Chapter 33: Chapter 31: Smooth criminal

 

“Oi, Ussop! There is something in the sea! What is it?”

 

Ussop took his telescope out and looked at the direction Luffy was pointing.

 

“ That... looks like the wreckage of a ship.”

His eye roamed all over the area.

 

“Hey! There is someone on a board there!”

“Let’s Pick them up!”

“But what if he’s a pirate?” said Chopper

“Or worse a Marine?” added Ussop

 

“We can’t leave him alone! “. It was Vivi’s turn

“Vivi’s right! We can make him pay us for saving his life!”

“That’s brilliant Nami-swaaaaan!”

“Oi, curly-brows drop the volume!”

“Go sleep somewhere else Marimo!”

 

Sanji and Zorro started fighting.

 

Chopper and Ussop kept arguing with Nami and Vivi.

 

In the end, the Going Merry just passed by the unconscious man .

~~~~~~

 

“Chopper how he is?”

“Dehydrated and malnourished.”

 

“He looks like a bum.”

“There is no way he could pay us” said Nami in disappointment.

 

“Shouldn’t we bring him inside?” asked Vivi.

“I’m not touching that bum”.

“Me neither.”

 

In the end Chopper used a rumble ball to move him.

Vivi moved forward

“Let me help you Tony-kun”

“Thank you Vivi”.

 

Chopper took the bum’s legs while Vivi took his arms.

While moving him, one of his sleeves slipped down his forearm.

Vivi gasped and brought her hands to her mouth.

 

Effectively dropping him on his head.

He didn’t wake up one bit though.

 

“Vivi?!”

 

Vivi took a good look at the man, fell on her knees and started crying.

 

“Vivi what’s wrong?!”

Alerted by Chopper’s shout the rest of the crew went to her.

“Did he wake up?”

“Did he do anything to you?” asked an angry Sanji

 

Vivi couldn’t find the words. She was so happy!

‘With him here, Alabasta will be saved!’

 

She just knew it.

She couldn’t stop her tears of joy and relief. In the past she had gotten the truth from Pell. She had been kidnapped and in less than 4 hours, had tracked her and the kidnappers down, took care of them and their organisation and brought her back to the palace.

Naturally, Pell didn’t say a word about what Rick did in that place. That was not something you say to a child.

 

She snapped out of it just before Luffy and Sanji could throw him overboard.

 

“Please stop! I know him! He’s a friend.”

 

“Really?” asked Luffy

“There is no way that bum is friend with Vivi-chan”

 

“Please put him down”

~~~~~~

 

Rick was on a bed inside. Everyone was waiting for Vivi’s story.

 

“So Vivi, who’s that guy?”

 

“He’s an ex-marine…”

 

“I knew it! We need to throw him overboard before he arrests us all! Chopper help me!” exclaimed Ussop, scared.

 

Nami smacked his head.

“She said EX Marine idiot!”

“So you’re friend with a marine?” asked Luffy, totally missing the ex part.

 

“He’s not anymore but was when he saved my life when I was six.”

 

“He saved cute little Vivi-chan?”

“Why would a marine save you?”

“That’s what marines do Luffy”

“Quiet! All of you! Vivi’s is telling her story!”

 

“Thank you Nami. So where was I…”

“The guy saved your life when he was a marine and you were six.”

“Oh! Right. So one day I sneak out of the palace. I have heard of a circus arriving in town and I wanted to go see them. I found out that they were performing later in the day so I took a stroll into a stall street  I’ve never been to before, when I saw a young man getting scammed by a fruit merchant. I told him what the merchant was doing and he believed me.The merchant was not happy and grabbed me violently….”

 

When he heard that Sanji had the aura of the demon.

‘I’ll find that guy and kick his ass!’

 

“When the young man grabbed the merchant back, lectured him and knocked him out!”

 

“So he’s a nice guy then?”

“Luffy he’s marine, they are the nice guys”

“Oh, right that’s true.”

 

A vein popped on Vivi’s forehead.

‘Will you stop interrupting me already!’

 

“Anyway he asked me if I knew some good fruit stalls and if I could lead him to them. I agreed but he would have to buy me some fruit in exchange.”

“Hehe, nice, I’m proud of you Vivi” said Nami.

 

Vivi cut short the story.

“In the end we spent all day together and even watched the circus. When the royal guard found me they let it out that I was the princess, they thought he had kidnapped me and attacked him. He wiped the floor with them, and said something like”.

 

She tried to do a deep grave voice”

“Princess or not I promised her to walk her home, so I’m walking her home!“

 

“A man of his word, I like that”.

“That’s so cool!”

 

“My father caught wind of the situation and wanted to meet him. Then I went to the kitchen to ask the maids to cook the fruit he bought for me. After that, well I was just told what happened. Two of the royal guards were traitors and kidnapped me. It took an hour before anyone knew about it but when he did he started chasing after them. In less than 4 hours he found me, took care of the kidnapper and their organization and took me back to the palace.”

 

“Wow! That’s amazing!”

“Pell, one of the head chief of the royal guard, said that he was the best tracker the marines had on Grand line and that his success rate was 100% without any casualty ever.”

 

“Man, that guy is a beast.”

“Luffy we need to get rid of him! We’re doom if he wakes up”

“What are you talking about, he’s Vivi’s friend!’

 

“He escorted my father and I to the world’s summit that was happening at the time and brought us back in Alabasta. On the journey I made him a unique bracelet. And when I saw it on his arm, I had hoped it was him. I had to take a good look at his face because it’s been 10 years and he didn’t have this big beard by then.”

 

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“So, what’s his name, he must be pretty famous!”

 

“Oh! He is famous.” said Vivi with a laugh

“ His name is Rick Wald.”

 

““““““ Never heard of him ”””””

 

“Well you may know him by his nickname: the world’s worst traitor.”

 

The crew was shocked. Everyone had at least heard of him once. Of the legend.

 

Ussop fainted with foam out of his mouth.

 

“You mean the marine that tried to murder a Vice-Admiral?”

“And the Fleet admiral?”

“And a world noble?”

 

“Yes, that’s him”.

 

“That’s so cool!” said Luffy with stars in his eyes.

“I thought it was just a story to scare children”.

“It’s not. But I believe he’s innocent and was framed.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because he’s the nicest person I have ever met. I refuse to believe what the marine says about him, it’s just not true.”

 

~~~~~~

 

The strawhats finally arrived at Nanohana. Luffy met Ace there and introduced him to his friends.

Ace gave him a piece of his vivre card and helped them leave the port by sinking the ships of Baroque Work without ever knowing that his new brother was resting a few feet away. 

 

They were now sailing to the west side of the Sandora River’s delta when Rick woke up, scaring Chopper.

 

‘HOLY SHIT! It’s Chopper! That means, I’m on the Going Merry. I got swept up by a storm and got picked up by the Strawhats. Am I lucky or not? Anyway time for my trusted friend acting Level 5 to shine!’

 

“Do you happen to have some food and water perhaps?”

 

Chopper snapped out of it.

“Guys he’s awake!” he yelled while running outside.

 

Rick got up and followed him.

 

“Hello, my name is Rick Do you hap…”

 

He couldn’t finish his sentence as he was tackled down by a fluff of light blue hair.

 

“Ouch! What the …”

The fluff then moved, displaying a crying face with lips tightly shut to not let a sob escape.

 

“Vivi?!”

 

She nodded vehemently, then rested her head on his chest.

“Alright, alright, stop crying, everything will be fine.”

 

She kept crying and didn’t seem to stop .

 

 Rick patted her head and saw the rest of the crew.

“Hello, I’m Rick! Do you have anything to eat?”

 

~~~~~~

 

Vivi finally stopped crying but would not let go of Rick. Perhaps she was scared that he would disappear if she did.

 

Rick was fed a steak by Sanji.

‘Too salty. Did he cry on it?’

 

“Vivi isn’t it time that you introduce your friends to me? This silence is making me uncomfortable.”

 

“I’m Luffy and I’m gonna be the pirate king!”

 

‘That’s a big dream! Good luck”

“Thanks!”

 

“Is it true what the stories say about you?”

“There are stories about me?”

“Yes! You try to kill a bunch of very important people.”

“Oh, that? Nope, not one bit, I don’t kill people.”

 

“I knew it!” said Vivi with happiness.

“Yeah they blamed me, because I humiliated a Vice-Admiral twice. That guy was a real prick to me, so I put him in his place and held a grudge for years. When I quit, he used the opportunity to frame me.”

 

“Wow what bastard!”

“That’s the marine for you! Though not all marines are bad people…”

 

“Wait, you quit the marines?” asked Vivi surprised.

“I did, turned out they’re worse than pirates scum!” Said Rick unhappily.

‘I wonder how they will take it’

 

“Hey!” said Luffy, offended.

“Oh, sorry! You’re Vivi’s friends, so pirates or not, you’re not scum.” smiled Rick.

 

“You trust her a whole lot for someone you haven’t see in 10 years” said Zoro.

 

“Of course! If I didn’t, she would not be my friend!”

 

This answer seemed to satisfy Luffy.

 

Vivi asked the question she wanted to ask the most.

 

“Rick, what were you doing in the Alabastan’s sea?”

“ I went through a big storm and go shipwreck”

 

“You went into that Giant Storm near Alabasta?” asked Nami dumbfounded.

“Yep”

“ARE YOU CRAZY? YOU MIGHT HAVE DIED!” screamed Vivi in his ears.

“Well, I’m not, so that’s fine right?”

The biggest vein they ever saw popped on Vivi’s head.

She grabbed his ear and pulled!

 

“Vivi! It’s gonna rip, it’s gonna rip!”

“DON’T YOU EVER DO THAT EVER AGAIN!”

“ I won’t! Please let go!”

“PROMISE ME!”

“I promise, I swear. Please, I don’t wanna be a buddha!”

 

“Shishishishi” Luffy was laughing heartilly.

Everyone had a warm smile at Vivi’s and Rick antics.

“ So Rick, why did you go through the storm?”

“Oh that! Well that’s because I heard that a certain princess had disappeared.” he said while looking severely at vivi who just turned her head away in embarrassment.

“So I came here to check”

“ You could have visited in 10 years!” she oomphed.

“Suuuure the Alabasta’s Royal family in cahoots with one of the world’s most wanted men. How could anything go wrong, I wonder.” said Rick rolling his eyes.

 

She just hugged him tight.

“I’m glad you're alive.”

“They’re gonna have to try a little harder than that if the marines want my head” he chuckled.

“Anyway what’s the deal Vivi? Why did you disappeared?”

 

“It’s a long story.”

“I have all the time in the world, so start talking.”

And she did, for a long time.