Noblesse Privilege 14 (Patreon)

Noblesse Privilege
Chapter 14

-VB-

Eventually, the dream had to end because I was needed back in Mary Geoise.

A man like me did not get to go on vacation for a long time. You think rich and powerful spend ¾ of their time playing? Ha!

… Well, the other World Nobles did, but I didn’t. I had shit to do, and I wasn’t letting go of my connections, wealth, and power out of laziness!

I stood at the bottom of the gangplank and faced King Cobra and Princess Vivi.

“We’ll meet again,” the king smiled knowingly.

I grinned back at him and clasped hands with his. “It was my pleasure to stay in your kingdom.”

He laughed. “Despite the struggles, huh?”

“Of course, Your Highness. Kicking pirate ass is a bad habit for me!” I chuckled in kind. I leaned forward. “I … think I really like Vivi.”

He leaned forward as well with a gleam in his eyes. “Just because you are a World Noble, don’t think you can do whatever you want with my daughter.”

“You do realize you are talking to literally the fifth most powerful World Noble, yes?”

He blinked before he realized who I was referring to. He quickly set his face back to a firm glare. “I am a father. Titles mean less than they should.”

I shrugged as I pulled back. “I’m sure I can ask her to come to me,” I grinned.

His friendly glare intensified. “In your dreams.”

…

And then the both of us laughed.

Vivi shook her head from behind King Cobra. “Men.”

I stepped forward to her and gave her a chaste kiss on her knuckles.

“Princess.”

“Tenryubito.”

“Until we meet again.”

She nodded with a soft smile.

I reached into my pocket and placed the gold coin I’ve been holding since I boarded my grand galleon. “My invitation.”

I ignored King Cobra’s squawk and focused on Vivi’s surprised gasp.

Yes. I can still surprise you, m’lady.

-VB-

“... Well, my visit ended well,” I grinned while in office with Luponte.

My captain of the guards glared at me.

“You also pissed off Crocodile, let him escape, and didn’t get anything out of this visit.”

“Oi, I made Vivi like me at the very least!” I complained. “Also, King Cobra signed a secret defensive pact with me and I get to station trade outposts and military bases in his kingdom!”

“Yes, yes, yes,” he waved his hand. “But you didn’t marry Vivi, did you?”

I raised a finger and then dropped it. “I mean, well, no, but I can’t just force her to marry me-”

“Yes, because you actually want her to love you and not hate you.”

“Yes, and -”

“You also realize that Crocodile also knows now that with her out in the open, he has a way to get back at you, right?”

I stopped.

“Yessss… about that. How are our efforts going in tracking him down? Trying to kill a World Noble and all that and needing to punish such an effort.”

Luponte took a deep breath in and sighed. “The Marines are not happy with you.”

“Are they ever happy with me?” I asked him sarcastically. “I stole you from them when you were supposed to return to them, after all. They’ll never be happy with that. I mean, fuck, I got myself a vice-admiral these days but I call my captain of the guard.”

The man across the table, who could literally be called one of the top fifty strongest people in the world, waved his hand at me in dismissal. “Not that.”

“Oh. You mean how I fucked up one of their own warlords and made them look bad?”

“Yes, that.”

“Oh. We should do it again. I haven’t seen Donquixote in a while. Do you think he’s going to try and actually kill me this time?” Lunponte glared and I cackled. “I’m joking!”

“I would be happy if I could actually believe that. Just how many of his affiliates have you arrested and sunk through proxies?”

“In bounties or numbers?”

“Numbers, please.”

“Twelve pirate crews, consisting of a total of one thousand pirates, and almost all of his connections within the Marines and the World Government. It was really easy to tip off the hardcore ‘justice’ hardboners about Don’s spies. Hell, they didn’t even bother with trials. Just killed them on the spot, according to the report.”

My captain of the guards groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “And you think he doesn’t know?”

“Oh, he definitely knows, but the man knows not to touch me or my main alliance. He saw what I did to his predecessor. I also think he likes me?”

“... Whatever gave you that idea, I want you to discard it. Donquixote liking someone? The bastard killed his own brother.”

“Well, I fucking entertain him with this shadow war, Luponte. That’s why he doesn’t bother. That and the fact that I executed all of the people responsible or involved in his family’s deaths that I got my hands on. My second cousin thrice removed might not think me as family, but I do and I don’t fucking waste time like he does.”

“... I pray you never say that to him in his face.”

I snorted.

“Well, tell me something else.”

“You had to keep an eye out for a ‘Straw Hat Pirates.’ Long ago. Like years ago.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, they were finally sighted at the Loguetown.”

I grinned. “Sweet. And Robin? She was supposed to be here in this kingdom.”

“Gone after that mess you and I instigated.”

“Hmm.”

“... Whiskey?”

“Sure. Just one shot for me.”