Alabasta Kingdom, Atla Mountains. Wooden villa, living room. "Bounty of 300 million Berries, the highly anticipated Pirate Super Rookie Ace, has joined the Whitebeard Pirates..." Mr. Sephiroth was leaning back on a long sofa, holding a newspaper in his hand and carefully reading its contents.
Beside him, Vivi, wearing a pink nurse uniform, held a teapot and was pouring black tea into a teacup on the table in front of him. While looking at the newspaper in his hand, Mr. Sephiroth said casually:
"Drinking tea is so troublesome! Nana, feed it to me!" Hearing this, Vivi couldn't help but twitch her mouth.
She said in a somewhat dissatisfied tone:
"Boss, if you think drinking tea is troublesome, you actually don't have to drink it. That way, I wouldn't have had to make tea just now!" Mr. Sephiroth smacked his lips, looking displeased:
"Geez~! You're wearing a nurse uniform now, you should at least take good care of your Boss, right?"
"I didn't voluntarily want to wear this outfit... it's all because you forced me to!" Vivi said angrily. "Tsk! You were the one who kept complaining that the black silk bunny girl outfit didn't look like a proper secretary's attire. That's why I changed you into a different uniform!" "But this outfit doesn't look like something a proper secretary would wear either!"
"Then you can just treat yourself as a proper nurse and take good care of me, your Boss, can't you? The essence of role-playing is full immersion, the unity of knowledge and action!" "I don't want to play role-playing!...Bastard Boss!" "Hey, hey, hey—! If you don't want to do it, then hurry up and resign! So I can quickly recruit an obedient secretary.
If you don't do this well-paying job, there are plenty of others rushing to do it... Maybe they'd even be willing to feed me black tea with their mouth! Unlike you, who always talks back and bargains with me, your Boss!" Vivi: "..." Honestly, during this time, she was really fed up with Mr. Sephiroth!
If it weren't for finding the Umbrella Corporation's criminal data, she would have left long ago... Besides occasionally flirting with her with flowery words, this guy would also sometimes make requests that made her feel very ashamed and unreasonable. For example, when she was still wearing the bunny girl outfit, Mr.
Sephiroth would ask her to strike various embarrassing poses for him to take pictures with Impression Dials, or he would ask her to dance some strange dances while also recording videos... In response, Mr. Sephiroth just wanted to say:
Taking a set of private photos and videos of the Alabasta Kingdom Princess, the future queen of the country, feels like it would be very interesting!
Especially the way Princess Vivi was clearly unwilling but still had to obediently listen, it really made him feel inexplicably pleased in his heart... Happy.JPG
It was a feeling he rarely experienced with his own girls. After all, Mr.
Sephiroth's girls were willing to do anything as long as he didn't ask for something too excessive, so it was hard for them to be like Princess Vivi, who was clearly unwilling in her heart but could only obediently do it... Hmm!? Wait, why do I feel like I've become a bit perverted lately? Mr.
Sephiroth happily drank the black tea that Vivi had picked up the teacup and brought to his mouth, while letting his mind wander. Knock, knock, knock—! At the door of the wooden villa, there was a sudden knock. "Someone's here, go open the door!" Slap—! Mr. Sephiroth, lost in thought, subconsciously patted Princess Vivi's butt, signaling her to open the door.
After he realized how frivolous and offensive his action towards the young girl just now was, he could only continue to pretend nothing happened on his face, looking at the newspaper in his hand. It's not a big deal, as long as I'm not embarrassed, then the one who's embarrassed is someone else! Ahhh—! This hateful guy, he's actually starting to lay his hands on me now!
Was he going to become even more outrageous in the future? Vivi seethed inwardly. She shot Mr. Sephiroth a withering glare before setting down her teacup, striding to the villa door, and cracking it open just enough to peer outside.
A young man stood on the doorstep, dressed in a blue suit and black overcoat, topped with a black hat. His wavy blond hair framed a face marked by a scar over his left eye. "May I help you?" Vivi asked automatically, but as her gaze settled on his features, recognition flickered across her expression.
It was Sabo—the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff with a 350 million Berry bounty. Sensing her scrutiny, he instinctively adjusted his hat, tipping the brim lower before speaking softly, "Ah, yes... I heard Mr. Sephiroth resides here. I was hoping to speak with him about a few matters."
Vivi's eyes narrowed. "May I ask who you are and what business you have with my boss?"
"Just tell him a comrade seeking democracy and freedom has come to see him," Sabo replied.
Inside the living room, Mr. Sephiroth, seated on the sofa, twitched his mouth slightly at the exchange. "Nana! Let him in!"
"Fine," Vivi muttered, reluctantly swinging the door wide to allow Sabo entry. As he passed her, his gaze lingered momentarily. Though she wore a pink nurse uniform, her hair tied in a high ponytail, and unfashionable black-rimmed glasses, Sabo saw through the disguise instantly. He'd done his homework before arriving in Alabasta, and her clumsy attempt at anonymity didn't fool him.
The moment Sabo stepped inside, Mr. Sephiroth gestured toward the studio adjacent to the living room. "Let's talk in the office."
"Of course," Sabo agreed, following him without hesitation. Mr. Sephiroth closed the door behind them and drew the white blinds over the glass window, cutting off Vivi's attempt to eavesdrop. "This room has excellent soundproofing," he explained casually. "I use it for drafting blueprints and work. Unless there's a commotion, nothing escapes."
Sabo nodded, then introduced himself formally. "Hello, Mr. Sephiroth. I'm Sabo, Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army."
Mr. Sephiroth crossed his arms, a faint chuckle escaping him. "Nice to meet me? Haven't you remembered yet?"
"Remembered what?" Sabo asked, puzzled.
"Never mind. Let's hear why you're here."
"Right." Sabo didn't press the matter and got straight to the point. "Mr. Sephiroth, I wanted to ask about King Cobra and the Alabasta Kingdom. Recently, our Revolutionary Army received a request from the kingdom's rebel forces. They want us to intervene in the civil unrest, claiming King Cobra has abused dancing powder, causing droughts and disregarding his people's welfare. However, for caution's sake, Mr. Doragon didn't immediately agree. Instead, he sent me to investigate the situation.
It's just..." Sabo trailed off, scratching his head hesitantly.
"Just what?" Mr. Sephiroth prompted.
"From what I've gathered through investigations and inquiries among the citizens," he began, "nearly everyone describes King Cobra as a benevolent and wise ruler. Quite different from how the rebel army portrays him—as an incompetent and muddle-headed king."
He paused, his brow furrowing. "This discrepancy makes me question the results. When I heard you were here, I thought it would be a good opportunity to ask about the situation. Especially since the Umbrella Corporation's sudden intervention played a significant role in quelling the civil unrest in the Alabasta Kingdom."
Mr. Sephiroth smirked. "Heh! Kid, let's cut to the chase. You're not here to ask me about King Cobra, are you? You're here to probe whether the Umbrella Corporation orchestrated the civil unrest behind the scenes, right?"
Sabo chuckled nervously, scratching his head. "Ahahaha! No, no, that's not it at all. I just came to ask about the situation casually."
"Don't bother lying," Mr. Sephiroth said coldly. "No deception escapes my Observation Haki."
Sabo's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. "Alright, I'll be straightforward then." He leaned forward, his tone earnest. "According to my investigation, conflicts between the citizens and the kingdom's government started emerging last year, before the dancing powder incident. Before that, King Cobra enjoyed near-universal support with no public grievances, and there was no rebel army to speak of."
He paused, his eyes narrowing. "But after the dancing powder incident, a hundred thousand rebel troops suddenly appeared. That kind of escalation doesn't make sense. Someone must have been pulling the strings behind the scenes."
"So you think the Umbrella Corporation is behind it," Mr. Sephiroth said, his tone mocking.
"Exactly," Sabo replied, his gaze steady. "When you consider who benefits the most and who looks the most suspicious, it's hard for the Umbrella Corporation to avoid suspicion."
Mr. Sephiroth chuckled. "Hmm! That's true. Your reasoning matches Princess Vivi's outside."
Sabo's eyes widened. "Wait, you already knew her identity?"
"Of course," Mr. Sephiroth said with a dismissive wave. "The Umbrella Corporation operates in the Alabasta Kingdom. We've done our homework on the royal family."
He leaned back, his expression serious. "There is indeed a mastermind behind the civil unrest, but it's not the Umbrella Corporation. It's a secret criminal organization called Baroque Works. If you don't believe me, investigate it yourself. The Umbrella Corporation merely exploited the situation for profit using its intelligence advantage."
"Is that so?" Sabo murmured, his mind racing. "I'll need to verify this. I apologize for disturbing you. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now." He bowed slightly and turned to leave.
"Wait," Mr. Sephiroth called out. "Since we've finished discussing the main topic, how about we talk about your amnesia?"
"My amnesia?" Sabo froze, his thoughts immediately drifting back eight years to the head injury that had erased parts of his memory. It was the day Dragon had found him and brought him into the Revolutionary Army.
"Regarding memory," Mr. Sephiroth said smoothly, "I've conducted extensive research. Would you like me to help you recover your memories? This isn't actually our first meeting. Your amnesia just prevents you from remembering."
"Is that so?" Sabo eyed him suspiciously, scratching his head again.
"No injections, no medicine, fast results!" Mr. Sephiroth added with a sly smile.
"You get a free trial—wouldn't you like to give it a shot?" Mr. Sephiroth's voice was smooth, almost coaxing. "Is... is that true?" Sabo hesitated, skepticism written across his face. "Absolutely!" Mr. Sephiroth replied with a confident grin. "But how exactly do you plan to treat my amnesia?" "Simple. Just follow my instructions. Relax your body, close your eyes, and take deep breaths..."
Sabo sighed, deciding to humor the man. He closed his eyes, loosened his muscles, and began breathing steadily, though he couldn't help wondering if any of this would actually work.
As Sabo focused on his breathing, Mr. Sephiroth's lips curled into a mischievous smirk. In an instant, a crimson aura of Conqueror's Haki enveloped him, masking his presence completely and blocking Sabo's Observation Haki from detecting his movements. Then—
Bang!
A brutal kick slammed into Sabo's right cheek. His eyes rolled back as his body was sent hurtling backward, crashing through two wooden walls of the villa before skidding to a stop on the pavement outside. Sabo tumbled several times before finally lying still, dazed and disoriented.
His head spun violently, and a strange force seemed to pull at his blood, sending it surging toward his skull. The pressure was unbearable, as if his brain's blood vessels were on the verge of bursting.
Meanwhile, Vivi had been eavesdropping by the studio window, pressing her ear against the glass to catch whatever Mr. Sephiroth and Sabo were discussing. But the scene that unfolded left her frozen in shock. What could they possibly have said to lead to this?
On the street, Sabo groaned, clutching his throbbing forehead. As the pain subsided, fragmented images began to flood his mind—familiar yet distant, as if dredged up from the depths of his subconscious.
Those were all memories he had once forgotten...