Chapter 349: Princess Vivi, the Leader’s Murderer

Chapter 349: Chapter 349: Princess Vivi, the Leader’s Murderer

Chapter 349: Princess Vivi, the Leader’s Murderer

Yuba Oasis.

Once a thriving desert city, it had been reduced by years of drought to the same dull gray-yellow as the wasteland surrounding it.

The old buildings still stood, reminders of the prosperity Yuba had once enjoyed, but now the city had changed completely.

Tents filled every open space.

Rows upon rows of them stretched between the abandoned structures, housing the massive Rebel Army that had gathered here from across Alabasta.

Hundreds of thousands had already assembled.

At this point, calling Yuba a city was almost inaccurate.

It had become a military camp.

Most civilians who remained were either people unwilling to abandon their homeland or those who had already joined the rebellion.

Near the center of the camp stood an unremarkable tent.

It was somewhat larger than those surrounding it, but otherwise there was little to distinguish it.

The guards posted around it told a different story.

Inside, a messenger stood stiffly before a young man seated on a wooden crate.

"Leader."

The man before him had short, messy dark-brown hair and a serious expression. A scar crossed his left eye, adding to the stern presence he already carried.

Koza.

Leader of the Alabasta Rebel Army.

He sat with his legs apart, cape hanging loosely behind him, his hands resting on his knees.

"The Royal Army attacked us?"

His voice was direct.

The messenger hesitated.

Whether from guilt or simply the pressure of standing before Koza, he looked noticeably uneasy.

"...Yes."

Koza’s eyes narrowed.

Before he could continue questioning him, another man interrupted.

"Koza, relax."

Dumps smiled and gestured toward the messenger.

"Look at him. You’re making the poor guy nervous."

He waved a hand.

"You can go."

The messenger did not wait for permission twice.

He bowed and hurried out.

Koza watched him leave, then turned toward Dumps.

"What is it?"

Just a simple question.

Yet sweat immediately appeared on Dumps’ forehead.

He quickly concealed his unease.

His interruption had not been entirely innocent.

And with Koza staring at him like that, he could not help wondering whether the Rebel Army leader had noticed something.

Koza was not an ordinary man.

He commanded an army already approaching a million people, with numbers expected to rise even further if the situation continued.

Someone capable of keeping such a force united could not be dismissed as a simple idealist.

Dumps forced himself to smile.

"I just thought you were being too harsh."

Koza frowned.

"I wanted details because the Royal Army has no reason to attack us."

Dumps shrugged.

"We’re rebels."

"They’re the Royal Army."

"Isn’t conflict between us perfectly normal?"

He glanced around at the other officers.

"If anything, this might mean the palace has finally decided to move against us."

Several people nodded.

"That’s true."

"The Royal Army has been strangely quiet for too long."

"They haven’t lowered their guard, but they haven’t attacked either."

"Honestly, being left like this is worse. If they came at us openly, at least we’d know what they were planning."

Koza shook his head.

"Something is wrong."

The discussion stopped.

Koza looked around the tent.

"Think about it."

"Has the King ever ordered an attack on the Rebel Army before?"

No one answered.

Most simply shook their heads.

"Then why now?"

Koza continued.

"If Cobra truly wanted us destroyed, why wait this long?"

"That would make everything he did before meaningless."

His brow tightened.

"Someone may be impersonating the Royal Army."

One officer immediately objected.

"But who would benefit from that?"

It was a fair question.

The rebellion had spread across most of Alabasta.

Anyone deliberately provoking the Rebel Army would be making enemies of an enormous portion of the country.

There seemed to be no benefit worth that risk.

Koza fell silent.

His expression became troubled.

One of the officers who knew him well finally asked the question everyone had been avoiding.

"Leader Koza."

"Do you still trust the King?"

Koza froze.

He had no easy answer.

If he trusted Cobra, then why had he become the leader of a rebellion?

But if he truly believed the King was responsible for everything, why did he repeatedly search for explanations that might clear his name?

The officer’s expression hardened.

"Koza."

"You’re our leader."

"You have to make a decision."

His voice grew louder.

"If the King hadn’t stolen our rain, why would any of us have rebelled?"

"If there’s some misunderstanding, why hasn’t he explained himself?"

"For more than two years, people have watched their wells dry up."

"Families have died."

"Cities have emptied."

"And what has the palace done?"

The tent grew quiet.

"Too many people have already died."

The officer continued.

"And if we keep waiting, food will become our next problem."

Koza lowered his gaze.

After a long pause, he said,

"Wait a little longer."

Several officers frowned.

"Our equipment still isn’t ready."

"If we fight the Royal Army now, the casualties will be too high."

No one immediately challenged him.

But the question remained.

Was that really the reason?

The Rebel Army already numbered nearly a million.

With support from surrounding towns, that number could potentially double.

The Royal Army, by comparison, had roughly four hundred thousand soldiers.

And even that number was not entirely stable.

Some Royal soldiers had already abandoned their posts after seeing what had happened to their hometowns.

Those who remained were loyal, but loyalty alone could not erase the difference in numbers.

If the rebellion truly began now, victory was possible.

Costly.

Bloody.

But possible.

Koza certainly knew that.

One of the officers looked at him for a moment.

Then chose not to say anything.

Before the silence could become uncomfortable, footsteps came rushing toward the tent.

A messenger burst inside.

"Leader!"

Everyone turned.

"Princess Vivi... Princess Vivi is here!"

The room exploded.

"What?!"

"Princess Vivi?"

"Why would she come here?"

"Is the Royal Army preparing an attack?"

"No. If they wanted war, they wouldn’t send the princess into our camp."

"Then negotiations?"

"Negotiations?! After everything we’ve lost?"

Arguments erupted immediately.

Some saw Vivi’s arrival as a possible path to peace.

Most did not.

Too much resentment had accumulated.

Too many people had died.

Then Dumps raised his voice above everyone else.

"I say we let them meet!"

The tent gradually quieted.

Dumps smiled.

"Princess Vivi came here asking specifically for Leader Koza."

"And if I remember correctly..."

He looked around.

"They were childhood friends."

Several expressions changed.

Dumps continued carefully.

"I’m curious what our leader will decide after speaking with her."

He did not need to say anything more.

The implication was enough.

Every rebel in that tent understood the stakes.

If the rebellion failed, many of them would be executed.

Koza was their leader because they trusted his ability and his resolve.

But if one conversation with his childhood friend was enough to make him abandon them...

Could they still follow him?

One officer slammed his fist down.

"Bastard!"

He glared at Dumps.

"What are you implying?"

"Leader Koza would never betray us!"

Koza raised one hand.

The argument immediately stopped.

"That’s enough."

His voice was firm.

"Bring Princess Vivi here."

Several officers looked at him.

"I want to hear what she has to say."

There was still authority in his voice.

But beneath it was something else.

Nostalgia.

Koza’s fingers briefly touched the scar near his left eye.

A reminder of the past.

A reminder of promises.

Long ago, he had promised Vivi he would build a great city at Yuba, one worthy of standing at the crossroads of Alabasta.

He had done it.

Then drought had destroyed everything.

Had Vivi kept her own promises?

Had she become the kind of princess she once dreamed of becoming?

And perhaps, finally, she could explain why Cobra had supposedly used Dance Powder.

Why the king Koza had once respected would steal rain from his own people.

Koza lowered his eyes.

Just once more.

Let me believe in you once more, Vivi.

The wait was short.

Soon, soldiers escorted Princess Vivi into the tent.

The moment Koza saw her, he knew the face.

The same long blue hair he remembered.

The same familiar features, older now but unmistakable.

For a moment, Koza simply stared.

They had not seen each other in years.

And after everything that had happened between the palace and the rebellion, he found himself strangely unable to speak.

Vivi broke the silence first.

"I want to speak with you alone."

The officers immediately objected.

"Absolutely not!"

"Leader, that’s too dangerous!"

"She’s the princess of the Royal Family!"

Leaving the princess and the leader of the rebellion alone together was an obvious security risk.

Koza answered anyway.

"Fine."

"Leader!"

"I said it’s fine."

His voice hardened.

"I want to hear Vivi’s explanation."

No one dared push further.

Dumps was the first to leave.

One by one, the others reluctantly followed.

Soon, only Koza and Vivi remained.

Silence returned.

Koza struggled for a moment before finally speaking.

"Long time no see, Vivi."

Vivi smiled.

"Long time no see, Koza."

The tension eased slightly.

Koza did not waste time.

"Tell me something."

His expression became serious again.

"Why did the King use Dance Powder?"

"Why use something that would destroy the surrounding regions just to bring rain to Alubarna?"

Vivi answered without hesitation.

"He did it for the people living in the capital."

Koza’s expression immediately darkened.

The relief of seeing her vanished.

That answer meant one thing.

She was admitting Cobra had used it.

Koza’s hands tightened.

"And everyone else?"

His voice became rough.

"What about us?"

"Alubarna gets rain while the rest of the country dies?"

Vivi opened her mouth.

"Perhaps Father had a reason."

"A reason?"

Koza stood.

"Then tell me!"

His voice rose.

"What reason justifies taking away our rain?"

"Our homes?"

"Our lives?"

He struck his chest.

"It’s been more than two years, Vivi!"

"Almost three!"

"Do you know how many people have died because there was no water?"

The guards outside heard the shouting.

"Leader?"

"Is everything all right?"

Koza forced himself to calm down.

"Nothing."

"Stay outside."

The footsteps withdrew.

Koza took a slow breath.

Then he looked at Vivi again.

"I was born in Alabasta."

"I love this country."

His voice became quieter.

"But if this is what Alabasta has become..."

He clenched his fist.

"Then I would rather tear it down and build something better."

He stared at her.

"Do you remember my dream?"

Vivi shook her head.

Koza’s expression changed.

Disappointment.

He pointed toward the scar beside his left eye.

"What about this?"

Vivi shook her head again.

Koza stared at her.

"You forgot?"

Something inside him seemed to break.

"You forgot all of it?"

His expression twisted with hurt and anger.

Then steel flashed.

Koza stopped.

A black dagger had entered his abdomen.

His eyes widened.

Blood ran along the grooves of the blade.

The other end was held in Vivi’s hand.

Her expression had changed completely.

The warmth from moments earlier was gone.

She looked at him with chilling indifference.

"Could you die for me?"

Koza’s breath caught.

Vivi smiled faintly.

"For my mission."

She pulled the blade free.

Koza collapsed.

His body struck a nearby chair on the way down.

Crash!

The guards outside immediately rushed in.

"Leader!"

They froze.

Koza lay in a growing pool of blood.

Princess Vivi stood nearby, dagger in hand.

Then she slashed open the rear of the tent and fled through the opening with swift, graceful movements.

"PRINCESS VIVI ATTACKED THE LEADER!"

The shout spread almost immediately.

Soldiers rushed through the camp.

But something strange happened.

The blue-haired princess vanished.

No one found her.

No one saw her escape through the surrounding ranks.

It was almost as though she had become someone else the moment she left the tent.

Or perhaps...

Princess Vivi had never been there at all.

Rumors spread faster than orders.

"The princess stabbed Leader Koza!"

"The Royal Army has finally made its move!"

"They’re trying to destroy us before we’re ready!"

"We can’t wait anymore!"

"We have to fight back!"

The Rebel Army camp erupted.

Anger that had been building for years finally found a target.

And amid the chaos, Dumps stood quietly to one side.

A smile appeared on his face.

His sleeve shifted.

For just a moment, the symbol of Baroque Works could be seen beneath it.

....

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