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She’s so close to her home that she can practically taste it. It calls to er like a siren in the night, hoping to pull her closer and closer with each song. As tempting as the call may be, Vivi keeps herself grounded, reminding herself of their plan and focusing on what needs to be done to save her people. In just a few more days, they’ll go to her castle, request to see her father, and fight Crocodile alongside the royal military once and for all. Though, until then, Vivi and her crewmates, the Strawhat Pirates, rest for the night. The teens all huddle together around a fire, eating the wonderful dish made by Sanji (she finds his work as a chef absolutely amazing, almost better than her own royal chefs) and laughing at one of Usopp’s tales (he recites the tale of him saving a nearby village and earning the title “The Great Usopp”). Chopper who whoas at the stories, Karoo who quacks in appreciates, Luffy who cheers with food in his mouth, Zoro who no longer tries to act cool and laughs proudly, Sanji who simply smiles fondly at the sharpshooter, and Nami who sits closely to Vivi, rolling her eyes at the story. However, even Vivi can see the way Nami’s eyes twinkle and sparkle at each word that leaves Usopp’s mouth.
The strawhats radiate such love and care that it makes Vivi glad that she met the six. And at the same time, she despises it all. Simply because when this all ends, Vivi and Karoo will have to say farewell to their new friends, no, family. That’s who they are to her and what they’ll forever be.
Slight pain shoots through her body, swelling in her chest. The cause is no mystery to her, Vivi knows the culprit right away. The Strawhats may be her family and while she does love them, she can’t help but to wonder about her family back home. What of them and their wellbeing? She worries about Ingaram who put his life on the line to protect her from Ms. All Sunday, a powerful opponent that would’ve put an end to Vivi’s entire two year plan. Is her father alright? He must be, Chaka and Pell are protecting him. Those two are the strongest warriors in their kingdom and loyal to the royal family, they would put their lives on the line to protect her father. Vivi prays to the highest being that it doesn’t get to that point. She cannot imagine losing another family member. If everything works out perfectly then no one would need to lose their lives.
“Vivi, now it’s your turn!”
She blinks, coming back to reality and her awaiting friends. Everyone looking at her with a wave of excitement. “My turn?”
Usopp nods. “Yeah, it's your turn to tell us a story. Tell us about your life as a princess.”
“But all of those stories are boring, they wouldn’t interest you.” If anything, her life became more interesting only after she left her kingdom. “I wouldn’t want to bore you all with those stories.”
“Eh?” Luffy says, holding and dragging the word as if his life depends on it. “Come on, tell us a princess story!”
“Yeah!” Shouts Chopper, eyes twinkling in the moonlight. “Tell us, tell us!”
Even Karoo joins in the charade, his own little eyes twinkling in wonder. Out of everyone, Karoo should know that Vivi lead an almost boring life as a princess. With Pell and Chaka always at her side as a child, nothing terrible ever happened to her. And the strawhats already know of what happened between her and the former king Wapol, which was a moment that only lasted for a measly five seconds. Even that wasn’t anything special, though, it did rile up the strawhats and further their hatred for the former king.
Fingers drag through the sand, the picture of her favorite desert flower coming to life (though, not as beautifully as what Usopp could create). Her friends all sit there, waiting and waiting for her to say something, anything really. Their attention makes her flush red, she has to fight the urge of covering her face with her hair. “I don’t know,” she says, focusing on her subpar art. “There’s nothing to share.”
“Come on!” Usopp says. “There’s got to be something!”
“Yeah! You’re a princess, don’t you have stories about kidnappings or people trying to blow up your castle?” Luffy asks before he yelps in pain. “Sanji, why did you hit me?”
Sanji just glares at his captain, sitting back down beside Usopp and Chopper. “Because you’re annoying, Vivi,” he says. “If she doesn’t have anything to share, then she has nothing to share so just drop it.”
Luffy pouts, unable to just drop it. “But there’s gotta be something!”
“Just drop it!”
Vivi appreciates Sanji’s help but she does feel bad for the others who all want to hear something from her. But what can I share? It’s not like she did anything exciting— oh!
“Wait,” she says, all eyes turning towards her. “There is one story that I just remembered.”
Luffy brightens, grinning wide as he looks at Sanji. “See, she does have something to share!”
Sanji rolls his eyes. “Just shut up so we can hear what she has to say.”
Chopper claps happily. “Tell us, tell us!”
Usopp nods along, eyes sparkling like the stars in the sky as he looks at their friend. “Yeah, come on, tell us!”
Nestling closer to Karoo, Vivi looks out into the horizon, the memory of her childhood flooding back to her. “Okay, then I’ll tell you the story of my time as the leader of the Suna Suna Club,” she says, a smile slowly slipping onto her face. She can hear it now. The voices of overly excited children, Pell’s warning, the sweltering sun attacking their cheeks, and the laughter… An adventure from long ago but felt as if it happened just yesterday. “This is the story of our group’s grand delivery.”
****
“Man, it must be fun to be one of the King’s guards.”
“Yeah! Imagine all the places you get to see and the people you get to meet.”
“Even better, imagine the bad guys you get to beat up.”
“Oh man, I bet they beat up a bunch every day.”
“I bet they beat up bad guys in their sleep!”
“I wonder who beats up the most bad guys.”
“Don’t know but I bet it’s a tie between Pell and Chaka.”
“Those two are crazy strong but I wonder who’s the strongest between the,.”
‘What do you think, Vivi. Who’s stronger, Pell or Chaka/“
Staring up from her card game against Kebi, Vivi blinks up at the group of questions boys. “I’m sorry… what?”
“We wanna know who’s stronger, Pell or Chaka,” repeats one of the boys. “You’re their princess, you should know the answer.”
Vivi holds her tongue, ready to correct him that she’s all of their princess. It wouldn’t be right to say that now, not when the Suna Suna Club members are waiting for her answer. Even Kebi, who was playing cards against her, stares at her with anticipation. The sight and attention makes her a little nervous but then again, it’s become something she’s grown used to. Months with the group of boys have made her almost invincible to little boys and their burst of energy. Or their questions when it comes to her travels, or like now, when it comes to her father’s guards. Who are also her guards.
“Oh, um.” Vivi lets out, looking down at her cards. “I don’t know, they’re both really strong.”
She’s hit with a wave of groans that almost drowns her in her own regret. ‘Come on! That’s a terrible answer!”
“Yeah,” Says another boy. ‘We all know that they’re really strong, we want to know who’s stronger.”
“Does it really matter?” Vivi asks, glancing up at their still twinkling eyes. “They’re both strong, why would you want to compare them?”
It’s silent at first as the boys all have this silent conversation with their eyes. Then they all sigh as one of the older boys gently pat Vivi’s head. “You wouldn’t get it, Vivi, you’re just a girl. You girls just don’t get the strength like us boys.”
The gesture and words are probably meant to be kind and almost understanding but to Vivi, it’s the exact positive. It makes her feel small, as if she’s some little kid who doesn’t know anything. Is she not both their princess and co-leader? That alone should show how different she is from them, how much she knows regarding strength.
It happens in a flash. Vivi shoots up and throws her cards to the ground, one of them flying loose and hitting Kebi on his knee. Then to the older boys who patted her head, Vivi turns and kicks him in the shin, not pulling back on her kick. The older boy howls in pain, clutching his foot as the other boys all shout at Vivi. Why would do that? / What’s wrong with you? / That wasn’t cool. She ignores all of it as her face reddens in both anger and embarrassment. “Do not touch me again!” She shouts, her booming voice overpowering all of the boys’ combined. “You’re all just stupid little boys who know nothing.”
With a little sniffle, Vivi pushes through the group and runs off to the castle, not caring to look back or to stop when the members call out to her. She’s positive that as soon as they see Koza, that they’ll tell him of what just happened.
It’s embarrassing really for Vivi to act so… childish (though, she is only six and half, so she is very much still a child). Of course, before becoming an official member of the Suna Suna Club, Vivi did fight against Koza twice to earn her right and just because she was a bit of a brat (Koza’s words, not hers). That was the last time that she ever used violence against a member unless it was play fighting but even then, she rarely did that. What she did just then…. it was uncalled for and she was sure that her father and Ingaram would reprimand her for it.
Though, she also knows what they’ll ask her: why did she do it?
Why? Simple, because the topic of strength is a touchy subject for her.
She’s the princess of Alabasta and the kingdom’s future Queen, her family is raising her to be the best Queen there is. With it comes learning the history of her kingdom, learning of other kingdoms, how to maintain relations with other places, and how to be a just and understanding Queen. While a lot for a six year old to learn, it’s with these lessons that she takes pride in who she is and what she’ll be doing in the future. The only thing that all of this is missing: how to protect herself.
Vivi is her father’s only child and daughter, after losing her mother, he has taken the task of protecting Vivi with his life. (Which includes following her to Suna Suna Club meetings instead of sending just Ingaram, he’s cautious and a bit of a helicopter parent. Again, Koza’s words, not hers.) Like any overprotective father, he forbids Vivi from picking up any weapon that could result in her getting hurt. When she fought Koza months ago, instead of reprimanding her for fighting someone unprovoked, her father cared more about the damage done to her face. She still remembers the way he held her cheek in his hand, running a rough finger across one of the cuts she got from Koza. “You’re a princess, Vivi, you shouldn’t be fighting anyone like this. That is not your job.”
But isn’t her job as the future Queen to fight when no one else can? Or would her father still have someone doing that for her even after he’s gone? She prays that will never happen.
As she nears the castle, her running turns into a slow walk, feet dragging against the sand and leaving a trail behind her. Her anger has turned into embarrassment and regret, the emotions bubbling up to the top and ready to spill free. She knows that her feelings are valid, that she’s in the right to be upset, but to use violence against someone like that… it wasn’t like her and that she regrets. Next time she sees the members, she’ll apologize to all of them and maybe ask the castle’s cook to make food for all of them. A peace offering for being a bratty princess.
“Your highness, you’re back early.” Comes a deep voice. “Is everything alright?”
Stopping in her tracks, Vivi looks up to the two men who are (unknowingly) the reason behind her random burst of anger. Pell and Chaka stand before her, still in their uniform without a scratch on them. Of course not, no matter the mission, the two of them are able to complete it without having to worry about getting hurt. No wonder the Suna Suna Club members want to know who’s stronger, when they both come back like this after an assignment, it makes you wonder who is the stronger one. Though, Vivi isn’t sure if there is an actual answer.
“Hello, Pell. Hello, Chaka,” she says, pulling up her best smile. Hopefully it doesn’t look too strained, she’s not quite ready to explain herself just yet. “Yes, everything is fine! I just got bored and wanted to come back, that’s all.”
“Is that so?” Pell asks, more attentive of Vivi than Chaka. Between the two guards, she has a better relationship with Pell than with Chaka, as the guard would always take her flying behind her father’s back. Would it be wrong of her to say that Pell is the stronger one just because of that? “Are you sure? Because you look a little… down.”
Her smile twitches but she keeps it up with a shake of the head. “Yes, I’m fine, really!” Vivi even tries to smile wider, pointing to her face to show the two adults that she’s perfectly okay.
The two share a look with each other before looking down at Vivi with an understanding glow in their eyes. “Alright,” Chaka says. “If you’re fine then you’re fine.” He then tilts his head in the direction of the castle. “Would you like to walk with us? We’re both down for the day.”
“Yes please.”
Vivi trails behind the two guards, no longer dragging her little feet but the emotions from earlier still swarming her body. Plus a new question that stirs something within her, an old question that she always kept bottled up. Until now.
“Pell, Chaka, actually… I have a question.”
The two stop and Vivi does the same, though, she does almost crash into the back of Pell’s leg. The two guards turn to give her their full attention, they always do. Whenever Vivi has something to say, everyone in the castle always stops to hear what she has to say. She could sneeze and the whole room would freeze just to tell her to bless you and make sure she’s alright. Other times she would appreciate this consideration but right now it makes her squeamish, Vivi locking her hands behind her back and gently kicking up sand as she swings her leg back and forth. Well, she’s already here, might as well ask! “I’ve been thinking lately and it’s been bothering me. I don’t like how I’m so weak compared to everyone else, it’s just not right. How can I protect my people if I can’t even protect myself?” The words spill free, the embarrassment slowly turning into a thinly veil of sadness and disappointment, more at herself than anyone else. She’s only six and feels so much, too much even, it’s not right or fair to her. But when you’re the future Queen, you have to feel everything from a young age or else you won’t be able to lead. At least, that’s what she believes. “That’s why… I want the two of you to train me. So I can protect both myself and my people!”
Then there’s a scream, a loud “huh” that makes the three jump from the volume alone. Vivi’s blood goes cold, she doesn’t even need to look to see who screamed, she already knows.
She also knows that this won’t end well.
. . .
The next day, Vivi sits on the steps of the castle, Karoo plopped down next to her. Her little ducky friend tries to poke at her, get her to look up, to smile, or to even laugh at his weird shenanigans but none of it works. Vivi is too preoccupied with the memories of yesterday and the unfortunate discussion she had with her father.
She forgot that Ingaram was following her yesterday (of course he was, Ingaram was always following her) so he saw her outburst and the act of violence she released on one of her members. He also heard her question about wanting Pell and Chaka to train her, which in turned, was reported to her father. Which resulted in her father telling her that it wasn’t allowed, that learning how to fight was unimportant and not something she needed to worry about. Which also resulted in Vivi yelling, crying, and finally running into her room. That night, she skipped dinner, feasting on her tears and disappointment.
Now the next day, Vivi refuses to talk to any of the men who tried to reason with her and tell her that fighting isn’t something she needs to worry about. Even Pell told her that it wasn’t a good idea, though, she wondered if he was saying that because of her father or if he truly believed that. Either way, Vivi isn’t talking to any of them and even told Ingaram to stop following her around. She’ll be on the castle grounds so there’s no need for the older man to shadow her, all of their loyal subjects are watching her, she’ll be fine.
Safety wise, her heart still aches with a desire to be seen and understood.
“Vivi? Why are you sitting right here?”
Sniffling, Vivi looks up to see Koza, the slightly older boy standing three steps below her. His head is tilted to the side as he takes her in, trying to understand why his co-leader looks so sad.
The two have only been friends for a few months and yet Vivi can trust him more than anyone else. If she’s being honest, Koza is her first friend near her age and even with knowing that she’s the princess, it doesn’t treat her like one. In his eyes, Vivi is just an ordinary kid who cries and whines like all the other members. It makes her happy to know that someone sees her as just that, a kid and not just a princess. Koza understands her as if they’ve known each other their entire lives when it’s been less than seven months since they met.
“Hi, Koza,” she says. “I just needed to get out of the castle. I don’t want to see my father or Ingaram.”
“Oh,” Koza says. “Did something happen?”
With a sigh, Vivi pats the empty spot on her right, gesturing for Koza to join her on the steps. Doing as told, Koza puts down his drawstring bag and makes it way to Vivi to sit next to her. The two are silent, Koza waiting for Vivi to say something and Vivi chalking up the courage to let it all out. Finally, she sighs deeply, head falling back as she speaks.
“I asked Pell and Chaka to train me,” she says. “Because I hate how weak I am.”
Koza blinks. “But you’re not weak,” he says, meaning it. “You fought against me and held your own. Twice! So you’re not weak.”
“Yeah but you still had to save me from that kidnapper, I couldn’t even handle him on my own.”
“Vivi, it’s alright. You’re just a kid and he’s an adult, I couldn’t barely fight him.”
“But that’s the thing, you were able to!” Vivi shoots up, frustrated all over again. “You could and I couldn’t and it’s because I’m a weak little princess who can’t protect herself.”
She starts to pace as both Koza and Karoo just watch, letting her let everything out. “And I don’t want to be protected forever, my people shouldn’t have to protect me, it should be me protecting all of you. That’s my job and when I’m to become Queen, I need to be able to hold my own. If I’m constantly being protected then how can I lead you all?” Is it because she’s a girl or because her father is afraid to see her get hurt? She doesn’t know and doesn’t care to. “I just want to be useful and show everyone that I can do things on my own, that’s all. Why can’t they trust me to do that? Do they think I would fail? Is that it?”
So many questions with so little answers, it makes her head reel. She can’t understand her father and his men, not one bit.
“Well,” Koza says, finding a moment to speak up. “Why don’t you prove it to them? That you can protect yourself?”
“I would love to but I don’t know how.”
“I do!” Standing to his feet, Koza crosses his arms with a wide grin. “My papa asked me to deliver a package to a friend of his in Nanohana and he said that I can bring some with me for this task. And I’ve decided that I want you to come with me.”
Vivi perks up, mouth slowly shifting into a smile. “Really? You want… me to come with you?”
He nods. “Yeah, it’ll be you, me, Erik, and Kebi. The four of us will travel to Nanohana and then come back the next day. It’ll take us a day but it’s not an easy job. There are monsters and goons waiting to attack but we’re the Suna Suna Club, we can handle anything! And that includes our co-leader, you can handle anything too if you think about it.”
The thought of monsters and goons does frighten her, after her last kidnapping encounter, Vivi fears that another incident will occur. However, that doesn’t stop her from agreeing to the plan. She won’t be alone and it’ll be a great way to prove herself to everyone. This is what she’s been waiting for, this is what she needed. So, she has to make it happen.
“Alright, leader,” she says. “I’ll go with you on your little adventure!”
. . .
“Whoa, I can’t believe it! Vivi is coming with us! This is so cool.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think you would come after, you know, what happened last time.”
“Yeah… sorry about that. I was in the wrong for throwing those cards at you.”
“It’s okay, I didn’t get hurt from it.”
“He was more worried about you, princess. He wanted to go after you and make sure you weren’t crying.”
“Shut up, Erik!”
The four children laugh, talking loudly and excitedly of their little adventure. Their little adventure that almost didn’t happen because of Vivi’s father, King Cobra not wanting his daughter to go off on her own, especially with three other children. Even if teh Suna Suna Club has proven that they’re strong and can protect Vivi, they’re still little boys who need protecting themselves. It took Vivi hours to convince her father to let her go, lots of pleas and whining before he finally gave in. With a catch. The four of them can go but they must be supervised.
Erik looks up at the sky, hand shading his eyes from the sun. “I wonder what it’s like up there,” he says. “Like what does it feel like to have the wind blowing in your hair from up that high.”
Kebi and Koza both look up while Vivi pouts, not wanting to look up at their chaperone. Thankfully, her father didn’t send Ingaram to follow but Pell instead. With Pell, Vivi can tell him to shift into his bird form and let the four of them walk on their own. From there, he can still watch over the children and see if any danger is to come. Just enough time for the children to prepare themselves for what’s to come, or better yet, for them to hide behind Pell who is actually their guard. A little annoying if Vivi thinks of it but she understands why. They’re children and she’s a princess, there’s only so much they can do. But with this assignment, while a very simple delivery task, it’s just enough for Vivi to prove to both her father and herself that she’s not weak, that she can do things just like the others.
“Do you think if we ask that he’ll let us ride on him?”
Koza rolls his eyes. “Like he would. He would let Vivi on his back before any of us.”
Erik whines, stomping his foot. “That’s not fair! I want a ride too!” He then clings to Vivi’s arm. “Hey Vivi, can you ask Pell to let me ride on his back? I’ll owe you one.”
“I’ll think about it.” She’ll ask but there’s no guarantee that Pell will agree to it.
“Sweet!” Shouts Erik, not even caring of the possible rejection. If he doesn’t think of it then it’ll never happen.
The four continue walking, still talking and laughing. It’s been an hour since they’ve left home and so far, they haven’t encountered any monsters or goons, which Vivi finds to be a good thing. Perfect moment for them to rest because while she’s trying to prove a point, she’s still a child who needs a break.
The children all fall to the ground as Pell lands beside them, shifting back into his human form. Even as sweat drip from their faces and each of them drinks some of their water, none of them are tired just yet. A break is needed but they still have the energy and motivation to keep going, Vivi included. All of this is exciting and fun for her, she truly loves this entire endeavor! Why didn’t Koza ask her to join him months ago?
Looking out in the distance, Kebi squints before pointing to their right. “What’s that?”
The others all look, twisting and squinting themselves to see whatever he’s looking at. Erik is the first one to shoot up. “I think it’s an injured animal!” Without another word, he runs over to it. Sharing a look, the other three run after him as Pell walks, his strides matching the same pace as Vivi and Kebi’s running. By the time the other four made it over, Erik is standing over a white bird whose wing is turned in a strange way. The sight alone makes Vivi grimace, feeling bad for the little thing. From the looks of it, the bird won’t be able to fly any time soon. How sad.
“He’s hurt really bad guys,” Erik says, carefully not to touch the bird’s wings. “We should do something!”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Pell says, stepping forward. “He’s not injured in the slightest.”
Erik looks up at Pell with a frown. “What are you talking about? His wing is messed up, obviously he’s injured!”
“Yes but he’s only faking it. That’s a Warusagi Bird, they’re knowing for being quite the tricksters.”
“What, there’s no way that’s the—“
Before Erik can finish his sentence, he yelps as the Warusagi Bird shoots up and grabs at Erik’s bag, snatching it with a quick SNAP before flying away. Erik simply watches in pure anguish, reaching towards the sky for his bag that flies higher and higher from his reach. “My bag! My snacks, my water, my clothes! Noooo!”
Koza and Kebi try to hold back their laughter before it slips out, the two boys falling to the ground and laughing at their friend's dilemma. Vivi doesn’t laugh but she does smile as she takes a few steps forward to pat Erik’s back. “It’s okay, Erik, I’ll share my snacks and water with you. And when we get to town, I’ll buy you some new clothes.”
Erik looks up at her with glassy eyes. “Vivi!” He shouts, wrapping his arms around her frame. “You’ll forever be my princess and leader.”
His cries only makes the other two boys laugh even harder and Vivi to giggle softly to herself.
After the incident, the four of them continue on with Pell on foot this time, ready to protect and stop the children from any more unnecessary encounters. The next few hours are easy enough, no bandits try to pop up and attack the children (Koza says that it sucks because he was ready to show off his new skills that he learned from Chaka), nor did anymore Warusagi Birds appear (Erik kept looking up at the sky in hopes of seeing his bag that was stolen). The only thing that did pop up were a group of Kung Fu Dugongs that the four children tried to fight. And each one of them lost, terribly, even Koza who learned from Chaka. Only Pell won against the Dugongs who saw him as their new leader for the time being. The children held back their laughter as a line of Dugongs followed behind Pell, he looked like a mama duck with her babies trailing after them.
The sun slowly starts to set and the temperature begins to drop as Pell tells the four children and their new companions that they’re going to stop to make camp. Using their tools and other materials that they found, the five of them make a fire and set up their blankets for the night to rest. Vivi never thought that she would make camp anywhere, it’s never been an option given to her by her father. If it was up to him, he would’ve sent Pell to fly Vivi straight to town so she can rest in an actual bed and building, so she wouldn’t have to “suffer” outside with the boys in the cold. Camping outside with her friends makes her feel more like a normal kid than before. Eating the little food they brought, sitting in front of a campfire, and finally snuggling close to each other for the night… she feels so normal. She never thought that this would happen.
Even as the other boys close their eyes and fall asleep, Vivi stays awake just to look up at the stars. She’s always been able to see the stars from her room, sometimes, she would stay up at night to try and count all of them. Each time she fails but it never stops her from trying. This time, she can’t even do it, not when she can see more stars than before. With no man made lights around, she can see all the stars in the sky, more than she’s ever seen in her entire life (which hasn’t been long if she’s being honest). It’s frightening to think about how different her new environment is. No Karoo at her side, no servants or guards outside her door (just Pell who stays up to keep watch), and no noise of the nightlife of the capital. It’s just her, the wilderness, and her three friends snoring beside her.
If she’s being honest, it makes her love her kingdom more. From the Warusagi Birds to the Dugongs to even the bandits they were prepared to see but didn’t, it all makes Vivi love her kingdom more than before. It’s a reminder that the kingdom as a whole is her home, that she’ll always be safe and found in a place that brings her joy and warmth. Even if it’s not her physical home, it’s still home and that makes her happy to be the princess of this sandy kingdom.
Morning comes and the five continue with the rest of their adventure and as they near Nanohana. At first, the four children were groggy from waking up but as they continue walking and can see the city in the far distances, the pep in their steps slowly increase before they’re giggling and almost running. “Let’s rest!” Erik suggests, not even waiting for the other three as he shoots off. The others follow after him, laughing loudly and shoving each other to get there first. Though, they still have a ways to go, that didn’t stop them or their burst of excitement. Soon, Vivi will complete her first ever assignment and with that, she’ll prove to everyone that she can do things just like others. Maybe with this, it’ll be the first step in her father letting Pell and Chaka train her, or so she hopes.
The city grows a little bigger but so does the sand, which almost covers up their view of the sand. The four children start to slow down, confused as they come to a complete stop. “Hey…” Kebi says, squinting. “What’s that?”
“I don’t know,” Koza says, taking a few steps forward. “Is it a sandstorm?”
“I don’t think it is,” Vivi says, standing beside him, trying to make out what it could be. “Pell.” She calls out, turning to look at their guardian who’s still steps away from them. “Do you know what that is?”
Pell squints himself before his face darkens. He then starts running forward, shifting into his bird form. “Children! Get back right now!”
“Why?” Erik asks, listening and taking a few steps back. “What is that—“
Before he can finish, Pell rams into the “sandstorm”. Only it isn’t a sandstorm, it’s a giant lizard monster that recoils at the encounter. The four children all scream at the sight of the monster, running back to the Dugongs that act as the protectors for the children. “It’s a Sandora Lizard,” Koza says, pulling out his sword with shaky hands. Erik and Kebi do the same, though, it’s obvious that none of them are prepared to go and fight that huge thing. “It’s a giant lizard that eats whatever it sets its eyes on.”
“You’re telling me that thing was ready to eat us?” Erik asks, eyes wide as he looks at Koza. “But we’re so tiny and I’m 100% sure that we’re not nutrimental at all.”
“Doesn’t matter, food is food when it comes to those things.”
Vivi looks at it in horror as Pell continues to fight it. She remembers reading about this monster, a Sandora Lizard. It was in one of her books regarding the creatures that live in their kingdom. “Wait a Sandora Lizard… Don’t they usually travel in pairs? In order to ambush their prey?”
Just as the words leave her lips, the ground behind the children starts to rumble and the area around them darkens. Turning around, that’s when the four and the Dugongs see the second Sandora Lizard. Once again, the four children scream in absolute horror.
“K-Koza!” Kebi shouts, as they all step back slowly. “W-what should we do?”
“There’s only one thing to do… Run!”
Doing as they’re told, the children and Dugongs all run as the giant lizard raises it foot in order to crash all of them. It misses as they all run in different directions. Kebi and Vivi who run to the right, Erik and the Dugongs to the left, and Koza who runs straight ahead. A bad idea as the lizard sets it eyes on Koza. Even as he powers off, the lizard is right behind him, mouth wide open in attempt to eat him whole. Vivi is both amazed and frighten at the fact that something so big is that fast.
“Koza, watch out!” Vivi shouts, as the lizard dips its head to get her friend. Luckily, Koza heeds her warning and rolls out of the way of the beast’s mouth, finding a small gap to get away. Without wasting any time, Koza runs away, waving for the other children to follow him and to somewhere safe. Though, where is safety when Pell is focusing on the first beast?
Vivi starts to follow until she notices something. The package! When Koza rolled out of the way, it must’ve slipped out of his bag and to the ground. “Wait!” She shouts, running towards the package and in the direction of the very confused, and pissed, lizard. “We gotta get the package!”
“Vivi no!” Kebi says, grabbing her arm. “Forget about that thing, we need to listen to Pell and run.”
Vivi looks at the package and then at her friends. “No, we were given an assignment to deliver this package. We’re the Suna Suna Club, we keep our promises, no matter the danger.” If her friends and members can protect her, putting their lives on the line, what’s stopping her from doing the same?
Pulling away from Kebi, Vivi continues towards the package, picking up the speed as much as she can. The lizard has already turned around and set its eyes on her, running straight for the little princess with its mouth wide open again. The sight scares her but it doesn’t stop her from running. When she sets her mind on something, Vivi doesn’t stop until she accomplishes it. She refuses to give up and stop now, not even while barreling towards a ferocious monster.
Luckily enough, she gets the package before the monster gets her but she’s not sure if she can outrun this thing on her own. Even as her friends and the Dugongs run towards her to help her, she wonders if any of them will make it in time. Maybe, if she throws the package then at least the boys will be able to finish their assignment even after she gets eaten alive. Tears well up in her eyes at the thought of dying like this. A little uncool if she’s being honest but a very brave death, like the true warrior she wishes to be.
“Koza, catch!” Vivi shouts, ready to throw the package until she hears a loud SMACK. The boys and Dugongs all stop, mouths wide open at the sight in front of them. Seeing all of them stop makes Vivi turn around to see what happens. Just in a nick of time, Pell collides with the second lizard, sending it flying towards the side, knocking it completely out. “Pell!” She cheers, face brightening up at her guardian’s rescue.
“That was so cool!” Erik shouts, the children all catching up to Vivi. “He took both of them out on his own.”
“I told you he’s stronger than Chaka,” Kebi says, eyes twinkling at the sight of the older man. “Could Chaka take out two Sandora Lizards like that?”
“He could if given the chance,” Koza says, taking up for his teacher. “We just haven’t seen him in action like this.”
The three boys talk gleefully about Pell and Chaka, starting up the old discussion that took place at their base. Vivi on the other hand just watches Pell who stalks towards them, a smile on her face until she spots that darken look on her guardian’s. This isn’t good.
When he reaches the four children without a word, Pell hits all of them on the top of their heads, each child yelping in pain. “Didn’t I tell all of you to run?” He shouts. “Why didn’t you guys listen to me?”
The three boys look at each other, trying to figure out what to say before Vivi steps forward, eyes still brimming with tears. “It was because of me.” She admits. “I went back for the package even though the boys told me not to. It’s my fault.”
“Why would you go back for it?” Pell asks, voice still hard. It makes Vivi wince.
“B-because we made a promise to Mr. Toto that we would deliver this for him. And as the co-leader of the Suna Suna Club and this kingdom’s future Queen, I have to keep my promise. No matter how dangerous it is, if it’s for my people, I have to finish it.”
It’s silent at first, Vivi and Pell staring each other down. Pell glowering at the little girl as Vivi stands her ground, even if she wants to cower. It ends with Pell giving in and dropping to his knees, placing a gentle hand on Vivi’s head. “I understand that but that was still dangerous, Vivi,” he says. “You could’ve gotten hurt. Or worse, you could’ve…” He doesn’t finish his sentence, he doesn’t need to. They all know what he was going to say, they all thought it.
However, Vivi just smiles gently. “It’s alright Pell,” she says. “I’m fine because you came in protected me. Thank you, for watching over all of us. I’m glad that you were here.”
“It’s my job to protect all of you,” he says, smiling at the other children. “Now, let’s head into town and finish this task, okay?”
“Okay!” The four shout, heading off to the town to complete what they started.
With Pell’s orders, the Dugongs separate from them as they finish the rest of their way to the town and to Toto’s friend’s house. At the sight of the children and specifically Princess Vivi, the children were thanked with both words and a place to stay that night. With real food in their system, a nice bath, and an actual room, it was the best reward yet! The four children all laugh and spoke of their adventure, embellishing here and there to Mr. Toto’s friend and his wife, the two adults laughing gleefully at the children who talk of defeating monsters all on their own. Pell doesn’t say a word, he just smiles and nods along, agreeing to their foolishness.
That night, the four children lay down together, Kebi and Erik falling asleep first. Vivi, once again, is still awake, looking around at the tiny bedroom. She then nudges Koza who lays beside her. “Hey, Koza,” she says. “Are you asleep?”
“No,” he says quietly. “What, can’t sleep?”
“No, I just wanted to say… thank you.”
“For what?”
“For letting me come with you,” she says. “You let me come with you guys to prove myself to my father and the others. And I’m really thankful for that.”
Koza is silent at first before he turns to look at Vivi. “I didn’t do it for that reason,” he says. “I did it for you, so you can prove to yourself that you’re not weak.”
“You did?”
“Yeah,” he says. “You’re not weak, Vivi, you’re literally the strongest princess that I know—“
“Aren’t I the only princess that you know?”
“— Not the point. You’re strong, brave, and the perfect leader… you just don’t believe that now. But when we’re older and you become the queen, I know for sure that you’ll be the best leader there is,” Koza says. “And I can’t wait to follow under you.”
Once again, her friend of only a few months knows the right things to say to her. “Thank you, Koza… that means a lot to me.”
“You’re welcome,” he says. “And thank you… for going back to the package. Really, thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome, I was just… doing my job.”
Koza hums, turning onto his back as he shuts his eyes. “Okay, then here’s your next job.”
“What is it?”
“Go to bed and let me sleep. I’m exhausted.”
Vivi giggles, turning onto her own back and closing her eyes. “You got it leader.” A beat. “Goodnight, Koza.”
“Goodnight, Vivi.”
With a smile on her face, Vivi falls asleep between her four friends. Both her stomach and heart full after their mini adventure. That night, she dreams of a future with the Suna Suna Club where they continue completing adventures together as they grow older. It’s a sweet dream that stays with her even as she grows older.
. . .
“And that’s the story of my first adventure,” Vivi says, looking up from her now cold soup. “… How was it?”
The strawhats all look at her with either glassy eyes or smiles on their faces, it’s Usopp who cries out first.
“That was so sweet!” He shouts. “You’re so cool, Vivi!”
Chopper nods. “The coolest and bravest! A lot more brave than Usopp!”
“Wait, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here…”
Zoro chuckles. “Not bad, Vivi,” he says. “You’ve earned my respect?”
“Well, she’s always had mine,” Sanji says with a grin. “From the first moment that we met, I always knew she was brave.”
“No one asked, shitty cook.”
“What did you call me?”
As the four boys bicker and start up their usual banter, it’s Luffy who shoots up to his feet in excitement. “That’s it!” He says, causing everyone to look up at him. “We’re going to save Vivi’s kingdom so she can reunite with her old friends! So then they can live freely and go on adventures together. Alright?”
His crew blink before smiling and laughing, agreeing with their captain. It was already decided from the beginning that they would save Vivi’s kingdom, this story just added to their fire, that’s all. Their enthusiasm just makes Vivi smile as the boys continue to talk and share more stories. It’s Nami who rests her head on Vivi’s shoulder who reminds the princess that she’s not alone.
“Do you miss them?” Nami whispers. “The Suna Suna Club?”
Vivi looks down at her soup, her reflection staring back at her. “Everyday,” she says. “But I know that once we save everyone… I’ll see them again. And maybe… I’ll go on adventures with them.”
Nami hums. “Well, I hope you do but I also hope that you go on adventures with us,” she says. “I know that you have to go back to your kingdom and your people… just once this all ends, I hope that you don’t forget about us.”
How could she? It’s been years since she’s had friends her own age. The same way she met the Suna Suna Club when she needed friends and comforts, she met the Strawhats who welcomed her onto their ship and into their hearts. She can never forget any of them, even if she wanted to.
“I’ll never forget you guys,” Vivi says, resting her head on top of Nami’s. “I just hope that you guys never forget of me.”
“As if that’ll ever happen,” Nami says. “You’ll always be a Strawhat, the same way you’ll always be the co-leader of the Suna Suna Club. Always and forever.”
Always and forever, Vivi thinks, letting the words sink into her heart. Even when this is over, when she goes back to her kingdom, even when she becomes queen in the future, she’ll always and forever remember her friends.
Always and forever, she’ll be a Strawhat and Suna Suna Club member. That will never change.