Villain: Fairy, please offer your loyalty

Chapter 124 Starlight in the Desert

The night breeze swept across the newly formed oasis, bringing with it the fresh scent of grass and lake water.

Mei'er set up a low wooden couch in one corner of the car roof, covered with a soft silk cushion.

Fireflies floated all around, emitting a warm orange glow.

Gu Fan leaned against the low couch, holding a cup of immortal wine in his hand, sipping it intermittently.

Vivi sat next to him.

She had already taken off her cloak.

Her long, light blue hair swayed gently in the night breeze, and the moonlight shone on her profile, outlining a soft contour.

Her 92 points of attractiveness were amplified to near perfection under this lighting.

Neither of them spoke.

The entire starry sky was reflected on the lake surface not far away.

The canopy of the spirit tree rustled high up, and golden specks of light drifted down from between the leaves like fireflies.

Vivi reached out her hand, and a point of light landed on her fingertip.

It was warm, like a small patch of frozen sunlight.

"When I was little..."

Weiwei spoke, her voice very soft.

"In the gardens of the Royal Palace of Albana, there is a very large acacia tree."

"Every spring, when the petals fall, I run around under the tree and try to catch them with my mouth open."

My mother said I was like a silly child.

She watched the light at her fingertips slowly dissipate.

"Then the drought came. That mimosa tree was the first in the garden to die."

"Since then, no more petals have fallen from the garden."

Gu Fan turned his head and glanced at her.

"Now we have it."

He gestured with his chin towards the giant tree behind him.

Golden specks of light continued to fall from the treetops, landing on the grass, on the lake, and on Vivi's hair.

Weiwei lowered her head, bit her lower lip, and smiled.

"Young master."

"Um."

"You said before that weakness is the original sin."

Did I say that?

"I said so."

Weiwei turned around and sat down facing Gu Fan.

Her eyes were exceptionally clear in the glow of the firefly lights, his face reflected in her aquamarine irises.

"If weakness is the original sin, then I don't want to be weak anymore."

Vivi's voice was soft, but without the slightest hesitation.

"Whether as a princess or as a woman."

"I don't want to stand behind you crying and begging anymore."

I want to stand next to you.

She took a deep breath.

Even if it's just the most insignificant pawn next to you.

Gu Fan put down his wine glass.

He looked at the blue-haired princess in front of him with an expression so serious it was almost stubborn, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.

"You can stand to the side."

Gu Fan reached out and hooked a strand of Weiwei's long hair that was hanging by her ear with his index finger, tucking it behind her ear.

"But I don't accept chess pieces here, young master."

Vivi's heart skipped a beat.

"Then... what should we collect?"

"I'll take you."

Vivi's face turned red to her ears in an instant.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Gu Fan couldn't help but laugh when he saw her helpless expression.

"You're usually quite talkative when you're with the Straw Hats, why are you so quiet now?"

"No...no, I didn't."

Weiwei lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with both hands.

There was a silence for several seconds.

She suddenly looked up and leaned closer.

Her lips lightly touched the corner of Gu Fan's mouth.

A fleeting touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water, carrying the faint fragrance of flowers and grasses in the desert night wind.

Then she quickly shrank back and buried her face in her hands.

"This...this is the highest level of courtesy from the Alabasta royal family."

"...Your royal etiquette is quite avant-garde."

"Shut up!"

Weiwei's muffled voice came through her fingers.

Gu Fan reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Vivi's struggle lasted for about 0.3 seconds before she gave up.

She buried her face in Gu Fan's chest and could hear his steady, powerful heartbeat.

That sense of security was too strong.

It was so intense that she didn't want to say another word; she just wanted to lean against it like that.

"Your country will no longer suffer from drought."

Gu Fan's voice came from above.

"The life force of that spirit seed will continue to spread, and within about a month, the entire underground water system of Alabasta will be reactivated."

Vivi's shoulders trembled slightly.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"When have I ever not been telling the truth?"

Weiwei did not look up again.

She simply gripped his collar tighter.

Moonlight shone on the low couch, and the movements of the two people overlapped, reflected on the grass of the newly formed oasis.

……

early morning.

The system panel popped up in Gu Fan's mind.

【Ding! 】

[System Notification: The host has successfully subdued the destined female supporting character: Nefertari Vivi!]

[The destined female supporting character willingly sacrifices herself, successfully intercepting the core companion of the destined protagonist!]

[Gained Villain Points: 10000!]

[Reward Obtained: Primordial Chaos Body Fragment x10! (Current Progress 140/1000)]

Gu Fan closed the panel and yawned.

He pushed open the hidden door on the roof that led to the interior of the carriage and walked down the steps.

Weiwei was still fast asleep on the low couch, wrapped in a silken blanket, her long, light blue hair spread across the pillow.

Her cheeks had a satisfied blush.

Inside the carriage, Luffy was sprawled on the crystal table, munching on his breakfast of grilled meat.

Chopper and Usopp huddled by the window, staring in disbelief at the oasis that had sprung up overnight.

Zoro leaned against the corner, closing his eyes to rest, with three swords resting on his lap.

Sanji was frying eggs in the kitchen using the spirit stone stove provided by Gu Fan, and the aroma filled the entire carriage.

"Good morning!"

With his mouth full of meat, Luffy waved at Gu Fan indistinctly.

"Gu Fan! That grass outside is so soft! I just rolled around on it!"

"...That's an oasis, not your playground."

Nami walked over from the corner carrying a steaming cup of fairy tea.

She was wearing a white tank top and shorts, and her hair was a little messy.

Seeing Gu Fan get off the car roof, she glanced at the hidden door leading to the low couch.

Good morning.

Nami handed the fairy tea to Gu Fan.

"Did Your Highness sleep well?"

His tone carried a hint of something unfathomable.

Gu Fan took the teacup and took a sip.

Are you jealous?

"I?"

Nami rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't be jealous over something like that."

She turned around and took two steps.

"Just a reminder to our sugar daddy, maybe you should establish a harem management system. At this rate, the girls' dormitories on the ship won't be big enough."

Gu Fan almost choked on his tea.

This little thief's business acumen is ingrained; he can even twist jealousy into logistics management.

The morning passed peacefully.

Luffy, along with Usopp and Chopper, frolicked in the oasis.

The three men chased the fish in the lake for half an hour, but didn't catch a single one.

Sanji used the Spirit Stone Stove and new spices to make a hearty brunch, and even Zoro ate two extra bowls.

After waking up, Weiwei washed her face, changed into a clean long dress, and sat quietly by the window, looking at the scenery outside.

Her expression was completely different from yesterday.

The heavy worry that had been pressing on my brow had vanished.

Every time Gu Fan passed by her, her gaze would unconsciously follow him.

Mei stood by and watched for a while.

"Another one has been added."

Zhu'er, carrying the sword box, gave Weiwei a cold glance.

"The young master's charm is too great, which is also a problem."

"That's a really sour comment."

"It's not sour."

"Your sword case is dripping vinegar."

"..."

afternoon.

Nami glanced at the magnetic field data on the auxiliary compass and made a few annotations on the sea chart.

"Following the current route, if you go about 200 kilometers northwest, you will reach Yudi."

She put away the nautical chart and looked at Gu Fan.

"Rainland is the only city in Alabasta where it's still raining, and it's also Crocodile's stronghold."

"Their casino is called Rainfield Casino. On the surface, it operates legally, but in reality, it is the command center of the Baroque Works."

Weiwei walked over from the window, her expression becoming more serious.

"Crocodile himself should be in the casino. He has a very high reputation in the Rainlands, and the people call him a hero."

"Nobody knows that he was the mastermind behind all the disasters."

Luffy lifted his head from the pile of flesh.

"That old man with the sand in the casino, right? Let's just rush over and beat him to a pulp!"

Gu Fan leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs.

"What's the rush? Let me finish this plate of divine fruit first."

He took a bite of the emerald green spiritual fruit and smacked his lips twice.

"Zhu'er, drive. Destination: Rainy Land."

"Yes, young master."

The RV emitted a deep hum, drawing a long trail in the newly formed oasis as it headed northwest.

As darkness fell, the outline of the rain-soaked land appeared on the horizon.

It is completely different from other cities in Alabasta.

Thick clouds covered the sky above the rain-soaked area, and fine raindrops fell from the sky.

In a desert country that had been suffering from drought for three years, this city was the only one to enjoy the blessing of rain.

The price of this favor is disaster for the entire kingdom.

Crocodile used the Sand-Sand Fruit's power to gather all the water vapor in the country above this city.

Casino in the rain.

A magnificent golden building stands in the center of the city.

Two rows of bodyguards in black uniforms stood at the entrance, and the neon signs above their heads flashed blindingly in the rainy night.

Inside the VIP box on the top floor of the casino.

Crocodile sat in a huge leather boss's chair.

"Report: An anomaly has occurred in the southern desert. The desert, spanning hundreds of miles, has turned into an oasis overnight, for reasons unknown."

An agent of the Baroque Works knelt on the ground to report.

Crocodile narrowed his eyes.

"A natural phenomenon?"

"Judging from the images captured by the satellite snail... it doesn't seem to have formed naturally. There is an extremely large tree in the center, and the circle radiates outward from that tree."

Crocodile hesitated for a few seconds.

"interesting."

He exhaled a puff of smoke, a smile curving his lips.

"No matter whose tricks they play, it won't affect the overall situation. The Utopia Project is in its final stages, and this country will soon be mine."

"Go check on that tree; if it has any usable value—"

He hadn't finished speaking.

A loud noise came from the direction of the casino's first-floor lobby.

That was the sound of a metal hinge being crushed by an external force.

The alloy door, which cost millions of Berries and was touted as "indestructible," was kicked off and crashed onto the floor of the casino lobby.

Bricks and stones shattered, and dust and smoke billowed everywhere.

A group of people were standing outside the door.

The leader was a young man dressed in custom-made casual clothes, with black sunglasses perched on his nose and a nonchalant smile on his lips.

Behind him stood two women with ethereal beauty.

One wore an ice-blue palace dress, the other a light blue fitted outfit.

Behind them was a group of pirates staggering about.

The guy in the straw hat is gnawing on a bone, the guy with green hair is yawning, and the guy with blond hair is lighting a cigarette...