Vivi and I got down from the clock tower and moved toward the palace. More Baroque Works stragglers jumped us along the way, but I handled all of them. It couldn't be helped β Ace wasn't here.
"I didn't expect there to be this many stragglers."
"Baroque Works has a lot of personnel. And it got this big because Crocodile prepared meticulously, but also because the king never noticed that this many people had gathered inside and were operating.
If this many people were mobilized and moving, information definitely leaked somewhere. He wasn't listening to what was happening around him. This situation might have been predictable already."
"Th-that's true."
I was criticizing her father's incompetence, but Vivi couldn't say anything because it was all true. While we were talking, we arrived near the kingdom.
Then a loud sound came from the palace, and Crocodile was seen rising high into the sky. It looked like Luffy won the second round.
Seeing that, Vivi said while crying.
"Huff... It looks like Luffy did it."
"Yeah."
We hurried into the kingdom. Then Luffy was running toward me, desperately carrying an unconscious Elodie.
"Hyung! Please save Elodie."
Elodie was in extremely serious condition β one arm had been withered by Crocodile and was shriveled, her leg bones were completely shattered and bent at a weird angle. On top of that, she seemed to be poisoned.
"What happened?"
"Um..."
From what I heard, Elodie had been holding off Crocodile alone until Luffy's crew arrived. Even Chopper had shaken his head, saying he couldn't save her. I set Vivi down for now and quickly carried Elodie into the treatment room. She was on the verge of death.
I immediately used and to their fullest and treated the poisoning. Then I restored her ruined arm and leg to their original state with [Form Shift]. Elodie's face started regaining color.[Matter Manipulation][Heal][Detox]
"Phew..."
The dangerous moment had passed, so I took an IV drip I had prepared from my inventory, injected it into Elodie's arm, disinfected and sutured the wounded areas. Then I wrapped her in bandages. Thanks to the [Slip-Slip Fruit], thankfully there were no large torn areas.
After finishing treatment, I went outside.
"Eek!"
Crash~!
When I opened the door, Luffy's crew were all gathered in front of it, and they were so startled they fell over.
"Is Elodie??"
Luffy was worried about Elodie and asked while still on the ground.
"I saved her. But she needs to rest. She hasn't woken up yet and she's exhausted."
"Ah... That's such a relief..."
"Chopper."
"Yes!"
Chopper answered quickly and crisply, maybe because I saved a patient he had given up on.
"She's still in a dangerous state, so keep watch over her."
"Got it, sir!"
'He doesn't have to salute, though...'
Since Chopper went to see Elodie, I treated Luffy's crew one by one. They were all exhausted, and fell asleep as if passing out as soon as they were treated. Once treatment was over, it rained. People ran around rejoicing. The timing was a bit off from the original, but it probably didn't matter.
The next day, Chopper came looking for me urgently.
"Taejin! Elodie woke up."
"Really? Let's go."
I went to the room where Elodie was being treated. Elodie was awake, so I checked her condition all over.
"Thankfully, nothing seems wrong."
"Th-thank you. Boss."
"Elodie, you nearly died this time. There will be many more situations like this going forward. Will you still keep following Luffy?"
"Yes! I'm already Luffy's crewmate."
Elodie said it confidently without stuttering, showing her resolve hadn't changed.
"I see. Then rest up."
I left Elodie's room. Chopper followed me out and said while crying.
"I... I thought I couldn't save Elodie, so I gave up... I'm disqualified as a doctor. But hearing Elodie's words, I made up my mind! I'll never give up on a patient again!"
"Yeah. You must have been exhausted watching Elodie all night, so go rest now."
"Okay."
Chopper wiped his tears and went to the room assigned to him. I ate a simple meal and King Cobra called for me, so I entered the room where the king was. King Cobra was also injured and sitting on the bed receiving treatment.
"Oh~ You came. Thanks for stopping the war."
"It's nothing. We made a deal."
"About that deal... Can't we settle it with money? Vivi is this nation's princess."
"I can't. There's a reason. I'll tell you together. Call Vivi."
King Cobra called someone outside and summoned Vivi. After waiting a bit, Vivi came in.
"Father, you called for me?"
"Yes, Taejin has something to say."
Vivi seemed to think it was about the deal and was steeling herself, but what she was about to hear was something completely different.
"What on earth are you going to say?"
"What I'm saying now will put your life in danger just by hearing it. That's why it's hard to talk about it here."
I opened the window and summoned the Thalaria camper.
"Huh! What is that..."
King Cobra seemed surprised that the Thalaria vehicle suddenly appeared.
"Get on and we'll talk. First, tell people. If the king suddenly disappears, it'll cause a commotion."
King Cobra called someone and said he was stepping out for a bit, then got on the Thalaria vehicle with Vivi.
"Thalaria, raise altitude."
[Understood. Master.]
"Huh! 'Klabaumterman'?"
"Father, what's 'Klabaumterman'?"
"There was a rumor among sailors. It said that a fairy called 'Klabaumterman' only resides in ships that are truly cherished and loved. I'm seeing it for the first time myself."
"Then this ship has a fairy in it?"
"I suppose so."
They were misunderstanding like Nico Chunja did before, but it was hard to explain, so I just left it.
"Fairy! Please let me hear your voice."
Vivi said with sparkling eyes, hands clasped together. She seemed genuinely moved hearing a fairy's voice for the first time.
[Nice to meet you. Master's guests.]
"Waa~ It's a real fairy~~ I can't believe I'm talking to a fairy. It's like a dream."
I figured they'd keep saying weird things, so I decided to get to the point.
"Ahem... You can't hear anything we say outside here, so let's talk now."
"Understood."
"I reached Laugh Tale with Nico Robin."
"What!!!??? Is that true!!!!????"
"What did you say!!!???"
King Cobra and Vivi were so shocked by those words they shouted and asked again.
"Talk quietly. My ears hurt."
"Ahem... I was just too surprised... But that explains it. Why it's dangerous..."
"Good that you understand quickly. To get to the point, this world will sink into the sea. There are only a few years left."
"Is that true?"
"Yes. Think of it as the sea level rising 200 meters from now."
"If that's true, then there'd be almost no place left for people to live! Is there anything to make me believe that? I can't believe such a story!"
"The evidence is the Celestial Dragons. Do you know they're currently using slaves to build bridges connecting Marijoa and key strongholds?"
"Yes, I've heard. If you make even a small mistake, you get dragged there and forced into hard labor..."
"Have you seen that bridge? They're building it extremely high. Why would they build it that high? For show? Spending that much money?"
"No way! They know the land will be submerged..."
"Right. And there are witnesses too. Nico Robin, who reached Laugh Tale with me, and the surviving crew of the Pirate King."
"Then...."
King Cobra's face fell into despair after learning the truth. Vivi was the same.
"Which is why if you spread this truth, the nation will be destroyed by the World Government that very day."
"This is insane... Then why are you telling us this?"
I figured the groundwork was done, so it was time to get to the main point.
"To get your cooperation. The Merchant's Island is building a kingdom in a safe zone for the future. A place that will be safe even if the sea rises 200 meters or 300 meters."
"You mean..."
"Yes, we'll step forward to save people when the world becomes dangerous."
"Then we'll actively cooperate too."
"And there's one more thing."
"What is it?"
"Erase Vivi from the kingdom. It'd be better to say she's dead."
"No, what are you talking about??"
"Right now, there's a monster called 'Im' at the head of the World Government. That being has been ruling the World Government since it was founded."
"Someone like that exists?"
"Yes, that one wants Vivi."
"What! Even if someone like that exists, why would they want Vivi..."
"To be precise, they want 'Nefertari Lily Queen', but the problem is that 'Nefertari Lily Queen' and Vivi look too much alike. I don't know why they want her, but it's probably obsession or possessiveness."
"Haa... I don't know whether to believe this or not..."
Too much unbelievable information came at once, and King Cobra looked heavily shocked.
"Choose here. Hand Vivi over to the Merchant's Island and hide information about her to ensure her safety, or keep her in the kingdom and have the kingdom destroyed or suffer enormous damage from the World Government's attack."
Vivi was shocked hearing that too.
"Because of me, the country will be attacked?"
"Yes. That's why I'm telling you to choose now, because I can't say this outside. If you keep her here, I'll take no payment for stopping the war and just leave."
I served coffee to the two of them.
"I'll give you some time."
After being quiet for a while, Vivi spoke first.
"Father, I'll just go with the Merchant King. He's not someone who would lie."
"But... this is too hard to believe."
At that moment, Pell flew in his animal form and tapped on the Thalaria camper's window.
Tap tap!
"The time's up. I'm just going back."
Then King Cobra shouted urgently.
"Wait! I believe what you say. Take Vivi. Instead, I want the two of you to have a political marriage to guarantee Vivi's safety."
"What did you say??"
"Do you not like Vivi?"
"It's not that, but it's too sudden. And shouldn't we hear Vivi's thoughts too?"
"I'm fine with it!"
Vivi answered without hesitation. I wondered why she was like this. Was it for the kingdom's safety, or had she really fallen for me.
"And there's another problem. There are several women who followed me believing in me."
"If it's someone like you, having multiple wives is possible. I don't mind."
"Do you think that way too, Vivi?"
"That's... I'm a bit unhappy about it... but I think it can't be helped."
"Phew... Fine."
I asked Thalaria to go down to the window again.
"I'll say it again, but don't leak what you heard today. The entire kingdom will be in danger."
"Understood."
With those words, we got out of the Thalaria vehicle. Then the rebel army's leader, Koza, was in the room.
"I greet you, King Cobra."
"Yes, Koza. I'm glad the misunderstanding is cleared."
"I apologize for my rudeness, and I came to say goodbye since I need to go tell the rebel army about this right away."
"Yes, I'm counting on you."
Koza might be attacked by Baroque Works stragglers again, so I told him in advance.
"As soon as you go, capture anyone with a Baroque Works tattoo on their arm. Those guys spread false rumors and destroyed the canals in this incident. If you go without any countermeasures, they'll probably try to assassinate you again."
"Understood."
With that, Koza left, and Luffy's crew, having rested enough, were also about to leave.