"Really?" Vivi asked hesitantly. "But I'm afraid I can't compare to her..."
"Impossible, Your Highness. Your qualities are exceptional," Igaram insisted with complete sincerity. "It's aningless to continue this speculation. Before you make an effort and receive an answer, these concerns are rely products of your imagination."
He straightened his posture, his voice gaining strength as he continued. "Perhaps Boa Hancock harbors similar fears. Maybe she worries that you're younger and possess a beauty she cannot match."
Emboldened by the princess's attentive gaze, Igaram pressed his advantage.
"Your current hesitation would only delight her—knowing the rival she most fears has surrendered without a fight. Will Your Highness simply concede defeat? Will you relinquish the man you care for without even declaring your feelings?"
"I WILL NOT!"
Vivi's response echoed through the chamber with surprising force. A fla of determination ignited within her heart, burning away doubts that had consud her monts before.
"Yes!" Igaram exclaid, caught up in her sudden enthusiasm. "There's no place for timidity when it cos to matters of the heart! True feelings must be expressed with courage!"
"You're right," Vivi declared, clenching her fists tightly. "I will bravely express my feelings!"
The transformation was remarkable. The uncertain, dejected princess had vanished, replaced by the sa determined young woman who had once infiltrated a criminal organization and led her nation back from the brink of civil war.
All traces of her earlier depression evaporated instantly. Her eyes now reflected the fighting spirit that had helped save Alabasta years ago.
"Thank you, Igaram," she said warmly. "I understand what I must do now!"
Overco with gratitude for his guidance, Vivi embraced the startled royal guard. As she pulled away, her gaze fell upon the ornate clock hanging on the wall. When she realized less than fifteen minutes remained until Luffy's scheduled arrival, the princess's expression shifted to one of panic.
"We're almost late!" she gasped. "Igaram, we must hurry!"
Without another word, Vivi dashed toward the door and disappeared down the corridor, leaving Igaram montarily stunned in her wake.
"Princess Vivi, wait!" he called, rushing after her.
But as he stood in the doorway, watching her retreating figure, the full weight of what he'd done suddenly struck him. His expression transford to one of horror.
"What have I done?" he muttered, clutching his head in his hands. "How could I have given Her Royal Highness such questionable advice?!"
His montary desire to lift her spirits had clearly overridden his better judgnt.
"What nonsense about sincerity and love and courage!" he berated himself. "She is the princess of Alabasta! Princes from allied nations have sought audiences with her for years without success!"
His internal monologue grew increasingly frantic. "And who is Luffy? rely an admiral of the Marines!"
He paused, reconsidering.
"Well, admittedly, a Marine Admiral does outrank most princes from allied nations," he conceded to himself. "But even so!"
Igaram paced nervously, his elaborate curls bouncing with each step.
"Beyond having more desert than most, less rainfall, and perhaps fewer elite fighters, what exactly is wrong with Alabasta? With her status, even a Celestial Dragon prince wouldn't be entirely out of reach!"
The thought of Princess Vivi competing with other won for a man's attention—regardless of that man's identity—violated every principle of royal protocol he'd spent decades upholding.
"No, Princess Vivi!" he shouted, breaking into a run. "Wait for ! I haven't finished explaining! There are many eligible suitors in this world! There's no need to fixate on just one man!"
After nearly a year's absence, Luffy once again set foot on Alabasta's sun-baked shores.
Like his previous visit, the desert kingdom remained under the rciless glare of its scorching sun. The air itself seed to shimr with heat, each breath feeling like inhaling fire from an oven.
Despite the punishing climate, Luffy received the warst welco of his entire diplomatic tour. Stepping off the impressive Stormbreaker directly into Alubarna's port, he barely had ti to adjust to the heat before being struck speechless by the scene before him.
An imnse crowd stretched from the harbor, along the main avenue, up the royal stairway, through the city gates, and all the way to the palace itself—a living corridor of humanity that seed to include every citizen of the capital and beyond.
The usually spacious boulevards had disappeared beneath a sea of colorful traditional garnts and sun-shading parasols. Banners bearing both Marine and Alabasta insignias fluttered from every building.
The mont Luffy's boot touched the ceremonial carpet, more than six hundred thousand citizens and visitors erupted into deafening cheers that seed to shake the very foundations of the ancient city.
As Ain, Nami, and the rest of his entourage disembarked behind him, they physically recoiled from the wall of sound that hit them—a roar so powerful it left their ears ringing as though they'd survived one of Whitebeard's legendary quakes.
"This... this is overwhelming," Nami stamred, montarily stunned. "They're standing in this brutal heat just to welco us. It's really..."
Words failed her as she observed the devotion displayed by the assembled masses. Children sat atop parents' shoulders, elderly citizens leaned on walking sticks, and vendors distributed free water to prevent heat-related collapses—all to witness Luffy's arrival.
Throughout their diplomatic journey, they had received seven or eight formal welcos of varying grandeur. Yet none approached the scale and enthusiasm of Alabasta's reception. Even Nami, with her experience, felt certain they wouldn't encounter anything more impressive during their remaining visits to the North Blue.
Ain appeared equally astonished, though her extensive travels with Luffy had prepared her for extraordinary situations. She quickly composed herself, adjusting to their new reality with the adaptability that made her an invaluable companion.
Luffy himself recovered fastest of all. After a brief mont of surprise, he straightened his posture and descended the gangway with appropriate dignity. His characteristic wide grin tempered with the gravitas his position demanded, he acknowledged the crowd's adoration with waves and nods.
As he walked the carpet toward the royal delegation waiting at the end of the pier, his eyes scanned the receiving line, searching for a particular shade of blue hair among the assembled dignitaries.
The cheers of Alabasta's citizens washed over him like a wave, but his thoughts remained fixed on a single question: How would Vivi react to seeing him again after all this ti?
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