Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Subduing a Warlord of the Sea
"For no other reason than this—because I will be the one to change this world.
The old men of the World Government can't do it.
The Marine top brass can't do it.
Even the pirates of the New World can't do it.
But when I finally stand at the top of the world,
you'll see me for what I truly am—and when that time comes,
you'll make the right choice."
Rikuya Kazama spoke with unwavering confidence.
Robin fell into deep thought after hearing his seemingly nonsensical words.
On the surface, it sounded absurd.
But in reality, it carried a deep and powerful implication.
For someone to know her past in such detail…
There was no way this man had a simple identity.
"You may not understand everything right now, and that's fine.
Think about it slowly once you're back.
Also, don't go doing anything reckless again.
If I hadn't shown up this time, you'd probably already be dead at Crocodile's hands.
From now on, your top priority is to stay alive. Got it?" Rikuya reminded her.
In the original timeline, Nico Robin had protagonist plot armor thanks to Luffy.
But that same Luffy was still back in Windmill Village playing in the mud.
Now that Rikuya had defeated Crocodile, the entire One Piece storyline had been thrown off its axis.
And because of that, even Rikuya no longer knew what kind of fates awaited the people of this world.
One thing was certain—Robin's identity and knowledge were incredibly important to him.
There were still too many things he didn't understand, and she might hold the answers.
However, now was not the time to bring her aboard.
He would soon be hunted by countless powers.
Keeping someone like her close, without the ability to fully protect her, would only put her in danger.
That was why Rikuya ultimately decided not to let her board his ship.
In a way, this was also a form of protection.
Robin silently nodded at his words.
Then Rikuya dismissed her from the room, and called for Miss Wednesday to enter.
Moments later, a young woman with large, glistening eyes and waist-length sky-blue hair walked in cautiously.
"Y-You were looking for me?"
"Nefertari Vivi. Don't be nervous. I'm here to help you."
Rikuya responded in his usual calm voice.
Hearing him say her full name made Vivi scream in shock and instinctively backpedal a few steps.
"Let's keep this short.
You already know what this country has become—
and it was all because of that idiot outside.
But now that he's one of my crew, I'll take responsibility for him.
So let's make a deal.
I'll help your father quell the civil war in Alabasta.
In exchange—you and your people must keep this entire affair a secret, forever. How about it?"
Rikuya laid out the terms bluntly.
Vivi's expression filled with hesitation.
After a long moment, she finally spoke:
"…And if I say no?"
"If you say no, then I'm sorry to tell you—
this kingdom will disappear from the world map.
Understand this: I'm not asking for your opinion.
You have two choices.
One—you accept my terms and remain the Princess of Alabasta.
Or two—you become the princess of a fallen kingdom."
As he said that, Rikuya's gaze turned cold and sharp.
Faced with that intensity, Vivi's eyes dimmed.
Moments later, tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up and said:
"On behalf of the royal family of Alabasta…
I accept your proposal."
Hearing those words, Rikuya finally let out a breath of relief.
Truthfully, he wasn't the type to kill the innocent.
But if he had simply taken Crocodile and left,
without the backing of Baroque Works, the rebels would've stood no chance of taking power.
The royal family would have retaken the kingdom,
and the truth would eventually come out.
And once it did, Crocodile's name would be utterly ruined.
Since Crocodile was now a member of his crew,
that scandal would stain Rikuya by association.
That was something he wanted to avoid.
So he had pretended to threaten Vivi into compromise.
Thankfully, the girl was easy to persuade—
and judging by what Rikuya remembered from the anime,
she was the trustworthy type.
He wasn't worried about her going back on her word.
Once his talks with the two women were done,
Rikuya moved swiftly with his next steps.
First, he had Crocodile dissolve Baroque Works completely.
Without the organization's interference,
rain finally began to fall on the drought-ridden land of Alabasta.
As the torrential downpour soaked the desert kingdom,
hope bloomed in the hearts of the people.
At the same time, the rebel army promptly surrendered.
After all, their entire cause was based on the belief that
the royal family was hoarding rain and manipulating the climate.
Now that Baroque Works had collapsed,
and the rain had returned,
they had no more reason to fight.
Soon, King Nefertari Cobra reclaimed the throne.
Order was restored in Alabasta.
Meanwhile, Rikuya, Crocodile, and the rest of the crew
boarded the Red Force and departed the kingdom.
Two days passed at sea.
During that time, Rikuya saw no mention in the newspapers
of Alabasta or Crocodile.
That told him everything he needed to know—
The royal family had kept their promise.
At last, he could breathe easy.
"Captain Rikuya, where are we heading next?"
Douglas Bullet stood on deck, gazing at the distant shores of Alabasta, and asked.
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