"Damn the king! If he hadn't used Dancing Powder, we wouldn't be suffering like this!"
[God's Judgment!]
Koza's eyes widened in shock.
How had the entire world suddenly lit up?
It was the middle of the night!
His instincts kicked in, and he turned toward the source of the light—only to see a massive pillar of lightning descending from the sky, growing larger and larger in his vision.
"How... beautiful."
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion rocked the land.
The rebels, caught off guard, turned toward the massive crater left behind. The air still sizzled with residual electricity, and a faint burnt smell lingered.
Their stunned silence was soon broken by a cold, commanding voice from above.
"All rebels, come out!"
Heads snapped upward as they spotted a spaceship slowly descending from the sky.
"That's... Princess Vivi?!"
"Princess Vivi?! Why is she here?!"
"Is she... here to execute us?"
Murmurs spread through the crowd, eyes locking onto the ship Little Garden Proverbs.
Standing at the forefront, Vivi took a deep breath and spoke with unwavering authority.
"Everyone, I am Nefertari Vivi, princess of this kingdom."
"The cause of Alabasta's drought—the Shichibukai Crocodile—has been defeated. Rain will soon return, and you will no longer suffer from a lack of water!"
Her words echoed through the rebel camp, but no one spoke.
The distrust in their eyes was clear.
Seeing this, Vivi pressed forward.
"Who is the leader here?"
The crowd stirred in confusion.
"Where's the leader?"
"I don't know..."
"With all this commotion, why hasn't Koza shown up?"
"Could it be..."
A few sharp-eyed rebels glanced toward the enormous crater. The air around it still crackled with heat, carrying the scent of something burnt.
No one dared voice their suspicion aloud.
Koza's death was no accident—Hikaru had made sure of it.
A man who incited rebellion at every sign of unrest was an unstable element in the kingdom. The others could live, but someone like him, who harbored deep-rooted defiance, had to be eliminated.
"If your leader isn't here, choose someone to speak on your behalf."
Hikaru's indifferent voice sent a chill through the rebels, leaving them no choice but to comply.
Before long, a man named Farafra was chosen. He wasn't the sharpest, but he stepped forward nonetheless.
"Princess Vivi, wasn't Crocodile a national hero? How could he be responsible for the drought?"
Vivi met his gaze firmly.
"He secretly used Dancing Powder to curse our land. I infiltrated his organization to uncover the truth."
Farafra hesitated. One person's word wouldn't be enough to convince the rebels.
Before he could argue further, Hikaru cut in with an impatient snort.
"I don't have time to waste on you. If Vivi hadn't begged me on her knees"(to amuse me)", I wouldn't have spared your lives."
[Of course, Hikaru only thought those words in parentheses—he didn't say them out loud.]
As his voice fell silent, thunder rumbled in the sky. A massive dragon made of pure lightning descended toward the rebels.
Gasps filled the air as the electrified beast came within inches of them—only to twist away at the last second, shooting back into the heavens.
Their bodies trembled.
They now understood—if Hikaru had truly wanted them dead, he could have wiped them out with a flick of his wrist.
"Lord Thunder! Princess Vivi! We believe you! But..."
Farafra gritted his teeth before speaking boldly.
"Can it rain now? We haven't had fresh water in so long..."
Vivi's expression softened.
"I understand your suffering. Let it rain here for now."
She turned to Hikaru.
"When I return to the palace, I will speak with my father. For the next month, all of Alabasta will be covered in storm clouds and blessed with rain."
Hikaru watched her for a moment before casually summoning dark clouds overhead.
The lightning dragon from earlier coiled into the storm, its deep growls echoing through the sky.
Moments later, heavy rain began pouring down.
The rebels stood frozen for a moment before lifting their hands, feeling the cool droplets against their skin.
They had nearly forgotten what rain felt like.
Now, they were finally saved.
"Master Vivi!! Master Thunder God!!"
The rebels erupted into cheers, expressing their gratitude one after another.
As the saying goes, whoever feeds you is your parent.
Koza? Never heard of him.
Who would bother rebelling when they could live in peace and stability?
Just like that, the rebel army dissolved, its members returning to their civilian lives.
Vivi and Hikaru had played their roles perfectly—one as the gentle savior, the other as an overwhelming force.
With nothing more than a few words, they had crushed the rebellion.
The reason they had gone through the trouble of personally visiting the rebel base was partly because of Vivi's feelings.
But more importantly, in Hikaru's eyes, Alabasta was already his.
These rebels were his future workforce, and it was better to keep them alive. Only the true instigators needed to be removed.
Royal Palace, Alubarna
Night had fallen over the capital, its beauty shimmering under the stars.
Of course, the first person Vivi sought upon returning to the palace was her father, King Cobra.
Inside the royal hall, Cobra sat at his desk, a document in hand, his face clouded with concern. His mind still lingered on his willful daughter, who had gone abroad without permission.
"Father!"
The palace guards knew Vivi well, and no one dared stop her as she and Hikaru entered the grand hall.
Cobra flinched in surprise.
Looking up, he saw Vivi, her figure practically glowing with happiness.
Relief washed over him—but before he could even smile, his eyes landed on the young man beside her.
Vivi's hand was entwined with his, their closeness unmistakable.
Cobra's expression froze.
"Vivi, so you still remember to come back!"
He tried to sound stern, feigning anger.
Vivi, unfazed, smiled gently.
"Father, the cause of the drought has been dealt with. It was Crocodile."
Cobra's eyes widened.
"What!? It was him all along…?"
He trusted Vivi's words without question, but his focus quickly shifted.
His gaze flickered toward Hikaru.
"And who exactly is—"
Before he could finish, Vivi stepped forward.
"He is someone I met while working undercover. His name is Hikaru—my soulmate. We love each other and have already confessed our feelings. We are partners."
Her cheeks turned slightly pink as she tightened her grip on Hikaru's hand, leaning into him just a little.
She didn't want to make Cobra worry, so she framed her explanation carefully. If she told him the full truth, he would undoubtedly fly into a rage.
"This…"
Cobra's mind reeled.
He could see the love in Vivi's eyes, the happiness in her expression.
But something about the situation felt... wrong.
It was too sudden. Too unexpected.
As a king with years of experience, his instincts screamed that there was more to this than what Vivi was telling him.
Perhaps, once Igaram returns, he will bring the full truth...
But by then, it might already be too late to change anything.
---------------
Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: patreon.com/Veni_V