From that moment on, Vivi no longer cared about her title as a princess.
She preferred to see herself as just an ordinary girl.
But when the crisis of her kingdom struck, everything changed again.
Ordinary people didn't need to stand up when the nation was on the brink of collapse—but Vivi was not just anyone; she was the princess of Alabasta.
King Cobra's lifelong teachings, combined with her own "boyish" nature, drove Vivi to infiltrate Baroque Works in a desperate bid to save her country.
It was there that she first saw the true disparity of the world. Not in status, nor intellect, nor pleasure—but in the sheer, primal, irreplaceable difference of power.
With just a bit of training, her physical ability already surpassed most of Baroque Works' foot soldiers. Paired with her self-developed charm dance, she became one of the fourteen Officer Agents—a feat that countless bounty hunters, despite years of effort, could never reach.
Yet at the same time, she too was looking upward—toward beings far stronger than herself.
Forget Crocodile—even that woman in Mr. 5's team was an opponent Vivi could never hope to defeat.
Even if she had a beautiful face and an alluring figure,even if she learned hotter, more enticing dances to make herself irresistible to men,what meaning would that have before true power?
None.
Even if she could seduce Mr. 5, his partner Mikita would still kill her without hesitation.
Seduction meant nothing before another woman.
In the end, no matter how she tried, she couldn't change a thing.
For someone like Vivi, who had always been "boyish," that realization was unbearable. She couldn't bear to think too deeply about what it truly meant—she could only do what she could. Uncover the mastermind. Stop the civil war. Prevent the kingdom's collapse.
At the very least, it was better than doing nothing.
That was her mindset back at Whiskey Peak—clinging to action like a drowning person clutching a straw, even knowing it might not help.
And then, Ren appeared.
He came out of nowhere, bringing changes she could never have imagined.
Even though she didn't trust him at first—even though she hesitated, doubted, resisted—in the end, she still submitted, powerless to fight back.
At least, she told herself,even if she was deceived, she could still carry back the information.
That was her only thought at the time. To her, Ren was nothing but a villain—Ron the Wicked.
Until later—when the base was destroyed and the battle on Darwin Island erupted.
Only then did she realize she had met an unpredictable force of fate.
Even when the Baroque Works agents there inexplicably believed Ren was their true boss, she still followed, half in disbelief, half in desperate hope.
In hindsight,that whole situation had unfolded because of Ren's cunning and skill.
But back then, Vivi's faith in him had been nothing more than the reflex of someone drowning—a final gasp for air before sinking.
The rest played out like a storybook. The "knight" descended from the heavens, slaying the villain and rescuing the kingdom beneath the "princess's" gaze.
Although Vivi never thought of herself as a princess, if she was being honest, her contribution was no different from one. Besides shouting a few words of courage—what else had she really done?She hadn't even waved a flag.
"But that knight wasn't much of a knight either," she muttered bitterly. "Six-point-one billion in debt…"
Vivi curled up on her bed, sinking into her thoughts. "But he did it. Even if it was only a transaction…"
Because of Ren, Alabasta regained peace. The people were freed from civil war and drought. The royal family cleared its name.
Even when the promised price was not enough to satisfy the deal, he didn't rage or destroy the kingdom—he accepted her plea instead.
To exaggerate a little—even the Sand-Sand Fruit came into her hands only because he killed Crocodile.
For a man like Ren, Vivi's feelings had always been complicated.
He accomplished what she could not. He changed what she could never change. He turned despair into hope,and made sacrifices no longer necessary.
That was why—Vivi had stepped aboard the ship named Enlightenment.
Yes, the debt was the largest factor. But her own desire was just as real.
When she obtained the Sand-Sand Fruit, she realized she finally had a "path" she'd once only dreamed of.
"Studying charm will never make me stronger" had become"as long as I study my Devil Fruit power, I can grow stronger—perhaps even reach Crocodile's level one day."
But still,fear lingered in her heart—the fear that even with this new path, she might once again become that helpless "princess."
So she chose to leave her kingdom. If she was weak alone, then she would follow Ren—to imitate him, to learn from him, to change herself,and one day become a person capable of overturning despair.
That was her true reason for joining him.
But aboard the Enlightenment, Vivi quickly realized—she was an outsider.
Zoro, Nami, Nojiko, even that creature Chester—all of them were more seasoned than her. Not just in time spent, but in the hardships they had faced together.
They had become a family through battle.
And she—she was the latecomer, the exception.
Even though Nami and Nojiko were kind, and even though the cold Zoro treated her as a comrade,that faint inferiority always gnawed inside her.
If not for her "boyish" restraint, Vivi felt she might have done something shameful.
Something like…wearing revealing clothes, using the seduction tricks she once practiced—just to catch Ren's attention.
The very thought embarrassed her. But she couldn't deny it; she had the experience.
After all, charm and beauty had once been her weapons as an Officer Agent.
Still—the "boyish" Vivi couldn't bring herself to do something as humiliatingas knocking on his door in the middle of the night with food in hand.
That was too shameful. Ren wasn't that kind of man, and she didn't want him to think less of her.
Even so,those thoughts remained—lingering, stubborn, unshakable.
How could she describe it? It looked like seduction,and perhaps it was, in form. But deep down, it wasn't the same.
If there weren't even a hint of affection, no desire to be "seen" or "chosen,"she would never have such thoughts.
Otherwise, she'd simply keep training,fighting, obeying his orders, repaying her debt through loyalty and effort.
The difference could be summed up in a line Ren himself once said—
"A great favor—one a woman cannot repay with words. So, she says instead: I will repay it with myself. Isn't that the difference?"
Without that feeling,the idea of "offering herself" would never exist.
Vivi understood that very clearly.
And she also knew—Ren did have feelings for her. Not shallow lust,but genuine admiration—for her looks, her strength, her personality, her spirit, even her heart.
That was why she dared to test boundaries,to act in secret.
After all, a man who already had two wingswould not mind a third joining them.
"So that's why Nojiko sent me away earlier," she whispered. "She must have sensed it too… a rival."
Vivi rolled over suddenly, flopping flat like a salted fish. The soft rise of her chest blocked her view of the ceiling as she stared blankly upward.
She had never had such thoughts before. Liking someone, loving someone,imagining forbidden things with them—none of that had ever crossed her mind.
Once, she had a childhood friend named Koza. They were both leaders of their small adventure group—he the boy, she the girl. People often joked they'd end up together someday.
But Vivi had never thought that way.
"Boys" didn't think like that.
Before she became an adult, her father had never brought up such things—the boundary between boys and girls barely existed in her mind.
They were only physically different. Or perhaps, she thought with faint embarrassment,it was because she was too beautiful and well-shaped that people imagined such things.
It wasn't until she infiltrated Baroque Worksthat she learned to confront her appearance, to understand the difference between men and women,to truly see herself as a girl.
Yet even then, her "boyish" nature didn't vanish completely. Maybe that was why she could wield her beauty as a weapon so easily.
Now, though—Vivi had grown more like a woman.
With Nami and Nojiko as examples around her,she couldn't help but be influenced by them.
It was different from before. Once, she had no reason to change,so she refused to understand.Now she did understand,so she began to change—gradually letting go of the rough, carefree habits of her "boyish" past.
Her courage and determination remained strong as ever.And under that strength, she finally understood what her emotions meant.
She had seen many men before—ugly ones, handsome ones, charming ones—but Ren was the first man she ever truly liked.
After witnessing so many vile men who treated women as toys,she realized how rare a man like Ren was in this vast sea.
Once again,Vivi confirmed her feelings,understood her actions,and recognized her heart.
Just like Nojiko had.
That night, after Nami spent the night with Ren, Nojiko's behavior had been the same—she understood, she knew, she accepted—and yet still couldn't suppress her emotions.
Yes.
This was jealousy.
(End of Chapter)