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With his ultimate combat strength now secured, Rowen returned to the Royal Palace.
By this time, through Vivi and King Cobra's heartfelt speeches, the citizens' trust in their king had been fully restored.
Baroque Works, with Crocodile's fall, would quickly crumble. The so-called Rebel Army—its foundation of lies shattered, would pose no further threat.
The war that was meant to cause immense casualties—thanks to Rowen's meticulous planning—had ended before it truly began. The remaining cleanup was left to King Cobra.
News of Warlord Crocodile's treachery spread rapidly throughout Alabasta, and then, across the entire world.
Vice Admiral Gion also learned of Sky Sovereign Rowen's defeat of Crocodile.
Learning of Crocodile's monstrous plot left Gion deeply shocked.
More troubling still—this Warlord had been semi-publicly executed by Sky Sovereign Rowen!
Though the execution footage circulated primarily within Alabasta, the implications were incredibly severe.
Gion hadn't anticipated that Rowen's target in Alabasta was actually Crocodile himself.
And for a pirate to aid a World Government affiliated nation by dismantling the schemes of a Warlord (nominally under the World Government)—this was a colossal scandal for both the World Government and the Marines!
Gion immediately reported everything to Sengoku.
The incident sent massive shockwaves through Marine HQ.
Involving a Warlord's demise was beyond even Fleet Admiral Sengoku's authority to handle directly; he could only report the matter to the World Government's highest power—the Five Elders.
The balance between Marine HQ, the Seven Warlords, and the Four Emperors had been maintained for years.
Now, a Warlord implicated in overthrowing an affiliated kingdom's government, and subsequently eliminated by another pirate—This was like dropping a massive bomb onto the precariously balanced seas.
A storm was brewing.
But for Rowen, back in the Alabasta Royal Palace, he was currently preoccupied with enjoying a different kind of reward...
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"ROWEN! I LOVE YOU!"
The moment he stepped through the palace gates, Vivi rushed forward, throwing herself into Rowen's arms—Her face was flushed crimson, but her beautiful eyes held no trace of hesitation, only bold, direct affection.
Vivi had previously suppressed her feelings due to the weight of her country's burdens.
But now, with everything resolved, Vivi refused to run from her heart any longer, bravely confessing her love.
Rowen looked at Vivi—her face flushed but her gaze incredibly resolute—and said nothing.
Instead, he let his actions speak for him, gently kissing her warm lips...
"Hnmn..."
Nearby, Nami's eyes flickered for a moment, then she smiled softly. She had long been prepared for this.
"So envious! That lucky bastard Rowen!" Sanji wailed, tears of envy streaming down his face.
"What's the use of being envious? Are you half as handsome or reliable as Rowen, PERVY COOK?" Zoro sneered from the side.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?! YOU DAMN MOSS-HEADED IDIOT!" Sanji instantly flared up, and the two immediately started brawling.
Nearby, King Cobra watched his daughter, a mixture of reluctance and a gentle smile on his face. His daughter's happiness, aside from Alabasta itself, was everything to him.
And for her chosen partner to be Rowen—the hero who saved their country—Cobra felt only blessings.
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"Nami... I..."
Vivi, blushing, gently pulled away from Rowen's embrace and looked towards Nami, who was smiling nearby. Though she sensed Nami's tacit approval, Vivi still felt a little hesitant.
"Didn't I tell you? Be brave. Besides... aren't we friends?" Nami replied, smiling warmly at Vivi.
"Mm!" Vivi's eyes instantly reddened with emotion.
Though their time together wasn't long, Nami was her dearest friend.
They shared similar experiences, shouldered similar burdens—and were both saved by the same man. Consequently, they had fallen in love with the same man.
What made Vivi even more grateful was that Nami, instead of resenting her, accepted her.
Vivi could clearly sense Rowen's deep affection for Nami, but she felt no negativity towards it.
Being allowed to stay by Rowen's side—with Nami's blessing—she was already incredibly content. Looking at Nami and Rowen, Vivi felt her heart overflow with happiness.
What further delighted Vivi was Igaram's timely return.
"Princess Vivi! Your Majesty!" Igaram rushed into the throne room, travel-stained, his eyes instantly reddening upon seeing Vivi and King Cobra safe.
"Igaram!" Vivi exclaimed, overjoyed. Though she knew from Robin that Igaram was alive, seeing him in person was still a wonderful surprise.
"What are you doing here?! Miss All Sunday!" Igaram, amidst his relief, spotted Robin and immediately tensed, becoming wary.
"Ara? Why shouldn't I be here, Mr. 8? As of now... I belong to Mr. Sky Sovereign," Robin replied, looking at Rowen with keen interest.
"You will take responsibility, won't you, Mr. Sky Sovereign?" Robin finished with a charming smile.
"HEY! Don't you try anything with Rowen!" Nami instantly stepped in front of Rowen protectively. 'Vivi is one thing—she's my friend, and Rowen clearly has feelings for her... BUT ROBIN?!'
"Ara, ara. I happen to have some jewels I acquired from Crocodile's stash," Robin purred, producing a bag of precious gemstones.
"I love you the most, Sister Robin!" Nami's eyes instantly transformed into Beri symbols.
"Nami! Is that really okay?" Vivi looked bewildered.
"Relax! The decision is ultimately Rowen's, isn't it? Besides, I don't think Robin has that kind of intention right now. As for future developments... we'll just stay by Rowen's side and see," Nami replied cheerfully, pocketing the gems. That was her true reasoning.
After Vivi's explanation, Igaram finally understood Robin had saved him.
"Igaram, you remember our promise, right?" Rowen asked with a smile.
"Of course! My wife's cooking is top-notch!" Igaram grinned.
Under Cobra's summons, Igaram's wife soon arrived.
When everyone saw Terracotta—who looked like a female, made-up version of Igaram's earlier Vivi disguise—they stared dumbfounded. 'Talk about looking alike!'
Seeing her husband safe, Terracotta, head chef of the palace, immediately rolled up her sleeves, eager to prepare the finest feast for Rowen and the crew.
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"The meal—we'll leave the preparations to you. But before that, Your Majesty, could you prepare a training room for us?" Rowen asked, turning to King Cobra.
"Hahaha! Of course, no problem! And Rowen, please, don't call me 'Your Majesty'," Cobra laughed, looking at his daughter's blushing face.
"Uncle Cobra," Rowen amended with a smile.
"Good! Follow me," Cobra led the way.
"You three—with me," Rowen said, bringing Vivi and Nami along, then looked towards Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji.
"Eh?! Us?" Seeing Rowen's expression, Luffy and the others had a bad feeling. Nevertheless, they obediently followed.
"Let's go observe too!" Usopp and Chopper tagged along.
Robin smiled and followed Rowen as well.
She wasn't impatient; Rowen had promised to let her see Alabasta's Poneglyph before they left.
Having learned from Rowen that the True History could only be found at Laugh Tale, Robin, though still eager to see this Poneglyph, wasn't as desperately urgent as her original counterpart.
She had a feeling... following Rowen... she would definitely see the True History.
She had decided to stay by his side.
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"Rowen! Ready for training? I've developed a super awesome new move!" Luffy declared, already pumped up.
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Gear Second (Apex Purple)
Gear Third (Apex Purple)
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Seeing the new Traits on Luffy, Rowen smiled.
With Rowen's training, Luffy's combat power was progressing even faster than in the original story. He had already figured out Gear Second and Third.
However... the power gap between himself and the Straw Hat's main three combatants (Luffy, Zoro, Sanji from the original story) had paradoxically widened even further.
But now—Rowen had a new method.
"Save that move for a critical moment. Your physique can barely handle the strain right now. Use it sparingly until you can fully manage it," Rowen warned Luffy seriously.
At Luffy's current physical level, using Gear Second and Third was extreme overload, risking irreversible damage.
"But—I can't let you fight alone! What's a little physical strain?!" Luffy replied with a determined grin.
Luffy wasn't surprised Rowen knew about his new abilities—he was used to Rowen's mysterious insights.
But Luffy would never let his comrades fight alone; even if Rowen was much stronger, he would fight to protect them!
"Well then, Luffy. You'll be the first to experience the new training I've prepared for you. But this training—will be very painful. Of course—it will also make you stronger, very quickly," Rowen replied, his expression turning equally serious.
"BRING IT ON!" Luffy's eyes instantly lit up.
"To get stronger—any amount of pain is a small price to pay! I'll be second!" Zoro declared with a feral grin.
"Though I'm a cook—Rowen, I also want to contribute to your dream! You'll need other strong fighters too, won't you?" Sanji, the most perceptive of the three, smiled knowingly at Rowen.
"We're all in! Between comrades, some things are just understood!" Luffy declared.
Zoro also grinned.
"HAHAHA! Good! I'll train you all thoroughly!" Rowen laughed, looking at the determined trio.
For his future plans, the combat strength of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji was indispensable.
"But before that—Vivi," Rowen turned to her.
"This is the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit." Rowen extended his right hand, and a ball of light materialized.
"Sand-Sand Fruit!" Vivi's eyes sparkled as she looked at the orb.
Though only T2 among Logias, it was still a very powerful Devil Fruit.
Crocodile himself proved that; with this ability, he became a Warlord.
"This power—is yours," Rowen stated with a smile. The Sand-Sand Fruit offered almost no benefit to Rowen himself now.
Vivi's combat talent was actually quite average.
But in the One Piece world, combat talent could be compensated for by Devil Fruits. By eating the powerful Sand-Sand Fruit, Vivi's physique would naturally strengthen.
Plus, Vivi, as princess of the Arabasta Kingdom, raised in the desert, intimately familiar with and loving everything about it—she was far more likely to Awaken the Sand-Sand Fruit than Crocodile ever was.
The Sand-Sand Fruit was undoubtedly the most suitable Devil Fruit for Vivi.
Once Awakened, with this fruit alone, Vivi could reach the Yonko Commander combat threshold.
"Th-Then, Nami..." Vivi instinctively glanced towards Nami.
"I'm not eating a Devil Fruit! I don't want to be unable to swim! I still have to draw a map of the entire world!" Nami chuckled, seeing Vivi's hesitation.
(PS: Rowen gave Nami the Spike-Spike Fruit and the Dice-Dice Fruit, but she planned to sell them.)
"Alright! I want this Devil Fruit!" Vivi declared after a moment's silence, her eyes firm with resolve.
She had made her decision—not just to accept the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit, but also to follow Rowen.
Rowen had saved her, saved Alabasta!
Rowen's dream required powerful allies—she too wanted to become Rowen's strength!
The ball of light representing the Sand-Sand Fruit merged into Vivi's body.
FWOOSH!
Vivi's body began to dissolve into sand.
Her eyes sparkled as she felt the power course through her. Born in the desert, princess of the Arabasta Kingdom—the power of sand felt incredibly familiar and natural to her.
However, Vivi's current physique was still too weak. Just familiarizing herself with the fruit's power for a short while completely drained her stamina.
"Rowen... I-I'm hungry," Vivi blinked, her face flushed. She had never felt such intense hunger before.
"Feeling hungry is normal—As you continuously use the Sand-Sand Fruit's power and replenish your nutrients, your physique will steadily grow stronger," Rowen chuckled.
This was why eating a Devil Fruit inevitably strengthened one's physique.
Using the fruit, especially a powerful one, consumed immense stamina, draining the body. And from the moment Vivi gained the Sand-Sand ability, she became a Sand Human—her constitution was now entirely different.
Consequently, her appetite and digestive capabilities would also massively increase.
By continuously using the fruit's power and rapidly replenishing nutrients, her physique would naturally enhance.
"Eat this to replenish your energy for now," Rowen said, having Nami hand Vivi a pre-prepared pirate lunchbox.
"Mm!" Vivi immediately began eating, her appetite far greater than ever before.
"Alright. Your turn, Luffy," Rowen stated, checking the feedback from the System, then looked towards Luffy, an intense crimson-black light flashing in his eyes.
"Hitting me with Haki again?! I'm ready!" Luffy declared with a confident grin. He was used to the pain of Haki strikes now; though it still hurt, he wouldn't scream like he did during Rowen's initial training.
"It is Haki, yes. But..." Rowen's eyes flashed with startling crimson-black intensity.
BOOM!
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
The crimson-black light in his eyes instantly solidified, erupting into arcs of Haki lightning, centered on Rowen, roaring violently through the atmosphere.
Then, all this rampaging crimson-black energy converged entirely onto Rowen's right fist!
WHAM!!!
The fist, radiating overwhelming power, slammed directly into Luffy's head!
CRASH!
Luffy shot backwards like a cannonball, smashing through the training room wall, leaving a giant, human-shaped hole! Fortunately, Rowen's smoke tendrils caught Luffy, preventing him from flying further.
But Luffy's eyes had rolled white; he was clearly knocked out cold by Rowen's single punch.
Everyone stared, completely stunned.
But the next moment...
"Hmph." Rowen smirked.
FWOOM!
A terrifying aura exploded from Luffy's unconscious body!
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—[Using bond strength as a conduit to transmit spiritual power to linked target, Monkey D. Luffy. Awakening: Conqueror's Haki!]—
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The Strongest Mentor, Rowen—Online!
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