One Piece: Wild Hunt

Chapter 80: Splitting Up

After learning from Vivi that he had been out for the better part of three days, Thomas asked, "And Baroque Works didn't attack us? That...doesn't sound right..."

Though she also found it strange, Vivi did her best to sound optimistic, suggesting, "Maybe he realized the danger he was in and decided to flee the country?"

"That's...not impossible..." replied Thomas. He couldn't imagine Crocodile running away from a fight, but he didn't want to be pessimistic by voicing his thoughts aloud.

Standing nearby, polishing his swords, Zoro remarked, "We'll find out soon enough. Just try not to hog the spotlight this time. If that Mr. 1 guy shows up, he's mine."

Smiling wryly, Thomas replied, "It's not like I've been going out of my way to hog all the fights. Things just kind of happened that way..."

Holding up his sword to check its edge, Zoro reiterated, "Just remember what I said. Unless shit hits the fan and you have no choice but to fight, leave all the swordsmen to me..."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Thomas returned his gaze to the ruins that dominated the shores of the Sandora River. Many of the towns that once ran its length had been wiped out by Pirates or members of Baroque Works pretending to be Pirates. As a result, Alabasta felt more like a post-apocalyptic wasteland than a prosperous Kingdom that had endured for more than 700 years...

Interrupting Thomas's silent contemplation, Vivi leaned her head against his bicep as she asked, "Do you truly believe it's possible to turn Alabasta into a Kingdom of green...?"

Though he was caught off guard by the sudden question, Thomas didn't hesitate to answer, "Of course. It might take a few years without the right Devil Fruit or Install Card, but there's no reason we can't change Alabasta for the better. I guarantee it."

Feeling more at ease, Vivi closed her eyes and allowed herself to envision a brighter future for her people. She was worried about her father, but she chose to believe that Karoo had been delayed or that Pell was simply too busy to come and find them...

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Despite Chopper's insistence that he takes it easy for a few days, Thomas was raring to go when the Merry dropped anchor near the remnants of a city called Erumalu, once known as Alabasta's 'Green City' due to its many types of flora. Now, however, most of the buildings were half-buried in the sand, the only observable plant life being a few desiccated trees.

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With Rainbase located 118km from Erumalu, everyone was gearing up for a long trek through the desert when Lucy said, "We should split up."

"Split up? Do you mean we should leave someone to guard the ship?" asked Nami.

Shaking her head, Lucy stated, "Vivi is worried about her dad. She and Thomas should fly to Alubarna with Astolfo while the rest of us travel to Rainbase."

Before Vivi could protest, Zoro interrupted to ask, "And what if Crocodile and his goons happen to be in Alubarna?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Lucy casually replied, "This is ultimately Tom's and Vivi's adventure. If they encounter Crocodile before us, I'm sure they can handle it somehow. If not, we'll swoop in to save them."

Interrupting Vivi a second time, Zoro asserted, "Sounds good. We have too many powerhouses with us anyways. Even if we split up into three groups, we should be able to deal with anything Crocodile throws at us."

Understanding that Lucy and Zoro were giving her an excuse to check on her father, a warm smile blossomed across Vivi's face as she said, "Thank you...both of you..." in a faint tone.

Adopting a toothy grin, Lucy said, "Don't mention it," before directing her gaze to Thomas and teasing, "You better hope Crocodile is in Alubarna. If he isn't, you'll have to deal with Vivi's dad on your own."

Forcing a smile, Thomas exhaled a light chuckle before stating, "I'll have to face both sooner or later." Then, as Caenis had been staring at him with a half-lidded expression, he looked to her and asked, "There isn't a lot of room on Griff's back, but will you come us?"

Though she was tempted to answer in the affirmative, Caenis crossed her arms and replied, "Forget it. I'll stay here and make sure no one steals the ship. Just summon me if something happens. Understood?"

Holding up the hand containing his Command Spells, Thomas replied, "I'll do so the moment Crocodile rears his ugly mug."

Nodding her head, Caenis precluded herself from further discussion by promptly leaping back onto the Merry. Shortly after, Thomas, Vivi, and Astolfo split off from the main group, flying over to Alubarna, while Lucy, Zoro, Usopp, Nami, Chloe, Illya, and Ruby made their way to Rainbase. This left Caenis and Atalanta to watch over the Merry while Benienma, as usual, lurked in the shadows...

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Though the Desert Island of Alabasta was one of the largest in the first half of the Grand Line, it only took a few minutes for Thomas, Vivi, and Astolfo to reach their destination, a massive city built atop an artificial, perfectly circular plateau.

Situated on the northern edge of the plateau, towering above every other building, was the colossal Alubarna Palace. It vaguely resembled the Taj Mahal from Thomas's previous world, but the domes were constructed from solid gold while a rampart more than 50m tall elevated the structure above the rest of the city.

With Vivi's permission, Astolfo instructed Griff to land directly on the Palace's roof. The centermost dome contained a lush garden that served as King Cobra's rest area, so Vivi was confident they could find her father inside. If not, they would doubtlessly encounter one of the 100,000 Royal Guards that operated in and around the oversized structure.

Providing Vivi hope that everything was normal, well, as normal as they could be given the ongoing drought, guards began to gather the moment they landed. Better yet, they immediately recognized her, shouting things like, "Princess Vivi has returned!" and "Inform the King at once!"

Hearing the Royal Guards' exclamations, much of Vivi's worries dissipated. She was a little overwhelmed by the flurry of questions that followed, but the smile on her face made it clear she was happy to be home.

Interrupting the joyous atmosphere, a fairly tall, sword-wielding man with raven-black hair and brown skin emerged from the central dome. He had a naturally grim countenance, but it lightened when he saw Vivi, a rare smile adorning his face as he said, "Welcome back, Princess. I have been asked to escort you to your father."

Smiling even more radiantly than usual, Vivi exclaimed, "Chaka! It's so good to see you!" before calming herself and asking, "How have things been while I was away? Is my father okay?"

Nodding his head, Chaka adopted a serious expression as he replied, "His Majesty's health continues to deteriorate, but his will remains as strong as ever."

Hearing the first half of Chaka's response, Vivi's enthusiasm waned. Her father had been suffering from a debilitating illness most of her life. The drought and the subsequent rebellion had exacerbated his condition, so even though he was only 48 years old, Cobra was forced to remain in the Palace.

"Please, take me to my father," said Vivi, her expression and tone abruptly becoming resolute.

Lowering his head slightly, Chaka replied, "As you will, Princess..." before raising his gaze to scrutinize Thomas and Astolfo. The moment he did so, Vivi said, "These are my companions, Thomas Jensen and Astolfo. They have come to Alabasta to lend their support. I trust them with my life and would have them accompany me to meet my father."

Though it was a little unorthodox, Chaka didn't hesitate to reply, "Very well," before turning to lead the way. This was far from the first time Vivi had brought one of her 'friends' into the Palace, but even more than that, Chakra trusted in her judgment. If she believed that Thomas and Astolfo could aid them, he wouldn't question them...

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After wandering through spacious halls better suited to giants than ordinary people, Thomas, Vivi, and Astolfo found themselves in a room that smelled of herbs and incense. There, a bedridden man with dark skin, sharp eyes, wavy black hair, and a three-pronged beard awaited them, his body garbed in a loose green robe.

Seeing the man, Vivi exclaimed, "Father!" before running over to embrace him. Her actions caused the man to grunt, but the smile never left his face as he gently caressed Vivi's back and replied, "My beloved daughter. You have finally returned to me..."

Releasing her father, Vivi began to tear up but managed to avoid crying as she revealed, "And I didn't come alone; I brought back someone who can save our Kingdom. He may even be able to treat your illness..."

Directing his gaze to Thomas and Astolfo, Cobra maintained his smile as he said, "Thank you for returning my daughter to me. I'll have the guards arrange you a place to stay. I'm sure you're tired after your travels, so we will discuss this matter once you've had the opportunity to rest. For now, please leave us. My daughter and I have much to catch up on..."

Following Cobra's words, Chaka said, "Follow me," before attempting to lead the way out of the room. Instead of following him, however, Thomas held Cobra's gaze and asked, "Are you truly the King of Alabasta?"

Not expecting Thomas's question, Chaka, Vivi, and Cobra himself found themselves at a loss for words. The first to recover was Chaka, shouting, "Even if you are the Princess's friend, you cannot disrespect the King in such a manner...!"

Waving his hand, Cobra said, "That's enough, Chaka. I'm sure our friend here has his reasons for asking such a question."

Bowing slightly, Chaka replied, "Your Majesty is too kind..." before raising his head and directing a 'warning' look at Thomas.

Ignoring the raven-haired swordsman, Thomas continued holding the King's gaze, asserting, "I do. Now, please answer my question..." with a serious expression on his face.

Recalling Thomas's explanation of Mr 2 and his abilities, Vivi promptly separated from her father, causing him to stare at her incredulously as he asked, "Vivi? Do you also suspect me of being an imposter...?"

Instead of answering her father's question, Vivi became serious as she said, "Please answer Tom's question..."

Furrowing his brows slightly, Cobra looked between Vivi, Thomas, and Chaka before stating, I am Nefertari Cobra, the King of Alabasta. Who else-"

Before Cobra could finish speaking, Benienma promptly emerged from Vivi's shadow, whisking her away as she exclaimed, "He's lying...!" in a certain, no-nonsense tone.

In response to Benienma appearing and snatching Vivi, Chaka attempted to draw his sword but was prevented from doing so as Astolfo shouted, "Trap of Argalia...!" before stabbing him in the thigh with her lance. The moment it pierced his flesh, he felt like the world had been flipped on its head, forcing him to stumble face-first into the ground.

While Chaka was temporarily out of commission, Thomas charged toward the man on the bed, shouting, "The jig is up, Bon Kurei! Now, tell us, where is the 'real' King Cobra...!?"

Though he initially had an expression of shock on his face, Cobra became serious the moment he heard Thomas's words, flipping backward like an acrobat to evade the latter's charge.

Instead of answering Thomas's question, the false Cobra inhaled a deep breath before shouting, "Guards! Come quick! The Princess is an imposter, and her friends are assassins sent by the rebel army!"

"Oh, fuck no..." said Thomas, aiming his finger at the imposter and firing a laser through his abdomen. It was only around a third the actual speed of light, but that was far beyond the ability of most people to dodge.

Not expecting such a swift attack, the false Cobra's eyes widened as the thin beam pierced cleanly through his body. Then, as Chaka rose to his feet and several other guards rushed into the room, his body 'flickered' violently before his face turned into that of a grimacing man wearing very heavy makeup...

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(A/N: Admiral Kizaru would like to know your location...)