Zoro got up from the ground with a foul expression, specks of dust still clinging to his forehead. He directly grabbed Luffy by the collar:
"Luffy, you idiot!!! You bumped into someone and didn't even apologize?!"
Luffy's head wobbled from the shaking, but he kept laughing carelessly: "Hehehe, sorry Zoro!"
Vivi quickly stepped forward, her tone placating: "Alright, alright, Mr. Zoro! Now isn't the time for this."
She turned to Luffy and Giyu who had just returned to the group, her face serious. "Let's explain what happened to Luffy and Mr. Giyu. You two rushed out too quickly earlier and don't know the situation."
Luffy finally broke free from Zoro's grip, tilting his head with pure confusion: "Huh? Did something happen?"
Nami took a deep breath and began explaining: "Right after you left the Merry one after another, we carefully checked the shore where we docked. We discovered a strangely shaped small boat had appeared beside ours."
She paused, looking at Vivi. "Vivi said that boat is a special vessel that can only be used when that Mr. 3 activates his Candle-Fruit ability."
"In other words," Nami's voice lowered, "that guy has already returned to Alabasta."
Luffy's mouth formed an O shape: "Eh!! That Candle Man can come back? That guy's troublesome."
"And that's not all," Nami rubbed her temples, also feeling headache about the news she had to deliver next.
"Moreover, we saw another ship. Luffy, we've seen it before. Guess who came?"
Luffy continued tilting his head, his entire head practically hanging to the ground, his voice muffled: "Who?"
Zoro leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms: "It's Clown Buggy. That guy actually made his way from East Blue too, and reached Alabasta before us."
Giyu, who had been silently standing to the side, showed a slight shift in his eyes upon hearing that name.
He remembered - that pirate with the conspicuous red nose at the execution platform in Loguetown. That was also the day he met Luffy and the others.
"Him..." Giyu said quietly.
Vivi looked at Giyu with some surprise: "Mr. Giyu, you know that Clown Buggy too?"Sanji lit a cigarette, took a drag, and looked at Giyu while complaining: 'He doesn't just know him.'" Giyu was there at the time, personally using his sword to shatter the execution platform of the Pirate King right under Buggy's nose."
"Ah!!!Vivi covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock. The Pirate King's execution platform was practically a symbol of an era.
Chopper's reaction was even more intense - he directly jumped up, his small hooves grabbing onto Giyu's pants leg, his eyes filled with incredible stars: "The Pirate King!"!! Giyu!!! What did you do?!"
"Luffy was just in some danger at the time."
Giyu simply answered Chopper, his thoughts seeming to drift away for a moment as the noise and lightning of that day in Loguetown replayed in his mind.
But he quickly snapped back to reality - now wasn't the time for reminiscing.
Giyu pulled out the folded envelope he had received earlier in the alley from his pants pocket.
"In the city just now," he began, his voice drawing everyone's attention back, "someone was following me and gave me this."
"What is this?" Nami frowned slightly, taking the letter from Giyu with a puzzled expression. The paper was ordinary kraft paper, rough to the touch.
She carefully unfolded the paper, her eyes scanning the writing on it, and her expression immediately changed. She read it aloud to the group:
"Igaram is in the old city of Alubarna. Someone will tell you where when the time comes."
"Come alone."
"Otherwise, you know what will happen."
The three simple lines left everyone present with grim expressions. That uncle they had met at Whiskey Peak was clearly in the enemy's grasp now.
"Give it to me!"
Vivi instantly rushed over, snatching the letter from Nami's hands.
Her eyes were fixed intently on those lines, her fingertips trembling slightly and turning pale as if she wanted to crush the paper.
Her face showed barely suppressed anger and panic.
"Vivi, calm down! Calm down!" Nami quickly grabbed Vivi's hand that was tightly clutching the letter, trying to offer some comfort, her voice urgent.
"At least this letter shows Igaram should still be safe for now! They're using him to threaten us, which is proof he's still alive!"
Vivi raised her head, looking into the distance—likely in the direction of Alubarna. Her eyes burned with rage as she practically ground out the words through clenched teeth:
"It must be that Ms. All Sunday... I'd recognize this handwriting anywhere..."
The air seemed to freeze solid.
Even Luffy, who had been noisy just moments before, fell silent. Usopp and Chopper held their breaths.
"Everyone, calm down first." Zoro's steady voice broke the heavy atmosphere as he leaned against the wall and analyzed, "That woman called Ms. All Sunday said that trumpet-like uncle is in Alubarna. Vivi, where did you say we were going next?"
Vivi took a deep breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions, and replied, "Yuba. That's where the rebel army is currently gathering."
"Are those two places close to each other?" Sanji exhaled a smoke ring, his brow furrowed.
"No, quite the opposite..."
Vivi shook her head, using her fingers to trace Alabasta's layout in the air for everyone. "Yuba and Alubarna are separated by the Sandora River, quite far apart... The main problem is they're not on the same bank."
Zoro picked up the thread, his gaze sweeping over everyone as he posed the most critical question: "They specified that only one person should go to Alubarna for the rescue, while our original goal was to go to Yuba to stop the rebel army."
"Now, what should we do?"
Another brief silence fell over the group.
On one side was Igaram, whose fate was unknown, and on the other was the imminent crisis of rebellion.
At that moment, Giyu, who had been silent all along, stepped forward. He reached out and gently took back the crumpled letter from Vivi's still slightly trembling hand.
"I'll go."
Nami immediately rubbed her chin, looking at the letter as she analyzed: "The letter does specify that only one person should go, and they specifically tracked Giyu to deliver the letter to him."
"From this perspective, sending Giyu to Alabasta is indeed the choice that best meets their requirements and is least likely to alert them."
However, Nami looked at Giyu again, her eyes filled with inquiry and a trace of concern. "But... are you really alright going alone? It's definitely a trap."
Giyu carefully folded the letter and placed it back into his trouser pocket.
He lifted his gaze, his blue pupils reflecting little fluctuation, only a calmness that had settled after countless battles.
"Yeah."