If one were to ask: what is the most formidable profession on this sea? Some might say the Marines, while others might say pirates.
But in reality, the most formidable profession is the Journalist—specifically those responsible for snapping photos for bounty posters.
As for why? Just look at those ferocious, high-definition posters of the world's most dangerous pirates. You can't just call it "professionalism" anymore; it's practically a death wish! Yet, despite taking photos of so many monsters and killers, this bunch of pen-pushers is still alive and kicking.
If one were to ask: what is the most formidable animal on this sea? Some might say Sea Kings, while others might say deep-sea monsters. But in reality, the most formidable animal is the News Coo.
As for why? Just think about the service range of these "divine beasts." Aside from the Calm Belt, as long as there is a living soul capable of reading a newspaper, no matter how remote or dangerous the location, these News Coos—who knows what they grew up eating—will absolutely deliver the paper. And it only costs 100 Berries!
When you really think about it, it's terrifying. Aside from the three great powers on the surface—the Marines, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the Four Emperors—these news professionals are essentially the "Fourth Great Power." They are hidden bosses lurking in plain sight, a literal glitch in the system.
Ahem, the above is purely for comedic effect.
Even so, the speed of information across this ocean is still somewhat slow, let alone in places where few people ever set foot.
For example: Little Garden.
It had been some time since the two giant uncles saw off the Straw Hat crew. During this period, Miss Goldenweek, Miss Valentine, and Mr. 5 had been living in this prehistoric jungle, keeping company with dinosaurs and living like savages every day.
Until today...
Watching the News Coo fly off into the distance, these three former Baroque Works senior agents hurriedly began reading the hard-won newspaper.
"Baroque Works... was wiped out by Marine Headquarters?!"
"A Warlord of the Sea, Sir Crocodile, was also captured by the Marines?!"
The lemon-loving assassin, Miss Valentine, stared at the faces on the paper—some familiar, some strange—her fair, pretty face filled with shock. The hand holding the newspaper trembled slightly.
"I didn't expect such a secretive organization to be exposed one day." Mr. 5 adjusted the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. "But this is for the best. At least we can leave this island without worrying about being hunted down by our own colleagues."
According to the old rules of Baroque Works, an agent who failed a mission was as good as dead.
"Idiot! Even if that's true, we've all become targets for the Marines now!" Miss Valentine quickly flipped through the paper, her expression growing grimmer by the second.
"Then what should we do?" The Bomb-Man looked at his partner and sighed. "The three of us can't stay here with those two giants and dinosaurs for the rest of our lives, can we?"
Recalling the hardships of the past few days, the two looked at each other and simultaneously made a look of utter exhaustion.
"Let's not worry about that for now. First, let's find a way to leave this hellhole."
Miss Valentine carefully tucked away the precious newspaper and looked toward Miss Goldenweek. She was surprised to find the little girl with the ox-horn braids packing her bags. She asked curiously:
"Miss Goldenweek? What are you doing?"
"I'm leaving this island." The painter tucked her beloved brushes into her small backpack and said with great solemnity, "I'm going to rescue the Boss and the others!"
"WHAT???!!!" Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were instantly shocked senseless by the little girl's startling declaration.
"Hey, hey, hey, you're not joking, are you, Miss Goldenweek!" Mr. 5 spread his hands, speaking with complete disbelief. "Breaking into a prison is no joke! What reason do you have to take such a risk?"
"Reason?" The little girl's hands suddenly stopped moving.
"Mr. 5, back then, why didn't you follow the plan to kill Miss Valentine? Why did you help her deal with the Hungry Wolf Pirates instead?"
"That... because she's my companion. How could I turn my hand against my own companion?"
At this, the Bomb-Man scratched his head sheepishly. Standing to the side, Miss Valentine didn't show anything on the surface, but she felt a warm glow in her heart.
"Exactly. Companions." Closing her backpack, Miss Goldenweek turned and gave the two of them a cute smile.
"Simply because we are companions. That's why I'm going to save them. Isn't that reason enough?"
"..."
Staring at the little girl's innocent, smiling face, both of them fell silent. For a moment, they felt a soft spot deep within their hearts being profoundly touched...
As the sun set, the sky gradually turned gloomy.
In the desert kingdom of Alabasta, at the royal capital—Alubarna.
"Ugh, I didn't expect a merchant to have to learn so many things..."
With a groan, Princess Vivi gently closed the book in her hands, her brow furrowed. When she looked at the thick stack of books and documents on her desk, she let out a long, helpless sigh.
"Trade and economic construction are just too complicated."
After the Straw Hat crew left, King Cobra began to focus on grooming his precious daughter. He not only intended for her to attend the World Council (Reverie) two years from now but also handed over the full authority for future cooperation with the Goldglint Trading Company to Vivi.
"I heard from Igaram that the Chairman of the Goldglint Trading Company has already entered the Grand Line. After negotiating cooperation with Drum—no, it should be the Sakura Kingdom—he will come here. Dammit... I don't have much time left to study!"
For some reason, whenever Vivi thought of this "Goldglint Chairman" whom she had yet to meet, she felt a mysterious, inexplicable sense of hostility, as if that person and she were in some kind of competitive relationship.
Because of this, the stubborn princess, who refused to be looked down upon, had plunged headfirst into the sea of books without hesitation. But looking at her current state, she seemed on the verge of "drowning" in that ocean of knowledge.
"Aaaaaah, it seems I'm really not cut out for business..."
Vivi rubbed her smooth blue hair in frustration, completely ruining the hairstyle Tera-kotta had carefully prepared for her. She had entirely tossed the elegance and grace befitting a princess into the Grand Line.
"Quack, quack..." Carue, the giant duck, looked at his master's sudden outburst with a startled cry.
"..." Realizing she had lost her composure, the blue-haired princess's expression froze. She gently patted the giant duck's head and turned to look toward the balcony.
At this moment, the evening glow had not yet faded. The setting sun and clouds peeked in from the west side of the balcony, illuminating the entire room in gold and brilliance. Vivi's face was tinged with a slight blush, framed by the varying shades of orange light. She looked radiant and very beautiful.
"If I had boarded the ship back then..." As she thought, the blue-haired girl's eyes gradually lost focus.
Although Vivi appeared to be a perfectly well-behaved girl on the outside, her actions suggested she was actually quite a rebellious princess—bold, curious, and filled with a spirit for adventure.
So, in all honesty, Vivi personally wished she could have stepped onto that small ship again, following her companions to continue their adventure on this vast sea.
But as a responsible princess, she didn't do it.
Because this land she loved dearly needed her.
(I wonder what everyone is doing right now. Counting the time, Sanji should be preparing dinner, or maybe he's arguing with Mr. Bushido. I really don't know why those two always end up fighting.)
(Luffy must be shouting that he's hungry again. Hee hee, as the Captain, he can never seem to get full. Usopp and Chopper are probably fishing, or maybe tinkering with their own things. Nami is likely drawing sea charts; after all, her dream is to map the entire world.)
(As for Mr. Glasses...)
Thinking of the black-haired young man wearing silver-rimmed glasses, and of that farewell dance amidst the torrential rain, the thousands of thoughts in Princess Vivi's mind suddenly came to a halt. A layer of melancholy gradually veiled her fair, pretty face.
"Sherlock, will we be able to meet again?"
Her slender fingers subconsciously brushed against her tender lips. The blue-haired princess's cheeks began to flush, as if she were thinking of something incredibly embarrassing, and the corners of her mouth curled into a sweet arc.
"We will. We will definitely have the chance to meet again! Hehehe..."
"Quack?" Carue looked at his master, who had once again started giggling for no reason, and tilted his neck in a daze. He wondered if his master had actually gone crazy from all that reading.
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