Chapter 136: Peerage and Fiefs

Alubarna, Royal Palace.

As a hero of the kingdom, Garen had become the guest of honor for King Cobra.

As a great nation with a population of tens of millions, the Alabasta palace was naturally far more magnificent than the one in the Goa Kingdom. The calm and silent marble columns, the towering, proud dome, and the dazzling enamel windows created a solemn and grave atmosphere, making the banquet hosted by the King himself a very formal affair.

However, those attending this banquet were not the type to be restrained by formalities.

King Cobra sat at the head of the surprisingly long banquet table. To his left sat Princess Vivi and her close friend, Nami; to his right sat the combination of boss and secretary, Garen and Robin.

Robin’s wrist was wrapped in medical bandages that Garen had applied himself, yet she maintained a flawless, gentle smile to navigate the social occasion. Because, apart from Garen, whom she could somewhat consider a confidant, her relationship with Nami and Vivi was merely a superficial acquaintance—a hollow connection filled with mutual wariness from her time as an "undercover" agent.

Robin had not wanted to attend the banquet, but Garen had earnestly insisted that his important employee accompany him to the victory celebration. Although the reason—"because you look good"—left Robin, a woman who had always relied on her wits, feeling quite helpless, she felt the sincerity of Garen's appreciation and resolved to play the role of his personal secretary well. Accompanying one's boss to formal occasions was, after all, a secretary's duty.

Nami and Vivi, however, had their own opinions on the matter. Although Garen had told them that Robin was now a true companion, they still maintained a subtle vigilance toward this mysterious former secret agent.

Not long after the banquet began, the strange, antagonistic gazes of Nami and Vivi repeatedly crossed the wide table, landing silently on the face of Robin, who sat beside Garen. Facing the faint hostility in the two girls' eyes, Robin merely moved her gaze away with a hint of amusement when their eyes accidentally met, ignoring them entirely.

The atmosphere at the table was quite subtle, but Garen was completely oblivious to it. He was busy discussing the aftermath of Crocodile’s death with King Cobra.

After hearing Garen’s suggestion, King Cobra looked somewhat troubled. "You mean to reveal the full truth of Crocodile’s crimes in usurping the throne?"

"But I have already admitted to the people that I was wrong to use Dance Powder. How can I go back on my word and pin this blame back onto Crocodile?"

"Of course you can," Garen replied, unmoved by the King’s hesitation. "When he was alive, he had a chance to fight back. In that situation, without evidence, it was naturally hard to convince people that the 'Hero of Alabasta' was a villain. But he is dead now, and the dead cannot argue."

"With you, the king of a World Government member nation, and me, the new 'Hero of Alabasta,' speaking out together, and with a few 'well-informed' members of Baroque Works to testify, it will be hard for his identity as a usurper not to be exposed. When that happens, the Navy and the World Government will surely treat the Warlord Crocodile as a rebellious pirate, just as you say. The citizens will not blame you for your previous lies; instead, they will be grateful for the sacrifices you made to quell the rebellion and stabilize the situation."

Hearing this, Cobra remained hesitant. As a kind king who viewed his subjects as family, he felt that such methods of manipulating public opinion were somewhat improper. However, Garen’s suggestion was ultimately beneficial and caused no harm, and it was, after all, telling the truth to the people and the Navy. In the end, Cobra nodded and agreed to the propaganda plan.

"So..." After discussing the aftermath, Cobra asked with concern, "Where do you plan to go after this is all over?"

Vivi immediately retracted her wary gaze from Robin, waiting for Garen’s answer with a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

"Where to?"

Garen pondered for a long time before giving a vague answer. "I’m not entirely sure, but I won’t be staying long."

This was only natural. Sooner or later, Garen would have to set sail again to find his next prey to provide him with experience points. Hearing his response, a look of disappointment couldn't help but appear on Vivi’s face. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

Vivi cherished the days she had spent adventuring on the sea with Garen and did not want to lose touch with hard-won friends like Garen and Nami. But she was, after all, the princess of a great nation and the new generation of "wise ruler" in the eyes of the people. There was truly no reason—and it was certainly not appropriate—for her to accompany a knight who was always courting trouble on his voyage through the Grand Line.

Cobra saw his daughter’s melancholy clearly. After a moment of contemplation, he said to Garen, "Garen, I understand that a man like you will never stop easily on the Grand Line. But since you have started a shipping company and are the leader of a major force, you need to find a base for your operations on the Grand Line, don't you?"

Vivi’s eyes lit up, and a spark of vitality returned to them.

"A base?" Garen asked, puzzled by the kind smile on Cobra’s face. "Are you planning to have my shipping company set up in Alabasta? But my company has only just finished covering the East Blue; I won't be expanding into large-scale shipping routes from the East Blue to the Grand Line for a while."

"No," Cobra shook his head with a smile. "I am not here to talk business, but to reward you for saving Alabasta. In the name of the King of Alabasta and the Nefertari family, I formally appoint you as a Count of Alabasta. The port city of Rainbase, on the banks of the Sandora River, shall henceforth be your fiefdom."

With a single sentence, Cobra bestowed both a title and a fief upon Garen. The newly minted "Lord of Rainbase" couldn't help but open his mouth in surprise, glancing involuntarily at Vivi, who was watching him intently. The joke he had made when he first met her had actually come true.

Vivi returned Garen’s look with a sweet smile, her mood brightening considerably. Having a city as Garen’s territory meant he had a home on the Grand Line, and surely, this knight would return to, or even reside permanently in, Alabasta.

"But..." Garen steered the conversation in a more subtle direction. "Your Majesty."

"Ahem..." Cobra straightened his expression and said solemnly, "Just call me Uncle."

"Ah?" Garen was slightly taken aback before managing to utter the strange term. "Uncle Cobra, you are giving me a vital stronghold like Rainbase as a fief... aren't you afraid I might become the second Crocodile?"

This was a very serious question. An "Hero of Alabasta" using Rainbase as a headquarters looked, from any angle, like a second Sand Crocodile.

In reality, any monarch with political sense would never trust a foreign powerhouse without reservation just because their daughter recommended it, nor would they allow such a person to play the hero within their country. Because if you drive away a tiger to fend off a wolf, the wolf may be gone, but the tiger remains; no one can guarantee that the reinforcements brought in won't turn out to be someone like Dong Zhuo.

However, Cobra naturally didn't think that far ahead. If he had been capable of such complex calculations, Alabasta would not have been so easily subverted by Crocodile in the first place.

Facing Garen’s question, Cobra laughed openly and candidly. "Hahaha! With a strong man like you holding the fort, Alabasta can achieve true peace. Besides, I believe you could never be a second Crocodile!"

Cobra laughed heartily, his eyes filled with a unique appreciation. "Vivi has told me everything about you. She even agreed to marry you, and you didn't accept. If you were truly interested in the throne, wouldn't it have been easier to just take my daughter’s hand?"

The air froze instantly.

Nami, who had been busy trading glares with Robin, turned to look at her friend Vivi in disbelief. Vivi’s scalp tingled, and Garen’s expression stiffened.

Cobra, however, was completely oblivious. Vivi was very close to her father and told him almost everything. But when she introduced Garen to Cobra, she only spoke of his noble character—unmoved by beauty or power—and naturally did not describe the awkward situation where she had "offered herself" while knowing he already had a girlfriend. Thus, from the moment they met today, Cobra had assumed Nami was just another one of Garen’s subordinates, just like Robin.

In the dead silence, Cobra simply took Garen’s hand affectionately and said, "Garen, I know you didn't accept Vivi’s proposal because you didn't want to take advantage of the situation. But I fully support the union between you two! After all, it is very rare to find an excellent young man with both your character and strength! Hahaha..."

After finishing, Cobra looked quite pleased with himself. He knew his daughter was too shy to take the lead, so he decided to step in and assist her. However, Cobra felt something was slightly off. Based on what he knew of his daughter, Vivi should have been blushing and protesting with some tsundere remark by now. Yet, she was as quiet as a wooden statue, not making a sound.

Cobra turned his head in confusion, only to be shocked to see: Vivi was hanging her head, looking extremely uncomfortable, her face pale to the extreme. And Garen’s face showed just as much anxiety and panic as hers.

After a moment of silence, Garen and Vivi, with startling synchronization, looked up and said in unison:

"Nami, let me explain."