Chapter 41: Resolution

Though he was puzzled by Vivi's reaction, Thomas wasn't a complete idiot. He might have missed it back in his previous world, but women in the world of One Piece were a lot more 'animated.' The same could be said for everyone that inhabited the anime-inspired world, but Thomas paid a lot more attention to beautiful women than random people.

As he no longer felt that women of Vivi's caliber were out of his league, a sentiment he owed entirely to Caenis, Thomas managed a narrow-eyed smile as he gestured toward the edge of her bed, requesting, "Shall we discuss terms...?"

Nodding in affirmation, Vivi sat down on the edge of her bed, tensing a bit when Thomas sat closer than was strictly necessary. Their bodies didn't touch, but it would only take a slight movement on either of their parts for their knees to bump. Thomas's size also made him seem a lot closer than he actually was...

Breaking the ice, Thomas revealed, "I'm aware that a certain 'reptile' has fabricated a drought in your country. I am also aware that your father has been falsely accused, leading to civil unrest and the emergence of rebel forces who believe he is 'stealing' their rain..."

Asking the first question that entered her mind, Vivi inquired, "How do you know all of this? I spent the last two years undercover and only recently learned there might be a connection between my country's benefactor, Sir Crocodile, Baroque Works, and the drought plaguing my homeland..."

Blinking in surprise, Thomas asked, "Really? I thought you would have already figured it out by now..."

Though he had read the One Piece manga and watched the anime several times, Thomas's knowledge of the plot was far from flawless. He recalled that Mr 5 and Miss Valentine showed up to eliminate Vivi and Igaram after discovering their identities, but he forgot that it was 'after' their escape from Whiskey Peak that Robin, Miss All Sunday, helped the Princess learn the truth about Mr 0's, better known as Sir Crocodile's, identity.

Instead of trying to backpedal, Thomas gave an affirming nod, revealing, "Crocodile is using a combination of his Devil Fruit and an illegal chemical known as Dance Powder to promote rainfall in certain locations, inducing droughts in others."

Nodding her head, Vivi replied, "That's one of the reasons people turned against my father. They believe he is hoarding the rain to make Alubarna prosper at the expense of the rest of the country."

Adopting a smile, Thomas said, "That's where we come in. You might find this difficult to believe, but one of my companions possesses the ability to influence the weather to create storms. With enough time and energy, she could make a storm covering all of Alabasta. That should assuage most of the citizenry's concerns, at least long enough for us to deal with Crocodile and his minions. Once they're out of the way, we just need to be rid of the Dance Powder, and the climate will gradually return to normal."

Though she found it difficult to imagine someone creating a rainstorm that affects her entire nation, an island with a width exceeding 2700km and a median length of 1900km, Vivi didn't challenge Thomas's claim. Instead, she asked, "And what do you expect in return? Alabasta isn't very wealthy, and our people need that money to fund food and other resources..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas's expression softened as he replied, "I'm sure Nami would request something like 1,000,000,000 Berries as a prize, but most of us don't care about things like that. Lucy will help out the moment she learns that people are starving. As for Zoro, he would be happy so long as there are powerful opponents..."

Swallowing a knot that had developed in her throat, Vivi leaned almost imperceptibly closer to Thomas as she asked, "And what about you? What do 'you' want, Thomas...?"

Suppressing his baser instincts, the corners of Thomas's smile curled up as he answered, "I got to experience having a gorgeous Princess sitting on my lap and serving me alcohol. That's something money can't typically buy, so I'm pretty content as is. If you want to 'reward' me further, that's up to you..."

As he was effectively 'casting his dice' blindly, Thomas's brain nearly short-circuited when Vivi adopted a resolute expression and replied, "If you're truly able to help my people out of this predicament...I don't mind giving you 'any' reward I can personally grant..."

Hanging her head, Vivi blushed up to her ears as she appended, "Even if that reward happens to be me..." in a meek, nearly inaudible tone. If not for their proximity, Thomas wouldn't have been able to hear it. Hell, even though they were mere centimeters away from each other, he was almost certain he had 'misheard' her...

Reaching up to his face, Thomas gave his cheek a pinch to confirm he wasn't dreaming or hallucinating. Vivi noticed this, an amused chuckle emanating from her throat before she turned her distinct purple eyes up at him and asserted, "I really mean it. You could have done whatever you wanted to me last night, but you chose to comfort me. If you can save my country...I'll owe you more than I can ever hope to repay...no matter how much you ask of me..."

Mirroring Vivi's reaction from earlier, Thomas swallowed harder before averting his eyes from the Princess's earnest gaze. He 'really' wanted to accept her proposition, but now that it was actually on the table, he felt like he would be a massive dick not to apprise her of his circumstances. If she had abruptly fallen in love with him, she might be devastated to learn he slept or intended to sleep with other women...

Exhaling loudly through his nose, Thomas shook his head and said, "You should offer yourself to the person you love, not someone like me. I'm an opportunist with more lust than sense, Vivi. I haven't been in a committed relationship for more than fifteen years, and I typically jump at the chance to sleep with attractive women. If you were someone ordinary, I-"

Furrowing her brows slightly, Vivi interjected, stating, "I've already made my decision. If you do not wish to accept my offer, you need only refuse when the time comes. As for the matter concerning your relationship with other women...it wasn't like I was suggesting we get married. I know you still have a journey to go on and dreams you wish to make a reality...I just wanted to provide you a night we could both remember..."

Though she could hardly believe the words coming from her mouth, Vivi spoke with 'conviction' from start to finish. She had been terrified beyond compare when she realized she had ingested the muscle relaxer intended for Thomas. If the latter hadn't been aware of her identity, she knew how the night would have ended. People generally didn't take kindly to being drugged and rendered defenseless. Had it been just about anyone else in Thomas's position, she would have paid a 'very' steep price...

As Thomas turned to look at her, Vivi inadvertently looked away before forcing herself to meet his gaze, smiling wryly as she added, "If it makes things easier, you should know I like big, strong, and reliable men...you're also pretty handsome, so I really don't mind. It's just, how sure are you of your victory? Sir Crocodile is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, one of the Three Great Powers that control and regulate the Grand Line. Baroque Works is also filled with powerful fighters and has a literal army to support them..."

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Suppressing his inhibitions, Thomas regained his smile as he replied, "So long as we plan accordingly, dealing with Crocodile isn't that difficult. We already know his biggest weakness, so we just need to corner him before he can use his Awakening. If that doesn't work...well, let's just say I have a few sure-fire methods of dealing with him..."

Staring down at the back of his hand, which had regenerated his missing Command Spells, the image of Musashi appeared in Thomas's mind. He didn't want to disrupt her journey so soon after they had parted ways, but he had lost faith in the plot long ago. If things went South and he couldn't see a reasonable path to victory, he would summon Musashi to deal with the wayward Shichibukai in an instant...

Following Thomas's gaze, Vivi's tone was tinged with confusion as she asked, "A tattoo...?"

Exhaling a faint chuckle, Thomas flipped his hand over, amassing a tiny sphere of Magical Energy as he explained, "I ate a Devil Fruit called the Mana-Mana-no-Mi. It gives me all kinds of abilities, including the power to summon mighty Spirits when I'm in need..."

Seeing the energy gathering in Thomas's palm, Vivi's eyes glistened as she remarked, "It's very pretty..."

Smiling wryly, Thomas responded, "It's very destructive. This little ball can generate as much kinetic energy as a cannonball. And that's just one of its many, many uses. Once my control has improved, there isn't much I won't be able to do..."

Crushing the ball of magical energy in his hand, Thomas reabsorbed it into his body as he revealed, "And if you think that sounds scary, I'm only the third strongest member of the Straw Hats. My Captain, Lucy, can level entire buildings with her full-powered punches and kicks..."

Though it wasn't the first time Thomas had mentioned someone else as the Captain, Vivi couldn't help questioning, "Lucy? That strange girl that ate so much food she resembled a ball...?"

Recalling the gruesome and somewhat 'dangerous' sight, Thomas's smile became wry as he replied, "Yeah, that's her. But don't let her appearance fool you. When she gets serious, there are very few opponents she can't defeat, Warlord or otherwise. She may get knocked down a few times, but she always gets back up stronger, faster, and more determined than ever. If I had even half her mettle and willpower...I honestly can't imagine how strong I would become..."

Raising her brows slightly, Vivi remarked, "You seem to respect your Captain a great deal..." before adopting a playful smile and asking, "Is there anyone else going on, I wonder~? I noticed you were paying a lot of attention to her and that girl with the orange hair while we were drinking together..."

Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Thomas shook his head before explaining, "I can't help but worry about them. Despite her strength, Lucy is a bit of an idiot. Even though I know she can protect herself, I can't help feeling anxious seeing her surrounded by a group of men actively attempting to get her drunk senseless. If any of them tried to take liberties with her or Nami, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation right now..."

Adopting an apologetic smile, Vivi offered a faint, "Sorry..." before falling silent. She had seen the fate that awaited the female members of Pirate crews that lacked substantial Bounties. Those who died were considered the lucky ones, as those who were captured became 'comfort girls' for the Billions and Millions, the most numerable and lowest-ranking members of Baroque Works. Few survived more than a few weeks before taking their lives in despair, while the remainder ended up being sold into slavery after having their bodies and minds broken beyond repair...

Recalling how she had willfully participated in a scheme that would have ensured Thomas and his crew suffer a similar fate, assuming they weren't able to defend themselves, Vivi hung her head in shame. Everything she had done the past two years was for the sake of her citizens and country, but that didn't change the fact she had aided in the ruination of hundreds, if not thousands of people...

Seeing Vivi's previously good mood deteriorating rapidly, Thomas exhaled a faintly exasperated sigh before extending his hand to caress her head, a habit he had developed thanks to Astolfo. The blue-haired Princess was a little surprised at first, but after raising her gaze to find Thomas staring at her with concern, she regained a smile, surprising him by softly asserting, "You're a good man, Thomas..."

Before Thomas could shake his head and refute Vivi's claim, the latter left him at a loss for words as she abruptly snuggled closer to him and placed her head on his bicep. Then, for several minutes, the two of them stayed like that until she tentatively suggested, "If you're still tired...we can sleep together. This time without a distance separating us..."

Though he felt obligated to refuse, Thomas only hesitated for a short while before adopting a faint smile of his own and replying, "I'd like that..."

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(A/N: This ship is equipped with a state-of-the-art turbo engine...could this be the legendary Pluton!?)

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