Dragons. Only the Nefertari family chose to remain and continue ruling their original kingdom."
Although Duddy wasn't an expert in history, he vaguely recalled lessons from Naval Academy.
"…Alabasta, the desert kingdom? Then you are…"
"I am Nefertari Vivi." (UU Reading www.uukanshu.com)
Duddy needed a moment to organize his thoughts. After pondering for a long while, he asked, "Why would a princess of a major country become a bounty hunter?"
"Because," Vivi answered firmly, "there is a conspiracy within Baroque Works. They are plotting to overthrow my father and steal the throne of Alabasta. I don't know their full plan, or who exactly is involved. For the sake of my people, I can only conceal my identity and infiltrate Baroque Works to gather intelligence… Mr. Duddy, I am revealing my identity now. Doesn't that show my sincerity?"
The middle-aged man nodded slowly. It didn't seem like a story made up on the spot.
Vivi's tone grew even more serious:
"I heard that General Zephyr is very dissatisfied with the Navy's current situation and might be considering leaving. Meanwhile, Alabasta's internal conflicts are intensifying. We must undergo military reform to both defend our homeland and defuse domestic tensions.
General Zephyr needs our kingdom's vast population and strength to rebuild his dream. We need his personal strength and prestige to reform our army. Mr. Duddy, Alabasta and Admiral Zephyr have a deep foundation for cooperation."
Zephyr's personal combat ability needed no boasting: he had been an Admiral, one of the highest military powers beneath only the Fleet Admiral. Vivi, however, valued his unparalleled teaching skills even more. Under Zephyr's tutelage, countless Marine Vice-Admirals and Rear-Admirals had been born. His abilities as an instructor were unmatched across the One Piece world.
Recruiting the old Admiral to Alabasta would not merely mean one great warrior; it would mean a whole new army forged by his hands.
Six hundred thousand Imperial Guards… with Zephyr as their supreme commander.
It was the foundation for a reborn Alabasta. A kingdom where the dream of justice could live again!