C188(1)

"An Enemy of the Country?"

Nefeltari Vivi, only 14 years old, was already a responsible princess. She had loved and valued her country since childhood, but recently, she noticed that people like Igaram and her father no longer had their usual cheerful expressions. 

Concerned, she decided to chat with Igaram and soon uncovered some troubling news.

Vivi's deep blue eyes widened as she looked at Igaram. "Who are they?"

"I don't know. I can't find out anything about them at all. All I know is that they are a group of criminals," Igaram said, shaking his head, his face clouded with frustration. 

As the captain of the Kingdom Guard, it was embarrassing for him not to even uncover the identities of common criminals.

"It's impossible to gather intelligence from outside sources, and if we continue investigating, it could threaten the country's security. Those guys are fearless, and right now, they're just collecting funds. Princess Vivi, what do you intend to do?"

Vivi smirked and asked, "Igaram, do you know what I'm thinking?"

"I have no idea. I'm going back to work—wait, who are you?! How dare you trespass into the palace!"

Suddenly, Igaram's eyes darted toward the window, his voice filled with panic. But Vivi didn't move. 

She kept her gaze fixed on Igaram. If she were still seven years old, she might have fallen for his distraction. But she was fourteen now.

"Igaram, that trick doesn't work on me anymore. You haven't been able to fool me since I turned eight."

Before she could finish her triumphant remark, Igaram suddenly pulled her behind him, his expression turning serious. 

He shifted into combat mode, and several gun barrels extended from his unusually curly hair, pointing straight at the window—where a man had appeared.

"Calm down. I'm not an enemy. I just happened to be passing by," the man said.

"Don't try to talk your way out of this!" Igaram snapped. "You showed up right after we mentioned the crime syndicate. You're after Princess Vivi, aren't you?! Look at me—"

Boom!

A stun spell hit the back of Igaram's head, and his large body collapsed with a heavy thud.

"It was just a misunderstanding," the intruder said casually. "But your guard values you a lot. He saw me as a threat, so I had to let him sleep for a bit. He'll wake up soon."

With the tense situation defused, Kain turned to Nefeltari Vivi with a charming smile. "I just happened to overhear your conversation while passing by, and I must say, I find it quite interesting. Would you mind telling me more about it?"

As he spoke, Kain snapped his fingers, and Igaram's unconscious form floated off the ground. With a flick of his wrist, the guard was gently placed onto a nearby couch, a blanket draped over him—though the temperature hardly warranted one.

Throughout the exchange, Kain exuded an aura of elegance, his every movement refined. Whether it was his gestures or the warmth of his smile, everything about him seemed to ease Vivi's suspicions. 

Despite the sudden intrusion, his demeanor carried no malice toward Igaram. His words, actions, and etiquette radiated the noble grace of a true aristocrat.

"Who Are You?"

Although Princess Vivi didn't feel that Kain was a bad person, she didn't let her guard down.

"A businessman who knows a little bit of magic," Kain replied with a smile. "I got lost in the air just now, so I came down to ask for directions. What about you?"

"Nefertari Vivi, princess of Alabasta. And that is the captain of the palace guard, Igaram."

As Princess Vivi spoke, she was also trying to understand what Kain meant by magic. She was familiar with Devil Fruits—those who ate them gained incredible abilities—so she wondered if the man before her had consumed one.

"This is the royal palace of Alabasta," she added.

Kain chuckled and said apologetically, "Ah, I see. I'm sorry—this place looks much larger from the outside, but it's very different from what I expected a palace to be. Please accept this as an apology for my uninvited intrusion—Magic Chocolate."

Vivi's face reddened slightly at his words. The palace of Alabasta was rather plain. 

From the outside, it was little more than a large circular structure, and some Marine bases were arguably more impressive.

Immediately, she retorted, "Father spent all of the royal family's living expenses to improve the lives of Alabasta's citizens!"

"A truly good king," Kain remarked. "So, you were discussing the criminals threatening to destroy the country. Princess vivi, you seem rather young to be dealing with such matters."

"Just call me Vivi. That's what everyone calls me."

By now, Vivi had become much less wary of Kain. Feeling more at ease, she began explaining the situation in Alabasta.

A relentless drought, lasting over a year, had pushed the kingdom into turmoil. With each passing day, the growing crime wave further destabilized the nation. 

The once-peaceful Alabasta had changed dramatically, and tensions among the citizens were at an all-time high. On top of that, the criminals Igaram had uncovered only added to her concerns.

Vivi had always loved her country, but now it was becoming more and more unfamiliar. So, for some time, she had been secretly investigating these disturbances on her own.

"I see," Kain said thoughtfully. "Princess Vivi, I can offer you a deal—one that includes, but is not limited to, the sale of supplies, rainfall, and hunting down criminals. And the price you'd need to pay would be very little."

Kain's words carried an almost hypnotic quality, making Vivi instinctively trust him. As their conversation continued, her initial wariness faded entirely.

Not long after returning from the Naruto world to the Marvel universe, Kain found himself transported to yet another new world. 

He had spent two months in the Marvel world, but now, curious about what he could gain from this new venture, he decided to explore it.

….

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