Chapter 214: Strategy to Escape the Sand Kingdom

Stepping into the room, Igaram discovers the pirates have already slipped out, and Vivi answers his bewildered question by saying only that such is the nature of pirates. Across the dunes, the crew rides deeper into the sand atop their mounts, those Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops. A troubled Nami draws concern, and when the others guess her mood is about Vivi, she confesses the real worry is the fee she never collected from them. Igaram stews over the peril the fresh bounties bring, yet Vivi calms him, noting that fretting helps nothing since the crew will merely revel in growing more notorious. She is also due to give a speech the next day.

A memory returns to the moment before the crew departed. A Den Den Mushi rang, and the voice on the line proved to be Mr. 2, who gleefully reported he had carried off their ship. Outrage erupted, but he announced himself a friend and cut the call. After arguing it over, they resolved to place their faith in him.

Vivi agonizes over whether to journey on with her companions or remain behind as Arabasta's princess, and Nami offers her twelve hours to settle the matter. Arriving where Mr. 2 waits, the crew eyes the former Baroque Works officer warily, but he insists the syndicate has dissolved and that he rescued their craft from naval capture. Among those who cheer his loyalty are the captain, the reindeer doctor, and the sharpshooter, all delighted to count him a friend once more. Elsewhere, word reaches Hina that the crew has been spotted, and she commands her people to brace for combat.

The crew once again becomes friends with Mr. 2. Hina readies a capture only to be told the target vessel has gone missing, while Jango and Fullbody dance over a separate seizure. The cover story carries on Hatchan's undersea travels, in which the haughty Octopako jeers at the survivors of a freshly leveled catfish village.