The Royal Palace of Alabasta.

“Visitors?”

King Cobra, who was handling the aftermath of the fallen palace guards, looked up upon hearing the report from his attendants.

“Who is it?” he asked.

“We don’t recognize them.”

King Cobra grew more perplexed. If it were an envoy from another allied nation, they would have scheduled an appointment in advance.

If it were a World Government official, they would have arrogantly demanded an audience without waiting.

If it were pirates demanding ransom, they would have stormed in aggressively.

Unable to deduce the visitors’ identities, Cobra waved a hand to have them turned away. But after a moment of thought, he reconsidered.

“Vivi, go meet them. It’s probably distressed citizens—go and reassure them.” Cobra felt it would be too cold-hearted to simply reject them outright.

“Understood.”

Vivi, who deeply loved her kingdom and its people, nodded.

Inside the reception hall…

The guests were Kuke, Hancock, and their crew.

“Honored guests, His Majesty is currently occupied, so Princess Vivi will meet with you on his behalf.” A palace guard entered, offering tea and fruit.

A nation known for its hospitality, Alabasta upheld the grace of a grand kingdom.

A few minutes later…

Dressed in an elegant gown, Princess Vivi stepped into the hall, escorted by her guards.

With a warm smile, she gracefully greeted them, “Welcome, honored—”

But the moment her crescent-shaped eyes landed on Kuke—

She froze.

Her poised and elegant demeanor remained, yet her gaze was fixed solely on Kuke.

At first glance, he seemed unfamiliar.

At second glance, an overwhelming sense of familiarity struck her.

It took her a moment to register who he was.

The face before her slowly overlapped with the images from the bounty posters she had studied—the resemblance was nearly identical.

Her lips parted slightly in shock.

She couldn’t form any words.

Confusion, disbelief, astonishment, and awe all swirled in her mind, leaving her utterly blank.

“Y-you… you are…”

After what felt like forever, she still couldn’t form a full sentence.

The palace guards beside her looked on in bewilderment.

Never before had they seen their ever-composed princess in such a state.

“You… you’re really… the legendary…”

Vivi’s eyes remained fixed on Kuke, unable to accept the reality before her.

In her mind, Kuke was an untouchable legend, a figure who loomed over the entire sea.

How could he possibly be here?

“Kuke,” he introduced himself, extending a hand.

Vivi dumbly extended her own, clasping his in a daze. “I—I am Nefertari Vivi.”

The warmth of his palm—

The undeniable reality of his presence pulled Vivi’s soul back to the real world.

“This… this doesn’t make sense! Why would you be in Alabasta? Why would you seek an audience like this…?”

Now fully awake from her daze, Vivi’s shock grew even more.

“The captain traveled a great distance for you,” Shakky said with a playful smile. “As for the manner of this meeting… surely it isn’t impolite?”

Vivi was stunned once more.

For me?

For me?!

As for the way they visited—far from impolite, it was beyond respectful.

Vivi couldn’t help but compare it to Crocodile’s recent arrival.

His method…

Was bloodshed and brutality, storming in with violence.

Yet in Vivi’s heart, Kuke and the Sun and Moon Pirates held immeasurably more weight than Crocodile ever could.

Even if they had demanded the entire kingdom kneel in their presence, it wouldn’t have been excessive.

“So this is how true great figures conduct themselves,” Vivi thought, her heart shaken.

She had assumed that the more notorious a pirate, the more arrogant and uncouth they would be.

But reality proved her wrong.

“Perhaps only the Sun and Moon Pirates act this way,” Vivi mused.

She knew plenty about them.

Ever since she returned from the Holy Land of Mary Geoise ten years ago, she had gathered information on them.

The more she learned, the less she disliked them.

Suddenly, Vivi’s entire body trembled.

She stared at Shakky in disbelief.

Finally, she processed the most shocking part of all.

Kuke had come here—for her.

For Vivi, this was like a fantasy turned reality, too surreal to believe.

Just days ago—

She had merely pretended to be a member of the Sun and Moon Pirates to scare Crocodile away.

And now—

They were here.

For her.

“Is this some kind of story?”

Vivi began to doubt reality itself. Could such a thing truly happen?

She remained frozen for what felt like an eternity.

“He really came for me… but I…”

Vivi’s voice trembled as she looked at Kuke, overwhelmed by both excitement and doubt.

She couldn’t understand why someone like him would take an interest in her.

She was just a simple princess.

No power.

No knowledge.

Nothing special.

“I’ve chosen you. That’s enough. Would you like to join the Sun and Moon Pirates?”

Kuke’s gaze met hers, steady but not overbearing.

“I…”

Vivi fell silent.

She didn’t answer immediately.

A faint glow surrounded her.

To Kuke’s eyes, she was about fifty percent there.

That was unexpected—he had anticipated only a ten or twenty percent chance at best.

After all, they had no prior relationship.

She was still a princess of a kingdom, with family and duties. It would be natural for her to reject piracy altogether.

But she had already reached fifty percent.

That meant it wouldn’t take much longer for Kuke to truly bring her into his crew.

At that moment—

King Cobra entered.

Concerned that Vivi had not returned, he had brought a contingent of guards to check on her.

Stepping into the hall—

His gaze landed on Kuke.

He froze.

Seconds later, his body instinctively moved—

He almost knelt.

“There’s no need,” Kuke stopped him.

Not because he couldn’t accept it—he could handle even the Five Elders kneeling before him.

“But I don’t have a habit of making my crewmates or their families kneel to me.”

“Crewmate? Family?”

Cobra stiffened.

His shocked gaze turned to Vivi.

And when he learned the truth—

His entire body trembled uncontrollably.

“Vivi… If Lord Kuke has chosen you, then go with him.”

Cobra immediately urged his daughter.

As a king—

His thoughts moved faster than Vivi’s.

Analyzing reality, weighing pros and cons, he quickly realized that letting Vivi join the Sun and Moon Pirates was not a bad thing.

Under their protection, he would never have to worry about her safety.

Even if the Sun and Moon Pirates clashed with the World Government one day, even if they lost—

As one of the top-ranking allied nations, Alabasta could still guarantee Vivi’s safe return, ensuring that the World Government wouldn’t harm her.

Moreover, he knew that other allied nations, like Dressrosa and Fish-Man Island, had reached their historical peak in these past ten years.

No pirate dared attack Fish-Man Island anymore.

All because of their connection to the Sun and Moon Pirates.

And most importantly—he couldn’t refuse.

With Kuke personally here, Cobra knew that the decision was already made.

Refusal would lead to consequences he dared not imagine.

Even though he had never heard of the Sun and Moon Pirates destroying nations or slaughtering civilians—

Kuke was still a supreme figure.

One wrong move—

And Alabasta might not withstand his wrath.

“Me?” Vivi hesitated, glancing between her father and Kuke.

She had never considered leaving her kingdom or her loved ones before.

“There’s no need to worry,” Shakky reassured her. “If you miss home, we can return instantly. You must have heard that the captain has long-distance teleportation abilities, right?”

“Really?” Vivi’s eyes sparkled, only to dim moments later. “Wouldn’t that be too much trouble?”

Such an extraordinary ability—

Using it just for homesickness seemed too extravagant.

“My crewmates are worth it.”

For the first time, Vivi truly felt the presence of an overwhelming figure before her.

Their gazes met.

She could tell—Kuke wasn’t lying.

Even if she had no relation to Pluton, even if she were just an ordinary princess—he would treat her the same.

Just like Princess Hiyori.

Her talent gamble had failed.

But even so, she remained part of the crew, and Kuke treated her like any other member.

“Then… don’t complain if I’m useless. I don’t know anything.” Vivi still couldn’t understand what Kuke saw in her.

“Welcome.”

For the second time, her hand rested in his.

She was now a member of the Sun and Moon Pirates.

A full-fledged crewmate.

The glow around her rose from fifty percent to over seventy.

The last remaining part stemmed from her doubts—her insecurity about her own worth.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep