"The warship has officially entered Alabasta's territorial waters."
"I've already spoken with King Cobra through the Den Den Mushi."
"He offered to provide food and accommodations for everyone aboard."
"But I declined."
"Alabasta's harvests have been poor for quite some time now."
"It's also a nation that frequently suffers from pirate raids."
"There is no need for the kingdom to bear additional burdens because of our arrival."
Saint Roselith Seraphina stood at the bow of the warship, her silver-white hair fluttering gently in the desert wind.
She turned toward the assembled Marines.
"We'll only bring a small escort ashore."
"Riva, Kuina, you're coming with me."
"Bruce, remain aboard and guard the ship."
Bruce immediately saluted.
"Yes, Rear Admiral!"
The others followed suit.
The Marines understood that this was not a leisure visit.
Although they were attending Princess Vivi's birthday celebration, Seraphina had another purpose for coming to Alabasta.
A purpose far more important than a simple banquet.
…
Meanwhile, within the royal palace of Alubarna.
"Vivi."
"Tomorrow will be your tenth birthday."
King Nefertari Cobra sat quietly nearby as a maid gently combed his daughter's long, sky-blue hair.
The sight stirred complicated emotions within him.
Vivi's hair looked exactly like her mother's.
For a moment, Cobra felt a pang of guilt.
As King of Alabasta, he had always placed the kingdom before himself.
Before his family.
Before everything.
As a result, he had rarely been able to act like an ordinary father.
"Dad, stop making that face."
Vivi immediately noticed his expression.
"I'm not a little child anymore."
She puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms.
"I understand."
"If protecting the kingdom means making sacrifices, then I'd make the same choice."
For a moment, Cobra was speechless.
His eyes even became slightly moist.
When had his daughter grown up so much?
His little princess was becoming increasingly mature.
"Your Majesty."
A palace guard suddenly entered.
"Rear Admiral Seraphina and her party have arrived."
The report immediately drew everyone's attention.
Earlier, Ikaram had ordered all guards stationed along the Sandora River to report the arrival of any Marine vessel immediately.
Since Alubarna was located inland, the Sandora River served as the primary route connecting the capital to the sea.
As expected, Seraphina's warship had arrived precisely on schedule.
Cobra immediately stood.
"Excellent."
"We must welcome them properly."
After all, Seraphina was one of the most important guests invited to this celebration.
"Really?!"
The moment Vivi heard the news, her eyes lit up.
"Sister Seraphina is here?!"
She nearly jumped out of her chair.
"Dad!"
"Let's go meet her!"
Without waiting for permission, she grabbed Cobra's arm and began pulling him toward the palace entrance.
Cobra could only laugh helplessly.
"Alright, alright."
"Slow down."
…
Meanwhile, aboard the warship traveling along the Sandora River.
The landscape passing by was far less prosperous than Seraphina had expected.
The farther inland they traveled, the more obvious the signs of hardship became.
"Rear Admiral…"
Riva stood beside her while observing the riverbanks.
"The situation here seems worse than expected."
Villages appeared dry and worn.
Fields looked barren.
Even the vegetation seemed unhealthy.
Seraphina nodded slowly.
"It is troubling."
She had initially believed the drought was localized.
Now she realized the situation affected a much larger portion of the kingdom.
"This is a nation with millions of citizens."
"The Nefertari Family has ruled for generations."
"Ordinary administrative failures alone shouldn't produce conditions like these."
Her Observation Haki quietly expanded outward.
The air itself felt unusually dry.
The lack of moisture was immediately noticeable.
From nearby settlements, faint voices drifted toward the warship.
"There hasn't been rain in weeks."
"If this continues, we'll lose another harvest."
"How are we supposed to survive?"
"The heavens have abandoned us."
"When will life improve?"
The voices carried exhaustion.
Frustration.
Despair.
The people of Alabasta were suffering.
Seraphina's expression gradually became serious.
"If conditions near the capital are already this severe…"
She looked toward the distant desert.
"Then the outlying regions must be suffering even more."
Riva clenched his fists.
As a Marine who genuinely believed in justice, he wanted to help.
The problem was that he didn't know how.
"Rear Admiral…"
"What should we do?"
Seraphina remained silent for several moments.
Finally, she spoke.
"I'll discuss it with King Cobra personally."
Her original objective in Alabasta was unrelated to the drought.
Yet now both matters had become intertwined.
She only hoped Cobra would not misunderstand her intentions.
…
The warship finally arrived at the inland port.
As soon as the gangplank was lowered, a familiar figure approached.
"Rear Admiral Seraphina!"
"Alabasta welcomes you!"
The curly-haired man bowed politely.
Ikaram.
Captain of the Royal Guard and one of Cobra's most trusted retainers.
Seraphina smiled.
"Lord Ikaram."
"It has been quite some time."
Ikaram nodded warmly.
"Indeed."
"Please follow me."
"His Majesty and Princess Vivi have been waiting for your arrival."
Following his gesture, Seraphina immediately spotted two familiar figures in the distance.
One was King Cobra.
The other was a young girl energetically waving both arms.
"Sister Seraphina!"
Vivi's cheerful voice echoed throughout the harbor.
Cobra smiled helplessly beside her.
"Rear Admiral Seraphina."
Seraphina nodded respectfully.
"King Cobra."
Then she turned toward Vivi.
"Vivi."
The young princess immediately ran forward and grabbed her hand.
Her excitement was impossible to hide.
"Sister Seraphina!"
"I have so many things to show you!"
"Dad already gave me an early birthday present!"
"It's amazing!"
"You have to come see it!"
Seraphina couldn't help smiling at Vivi's enthusiasm.
Then Vivi suddenly noticed the young swordswoman standing nearby.
She blinked.
"Eh?"
"Who is this?"
Kuina immediately straightened her posture.
"I'm Kuina!"
"A Marine Sergeant!"
She proudly puffed out her chest.
Although her growth had only recently begun, her confidence was already enormous.
Seraphina had told her many stories about Princess Vivi before.
Now that she was finally meeting her, she found the princess even more adorable than she had imagined.
Vivi tilted her head.
Then smiled brightly.
"Nice to meet you, Kuina!"
The group began walking toward the palace.
As they moved through Alubarna, Kuina couldn't help admiring the unique architecture.
Unlike most kingdoms she had visited, Alabasta possessed a distinctive desert style.
Many buildings featured domed roofs.
Others incorporated thick adobe walls designed to combat the intense heat.
The atmosphere felt entirely different from anywhere else on the Grand Line.
Meanwhile, Cobra quietly turned toward Ikaram.
"Have all preparations for tomorrow's celebration been completed?"
Ikaram immediately nodded.
"Everything is ready, Your Majesty."
As both captain of the Royal Guard and chief steward of the palace, nearly every aspect of the celebration had passed through his hands.
The guest accommodations.
The banquet hall.
The security arrangements.
The entertainment.
Everything had been meticulously prepared.
Tomorrow would mark Princess Nefertari Vivi's tenth birthday.
And for the first time in many years, the royal palace of Alubarna would welcome distinguished guests from across the seas.
What appeared to be a simple birthday celebration, however, was already beginning to draw the attention of forces far beyond Alabasta's borders.
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