Chapter 188 Playing House
"This is far too dangerous, Vivi. As you said, the man is a pirate with a bounty of ten billion. You want to hire him to suppress the rebellion, but this is playing with fire by inviting a wolf into our home." Cobra frowned deeply after hearing his daughter's proposal.
"But we don't have any other choice, do we? Besides, he's not actually a bad person; otherwise, he wouldn't have let me go so easily back then. That's why I still want to try." Vivi looked at her father pleadingly.
Now that she had matured, how could she not see the reason her father had brought her along this time?
If she could win over Zane and have him help suppress the rebellion, there would be a much greater hope of turning the tide of this crisis.
That way, she could prevent her father from having to sacrifice himself.
"Alright, I've finished deciphering this side. Do you need me to handle that over there?"
While Vivi and Cobra were arguing, Nico Robin had successfully finished her interpretation.
She looked at the Poneglyph before her with a wry, helpless smile.
Why was it another Ancient Weapon?
Although she had changed her mindset and was willing to let Ancient Weapons become an asset for her Captain, finding two Poneglyphs in a row that recorded Ancient Weapons instead of the history of the Void Century was somewhat depressing for her.
With a sigh, Nico Robin turned to Zane and gestured toward Vivi and Cobra not far away.
"No need. Let's go."
Zane was no natural-born killer, nor did he care if outsiders knew he had obtained the contents of the Poneglyph. He naturally had no intention of bothering with Vivi and Cobra for long.
As for Vivi's idea of hiring him, he cared even less about that.
Placing a hand around Nico Robin's waist, Zane prepared to activate his Door-Door Fruit ability to depart.
"Wait! Please, wait a moment! I have something important I want to discuss with you, Mr. Zane!" Vivi had not forgotten to keep an eye on Zane even while arguing with her father.
Seeing Zane look as if he were about to leave, she was startled and rushed forward to stop him.
"There's nothing to discuss. I have no interest in playing house with you," Zane said dismissively.
"Playing house?" Nico Robin looked at Vivi with a flicker of interest.
Had something happened while she was deciphering the Poneglyph just now?
"It's not playing house! I want to hire you, Mr. Zane, to help me quell the rebellion. If you are willing, I can guarantee in my name as the next heir of the Nefertari family that you will be named a Duke of Alabasta. I will even negotiate with the World Government on your behalf to find a way to have your bounty revoked." Vivi spoke with absolute sincerity.
As for how to convince Zane to help her, she had just come up with what she considered the best possible offer.
First was the noble status of a Duke.
This rank was second only to the King himself.
Beyond the status, it would grant him a vast amount of territory.
Then there was the revocation of his bounty.
Although she didn't know how Zane's ten-billion-berry bounty had come to be...
As a member of the World Government—and one of the oldest at that—Vivi believed her country had enough political clout to potentially convince the World Government to rescind his bounty.
As for why she didn't just offer money...
There was no other way; Alabasta was so poor that all it had left was its vast territory. They had always been strapped for cash.
"It really is playing house!" Hearing Vivi's words, not only Zane but even Nico Robin let out a soft, charming laugh.
'A Dukedom?'
If her Captain cared about such things, why would he have dared to slaughter the Celestial Dragons?
'Revoking the bounty?'
That was even more hilarious. The World Government would likely rather wipe Alabasta off the map than revoke her Captain's bounty.
However...
Nico Robin studied Vivi thoughtfully.
Likely due to the ongoing war from the rebellion, Vivi wasn't dressed in her usual princess attire, nor was she wearing her previous disguise from Baroque Works. Instead, she wore practical light battle armor.
Even so, it couldn't hide her outstanding beauty.
Her wavy, light-blue hair was tied high in a ponytail, swaying as it reached down to her lower back.
Her brown eyes were clear and bright, which, combined with her petite nose, small lips, and fair, translucent skin, showcased her exquisite loveliness.
Beneath her slender limbs and lithe waist was an exceptionally prominent figure.
She possessed the purity of a young girl and the curves of a mature woman.
She had the elegant temperament of a royal princess and the heroic spirit of a female warrior.
Seeing this, Nico Robin couldn't help but feel a spark of admiration in her heart.
She had to admit that her Captain's previous evaluation had been correct.
Based on looks alone, she certainly lived up to the title of an ornamental vase—delicate and beautiful.
"Captain, how about letting me talk to her?" Nico Robin suggested to Zane.
Zane looked at her with surprise.
"Do as you like."
Though he found Robin's actions a bit strange, Zane didn't stop her, allowing her to do as she pleased.
He naturally trusted Robin.
He believed that no matter what idea she had, it certainly wouldn't harm him.
"Princess Vivi shouldn't mind chatting with her former superior, right?" With Zane's permission, Nico Robin walked forward with a smile, teasing Vivi.
Vivi looked at the approaching Nico Robin, then glanced at Zane. After a brief hesitation, she nodded. "Miss All-Sunday, I know you are Mr. Zane's subordinate now, so I hope you can help me persuade him."
"That will depend on whether you can satisfy my requirements, Princess Vivi!" Nico Robin let out a meaningful chuckle and led the way toward a distant corner.
'Hancock, you're far too dangerous!'
At the thought of her Captain staying at Amazon Lily for over a week, Nico Robin couldn't help but feel a sense of vigilance.
She didn't actually mind Hancock joining them, but she minded the woman hogging him all to herself.
The pressure from the world's most beautiful woman was simply too great.
Even if her Captain acted fairly, who knew what the future would hold as time went on?
Therefore, Nico Robin felt it was necessary to take precautions just in case.
For example, she needed to bolster her own faction's strength ahead of time to contend with Hancock in the future.
At least, she needed to do so until that woman showed she wouldn't try to monopolize him.
As luck would have it, Vivi was a perfect fit.
Nico Robin understood this princess quite well.
The girl was very naive; with Robin's methods, she could easily handle her.
Seeing Nico Robin head for the corner, Vivi took a deep breath and followed her.
No matter what the woman demanded, she no longer had any way to retreat.
For her father and for her kingdom, she had to find a way to pull a powerful force like Zane to her side.
"Vivi..." Watching his daughter go off to negotiate with the pirate's subordinate, Cobra felt a complex mix of emotions—both melancholy and relief.
The melancholy came from his own incompetence, which had forced his precious daughter to work so hard during this period.
The relief came from seeing his daughter's growth.
Even when facing a powerful and dangerous figure, his daughter showed no fear. Instead, she was able to respond with a clear head and even attempt to recruit him.
This performance made Cobra feel as if he were witnessing the rise of a new Queen for the Nefertari family.