Hikaru noticed that Vivi looked as if she were sacrificing herself to a demon. Smiling, he reassured her,
"Don't be so down. While I've always been decisive in my actions, I still treat my concubines well."
Vivi nodded. Words didn't matter—only actions did.
"Let's not waste any more time. I'll take you to kill Crocodile."
"Wait. I already agreed to go with you, but can you wake them up first?"
Vivi glanced at the two unconscious figures nearby. She couldn't just leave them like this.
"They're waking up now. I assume you know how to explain things to them..."
"I... I do."
Hearing this, Hikaru raised his hand, and several streaks of white lightning shot out, striking Igaram and Karoo.
"Electrotherapy!"
"Ga~Ga? Ga!"
Karoo was the first to jolt awake. His eyes widened in shock as he squawked in confusion.
(This guy? What's going on?!)
Hikaru glanced at him coldly, and the duck trembled, falling silent immediately.
Moments later, Igaram slowly regained consciousness. Seeing the two standing in front of him, he asked in confusion,
"What... happened to me?"
"There was a sudden storm, and lightning struck you and Karoo," Vivi explained quickly. "I'm glad you're okay. But I have urgent matters in Alabasta, so I'll be brief."
She took a deep breath and continued, her voice filled with determination.
"This man is a god from the heavens. He has come to help me. He'll take me back to Alabasta, put an end to the civil war, and eliminate the one behind it all—Crocodile."
"Igaram, after handling things here, return to Alabasta. I'm leaving with him now!"
(A god? Is she serious?!)
Igaram hesitated, but seeing the urgency in Vivi's eyes, he swallowed his doubts and nodded.
"Understood, Princess Vivi."
Vivi glanced at Karoo, who was still trembling, hesitating for a brief moment. But fearing that Hikaru might be displeased, she decided to leave him behind.
"Hikaru, I'm ready."
Hikaru smiled, clearly pleased with her decision. Stepping forward, he wrapped Vivi in his arms.
With a flash of lightning, the two disappeared—arriving on the Going Merry in an instant. The ship's propellers whirred as they soared into the sky, vanishing into the horizon.
As they made their way to Alabasta, Vivi sat on Hikaru's lap, her expression filled with concern. She was still thinking from the perspective of someone powerless.
"Hikaru, Crocodile is seen as a great hero of Alabasta," she murmured. "If we don't find solid evidence of his crimes, the people might turn against me instead of him."
She shifted awkwardly. She wasn't used to being this close to someone.
Hikaru scoffed, his fingers idly tracing the curve of her slender waist.
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"There's no need for that." A faint spark of lightning flickered at his fingertips, reflecting in Vivi's surprised eyes. "In this world, only the strong decide what's true and what isn't."
He smirked.
"Crocodile is nothing more than a fake hero, while you are the real princess."
"Pin all the crimes on him. Declare his sins to the people. Whether or not there's actual proof won't matter—because when a god commands them to believe, they'll have no choice but to obey."
Vivi was stunned. She realized how naive she had been. If forcing the people to believe the truth could bring peace to her homeland, was there really a need to chase after evidence?
Just then, Hikaru asked, "When did you last see the Baroque Works vice president? Do you know where she went?"
"Two days ago," Vivi replied quickly. "We eavesdropped on their plans while sailing between Drum Island and Little Garden. But we left quickly, afraid she'd discover us."
Hikaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
Drum Island?
Hikaru pulled out several Eternal Poses from his coat and quickly found the one labeled Magnetic Drum Island.
Glancing at the direction it pointed, his expression hardened. He made a slight adjustment to the course of the Ark Maxim and accelerated forward.
Now, the entire ship was wrapped in a faint curtain of lightning, shielding it from the fierce winds.
Meanwhile, not far from Magnetic Drum Island, a high-speed chase was unfolding across the sea.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A Marine warship fired relentlessly at a small boat ahead, but the bombardment was only slowing down their own pursuit.
"Hina is very happy. Nico Robin, just surrender—you can't escape!"
The voice came from a tall woman wearing a rose-red suit and a Marine justice cape draped over her shoulders. Her long, light pink hair was parted in the middle, and a pair of sunglasses rested atop her head, adding to her striking and alluring appearance.
She was Marine Colonel Hina.
Despite the crashing waves and the relentless pursuit, Nico Robin remained perfectly calm. She quietly urged the sea turtle pulling her boat to move faster.
An island chain was just ahead. If she could reach it, the large Marine warship wouldn't be able to follow, giving her a chance to escape.
[God's Judgment!]
Suddenly, a massive pillar of lightning struck down from the sky, hitting the warship dead center and blowing a gaping hole through its hull.
The explosion was devastating—many pirates imprisoned below deck perished instantly in the lightning strike.
The entire warship rocked violently as seawater rushed in.
Marines were thrown off their feet, desperately grabbing onto anything nearby to avoid being flung into the ocean.
"Kankan... Hook Claw!"
Hina, unfazed, flung two iron bars forward, hooking them onto the mast. She lifted her head, scanning her surroundings in search of the attacker.
"Hina is very angry. The consequences will be serious!"
Robin, hearing the commotion behind her, turned her head to look. Seeing the warship in disarray and a massive wave approaching, she quickly tried to refocus on escaping.
But in that moment—she froze.
Standing at the bow of her boat was a man she had never seen before.
"Miss All Sunday... Nico Robin."
Hikaru's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable arrogance.
"Two-Wheel Fleur: Throat Lock!"
Robin's instincts kicked in, and she immediately activated her Devil Fruit powers, attempting to seize him by the throat.
But the moment her arms bloomed into existence, a violent surge of electricity coursed through her body.
"Ahh~!"
She trembled uncontrollably as the electric shock numbed her limbs. Her eyes widened in shock and terror.
A Thunder Fruit user!
Among all Devil Fruits, she knew Logia-type lightning powers were among the most "invincible" abilities in existence.
Hikaru barely reacted to the tingling sensation on his neck. Robin's attack was useless—without Armament Haki, she couldn't even touch him.
"Who... are you? What do you want from me?"
Still reeling from the electric shock, Robin dared not make another move. She could only silently pray for mercy.
Hikaru smirked.
"I am God Hikaru, and I have come for you."
He stepped closer, eyes locked onto hers.
"Nico Robin, become my Goddess."
Hikaru knew exactly how to handle someone like Robin—someone who had spent her entire life fleeing from the World Government.
There was no need for tricks or deception.
Only by being direct could he win her over efficiently.
Hina: A sexy, pink-haired Marine officer—one of the Navy's top beauties.
Robin: Intelligent, mature, and irresistibly alluring—the enigmatic archaeologist of history's lost truths.
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