"You want to die that badly?"
Crocodile's severed neck was rapidly regenerating, filled with a surge of sand.
He stared at Vivi, calmly saying, "I didn't expect this country to have another intelligent person. How did you infiltrate Baroque Works?"
As he spoke, his gaze drifted towards Robin.
The people below might not recognize Vivi, but Robin certainly would.
Robin withdrew her gaze from Vivi and turned to face Crocodile, shrugging calmly. "Don't look at me, I don't know either."
"Useless woman..."
*Puff—!*
Before Crocodile could finish speaking, two swirling peacock feathers slashed rapidly across the sides of his head, along his mouth, cutting off his next words.
"Peacock Slasher · Reverse Flow!"
Vivi stood before Crocodile, her arms outstretched. The peacock chain locks hanging from her pinky fingers lost their momentum, slowly stopping and retracting back into her hands.
She stared with wide eyes at Crocodile's head, which was slowly healing after she had just cut it. Her eyes were filled with anger and terror.
"Completely useless."
Such an ability, she couldn't *not* know what it was.
"Logia-type Devil Fruit."
"Gulp, Hahahahaha!!"
Crocodile recovered and looked down at Vivi, who was nearly half his height. He blinked, took a deep drag of the cigar in his mouth, and let the smoke slowly drift out from the corner of his lips.
He wasn't sure what a Logia-type Devil Fruit was, but clothes could elementalize, and even the cigar in his mouth could elementalize. Truly amazing.
"You should know what kind of fruit I possess!"
Crocodile stared at Vivi and laughed, "In this endless desert, I am a god. You..."
As he spoke, his brow furrowed, and the smile vanished from his face.
"I am a pirate of a completely different caliber than ordinary pirates! Knowing the gap between us, yet you still dare to rush out."
"Hoo~"
He reached out and pinched the cigar, exhaled a puff of smoke, then placed the cigar back in his mouth and continued speaking to Vivi. "I don't know what you're thinking, do you really want to die? Or do you still naively believe that I, the hero of Alabasta, would truly not kill you?"
As he spoke, his body leaned forward, his expression grim. His tall frame blocked the sunlight, casting Vivi's body completely in his shadow.
"Nefertari Vivi."
He stared at Vivi, enunciating her full name, word by word.
An overwhelming pressure instantly bore down on Vivi's slender body, freezing her in place.
She looked at Crocodile, wanting to move, but her mind was clear, yet her body refused to obey, utterly immobile.
"Princess Vivi."
Igaram, who arrived a step later, saw Vivi in danger. He could no longer hold back. He ripped off his grey robe, revealing his distinctive wild curls.
As he ran to the right, several gun barrels extended from his wild curls, avoiding Vivi, who stood before Crocodile.
*Pata-pata-pata-pata!!*
Amidst flashes of gunfire, countless bullets glinting with metallic luster shot rapidly towards Crocodile.
"Die!"
And the duck following behind Igaram charged directly towards Vivi. It intended to carry its master, Vivi, away before Crocodile could react.
Just as Igaram's bullets pierced Crocodile's body, the duck had already reached Vivi's back. It nudged its head upwards, pushing aside the robe covering its head, and let out a loud squawk at Vivi's back.
"Quack—!"
It was a duck, a duck with human-like intelligence, commonly known as "Speedy," and its real name was "Karoo."
Its species was the fastest animal in the Alabasta Kingdom and a unit of its cavalry. Karoo was the exclusive mount of Princess Nefertari Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom.
Seeing its master in danger, even knowing that Crocodile was an opponent it could never defeat, it had to keep pace with its master. This was because its master, Princess Vivi, was not just its owner but a companion it could never abandon.
"Karoo."
Karoo's quack brought Vivi back to her senses, which had been suppressed by Crocodile's pressure. She glanced at Crocodile, quickly turned, and stared at Karoo, a trace of self-reproach flashing across her face.
She was completely clear-headed now.
With clarity came deep self-blame and regret. Her impulsive actions had exposed their hard-won undercover identities within Baroque Works.
She hadn't managed to relay the news that Baroque Works' boss was Crocodile back to the palace yet!
The price of this momentary impulse might be her demise here, and it had also implicated Karoo and Igaram.
She looked up at the numerous Baroque Works personnel surrounding them, filled with despair.
"Can we escape?"
"Quack—!"
Seeing Vivi frozen in place, Karoo couldn't help but quack anxiously and loudly.
"No time to hesitate."
Vivi withdrew her gaze, suppressed the despair in her heart, and patted her face. She placed her hands on Karoo's back and leaped upwards, quickly mounting its back.
"Igaram."
Vivi bent down, hugging Karoo's neck, and shouted towards Igaram, "Go."
"Go?"
Igaram turned to look at Vivi, a smile curling his lips. "Princess Vivi, you must return safely to Alabarna. Karoo..."
"Quack—!"
He then looked down at Karoo, "Karoo, you must bring Princess Vivi back safely. This is an order."
"Quack—!"
Karoo looked at Igaram, extended its wings, and saluted.
"Go!"
Igaram roared, gave Vivi one last smile, turned around, and walked towards Crocodile, the machine guns in his hair continuously firing at him.
*Pata-pata-pata-pata!!*
From the moment he charged out of the crowd, he knew this would be the outcome.
As the captain of the Alabasta Kingdom's guard, no one in the kingdom understood Crocodile's terror better than he did. Just as Crocodile had said, this guy was truly like a god in the desert.
Let alone him and Vivi, even the entire Royal Army would be helpless against this guy.
"Igaram..."
Vivi stared at Igaram's retreating back, tears welling up, her eyes filled with guilt.
She knew Igaram was staying behind to buy time for her and Karoo to escape, and she knew exactly what fate awaited Igaram for staying behind, but... she was powerless.
One had to pay the price for their impulsiveness.
Now was the time for her to pay.
"Quack—!"
Karoo cast one last look at Igaram, turned around, and stared resolutely in the direction of the gap left between Baroque Works and a few high-ranking agents.
It would definitely get its master, Vivi, out.
Even if... it meant risking its life.