Boom!
The bedroom door was violently flung open.
Igaram rushed in eagerly.
"Your Majesty, Princess Vivi has been kidnapped!"
On the only sofa near the window, King Cobra, dressed in a burgundy robe, held a glass of red wine in his hand.
He smiled as he watched the commotion outside the window.
Upon hearing Igaram's urgent voice, he turned his head and said:
"No need to panic, Igaram."
"But, Your Majesty, I just saw—"
"She'll be fine."
Cobra smiled.
If it had been any other pirate, he would have been worried. A kidnapped princess would become a bargaining chip to blackmail the king or end up as a toy on the slave market.
But if it was Luffy who took Vivi, it wouldn't be like that.
First, he was the grandson of a Navy hero, and also the hero who saved this country. Furthermore, he was Vivi's beloved.
Secondly, he was now a Shichibukai—his bounty, and that of his crew, had been frozen. There would be no bounty hunters targeting them, and the Marines would not pursue the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Vivi wants to go on an adventure too, doesn't she? Let her go. She's sacrificed so much for this country over the past two years."
Cobra got up and walked to the window, looking at Vivi, who was being taken by Luffy, and said softly:
"After experiencing a wider world, when she returns, she will surely become a magnificent queen."
"Your Majesty..."
Igaram's face was tense, but influenced by Cobra, he quickly calmed down.
"I'm just a little reluctant. Will Princess Vivi be able to eat properly on this journey? What if she gets sick? Can Doctor Chopper treat her? Will she clash with Miss Robin?"
"Hahaha, you worry too much, Igaram. Vivi has grown into an extraordinary princess!"
Cobra laughed heartily.
Watching Vivi gradually disappear from view outside the window, the old father murmured a blessing in his heart.
Be safe and happy, Vivi!
"Luffy, please, please put me down!"
Held in Luffy's arms in front of tens of thousands of citizens, Vivi's face turned bright red, and she could only resist with her voice.
"Nope. If I let you go, you won't come with me."
Luffy smiled.
Now that she was caught, Vivi was in a state where she couldn't resist and could only accept it.
Once released, she'd probably say something like, "I'm a princess—I can't leave this country."
"The sea is vast, and many adventures await us. So many incredible places are waiting to be seen... don't you want to see them?"
Hearing her beloved's tempting words, Vivi bit her lip and said angrily, "You're so cunning, Luffy!"
"See? Even your father agreed."
"Father..."
Vivi turned her head and looked toward the palace, seeing her father's smiling face through a small window.
He didn't stop her...
But the citizens shouted:
"Damned Shichibukai! Release Princess Vivi!"
"We won't forgive you! How dare you kidnap our princess, you scum!"
"After them! We can't let Alabasta's gem be taken away!"
A huge crowd spontaneously chased after the Straw Hat crew.
"It looks like everyone really loves you. If I get caught, will they beat me to death?" Luffy laughed.
"Yes, they definitely will!" Vivi laughed too.
"Then I can't let them catch me."
Vivi gradually tightened her grip around his neck, and her mental resistance faded as they got farther from the palace.
"Luffy."
"What is it?"
"I love this country deeply, but... I love you too. Please take me with you!" Vivi buried her head in his chest, her eyes curving like crescent moons as she spoke heartfelt words filled with joy.
Luffy paused for a moment, smiled, and said, "Then hold on tight."
A wavering princess sometimes just needs a little push to take a brave step forward.
Vivi smiled happily and tightened her arms around his neck.
With thousands of people in pursuit, Luffy carried Vivi and ran out of the royal palace.
The people loved their princess dearly. Even when some gave up from exhaustion, others joined the chase.
They ran and screamed the entire way.
After more than an hour, the crowd arrived at a beach east of the capital.
The Sunny and Merry were docked there.
"We were waiting for you, Luffy, Vivi..." Nami stood at the edge of the ship, hands on her hips, smiling.
"Ah~ Miss Vivi! You're finally here!" Sanji shouted excitedly.
"Get on the ship," Zoro said with a smirk.
"It's good to see you again, Princess Vivi," Robin said gently with a smile.
"Anyway, let's hurry up and go, hahaha!" Usopp laughed loudly.
"Welcome back, Miss Vivi," Kaya greeted warmly.
"Luffy, I'll stop the pursuers behind us!" Bartolomeo raised his hand to activate his ability.
In the next moment, a huge barrier formed, blocking the countless people behind Luffy and Vivi.
On the shore, Luffy made a light jump and finally landed on the Sunny, still holding Vivi in his arms.
"Let's go, guys!! SHISHISHI!"
He gave the order while laughing.
The next moment, both ships lowered their sails and slowly began moving away from the shore.
"Damn it! What is that thing!?"
"Princess Vivi!"
The crowd gasped, slamming into the barrier.
"Look, it's the Navy!" someone shouted, spotting a warship approaching from the sea.
"Hey! The pirates are kidnapping our princess!"
Countless voices rose in unison, pinning their hopes on the passing warship.
"A Navy ship?" Usopp's face turned pale with fear.
About that...
The sailors heard the crowd's screams and saw the two pirate ships—along with the princess, seemingly taken by force.
"Captain Smoker, that's Straw Hat Luffy," a watchman lowered his binoculars and quickly reported.
Smoker, who had left Loguetown and come to the Grand Line in search of greater strength, removed his cigar from his mouth and frowned as he picked up the binoculars.
"Straw Hat Luffy... and the Princess of Alabasta! What are these people shouting?"
"Captain, it sounds like they're saying Straw Hat Luffy took their princess... and they want us to rescue her," a sailor said, sounding confused.
"Fire!!"
Smoker, full of righteous fury, coldly gave the order. "Warning shots! You, go and negotiate—tell him to hand over the princess!"
The sailors on the warship looked stunned.
"W-We can't do that, Captain Smoker. He's a Shichibukai!" a lieutenant immediately stepped forward to stop him.
"So what if he's a Shichibukai? Are my orders meaningless? Isn't it your duty to stop a princess from being taken away?" Smoker's face darkened.
The lieutenant immediately fell silent.
Firing on a Shichibukai... No, more than that, this guy is Vice Admiral Garp's grandson.
No way.
Without higher authorization, attacking a Shichibukai could land the captain in serious trouble—he might even face Navy tribunal.
Hmph. Useless bunch.
Smoker's face filled with disgust as he threw the binoculars to the lieutenant and walked to the bow of the ship, shouting:
"Straw Hat Luffy!"
"Smoker?"
Luffy placed Vivi down and raised an eyebrow.
So this guy made it to the Grand Line too?
"Even if you're a Shichibukai, kidnapping a princess from an allied country is still illegal!!" Smoker barked.
The key word here was allied country.
The Navy couldn't interfere in non-allied nations.
Luffy laughed. "SHISHISHI~ Long time, Smoker. Have your skills improved?"
(End of chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉