Noblesse Privilege 6 (Patreon)

Noblesse Privilege
Chapter 6

-VB-

I stood at the edge of my grand galleon’s deck right next to the gangway that’s been decorated too much to merely be called a gangway, but that’s not what caught my attention.

On the docks below, a great crowd gathered to see the event, From their perspective, it was a great event. A World Noble had come, and the Royal Family of Alabasta was coming to greet them. It was a sign of change, and people were excited by it in a country wanting change.

A change that Crocodile was not very keen to allow, whether or not this change was realized or not.

I knew that his agents were nearby from the way Luponte’s fists tightened behind his back. The former marine saw the presence of pirates in front of a kingdom’s royalty, nevermind a World Noble, as an affront. He once told me that allowing a pirate to come within arm’s reach of me would be a failure of his duty. For pirates to be within my sight would be to tell me indirectly that he’d failed to keep them from my sight.

I, of course, told him to shove it. Circumstances changed and we adapted to them. After all, hadn’t he adapted himself when pirates showed the weaknesses and hypocrisy of the Marines? Hadn’t he left to do something more productive and fulfilling with his time? Hadn’t he met me?

But the stubborn man kept repeating himself.

Which was why pirates frolicking about in my sight, skillfully hidden or not, irritated him to no end.

‘Old news, that,’ I thought to myself as the royal procession of the Nefertari Family began to approach the grand galleon from the city center. Their flag bearers proudly held up the orange sun and its flares on a background of white, Alabasta flag, and a yellow goose on a yellow background, Nefertari symbol, together.

You know, the people who were supposed to be waiting at their palace and not coming out to greet me? Their messenger told me that my request for audience was granted, but did they misunderstand me or something?

Behind me on deck, my own soldiers held the symbol of my personage proudly, a five pointed red crown on a white background.

Now, I personally didn’t care how this was supposed to go. Each action both parties took, however, would reflect upon us. If I, a World Noble, went out of my way to greet them, then it would mean that they thought themselves above me. If they, a royal family, came to me and boarded my ship, then it would mean that I thought their accommodations were insufficient (and usually, this was the default option almost all World Nobles took when meeting their “lessers”) but I didn’t want to insult Vivi!

Of course, none of this was not what I personally thought. All of the above was the “understood” social norm of this world between a higher ranking noble and a lesser one.

Complicated? Not really. Did a lot of it come from needless posturing? Definitely.

And that’s not including the smaller intricacies of -!

I didn’t give a shit about that! I wanted to introduce myself to Vivi, try to make her laugh and smile so that I can see her beautiful smile, and - I don’t know - get to know her, not involuntarily and indirectly tell her that she fucking sucks?!

“Lord Geoffrey. They are approaching the grand galleon.”

Ah, shit.

“... Then let us meet them at the bottom of the gangway,” I hurriedly instructed and once my reluctant retainers, who were used to regular World Noble interactions and thus found the idea of me going down to meet them unpalatable, quickly obeyed my orders and came to line up behind and around me.

And as one, we descended the gangway. Though my procession stood five men wide, the gangway easily supported us and had more than thrice the room for more.

Grand galleons were called grand for a reason.

And soon, my foot stepped upon the sand-covered cobblestone of Alabasta’s upriver port. It crunched.

When I looked up after my brief observation, I found myself standing no more than fifty paces from the Nefertaris.

I took those steps.

And met them with a smile and a hand put out for a handshake.

King Nefertari Cobra looked surprised with my candid approach and gave me his best politician smile as he took my hand and shook gently. “Lord vel Monstrathum, I welcome you to our humble Kingdom of Alabasta!” he exclaimed.

“I thank you for your welcome, King Nefertari!” I replied back easily but my mind was clunking away.

What was he trying to do? I asked for an audience with a royalty, and considering that I was not using English but whatever derivative version of pseudo-Japanese they used in this world, so I definitely didn’t confuse audience(people) with audience(meeting). He had to be trying to pull something, but what? I knew that the situation in Alabasta was bad from both my future knowledge and spy network but-.

My shoulders relaxed as I realized what this was all about.

The king wanted to ensure that I had no reason to dislike him, his family, or the kingdom. Coming out all the way here to surprise me with this meeting was a way of showing “humility” that a normal World Noble would have appreciated. Those pathetic snakes liked having their boots licked.

“Vivi, come!”

My shoulders tensed again and my heart raced.

Dressed more conservatively than normal for an Alabastan, I watched as the teal-haired beauty walked up to the king’s side.

“This here is my daughter, Vivi,” he introduced me. “Vivi, this is the World Noble, Lord Geoffrey vel Monstrathum.”

Vivi curtsied. “Welcome to Alabasta, Lord vel Monstrathum.”

And when she looked back up, I found not young woman whose courage that I’d admired but a princess scared for her kingdom.

… Was all of this a mistake?