XX-level Hokage

While Tashigi and Crocus were talking, Mashiro quietly walked to the edge of the canyon and looked down. She saw a whale with a head full of wounds crashing against the red earth beneath the huge waterfall.

"What is this?" Mashiro asked, somewhat puzzled.

Seemingly noticing Mashiro, Crocus came to Mashiro's side and said, "This is Laboon. It's quite famous in the surrounding waters. Whether it's pirates or marines, anyone who sets foot on the Grand Line basically knows it."

"I see. I must have been quite ignorant," Mashiro said with a light laugh.

"That's right, I've heard the lieutenant general mention this whale before, but this is the first time I've seen it in person." Tashigi also came over, looking at the whale constantly crashing against the Red Line below, and said with some surprise.

"It is a whale with human emotions."

I remember it was fifty years ago. I was stationed at the lighthouse as usual when a group of very generous pirates came from the West Blue. Young Laboon followed them. The pirates had always taken Laboon with them on their travels. They originally called Laboon "Laboon" in the West Blue, but he still came along. You know, island whales are social animals, but Laboon had already considered the pirates as his companions. However, because the Grand Line was too dangerous, their captain asked me to take care of Laboon and made a promise with Laboon that I would come back to take him on a trip around the world in three years.

But they have been gone for fifty years and have not returned, while Lab is still waiting for his master to return on this side of the Red Earth.

Desperate to see its master, it had spent decades ramming its head against the unbreakable red earth, leaving itself battered and bruised, emitting mournful howls. "Krocas said with some emotion, having cared for Lab for 50 years, watching Lab become what it is today.

“It’s an incredibly touching story,” Tashigi said, deeply moved.

Mashiro chuckled softly, and specks of green light scattered from her hands, landing on Laboon to Tashigi and Crocus's astonishment.

“Then let it crash for a few more years, until its next owner arrives,” Mashiro said softly. “What?” Tashigi asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Haven’t you heard that the way to eliminate the effects of a relationship is to start another one? For this whale, only the arrival of a new owner can eliminate its inner pain and loneliness,” Mashiro said, flicking Tashigi’s forehead.

"This will probably be a long wait, and I wonder if this old man will live to see it." Crocas suddenly laughed, saying he understood Zhen Zi's meaning and felt relieved.

"Oh, right, weren't you guys going to record the pointers? Here, take mine." Crocus said. "Really? Thank you so much." Tashigi was about to accept with a smile when Mashiro stopped her.

"No need, I've already found it." Amidst Tashigi's bewildered gaze, Mashiro rose up and vanished from the spot.

At this moment, in a sea area not far from Twin Gorges, a pirate ship flying a pair of pink wings and two crossed rapier flags...

It is moving at high speed.

On the pirate ship, Weiwei was looking at the sea with a composed expression.

As the princess of the Alabasta Kingdom, Vivi infiltrated Baroque Works to investigate the kingdom's rebellion, becoming one of its executives. However, after years of investigation, Vivi finally discovered that Baroque Works' true purpose was not revolution, but to usurp the throne, and that the mastermind behind it all was Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

This truth filled Vivi with utter despair. She had considered telling the Navy about it, but Shaco was a Shichibukai, and she was afraid that the Navy might offend their ally for the sake of a lord who was already in such a state of decline.

At this moment, her partner Mr. 9 suddenly spoke up: "Miss Wednesday, when do you think the president will make a move on that whale? Whiskey Hill has offered a very high bounty for that whale."

"I'm not sure either, let's wait for the president's arrangements, Mr. 9." He came back to his senses slightly and said with a smile.

"Miss, Wednesday, did you see something approaching rapidly in the sky?" Mr. 9 suddenly said. "What?" She looked up slightly.

A silver-white figure was seen rapidly approaching, and then instantly landed on the deck, causing many pieces of white paper to fall to the ground.

The white paper coalesced, and an incomparably beautiful face emerged, followed by a clear, crisp voice. "Ask gently, are you pirates?"

Weiwei and Mr.9 exchanged a glance and stood together in tacit agreement.

"Who are you? Is this Baroque Works' ship?" Weiwei asked.

Mashiro didn't answer. Her milky-white eyes swept over the two of them, then stopped on Weiwei.

Name: Nefit D. Vivi Age: 18

Affiliation: Noble; Three-color Haki: None; Height: 169 cm

Measurements: 84/62/86 (D)

Luck value: 90 Approval level: 0

"Baroque Works, oh, I don't know anything about it. Since you're pirates, then come with me first." Mashiro said with a light laugh, giving Weiwei a deep look when she mentioned the word "pirates".

Upon hearing Mashiro's words, Vivi and Mr. 9 instinctively tried to resist, but in just a moment, they found themselves unable to move, as if they were tightly bound by an invisible force.

Immediately afterwards, Mashiro walked lightly to the two of them.

White paper wings unfurled, and Shiro reached out and pulled Weiwei into her arms. "What... what do you want to do?" Weiwei asked nervously.

"Don't be nervous, I didn't mean to hurt you," Mashiro said with a smile.

At this moment, Mr. 9 suddenly spoke up, "Do you know who I am? I am the king, you..."

"I don't mean to hurt you right now, but if you keep making a fuss, then who knows?" Mashiro turned to Mr. 9 and said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Mr. 9 immediately shut his mouth.

With a flap of its paper wings, Mashiro, holding Weiwei, took flight. Mr. 9, on the other hand, was placed on a paper bird.

"Who exactly are you?" Held in Mashiro's arms, and sensing that Mashiro meant her no harm, Weiwei mustered her courage and asked again. "I'm... a traveler, Miss Weiwei," Mashiro whispered in Weiwei's ear.

Upon hearing Mashiro's words, Weiwei was momentarily stunned, staring at Mashiro with disbelief in her eyes, "You, you."

"What's wrong?" "No, nothing."

A short while later, Mashiro led the two of them to the lighthouse.

Chapter 18: The Princess's Journey to Reclaim Her Kingdom (Part 1)

"Mashiro, who are they?" Tashigi asked, seeing Vivi being held in Mashiro's arms and Mr. 9 lying on the ground. "They're kind of our temporary companions," Mashiro said softly.

“A temporary companion?” Tashigi muttered to herself, not understanding what Mashiro meant.

"Wait, I need your help!" Just then, Mr. 9 glanced at Vivi and suddenly said. "Oh?" Mashiro turned to look at Mr. 9.

“You mean Whiskey Peak? That’s a strange name,” Mashiro said softly.

“I think I’ve heard of this place, but that’s all I’ve heard,” Tashigi said, somewhat puzzled.

“We live there, but we need to get back as soon as possible because of company business. So could you please be lenient and let us go? We will definitely repay you,” Mr. 9 said with a fawning smile, constantly winking at Weiwei.

But Weiwei didn't notice that she was still pondering why the girl in front of her knew her identity.

“Let’s go then. Actually, I’m quite easy to talk to,” Mashiro said with a light laugh. “Thank you so much. Hmm? Wait, are you coming too?” Mr. 9 asked. “Why? Is that not allowed?” Mashiro asked calmly.

“Of course not, we would be very happy to welcome you,” Mr. 9 said with a smile.

"Let's go then, you two are in charge of steering the boat." With that, Mashiro summoned two paper birds, then picked up Tashigi.

"We'll go first, you ride these two paper birds and follow." "No problem."

After saying goodbye to Crocus, Mashiro and Tashigi disappeared into the air.

"Miss Wednesday, what's wrong? You seem a little distracted." After Mashiro and Tashigi left, Mr. 9 asked Vivi.

"Nothing, just a little dizzy. But Mr. 9, are you really planning to take those two to Whiskey Peak? If I'd known, judging from the abilities of the guy who grabbed us earlier, she'd probably be a Logia-type Devil Fruit user like the president," Vivi said.

“Of course I know that, but it’s our only way out. Besides, the bounty hunters of Whiskey Peak don’t rely on brute force. If we can capture a Logia-type Devil Fruit user and hand her over to the president, we’ll definitely get a huge reward,” Mr. 9 said greedily.

"But, is it really that easy, that guy..." Vivi muttered to herself, recalling Mashiro's eyes, that indifferent yet arrogant look.

"Alright, Miss Wednesday, let's hurry and catch up, before they leave in our boat." With that, Mr. 9 got on the paper bird. After a moment's hesitation, Vivi got on as well.

The moment the two sat down, the paper bird flew into the air. "It's so cold!" Tashigi kept rubbing her hands together.

"What peculiar weather," Mashiro said with great interest, watching the huge snowflakes falling continuously.

At this moment, she and Tashigi were on Mr. 9 and Vivi's ship, sailing towards Whiskey Peak guided by the log pointer. But as the journey continued, the weather suddenly changed, and the previously clear skies were instantly turned into a blizzard. As a result, a thick layer of snow accumulated on the deck.

"Isn't there heating on your ship?" Tashigi asked Mr. 9 and Vivi, sneezing.

"Is heating free? We've never flown this route before, who knew the weather would be like this?" Mr. 9 said, shivering as he wrapped himself in a blanket.

"This is the Grand Line. On the Grand Line, you can't trust anything, whether it's wind, snow, waves, or clouds. We should have foreseen this; we shouldn't have removed the heating system to save money." Vivi said helplessly, looking at the record pointer tightly in her hand.

"Mashiro, aren't you cold?" Tashigi asked, somewhat puzzled.

You should know that whether it's her, Vivi, or Mr. 9, their clothes are quite warm, while Zhenbai is wearing a jumpsuit, even though she's wearing pants underneath.

"It's cold, but I'm physically strong, so this cold doesn't bother me," Mashiro replied.

For her Otsutsuki body, whether it's cold or hot, although she feels it accordingly, it doesn't cause her any discomfort.

Even if she really didn't want to experience this feeling, she could temporarily hypnotize herself with illusion. Just then, a strong wind came, accompanied by loud thunder.

Tashigi, Vivi, and Mr. 9 were all huddled in the captain's cabin, while Makoto remained standing on the deck.

Snowflakes were falling steadily overhead, a raging wind was blowing all around her, thunder was booming in her ears, and a surging wave stretched out before her. Mashiro thoroughly enjoyed this feeling.

Her long black dress billowed in the wind, accompanied by her long, black hair that reached her calves. Beautiful yet eerie.

“What a strange person,” Mr. 9 said.

From the moment he met Zhenzi, her words, demeanor, and behavior gave him a very strange feeling.

“Indeed, she’s always been strange,” Tashigi said, looking at Mashiro’s retreating figure with a somewhat complicated tone.

Just then, Weiwei suddenly walked out onto the deck and stood beside Mashiro. The blizzard and strong winds made it hard for her to breathe.

"Is something the matter?" Makoto asked softly, then reached out and pulled Weiwei closer. For some reason, after getting closer to Makoto, she could no longer feel the coldness.

"I hesitated for a long time, but in the end I still want to ask, do you know me?" Weiwei said with utmost seriousness.

If Mr. 9 saw Vivi's expression at this moment, he would be incredibly surprised. He had never seen Vivi with such an attitude and expression before. "Are you curious?" Mashiro turned her head, looking at Vivi with interest, and asked softly.

Looking into Zhenbai's milky-white eyes, the indifference and condescension in his gaze filled her with a sense of fear, yet the peace he exuded also reassured her. For some reason, she had a gut feeling that the person before her would not harm her.

She would naturally think so; from the very first moment she saw Weiwei, Mashiro had begun using illusions to influence her.

Although she didn't quite approve of Vivi's current outfit, Vivi's face and figure perfectly matched her aesthetic. "Yes, I'm very curious," Vivi said firmly.

"You should know about Haki, right?" Mashiro didn't answer Vivi's question directly, but instead asked her in return. Vivi nodded.

She certainly knew about Haki. Although its popularity wasn't high in the East Blue, as the princess of the Alabasta Kingdom and a member of the Baroque Workers...

As for Yu Bu, she has a good understanding of domineering aura.

“I possess an extremely strong Observation Haki, which allows me to read people’s minds to a certain extent. That’s why I knew your real name and your identity the moment I saw you: Princess Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom,” Mashiro said with a light laugh.

"This is impossible?" Vivi said in disbelief. She had never heard of Observation Haki being able to read people's minds.

Nothing is impossible. Legend has it that those who master Observation Haki to its peak can even glimpse the future. "Mashiro said calmly.

Vivi fell silent. If she ruled out the ability to read minds, she simply couldn't explain why this guy she had just met knew her identity.

It was known that only Icarus knew her true identity, not even her own father. As for why Mashiro was able to guess Vivi's name, it's quite simple.

Vivi's name was displayed on the system panel, and her faction was listed as noble.

Mashiro then looked through the internal files of the Loguetown Navy branch, which recorded the turmoil, revolution, Baroque Works, and his missing princess Vivi that had occurred in Alabasta over the past few years.

As for whether Observation Haki can read minds and foresee the future, how would she know? That was something she made up. "Um, could you tell me, who exactly are you?" she asked calmly.

"Me? I'm just a passing traveler right now, but a very strong one." With that, Mashiro stretched out her finger and drew a line on the sea.