The next morning, the royal palace was already bustling with activity.
Today was a special day.
It was Princess Nefertari Vivi's tenth birthday.
"Kuina-neechan!"
A cheerful voice echoed through the courtyard as Vivi came running toward the guest residence, dragging a giant duck almost as large as she was.
The duck flapped its wings in protest.
"You run too fast! Come back here!"
Yesterday's sightseeing trip had clearly not been enough.
After spending nearly the entire afternoon together, Vivi and Kuina had quickly become close friends. The two had already agreed to spend the day exploring Alubarna before the evening banquet began.
After all, there was still plenty of time before the celebration.
"Happy Birthday, little princess!"
Kuina emerged from the guest quarters with a grin and immediately pushed a carefully wrapped gift into Vivi's hands.
Vivi blinked in surprise.
"Eh?"
Then her eyes widened.
"A present?!"
"Thank you, Kuina-neechan!"
The little princess hugged the package tightly before thanking her enthusiastically.
"This is for you."
"You can open it right now."
"I hope you like it."
Kuina couldn't resist reaching out and ruffling Vivi's soft blue hair.
It was unbelievably fluffy.
Far too tempting.
Vivi didn't seem to mind at all.
"I already love it!"
To Vivi, receiving a gift from a friend was enough to make her happy regardless of what was inside.
With Kuina's encouragement, she carefully began opening the package.
Soon, a beautifully carved wooden box appeared.
Its polished surface gleamed softly beneath the morning sunlight.
The intricate carvings decorating the exterior displayed remarkable craftsmanship.
"Wow…"
"What is this?"
Vivi carefully turned the box around in her hands.
She had never seen anything quite like it.
"This is a sword case."
Kuina scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"To be honest, my family runs a dojo and has experience working with blades."
"This little dagger was forged by me personally."
She then helped Vivi slide open the case.
Inside rested a miniature dagger.
Although simple in design, it was elegant and carefully crafted.
Compared to the exquisite sword case, the blade itself was admittedly rough around the edges.
Even so, Vivi's eyes instantly sparkled.
"You made this yourself?"
She looked genuinely touched.
"Don't laugh at it."
"The craftsmanship still isn't very good."
Kuina rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.
The wooden case had been crafted by her father years ago.
The dagger, however, was entirely her own work.
She had spent considerable effort forging it.
In fact, she had struggled for days trying to decide what gift to prepare for Vivi.
In the end, making a blade with her own hands felt like the most sincere choice.
"I would never laugh at it!"
Vivi immediately shook her head.
She carefully picked up the small dagger and admired it from every angle.
Its edge wasn't sharpened.
It had been designed purely as a ceremonial keepsake.
Still, Vivi couldn't stop smiling.
"Thank you, Kuina-neechan!"
She hugged the dagger to her chest.
Then she hugged Kuina as well.
"Thank you!"
"Thank you!"
"Thank you!"
The repeated stream of gratitude eventually left Kuina feeling dizzy.
Fortunately, a familiar voice interrupted them.
"Kuina."
Saint Roselith Seraphina stepped out from the residence.
She was dressed in her Marine uniform, her silver-white hair neatly tied behind her.
"Riva will accompany you today."
"I've assigned him a few tasks."
"You can explore the capital together."
"I need to discuss several important matters with King Cobra."
As she spoke, she rolled up a large map and secured it at her waist.
"Understood, Teacher!"
Kuina nodded immediately.
She already knew that Seraphina had come to Alabasta for more than simply attending Vivi's birthday celebration.
The Rear Admiral had another objective entirely.
"Sigh…"
Vivi's excitement immediately diminished.
"You're not coming with us, Sister Seraphina?"
The disappointment in her voice was impossible to hide.
Seraphina smiled gently.
"I have official duties."
"You two go enjoy yourselves."
"Once I'm finished, I'll join the banquet."
Vivi hesitated briefly before nodding obediently.
"Okay."
Unlike many noble children, Vivi understood responsibility surprisingly well for her age.
She didn't complain further.
…
Royal Palace of Alubarna.
"Your Majesty."
"Rear Admiral Seraphina requests an audience."
The guard standing watch outside the office immediately reported the news.
The man was Pell, commander of the Royal Guard and one of Alabasta's strongest warriors.
"Please show her in immediately."
King Cobra quickly set aside the stack of reports he had been reviewing.
Most of them concerned the worsening drought spreading throughout the kingdom.
The situation had become increasingly concerning.
Moments later, Seraphina entered the room.
"King Cobra."
She greeted him politely.
"Rear Admiral."
Cobra returned the greeting.
Without wasting time, Seraphina moved directly to the purpose of her visit.
"I've come on behalf of the Marines to discuss a potential cooperative project."
"I would like to hear your opinion."
Cobra immediately became interested.
"Oh?"
"Please continue."
Seraphina removed the map from her waist.
"May I use the table?"
"Of course."
The large map was carefully spread across the desk.
Several strategic locations had already been marked.
"Our current proposal involves strengthening Marine presence near Reverse Mountain."
She pointed toward a location on the map.
"Marine Headquarters intends to transform Whiskey Peak into a major Marine fortress."
Cobra's eyes narrowed.
"That would certainly improve security."
"However," Seraphina continued, "the fortress alone isn't enough."
Her finger moved toward Alabasta.
A seagull insignia had been marked near the capital.
"We also wish to establish a Marine Academy within Alabasta."
The room immediately fell silent.
Cobra carefully studied the map.
Then his expression changed.
"This…"
"Who developed this proposal?"
His tone carried genuine surprise.
Seraphina blinked.
"Is there a problem?"
Cobra slowly shook his head.
"No."
"The opposite."
"This proposal is extremely ambitious."
Unlike many rulers, Cobra immediately analyzed the plan from a military perspective rather than a political one.
And the implications were enormous.
Whiskey Peak sat near one of the most important entry points into the Grand Line.
If a major Marine fortress were established there, countless pirate crews would be intercepted before ever reaching deeper waters.
The location itself was nearly perfect.
Its greatest weakness, however, was manpower.
Maintaining a fortress of that scale would require a continuous stream of trained recruits.
Normally, supplying those personnel from Marineford would be difficult and expensive.
But Alabasta solved that problem.
As one of the largest nations affiliated with the World Government, its population numbered in the millions.
A Marine Academy established here could provide a steady supply of trained soldiers for generations.
Suddenly, the logistical problems disappeared.
Only funding remained.
And if Marine Headquarters secured support from the World Government, even that obstacle could potentially be overcome.
"King Cobra."
Seraphina spoke carefully.
"I understand this proposal may raise concerns regarding Alabasta's sovereignty."
"Which is why I wanted to discuss it personally before presenting it formally."
She had already prepared herself for negotiations.
In truth, she expected Cobra to oppose the idea.
Or at least demand significant concessions.
However, she underestimated the king's strategic insight.
At a glance, Cobra had already identified implications even she had not fully considered.
From a military perspective, Alabasta occupied an extraordinary position.
For the Four Blues, it served as a forward shield.
For the Grand Line, it represented a secure rear base.
Its enormous population offered manpower on a scale few nations could match.
Its location allowed forces to be deployed rapidly toward both Paradise and the entrance to the Grand Line.
Large-scale recruitment.
Training.
Logistics.
Supply lines.
All could be supported here.
In many respects, Alabasta possessed strategic advantages rivaling even Marineford itself.
The only reason Marine Headquarters remained at Marineford was because of its political importance.
After all, Marineford stood as the first line of defense protecting the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
Otherwise, purely from a military standpoint, Alabasta might have been among the most valuable strategic locations in the entire world.
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