"I do have the idea of leaving the East Blue, but why did I choose you? Fate has placed countless forks in my path. Are you truly my best choice?" Van Augur asked quietly, eyes calm but sharp beneath the brim of his hat.
Vivi smirked knowingly. "I suppose to you, Alabasta is just another desert kingdom, but you don't understand the power hidden in its sand-covered veins."
She straightened, adopting a regal air. "Let me give you a bit of history. Eight hundred years ago, twenty kings allied to form what is now the World Government. Nineteen of them uprooted their royal families and relocated to the Holy Land, Mariejois. Their descendants became known as the Celestial Dragons — so-called 'gods' above the world. A ridiculous farce — parasites in robes. But the Nefertari family? We were the only ones who refused to abandon our homeland. Alabasta stayed behind."
Van Augur listened attentively, a rare flicker of interest in his usual stoicism.
Vivi continued. "You heard my conversation with Smoker before, didn't you? Alabasta guards the entrance to the Grand Line. Tens of millions in population, over 600,000 standing troops. Not just East Blue — even on the global scale, there are few countries with our scale and heritage. We are a sovereign power with history stretching back four thousand years. Our capital, Alubarna, is built atop ruins older than the Poneglyphs. The only older relics might be the All-Knowing Tree in Ohara, which may have stood for over five millennia — if the World Government hadn't destroyed it."
Her eyes narrowed, serious now. "Judging from your presence, you're not one to settle for mediocrity. Let's be real — the paths to true power are limited. Serve the World Government. Join one of the Four Emperors. Or align with the Revolutionary Army. But I'm guessing you're not cut out for dragon-tattoo rebellion?"
Van Augur nodded slightly. "Fate often leads me astray. But if the price is right... I can take anyone's head."
Vivi opened her arms slightly. "Exactly. But among those choices — who do you know? Do you have the strength to stand out in a Yonko crew? To do more than swab decks? Do you have friends in high offices of the World Government? Do you think the Celestial Dragons — who see even admirals as disposable — would treat you with anything but contempt?"
Van Augur tilted his head. "If things were going well, a princess wouldn't be doing black ops missions."
This cursed covert mission again! Vivi cursed internally but kept her face serene.
"I need to be tempered. I need strength. And Alabasta needs tribulations. The worse the chaos, the better — for both of us."
Van Augur frowned. "That logic doesn't follow."
"You think my claim to the throne is secure? People think so. But in the eyes of the World Government, a king or queen is nothing. A phone call from Mariejois can topple a monarch in minutes."
She leaned forward. "You've heard of Bartholomew Kuma, haven't you? Once king of the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue. Because he disobeyed the Celestial Dragons, they forced him into their 'Pacifista' project. Now he's a mindless weapon."
"Lao Fan, would you surrender your personality — your soul — just to increase your kill accuracy by 10%? Because that's what the World Government does."
Van Augur's face darkened. A fate worse than death — a sniper stripped of thought.
Vivi shook her head. "You wouldn't. I wouldn't either. I refuse to kneel. And until I've built enough strength to stand freely, Alabasta must remain in the shadows. We need controlled chaos."
Van Augur's expression shifted ever so slightly. "So all this is to gather strength. Your enemy… is the World Government?"
There was emotion in his voice. Not often did he feel awe — but to challenge them...
To shoot not a man, but an empire?
Vivi smiled. She knew he was ready.
"Lao Fan, are you ready to flip the world on its head with me?"
Van Augur bowed formally. "Fate has already arranged this path. My bullet shall destroy your enemies."
When Blackbeard recruited Van Augur, it was part of a grand strategy to ascend to Yonko status — one step after another, carefully measured.
But Vivi's plan for Van Augur was nothing like that. Duddy, her other agent, was a straight-arrow marine academy graduate. Van Augur was an assassin — a ghost with a rifle. Both used guns, but they weren't walking the same path.
His new mission? Deep infiltration. A true covert agent. Unlike Vivi's stint in Baroque Works, Van Augur was being inserted into Cipher Pol Five — a mid-tier World Government intelligence unit.
Baroque Works had been hard to penetrate. Nicole Robin's genius made that organization airtight. But Cipher Pol? That was different. Alabasta, an ancient kingdom with diplomatic ties and royal lineage, had influence in many corners of the Government — enough to open a door with the right favors.
From there, Van Augur would rise on merit. His sniper talent — peerless among current agents — would carry him naturally into CP9, or even CP0.
If Doflamingo could embed Vergo up to the rank of Vice Admiral, then Vivi had confidence Augur could climb just as high.
Before he left, she warned him. "Lao Fan, the CP training system is complete. You're already among the top snipers alive, but you lack formal skills. Learn everything — Navy Six Styles, Haki. Armament Haki is a must. Observation Haki too. Only then can you reach the top."
She demonstrated Armament Haki, her fists darkening. That was her base requirement for him. If he didn't master the Six Powers within a few years, she'd make him teach her.
Navy Six Styles had its limitations. Rob Lucci's boast of being CP9's greatest in 800 years seemed absurd given how easily Luffy crushed him, but the core techniques had value. Some skills — like "Paper Art" — were obscure and nearly impossible to self-learn without a teacher.