One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

Vivi's lips moved silently as the headlines in the newspapers, which she had once found somewhat exaggerated, echoed repeatedly in her mind.

Only now did she truly realize that what those words described was not mere fiction, but a reality she had never been able to imagine before.

Just as she was reeling from the shock, the blazing midday sun pierced through the dissipating smoke and dust of the battle, pouring down without reservation and clearly outlining V's figure.

He stood there, composed, one hand casually in his pocket, the intricate mechanical structure on his other arm reflecting a cold, technological sheen in the sunlight.

The pale smoke, like a living thing, slowly swirled and gathered around him, eventually gently enveloping his feet and shoulders.

A glimmer of light swept across the lenses of those decorative glasses.

At that moment, in Vivi's eyes, his figure was enveloped in a brilliant golden halo.

The backdrop was a tangled forest path and lingering smoke from battle, yet he seemed to come from another dimension, descending upon this place with unparalleled power and an almost indifferent calm.

Isn't this just like... a prince described in fairy tales, who tears through the gloom and descends from the sky to rescue a princess from danger in her darkest and most desperate moment?

"Princess Vivi! Princess Vivi!"

Icarim's hoarse calls snapped Vivi back to reality.

She paused for a moment before slowly raising her head to meet V's calm eyes peering through his glasses.

Those eyes held no hostility, nor the rage of ordinary pirates; instead, they carried a scrutinizing and probing quality, as if assessing something noteworthy.

Despite his severe injuries, Icarus managed to move to Vivi's side, and with almost his last strength, he brought his mouth close to her ear and whispered:

“Princess Vivi…this person’s strength is unfathomable, and it seems…he doesn’t have much affection for Baroque Works.”

"Perhaps...we can try to make contact...this might be our only chance..."

Ikaram's voice was broken by pain, but his urgency and expectation were crystal clear.

After saying this, he collapsed from exhaustion.

Vivi felt Icarus's body trembling and heavy, and her heart ached.

But Ikaram's words were like a ray of light, piercing through her thoughts that were still in disarray from the shock.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and her azure eyes refocused on V, filled with a mixture of gratitude, vigilance, and a sliver of hope as if grasping at a straw in a desperate situation.

"Thank... thank you for saving us."

Vivi's voice was still a little unsteady, but she was trying her best to maintain the demeanor of a princess.

She looked at V, not immediately mentioning Alabasta or Crocodile, but cautiously asked:

"You're Mr. V from the Straw Hat Pirates, right?"

"Excuse me... what would you like to talk about?"

"It seems the Straw Hat Pirates' reputation is truly at its peak right now!"

Seeing that Vivi also seemed to know her all along, V instantly realized...

Their battle with the navy in the East China Sea was just the beginning.

Although the Navy has not yet released the Straw Hat Pirates' bounty posters for some reason, he believes that this is just the calm before the storm.

And the more this is the case, the more he needs to keep the intelligence in his own hands.

He had already sown the seeds of victory.

With the materials from the prosthetic shop and a touch of divine intervention, building a satellite launch pad by hand is not a difficult task for V now.

"The only thing we lack now is a suitable and sustainable 'base' for development."

V's smile faded, and the prosthetic eye behind his lens flickered slightly.

He took a step forward, pale smoke swirling beneath his feet:

"A descendant of the twenty kings of creation, the princess of Alabasta..."

"I never imagined that someone of such high status would be in such a sorry state."

V's lips curled into that smile once again, a smile that blended curiosity and ambition, his glasses reflecting the afternoon sunlight.

“You…” Vivi’s face flushed red at V’s teasing tone.

But bearing the fate of the nation on her shoulders, she quickly adjusted her mindset, regained her noble demeanor, and gave V a noble salute.

"I'm so sorry, I made you laugh."

Weiwei gave a wry smile:

"But as you can see... today, I, or rather our country, no longer have the power to protect itself."

After saying this, Weiwei seemed to have used up all her strength.

She supported the unconscious Icarus, slowly raised her head, and looked directly at V. Her azure eyes were filled with humiliation, determination, and the last glimmer of hope.

“You just mentioned my identity... so you should also know about Alabasta’s current situation.”

Although Weiwei's voice was soft, it carried an unwavering weight.

"Crocodile manipulated rebellions and instigated internal strife, plunging the nation into war and famine. And I..."

She paused, her fingers tightening slightly. "The power I can mobilize isn't even enough to protect myself from leaving this island."

V remained silent, simply smiling as he listened quietly to the princess's complaints.

After a moment, he suddenly spoke:

"But... what does this have to do with our Straw Hat Pirates?"

His tone was flat, almost cold.

"In this distorted world, getting used to suffering and preventing suffering has long become the norm."

“I fully understand your noble sentiments as a princess of a nation, and your willingness to petition on behalf of your people.”

"But...aren't you members of the royal family the ones who, lacking sufficient power, plunged your people into misery?"

"Isn't the very existence of a leading class that cannot protect the people a mistake?"

“I…” Weiwei’s face turned pale. She had thought that after listening to her complaints, V would understand her and pity her.

To my utter surprise, V's attitude was so cold, yet... reasonable.

Yes.

If their country possessed the power to fight Crocodile, how could they allow their people to suffer such a miserable fate?

But that's easier said than done. Looking around the world, how many countries truly possess the power to resist the Seven Warlords of the Sea and defy the rules tacitly accepted by the World Government?

Weiwei bit her lip, her eyes flashing with resentment and bitterness.

She had studied the art of governance since childhood and knew that although Alabasta was a major power in the Grand Line, its military strength was far from sufficient to confront a veteran powerhouse like Crocodile head-on.

What's more, the other party is officially recognized by the World Government as a "legitimate pirate," and most of the people in his country even regard him as a hero—this is what is most despairing.

“You’re right…we don’t have enough power.”

Vivi slowly released her grip on Icarus, the air of despair causing the life force on her face to quickly fade.

However… just when she thought V would continue to mock her and her country, she suddenly heard:

No! You do!

"Because true 'power'...is now standing before you."

V's voice was calm and clear, like a beam of light piercing through the fog.

He pushed up his glasses, and the faint smile at the corner of his mouth seemed to conceal a certain unwavering strength.

"Let's make a deal, Princess Vivi~"

"Lead Alabasta and join the Straw Hat Pirates..."

"From this day forward, the straw hat flag will protect your country—forever!"

Can we win in Chapter 59? (Please read on!)

"Are we about to have a country?"

Whiskey Peak, inside a cleaned-up pub.

The Straw Hat crew sat around a round table, each with their own interesting expression.

Zoro grinned, revealing his teeth: "Interesting~ You've only just entered the Grand Line and you're already embroiled in a conflict between the Seven Warlords of the Sea and a kingdom?"

"As expected of us!"

That carefree expression suggested that he had already accepted the Straw Hat Pirates' destined fate of constant turmoil and trouble.

“I have no objection either!” Nami’s eyes gleamed with golden light: “Alabasta is a superpower renowned throughout the world!”

"If I could own this land, I can't even imagine how many Pele I could earn every day!"

"Hey~ How come you guys accepted it so quickly!?" Usopp slapped his forehead, speechless. "That's a whole kingdom, you know!?"

Why can't we accept it?

V smiled slightly, took out the recent newspapers he had collected from the town, and spread them all out on the table.

"You guys don't know yet, do you? The Straw Hat crew has already become a huge pirate force in the eyes of the world."

As the newspaper was spread out on the table, its eye-catching headlines instantly drew everyone's attention—

The East China Sea Fleet is destroyed! The Straw Hat Pirates become the newest maritime legends!

A 3000 million bounty? The Navy's biggest joke!

"A True Dragon Emerges from the Abyss! The Last Song of the Weakest Sea!"

The Rise of the Straw Hat Crew: A New Force in One Piece!

……

……

"These...these are all newspapers about us?"

Sanji took a deep drag on his cigarette, staring at the front-page headlines, his eyes trembling with disbelief.

Because the messengers for the Grand Line and those for the East Blue were not from the same batch, they only established contact with the new messengers yesterday.