CHAPTER 11:To The East Blue

After ninety-seven meticulous reminders about safety, the loyal retainer Igaram finally returned to the main topic:

"…Ma-ma-ma! Cough cough… Yesterday, after contacting the kingdom, I learned His Majesty the King has fallen gravely ill due to the aftermath of the Dance Powder incident. But what about the Reverie that's set to happen in four months? If Alabasta fails to attend, it could seriously tarnish our standing among the allied nations."

"The Dance Powder incident fermented so fast?" Vivi asked, frowning.

Igaram's tone turned grave and sorrowful:

"The populace believes His Majesty's purchasing of Dance Powder has disrupted natural rain cycles, concentrating clouds over the capital and causing severe droughts in the outer cities. They blame the King for the hardships... Alas, the Nefertari Family has protected Alabasta for millennia... and now... I only hate myself for being powerless to help!"

He clenched his fists, trembling with frustration.

Vivi sighed deeply but didn't completely take it to heart. In her view, the root of the incident lay with Baroque Works, who orchestrated the rumors and turned the people against the royal family. The prestige of the Nefertari name plummeted sharply, but this wasn't a simple matter of just clearing up a misunderstanding. If it were that easy, it wouldn't have dragged on unresolved for three years.

There's a reason for the saying, "When rumors spread, refuting them is like breaking your legs."

The heart of the issue wasn't just lies — it was human greed. "Riding a mule, dreaming of a horse; the Prime Minister sees his prince as a son." No matter how much the King loved his people, centuries of accumulated contradictions could not be solved without bloodshed or upheaval. Vivi understood it clearly: without some great shift, these deep-rooted conflicts wouldn't be resolved with mere words.

Internal strife couldn't be solved right now, at least not bloodlessly. Even if Baroque Works' conspiracy were exposed at the Reverie, it wouldn't immediately help Alabasta. Political opportunists would only sense weakness and attack. Kill one Zhang San today, another Li Si would rise tomorrow — endless.

Vivi glanced sideways at Igaram and asked strangely,

"So…what are you trying to say? Are you suggesting we, while infiltrating Baroque Works, also attend the Reverie as Alabasta's representatives?"

She was full of question marks — seriously, what kind of logic was that? Was he joking?

Igaram coughed twice, speaking earnestly:

"Exactly! The headquarters gave us five months to complete our mission. Timing-wise, we can manage both!"

He even sounded a little proud of himself.

Vivi was speechless. Seriously? Was time the real issue here?

She refused immediately and firmly:

"Absolutely not. If we show up, newspapers will report it instantly. Our covers would be blown. Do you think Mr. 0 is a fool? Whether one country joins the Reverie or not doesn't really change the outcome. Alabasta's absence won't shake the world! Trust me on this!"

Her expression turned very serious.

"We'll skip this time. In four years, when the next Reverie comes, we'll attend openly — and by then, we'll cut off all hidden threats!"

There was some self-aggrandizement in her words, but Vivi had made up her mind. If she wasn't at least as strong as the Yonko-level Red-Haired Shanks, she absolutely wouldn't set foot in Mary Geoise! It was suicide!

After finalizing contact protocols, thoroughly discussing every detail, and making excessive promises about her own safety, Vivi finally coaxed the old retainer onto a ship, while she herself and Mr. 9 set off toward the East Blue.

In truth, Vivi's first choice wasn't the East Blue. She longed to visit Little Garden, that ancient island not far from Whiskey Peak. She remembered there were two giant warriors there, Dorry and Brogy, engaged in a century-long duel — over 70,000 bouts!

On average, they fought twice a day — a paradise for attribute farming!

Unfortunately, sneaking around two war-crazy giants was extremely risky. Vivi didn't have Luffy's absurd natural affinity for making friends with monsters. She knew she couldn't just sit nearby and watch the battle safely.

Bringing tons of food and wine might buy some goodwill and let her watch once or twice, but extended stays? No way. To stay long-term would require real strength, and if she had that kind of strength, would she even need to sneak around?

Also, there was the matter of the giant goldfish that prowled around Little Garden's sea.

One misstep, and she'd become fish food.

In short — she needed power. She needed more strength, fast.

---

The world of One Piece is divided into four oceans: East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, and South Blue, separated by the Red Line and the Grand Line.

North and south of the Grand Line lie the Calm Belts, infested by monstrous Sea Kings — gigantic, savage creatures, many larger than 5,000 meters.

For normal sailing vessels, encountering a Sea King spelled inevitable doom.

The Calm Belts were practically impassable without special technology like Seastone-coating or propulsion-based ships like the Marines used.

Luckily, Vivi and Mr. 9 weren't reckless pirates. They avoided the Calm Belt. Instead, they traveled by land, crossed Reverse Mountain, and at its northern base, boarded another ship, eventually reaching the East Blue.

---

Two days later.

Vivi, accompanied by her loyal pet Karoo, disembarked from the ship, with Mr. 9 close behind.

Their destination: the mouth of the East Blue side of the Grand Line — Loguetown, the birthplace and execution ground of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.

The town was sprawling, with orderly streets and rows of three-story stone buildings.

Pedestrians' faces were ruddy with health, and laughter filled the air — signs of prosperity everywhere.

"Yo, there's so many people!" Vivi blinked in surprise.

Since her transmigration, she'd mostly encountered sparsely populated places — usually a couple hundred people at best. And out of those, nearly half would be bounty hunters, pirates, or mercenaries.

To see a thriving, normal town like this was a shock.

After years spent in battlefields and wilderness, it felt like she'd suddenly returned to civilization.

"Welcome!"

"Don't come in!"

"Don't listen to that cracked rock — you're welcome here, traveler!"

Mixed "voices" filled the town, but overwhelmingly they carried positive emotions. The flags waved, the soil beneath her boots vibrated warmly, the plants by the roadside rustled welcoming greetings.

Even some rigid, angular rocks murmured in protest — old grudges perhaps — but their resistance was minor.

With her swordsmanship now advanced to Level 4, Vivi's ability to resist external mental noise had improved dramatically.

Though her spirit was still a bit taxed, at least she no longer felt so sluggish that she slept 16 hours a day like before.

She straightened her back, feeling that rare thing — a sliver of optimism — as she stepped firmly into the legendary Loguetown.