Chapter 67 Ace's Shock! Mera-Mera Fruit, Dogs Don't Eat

Alabasta is a desert country. After leaving the port city, it didn't take long to enter the vast desert.

Even in the morning, the sun in the sky still made people sweat profusely, with temperatures reaching forty to fifty degrees.

The sunlight shining on the sand dunes created a mirage-like distortion in the atmosphere.

Luffy had to take off his coat, leaving only a relatively cool outfit.

"Luffy, let me carry it for you."

Vivi took the clothes that Luffy had taken off.

Luffy, of course, didn't hesitate to hand over the coat to Vivi.

Seeing the girl's troubled face, he said, "Don't worry, your father will be fine."

"Yes, thank you for your kind words."

"Crocodile has two goals, one is this country, and the other is the Ancient Weapon Pluton buried in this country. He won't kill your father not until he gets what he wants."

Luffy added a sentence.

He mentioned the Pluton matter when he met Robin at Whisky Peak.

Vivi certainly knew, but only knew a little bit.

Now, hearing him say this, she immediately felt much better. At least for a short time, her father wouldn't be in danger.

At this moment, Ace couldn't help but say, "Is it still far?"

"According to our speed, we should arrive at the capital tomorrow morning..."

Vivi held Luffy's coat and whispered, "If we can find a few camels or horses, we could arrive by three or four in the afternoon."

In the vast desert, there were obviously no camels, let alone horses.

There was only sand in the desert, as far as the eye could see.

Ace looked at Luffy and grinned, "Luffy, let's have a race, just like when we were kids, let's see who can reach the capital first!"

"Just a race isn't interesting enough. The loser has to promise the winner a condition," Luffy also laughed.

["You think you can beat me? With your limited heat version Mera-Mera Fruit!"]

3...2...1!" Ace laughed heartily and, as the countdown ended, he ran out first.

["You foolish brother, you even have to bring a girl with you. I've already won!"]

["What conditions should I propose?"]

Ace, who took the first step, has already started thinking about the reward after winning.

"Mr. Luffy..." Vivi said dumbfoundedly.

Luffy has already assumed a half-squat position and turned around to signal, "What are you waiting for, come up quickly."

"Huh?"

["Do you want to compete with your brother, while carrying me on your back?"]

Vivi glanced at Ace, who had already run a distance, and immediately leaned on Luffy's back, her delicate face slightly blushing:

"I'm sorry, if we lose, let me take the punishment instead~"

"I won't lose!" Luffy exerted force under his feet and instantly rushed out.

Ace, who was originally in the lead, turned his head and saw that Luffy had caught up with his sister-in-law on his back.

"Luffy! When did you become so fast!?" Ace widened his eyes.

"Hahaha, you're a Logia, and you want to compete with me, a Zoan, in terms of physical ability?"

"hahahahaha."

In the time it took to say a sentence, he had already surpassed Ace.

"Aren't you the one who ate the Rubber Fruit?" Ace was dumbfounded.

"It's the Zoan·Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika. Rubber Fruit is another name for it."

Luffy's voice came, but his figure was getting farther away.

Damn, this is too unfair! Not only a Zoan, but also a Mythical one! 

Ace was surprised. After three years of not seeing each other, was he going to lose to that Luffy, the one who had never beaten him before?

This is unacceptable!

Where will the big brother's face go?

"Flame Car!"

In an instant, his body burst into flames, like a flaming car accelerating and sprinting.

In the blink of an eye, not only did he catch up with Luffy, but he also surpassed him.

"Hahaha, don't accuse me of cheating, Luffy. Zoan inherently strengthens the physique, it's like you using your ability, me using it once is not considered cheating. In the end, I'm still the winner!"

Very well, you forced me.

Fifth gear, engage!

Luffy instantly entered Gear Second, his silver-white form resembling a gust of wind, and quickly caught up to Ace.

"Sorry, Ace, I have already awakened. You can't possibly beat me."

He wasn't leading by much, just a little faster than Ace.

Just like back in Loguetown, where Garp's Haki was only slightly stronger than his.

Awakening? Devil Fruit awakening!?

Ace's eyes widened.

"That form you used in the restaurant just now, it was your awakened state!"

He was totally shocked.

In just three years, Luffy had awakened his Devil Fruit!

No, I can't lose!

Ace gritted his teeth and accelerated again, holding onto Luffy tightly, refusing to be shaken off.

Occasionally, he would surpass Luffy, but quickly be overtaken again.

The two of them chased each other, running towards the direction of the capital.

They could compete in a race while chatting.

Clearly, neither of them had truly exerted their full power.

Vivi, who was lying on Luffy's back, was also infected by the relaxed atmosphere between the two, and her anxiety gradually disappeared, replaced by a smile on her face.

"Go, Mr. Luffy!"

Several hours later, at noon.

Alubarna, the capital of the kingdom.

As the capital of the kingdom, this city was built on high ground.

The surrounding walls were towering, with only four long staircases in the southeast, northwest directions leading to the elevated city.

As an ancient city with a long history, Alabasta's capital naturally had a history of thousands of years.

Due to the assassination attempt on the king yesterday, the capital was currently under martial law, with heavy guards stationed at the entrance of the southern gate.

Suddenly, a thick sandstorm came from the distance in the desert, and two figures rapidly approached.

The captain of the royal army responsible for guarding the southern gate immediately became nervous.

"All units, attention!"

He issued a loud command, and all the soldiers assumed a vigilant posture.

"Stop right there! The capital has been under martial law for the past few days. No one is allowed to enter...?"

Before the squad leader could finish speaking, the two figures had already passed through the soldiers' formation like a gust of wind.

"Wait!" The squad leader exclaimed in shock, immediately shouting, "Chase them!"

Lying on Luffy's back, Vivi turned around and shouted, "I'm sorry, please continue to hold your positions!"

"Vivi... Princess Vivi!?"

Only now did the soldiers recognize Vivi, and they looked at each other in disbelief.

The princess who had been missing for two years... had returned?

Not to mention the guards' reactions.

Carrying Vivi on his back, Luffy was the first to set foot on the ground of the capital.

"I won, Ace."

He didn't cheat either. He didn't use the power of the Sun Fruit to restore his strength, so he was really out of breath at the moment.

Ace was also tired, supporting himself with his hands on his knees, and smiled, "I'm really impressed. Mythical Zoan users are indeed monsters in terms of stamina."

Vivi got off Luffy's back and became anxious, "Mr. Luffy, Mr. Ace, let's go to the palace to see my father first."

The three of them quickly arrived at the front of the palace.

After Vivi revealed her identity, she was immediately invited into the palace.

And this scene happened to be seen by nearby Marines.

"Colonel Hina, that's Princess Vivi, Straw Hat Luffy, and Fire Fist Ace!" a Marine exclaimed in surprise.

What kind of lineup is this?

The princess and the pirates together?

And not only the grandson of Vice Admiral Garp, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, but also the captain of the Second Division of the Four Emperors Whitebeard's crew?

Hina, with a cigarette in her mouth, watched the three of them enter the palace.

"Princess Vivi is the informant. Admiral Sengoku asked me to contact her. She has evidence of Crocodile's crimes."

"But what about the pirates?"

Hina was very puzzled~

Hina frowned, wondering what exactly was happening in this country.

"You all stay here!" she said, leaving the others behind as she followed along.

The palace.

The grand bathhouse.

Since they were covered in sweat, Vivi arranged a nice bath for Luffy and Ace.

Meanwhile, Vivi herself was anxious to see her father and confirm the king's safety.

The two of them soaked in the cool pool water, finally feeling relieved from the heat.

"It seems like the king is fine," Ace said with a satisfied tone, finally relieved from the scorching heat.

As users of Devil Fruit abilities, would feel weakened if half of their bodies were submerged in water, as the water in this world contained a substance, which was the natural enemy of Devil Fruit ability.

Of course, both Ace and Luffy had a certain level of resistance to it, so it wasn't a big problem.

Especially Luffy, who had eaten the Awakened Nika fruit, had a high level of resistance to this substance.

Even if his whole body was submerged in water, he could still have the ability to move for a short period of time.

"No, the king might not be safe," Luffy continued to use his Observation Haki, paying attention to the situation inside the palace.

"There are many undercover agents in the palace guard," he said.

Ace was taken aback and also used his Observation Haki, hearing some subtle voices.

"It's Fire Fist Ace and Straw Hat Luffy!"

"What a perfect opportunity! Let's kill Princess Vivi and frame these two pirates!"

"Impressive, Mr. 2!"

The voices came from the direction of the king's palace.

"Oh no, Vivi is in danger!" Ace's expression changed.

"It's Mr. 2, the user of the Clone-Clone Fruit. He perfectly replicated the situation in Wano Country," Luffy chuckled, getting up from the bath.

"Ace, I'll take care of it. Join me after you finish bathing," he said.

"Do you need help?"

"It's just a little rat."

Luffy put on the clothes prepared by Vivi for them and then walked out.

The royal palace.

The palace where the king usually receives guests.

"Father!"

Vivi looked at the unharmed Cobra, and her nervousness instantly relaxed.

Cobra stood up from the king's throne, walked down the steps with an excited face, and said,

"Vivi, you're finally back! I thought something happened to you!"

"I'm sorry, father. Two years ago, I infiltrated an organization with Igaram and investigated some truths about the domestic rebellion."

Vivi said angrily,

"Behind all this, is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile!"

"In these years, there have been constant appearances of pirates, and every time he intervened and resolved the situation, the people also regarded him as a hero."

"But this is just a facade. It's his plan. He secretly controls a criminal organization called Baroque Works, with the goal of stealing the power of this country!"

"He also used a banned substance called Dance Powder to block all the rainwater in the country, causing the country to have no rain for three years!"

"The purpose is to make the people resent and be dissatisfied with you, father!"

Vivi emotionally exposed Crocodile's conspiracy and tricks.

Cobra was showed surprise after hearing this.

"Is that so? So that's how it is."

He walked down the stairs and came in front of Vivi.

"I know, I know. I'm really grateful to them for escorting you all the way back to me!"

Cobra's mouth gradually curved upwards, and his expression became evil.

"Boss already guessed it would turn out like this, so please die, Princess Vivi~"

While saying this, Cobra suddenly made a move.

"Transvestite Fist: Exploding Swan!"

A kick from under his loose robe, targeting Vivi's forehead.

BOSS?!

Vivi's pupils contracted. No, this is not father, this is... an assassin from Baroque Works!

Bang!!!

This kick abruptly stopped five centimeters in front of Vivi.

"Mr. Luffy!" Vivi exclaimed in shock.

Luffy calmly held onto the foot that was kicked towards him. "The Baroque Works is everywhere in this palace. The king must have been taken away."

"Ouch!!"

Mr. 2's face twisted in pain.

He tried to retract his leg, but the opponent's grip was terrifyingly strong, as if being held by a pair of steel pliers, rendering him unable to move.

"You are Mr. 2, Bentham," Luffy grinned. "Where is your boss? Where is Vivi's father?"

How did he expose himself?

Mr. 2 was extremely puzzled. He had just made a move, and the opponent appeared.

This couldn't be a coincidence. It meant that he had been exposed from the beginning. Perhaps the opponent had been hiding on the side, waiting for him to make a move.

"How did you know...!"

He reverted to his original appearance by dispelling his transformation. In a ballet costume, he appeared as a man but was dressed as a transvestite, sporting heavy makeup on his face and false eyelashes.

Unleashing his move, he shouted, "Transvestite Fist: Tip Kick!" Bentham aimed to use an offensive approach as a defense to push Luffy back.

However, Luffy swiftly seized him and flung Bentham around like a rag, forcefully slamming him into the ground with a resounding bang. The impact caused the ground to crack, leaving Bentham with a bruised and swollen face.

"Tell me, where is Crocodile?"

Faced with the questioning, Bentham grimaced in pain, showing no interest in answering.

Luffy, on the other hand, appreciated this loyal subordinate and promptly gave him a kick as a reward.

Haki: Coating!

Boom!

The kick landed on Bentham's stomach.

With a splutter, he suddenly spat out blood and fainted on the spot.

"Do you think I have no other choice, than asking you? Who do you think you're looking down on?"

Luffy took out the Den Den Mushi he carried with him and dialed a number.

"Mr. Luffy..." It was only at this moment that Vivi snapped out of her daze, sweating nervously.

"Don't worry, I'm here. You won't have any problems, relax."

In the midst of their conversation, the Den Den Mushi connected.

"Who is it?"

"Where are you?"

"Captain Luffy?"

The voice became slightly cheerful, then quickly answered, "In the underground mausoleum of the palace, Mr. Cobra is here too."

"Understood."

With that, the call was ended.

Turning to Vivi, Luffy asked, "Where is the underground mausoleum of the palace?"

["That was Miss Robin!"]

Vivi thought to herself and hurriedly said, "I know, Mr. Luffy, come with me!"

She took the initiative to hold Luffy's hand and led him towards the underground mausoleum.

After experiencing a life-threatening ordeal just now, Vivi only felt safe when she was holding onto Luffy.

After they left,

Vice Admiral Hina barged in and immediately noticed Bentham lying on the ground, unconscious and coughing up blood.

"This guy... a bounty of 32 million!"

Thinking this, she suddenly turned around.

"Portgas D. Ace!" Hina gritted her teeth. "Did you do this? What is your purpose?"

Ace: ( 0...0)

["Luffy, where is he?"]

In the underground mausoleum of the palace.

Crocodile had a cigar in his mouth and narrowed his eyes with a malicious gaze, glancing at his capable subordinate.

"Who were you talking to, Nico Robin?"

"It's... nothing."

Robin smiled slightly, revealing her enchanting charm.