On the ship, when most of the crew were around, no matter how firmly Luffy commanded her, Vivi presented herself as an independent, strong princess. There was no issue.
But when they were alone together, given the right trigger, this tendency easily surfaced.
Vivi had her back fully turned to Luffy, her reddened nape exposed for him to see.
Luffy hesitated, then asked, "Is it from when we first met?"
He meant the unconventional methods he'd used at Whiskey Peak to recruit her.
Vivi lifted her head from the bedding. Her face was flushed as she looked at him, her eyes flickering—but she didn't deny it.
Seeing that, Luffy understood.
It really was.
Vivi hesitated, then added in a voice barely louder than a mosquito: "And at Alabasta."
She meant when Luffy had deliberately commanded her to admit she wanted to go to sea.
Luffy held his forehead.
Damn—you were the one who told me to use that method!
Now it was making things worse!
Look at me and tell me that wasn't the case!
Look my eyes!
Vivi stammered, her face reddening further. Finally, she gave up and mumbled: "Anyway, this is how it turned out."
This was a condition. It needed treatment.
That thought flashed through Luffy's mind.
Otherwise, he seriously suspected that if the others found out—especially Nami—he'd face some terrifying judgment and physical consequences.
He sighed, pushing aside the complex problem of treatment for now. He remembered he had come here for a reason.
He bent down to pick up the bounty poster Vivi had dropped on the bed. He read the fine print carefully:
Capture alive condition revised. If resistance is encountered or safe capture is impossible, necessary measures may be taken.
Luffy understood now.
He knew what Vivi was worried about.
The World Government was starting to suspect whether Vivi had truly been abducted—or had willingly joined the Straw Hats.
Or even if she had been abducted initially, perhaps the princess had been corrupted on a pirate ship.
This wasn't just Vivi's personal problem. It would affect her country—Alabasta.
Back at Alabasta, Nami had analyzed that Vivi's identity as a huge princess meant that if she openly became a pirate, it would bring trouble and pressure to both her and her kingdom.
That was exactly what Vivi was worried about.
The change in wording on the bounty poster showed the World Government's subtle shift in attitude. It was weighing on her.
Would the World Government do something to Alabasta?
Luffy understood. In medical terms, this was probably something like... an issue of the heart?
He didn't have an immediate solution.
Was he supposed to go smash the World Government and force them to change the wording back?
That wasn't realistic.
But he knew one thing: he couldn't let Vivi brood alone. That would only make her spiral.
"Vivi."
Luffy's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable weight.
"Ah?"
Vivi's back straightened as if jolted. She sat up on the bed, looking at him nervously. "Wh-what's wrong?"
Her voice trembled visibly.
Luffy could feel it—her tension, her whole body quivering with something between fear and anticipation.
"Get dressed."
His eyes swept over her shirt and shorts, her bare feet.
After a moment, he added, in a commanding tone: "Quickly."
"Okay!"
For Vivi, getting dressed meant something more formal—shoes, socks, maybe even stockings.
Her legs were beautiful—long and slender. In her shorts, most of her lower legs were bare, gleaming pale in the moonlight.
Luffy found his gaze drawn to her feet.
Vivi sat on the edge of the bed and obediently bent over, searching for socks.
She picked up a pair of sheer white socks and carefully slipped one onto her left foot. Her movements were delicate—fingers brushing over her ankle and calf—with an indescribable subtlety.
She seemed to realize something too. After putting on the first sock, she paused, looked up at Luffy hesitantly, her cheeks flushed, and asked quietly:
"Should I wear stockings?"
What?
This wasn't a date.
Luffy had just wanted to take her out for some fresh air—to get her out of this room.
But seeing her execute his command so completely, even asking for specifics, that strange feeling intensified.
Why did she ask?
Vivi and Nami often shared private conversations. Occasionally, she'd heard Nami teasing Luffy about being a leg man, a collarbone man, a stocking man...
Luffy paused. Looking at Vivi's questioning, expectant eyes, he said vaguely:
"Whatever."
From the start, Vivi had seemed to have this particular susceptibility toward Luffy—an inability to resist his commands.
Normally it wasn't noticeable. But in certain circumstances—like when they were alone, when she was emotionally vulnerable—it surfaced like this. She almost crved him giving her orders.
"Do you like white or black?"
Luffy: "..."
"Either way."
"Okay."
Vivi seemed almost... pleased?
She lowered her head and resumed searching. Then she pulled out sheer white stockings. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she slowly put them on, one leg at a time.
There was no other way to say it. The way she put on stockings was incredibly suggestive.
She seemed aware of it herself. When she finished, she crossed her feet at the ankles, pressed them together, and looked down, not daring to meet his eyes. She was visibly shy, restrained.
Clearly, Vivi was addicted to Luffy's commands.
Her whole demeanor said: I'm ready. What do I do next?
"What shoes should I wear?"
She looked up at him again, coy, her voice even softer.
Shoes?
Luffy genuinely just wanted to take her for a walk.
His gaze drifted back to her legs, now sheathed in sheer white stockings. The thin fabric traced the lines beneath, somehow more alluring.
He stared for a moment, then looked away hurriedly.
"Whatever you like."
Whatever. Either way. Up to you...
Luffy was getting numb.
Several times, he'd nearly lost his focus, and the penalties were coming one after another.
Vivi seemed a little shy—and a little disappointed that he hadn't been given more specific instructions.
***
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