One Piece: Conquest of Love and Power

Ch.012 Subduing the Rebels.

"Screw the king! If he didn't use that 'dancing powder', we wouldn't be in this mess!"

⚡El Thor (God's Judgment)⚡

Koza was shocked. Why did everything get so bright all of a sudden? It's night already!

Drawn by the light, he subconsciously watched a growing bolt of lightning descend from the heavens.

"How beautiful..."

Boom!

A massive lightning bolt and thunderclap riveted the rebels' attention. Horrified, they stared at the enormous crater where the lightning bolt had vanished.

"All you rebels, show yourselves!"

Out of the blue, a totally apathetic voice spoke from above. All eyes turned upward as a descending Ark slowly came into view.

"That's...Princess Vivi!!"

"Princess Vivi?! Why is she here?"

"Is she here to kill us?"

A mixture of shouts and whispers filled the air, yet every rebel's eyes were unwaveringly focused on the Nimbus Explorer.

"Greetings, I'm Princess Nefertari Vivi of this kingdom."

"Sir Crocodile, one of the Warlord of the Sea, is responsible for Arabasta's drought, is in custody. And therefore, it will rain soon without his involvement."

"There will be enough water for everyone from now on."

The people below spoke in hushed tones, and silence reigned. Their gaze betrayed a deep distrust.

Vivi, witnessing this, had no choice but to continue shouting, "Who is the leader here?"

A riot erupted among the rebels below.

"Where is the leader?"

"I don't know..."

"With such a big commotion, why is Koza not here? Where did he go?"

"Could it be?"

Some smart people have already looked at the enormous pit on the side. A smell of burning hung in the scorching air, but they remained silent about their thoughts.

Koza's demise was a calculated move on James' part; he intended for it to happen. How could his God's Judgment attack miss?

Upon the sign of national trouble, Koza, the rebel leader, immediately organized large-scale rebellions.

This rebellious individual poses a significant threat to national stability. The rest of the people can live, but Koza, who has the heart of rebellion must die.

"No leader? Pick someone to speak on behalf of the your group!"

James's flat tone sent shivers down everyone's spines; they didn't dare disobey.

A new rebel representative was soon elected, although he appeared somewhat lacking in intelligence.

"Princess Vivi, isn't Crocodile a hero of the country? How could he possibly be responsible for the nationwide drought?"

"He secretly used 'dancing powder' to damage our country and blamed the King. I found this out after secretly joining his secret force."

"This..." That person was choked for a moment. He could not convince the rebels with just one person's words.

"Humph," James said, his voice sharp with impatience, "I don't have time for this nonsense. If Vivi hadn't pleaded earnestly, I wouldn't allow you unstable elements to survive in this country. "

"It was Vivi who gave you a second chance at life, Don't forget?"

His voice trailed off as a furious thunderstorm erupted, a thunder dragon charging toward the crowd before veering away at the last second and soaring back into the heavens.

The rebels were paralyzed by the sudden thunder and lightning, unable to move. How could human strength stand up to the terrifying force of thunder and lightning?

They knew James could easily wipe them out if he wanted.

"Thunder... Lord Thunder God! Princess Vivi! We believe it! It's just...", Farafra, the new representative, gritted his teeth and said with courage.

"Could we get some water right now, please? We haven't had fresh water in ages."

"I hear you. Let's have some rain here for a little."

"I'll talk to my father when I get home today. Arabasta will be covered in a thick cloud and experience heavy rainfall for the upcoming month.",  Vivi agreed to their request.

James pulled some clouds to where he was.

⚡60,000,000 Volt Jamboule (Thunder Dragon) ⚡

With a deafening roar that echoed through the dry lands, a newly formed thunder dragon, its body crackling with energy, soared towards the stormy clouds above.

Before long, a heavy rain began to fall, soaking the rebels to the bone and obscuring their vision.

"Lady Vivi!"

"Lord Thunder God!"

"Long Live Princess Vivi!"

"Long Live Thunder God"

Each rebel, in turn, expressed their gratitude, their voices filled with relief and hope. The proverb says, your mother is whoever provides for you. Koza? Who is that?

Why would anyone choose rebellion over a peaceful and stable life? Consequently, the rebels gave up their fight and became civilians again.

Vivi played the good cop, offering candied dates, while James took the bad cop role, wielding a big stick. The rebels surrendered within minutes.

A major reason for Vivi and James' arduous trip to the rebel base camp was to help Vivi cope with her emotional struggles for her people.

Furthermore, from James' perspective, Arabasta was already under his control.

He saw these rebels as a source of cheap labor and future assets to his nation. Fewer deaths would obviously be preferable. Just the major factors that are causing problems need to be eliminated.

[Scene Break]

Location: , Alubarna , (The royal capital) , The royal palace.

As night closed in, Vivi returned to the palace to meet with King Cobra.

A document was in Cobra's hand, yet his worried look showed his mind was still on Vivi, who had stubbornly gone abroad in search of answers.

"Father!"

Who in the palace doesn't know Princess Vivi? James and Vivi arrived at the palace hall without incident.

Startled, Cobra looked up to see Vivi's joyful expression.

His smile faltered as he saw her hand clasped in that of a young man. He paused, noticing the tender way she looked at him; their relationship was clearly more than just friendship.

"Vivi, you still remember to come back!" Cobra feigned anger in response.

"Father, we have found the cause of the drought. It was none other than Sir Crocodile", Vivi replied her findings.

"What!? It turned out to be him..."

Cobra accepted Vivi's words without question, but that wasn't his main concern now.

"And you are?"

"He... is someone I met when I was undercover outside. James is the love of my life. We've fallen for each other and are now a couple."

Vivi leaned slightly against James, a shy smile on her face as she held his hand tightly.

She withheld the information about her agreement with James from Cobra to prevent him from becoming upset.

"This..."

Cobra was a little confused. Although he could see the love in their eyes and the way they held each other, a wave of discomfort washed over him when he heard Vivi's words.

How long had Cobra been the king for? With a lifetime of experience, his sharp mind instantly detected something amiss.

Although he could see the genuine joy lighting up Vivi's face and the tender love shining in her eyes as she looked at James, the suddenness of it all left him with a knot of doubt in his gut.

He might discern the truth after Igaram's arrival, yet the outcome would be predetermined by that point.

[That's all for now]

 *Next Chapter in a couple of hours.*