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Inside the house, Goku, Sanji, and Nami were all startled by the sudden crash. When Nami saw a bloody arm reach out from the swirling dust and debris, she jumped in fright and scrambled behind Goku's back.
"Who—who is it?!" she shrieked.
As the dust settled, they realized the person lying in the rubble was none other than Igaram. He was clutching Sanji's ankle, his face a mask of blood and grit.
"Please... please save Princess Vivi," he wheezed.
Igaram knew that with the powers of Mr. 5 and Ms. Valentine, Vivi wouldn't last long. To him, she was the only hope for their country and a child he had protected since her birth. He was powerless now, so he placed his final bet on these strangers. If a child like Goku was this strong, he reasoned that Sanji—the only adult male—must be a monster in combat.
"Hey, what's going on? And who is Vivi?" Sanji asked, his brow furrowed in total confusion.
"Vivi? She's that woman from earlier. Goku and I saw her," Nami explained, stepping out from behind Goku and crossing her arms. "Apparently, she's a princess."
"A princess?!" Sanji's spirit practically caught fire. He dropped to his knees and grabbed Igaram's hand, ignoring the blood. "She must be a beautiful, elegant princess! For such a lady, I, Sanji, am honor-bound to be her knight!"
Igaram was stunned. Had it really been that easy? "Yes! She is gentle, kind, generous, and very cute! Will you save her?"
Sanji nodded fervently, eyes sparkling. "Of course! Where is she? I'll—"
WHAM!!
Before he could finish, Nami's fist slammed into his head. "Save your head, you idiot!!" she roared, transforming into a furious demoness. "You want to save her without knowing anything? These people stole our money and tried to tie us up! They are not good people!"
Sanji, nursing a massive bump, went silent for a few seconds. Igaram's gaze dimmed, assuming the cook had changed his mind.
But then, Sanji clasped his hands together, a blissful grin on his face. "I still have to save her! No matter what the princess has done, I will forgive her because she is a lady!!"
Bang!! Bang!!
Nami's forehead veins throbbed. She delivered a flurry of "loving" punches. "Are you an idiot?! Why did we let you join the crew?!"
Sanji didn't even feel the pain; he was already daydreaming about his princess.
After venting her anger, Nami looked at the desperate Igaram. "Get up. You said she's a princess, right? To save royalty, I assume your country offers a reward?"
Igaram didn't hesitate. "Yes! If you save her and escort her back to Alabasta, the King will reward you generously!"
Nami gave a sly, cat-like smile. "Oh? So ten billion Berries is no problem?"
Igaram's face froze. "Ten... ten billion?!!" It was an astronomical sum. He swallowed hard. "I cannot authorize that amount, but Princess Vivi can. She is the sole heir to the throne."
"Deal! We'll take the contract!" Nami snapped her fingers. "Goku, Sanji, go rescue our ten billion Berries—I mean, the princess!"
"Hehe, no problem!" Goku grinned. "Understood, Nami-san!!" Sanji sprang up with a flip. Princess, I'm coming!
On the deserted streets, Vivi rode Carue (Run Fast), galloping toward the riverbank. She needed to reach her boat to escape, but the air above her suddenly filled with high-pitched laughter.
"Ya ha ha ha! Found you!" Ms. Valentine drifted down using her umbrella. "Let's play. Ten kilograms... fifty... one hundred..."
Her weight shifted instantly. "Ten thousand kilograms of pressure!"
"Carue! Move!" Vivi shrieked.
BOOM!!!
The impact cratered the ground, sending Vivi and her duck tumbling away. Ms. Valentine had used her Kilo-Kilo Fruit powers to become a human falling-star. "Ya ha ha ha! You dodged? This might be fun after all."
Mr. 5 appeared behind Vivi, blocking her retreat. At that moment, another figure landed in front of the princess—Mr. 9.
"I won't let you harm her!" Mr. 9 declared, brandishing his baseball bats. He had slept through the chaos until he saw Vivi in trouble. Even after learning she was a princess and a spy, he stood firm. "A prince must protect a princess!"
"Another fool," Mr. 5 sighed. He flicked a booger toward Mr. 9.
BOOM!!
A fiery explosion sent Mr. 9 flying, charred and unconscious. Vivi cried out in grief, but Mr. 5 was already aiming his next "bomb" at her.
Just as the explosion was about to detonate, a red staff swept through the air, striking the booger away.
"Hey! You can't hurt her!" Goku shouted, landing squarely between Vivi and the assassins.