Love My Country

A massive “わああっ!!!” sound effect dominates the top of the page as chaos erupts on a sandy, palm-tree-lined shore. Vivi, ponytail flying, stands with her back to the viewer, one arm outstretched. A voice shouts, “HURRY UP AND RUN, VIVI!” Another warns, “OR THEY'LL KILL YOU!” A gang of armed men in ragged clothes and headbands brandish clubs and blades, surrounding a fallen figure. One man yells, “ALL WE'RE GONNA DO IS RANSOM YOU FOR MONEY!” A grinning leader with a striped headband laughs, “HAHAHA! DON'T WORRY, WE WON'T KILL YA!” A panicked subordinate cries, “LEADER!” while another stammers, “B-BUT...”

The striped-headband leader lunges forward with a wild grin, one massive hand reaching out as he roars, “NOW C'MERE, PRINCESS!” An impact “ズシャッ!!” and “OOF!” sound as someone is struck. Below, the rebels shout in unison: “GUYS! WE'LL DIE PROTECTING VIVI IF WE HAVE TO, RIGHT!I” “THAT'S RIGHT!” “AS IF WE'D JUST HAND HER OVER!” A huge “ばしゅっ!!” impact erupts. In the lower right, Vivi’s eyes widen in shock as she sees more guards arriving; one rebel gasps, “THEY HAVE ANOTHER GUY!I” while the leader mocks, “HAHAHA! SOME GUARDS YOU TWERPS ARE!”

Vivi sprints desperately toward distant ruins while pursuers yell, “DON'T LET THEM CHASE HER!” “SHE'S HEADED FOR THE RUINS! CHASE AFTER HER!” “OH CRAP! SHE GOT AWAY FROM ME!” A massive “わああっ!” and “だだだだ!” echo as she flees. A close-up shows her tear-streaked face twisted in panic, screaming “WAHHH!” In the next panel a large-headed figure sweats and mutters, “W-what happened here...!I” Lower panels reveal fallen rebels; one groans “UGH...” while another explains, “THERE WERE THESE BAD GROWN-UPS WITH KNIVES TRYING TO TAKE VIVI AWAY...” Vivi’s voice recalls, “SHE RAN AWAY TO THE RUINS BUT SO DID KOUZA...” A child’s voice calls out, “CHILDREN!”

In the ruined desert city, pursuers shout from the distance: "KEEP LOOKIN'! WE CAN'T LET HER ESCAPE!" and "WHERE IS SHEI I DON'T SEE HER ANYWHERE..." Vivi hides behind a crumbling wall, sweat dripping, thinking "So this is where you were hidin'..." A small creature peeks out nearby. Suddenly the spiky-haired man in a polka-dot coat appears with a wide grin, sword drawn, and declares "Now be a nice little girl and stay still while I kidnap you...!" Vivi gasps in shock as he lunges. She leaps away while someone yells "STOP RIGHT THERE!" and another cries "AHHH!" The man swings aggressively as Vivi dodges amid flying debris and impact lines.

Vivi stands her ground and shouts "NOW GET OUT OF THIS CITY AND NEVER COME BACK! DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON THE SAND-SAND GANG! LEADER!" The robed fighter swings a club while yelling "RUN AWAY, LEADER!" The spiky-haired man blocks with his sword, warning "YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO ANGER A GROWN-UP IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YA..." and "THAT'S ENOUGH, KID. PIPE DOWN AND HAND OVER THE GIRL..." A small creature cheers "A KNIFEI" The man then turns, sword ready, muttering "Hmm...I" as the robed fighter and Vivi face him. He growls "THAT DOESN'T SCARE ME!"

Vivi screams desperately "WE'LL DIE PROTECTING VIVI IF WE HAVE TO! NO, LEADER! STOOOP!" The spiky-haired man taunts "YOU EVER BEEN CUT, BOY...I" while the robed fighter pants heavily. The man slashes, causing a sharp "GIRA...!!" sound and a cry of "IT HURTS, YOU KNOW..." The robed fighter is struck hard with "UGH!" and blood flies. Vivi watches in horror, tears streaming, as the man overpowers the defender in a brutal close-quarters clash filled with motion lines and impact effects.

The spiky-haired man delivers a devastating upward slash with massive impact SFX "ドゴォン" and a scream "AAARGHHH!" The robed fighter is sent flying backward, limbs flailing, weapon and hat torn away amid debris and speed lines. In the aftermath, the man lies on the ground with a pained expression, teeth gritted, while the defeated fighter's broken club spins through the air and lands nearby.

In the ruined stone plaza, a massive sword stands embedded in the rubble as two figures lie sprawled on the ground. A young man with a headband stares in shock while a woman with pigtails kneels beside a fallen leader. "LEADER!" she cries. The leader groans, "AGH..." as another figure is sent flying. "Can't believe this... Well let's just kill him and get this over with," growls a tall man in striped robes, raising his blade. "Hey, this kid just knocked out our boss..." another rebel notes. The headbanded youth is grabbed as the tall man snarls, "C'MERE, KID..." The youth shouts in pain, "AHH!"

Igaram lunges forward in fury, striking the young man and sending him flying amid massive impact lines. "YOU FILTHY LOW-LIVES!" he roars. The youth crashes down with a heavy "UGH!" Igaram continues, "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO LAY A HAND ON MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER!" Vivi, tearful, asks, "Are you hurt anywhere, Princess ViviI" She replies weakly, "Father... Igaram..." Nearby rebels react in panic. Pell and Chaka arrive, with Pell demanding, "What're you two doing hereI" Chaka and Pell stand ready as the scene shifts to a distant view of the city.

Silhouetted against the sky, Igaram and another figure stand atop a massive turtle-like creature. A voice asks, "What brings the king of a country so far away from his palaceI" Another replies, "We should be asking your majesty the same question." The group begs the king to stay back. In the next scene, Igaram speaks to Vivi: "What brave little children, they are..." Vivi responds, "Yes, sir!" Igaram orders, "Chaka! Pell! Go call a doctor! As well as the other members of the Sand-Sand gang." Vivi adds, "Yes, I'll bring a doctor immediately to treat Kouza." Igaram calls out, "Igaram! Kouza is...!" Later, under a large moon, someone asks Vivi, "What's wrong, ViviI How long are you gonna keep on cryingI"

In a flashback inside a grand hall, the young leader (Koza) recalls, "Back then, you said, 'We'll die protecting Vivi if we have to...'" A companion answers, "No, that's not it!" Another adds, "Well yeah, it was scary for me too since they had knives but-" Vivi, distressed, says, "B-but... It was... So scary...!" The leader, sweating, thinks silently. In the present, the leader shouts with fierce determination, "WE'LL DIE PROTECTING VIVI IF WE HAVE TO!" Vivi breaks down in tears, clutching her face, crying, "Please don't ever say, Something as scary as dying, leader...!" as sobs and impact effects surround her.

Three men stand together in close-up. The mustached man looks surprised while the bandaged man sweats and the stern figure smirks. A speech bubble reads, "So she was scared most by the idea of losing her friends..." In the next wide panel inside a palace hall, the bandaged man (Koza) speaks with his back partly turned: "Vivi's our friend so it's only natural I did what I did." A child sits on the floor nearby as an older woman in patterned robes stands by the window. Another voice states, "It appears the next generation of Alabasta led by children like you will be quite dependable..." From the right, a long-haired man adds, "Vivi may still be just a little girl but she's also the princess. Koza, what you did today was very commendable. For that, I must give you a proper thank-you." Koza turns with a bright smile and answers, "Same here!" The bandaged youth grins widely, "Yup! It's the country I was born in, after all!!" The long-haired man smiles and asks, "...Do you love this country, KouzaI"

At sunset on a palace balcony, silhouettes stand against the glowing sky. A voice reflects, "To be a ruler means having to lay down harsh decisions at times... I fear Vivi's a little too nice for that." Another admits, "I must confess that I am a little worried." Close-up on the long-haired man (Igaram) who smiles and says, "Alabasta is just fine like this... It's fine..." In the corridor, Igaram walks beside a robed elder. The elder replies, "YesI Igaram..." Below, against the sunset, Igaram declares, "'Til the end of my life." The mustached man watches them go and finishes, "I'll accompany your majesty."

Vivi stands alone and softly says, "Yuba." In the palace corridor she leans on the railing while a young man in a turban gestures excitedly. Speech bubbles read: "Yuba's an uninhabited oasis right now," "To Toto...I" "That's right! That's what your dad was talking to my dad about!" The turbaned man continues, "So he asked if my dad would be interested in starting a town there! My dad accepted the offer to start a town there on behalf of the king!" A map panel shows the location with arrows. The excited man exclaims, "Just imagine how happy people would be if a town were there! It's situated right in the middle of Western Alabasta. So it'll be the perfect intersection for travellers and merchants!" Toto grins and answers, "Sounds amazing, right!I"

Toto spreads his arms and declares, "Yuba will be a vital town for the future of Alabasta! But I still want to try it! I want to help create a new town with my own two hands!" Vivi listens as he adds, "I mean, I know it's gonna be hard work and all. 'Course! My dad told me I should just stay here but, well..." She asks, "Are you going tooI" Toto shakes hands with Igaram, who replies, "Thank you, your majesty. I promise the new town will be something to see!" and "I'll leave it all in your care, Toto." In the final wide panel, Toto pumps his fist and shouts, "I'll build that town so it'll help make this country better than before!" A crowd cheers behind him. Vivi smiles and says, "Please do come visit once the town is set up. Well, I guess we should say good-bye for now, Vivi." Toto answers, "Sure thing, Toto! Just you wait!"

A young man with a backpack waves goodbye with a big grin. "See ya then, Vivi! In the meanwhile... You better grow up to be a good princess!" Vivi answers brightly from off-panel, "Okay!" In the desert town square below, townsfolk react as Koza walks away; one shouts "OWW!" while another corrects, "Kouza! That's not how to address the princess of our country!" A close-up shows Vivi smiling softly, hands near her face. She thinks, "As Kouza said, I'm sure Yuba will help make this country even better than before..." The final wide panel reveals the ruined, drought-stricken town with palm trees and broken buildings. Vivi continues, "I still believe in the king! And I'm sure most of the other citizens still do too!" An unseen citizen replies, "...So what if there hasn't been any rain for the past 3 yearsI!"

Rebels and townspeople gather in the ruined square. One man laments, "But nothing I said was of any use... Those rebels just won't stop... But their supplies are running low and they know they can't hold out for much longer..." Another adds, "I tried and tried... Honest to god, I tried so hard to stop them..." Koza, sweating and intense, declares, "THEY'RE PRACTICALLY SUICIDAL AT THIS POINT! They've lost their minds...! That's why they're planning on settling things once and for all in their next offensive!" A worried woman with a headband stares in shock. In the final panel, a shovel stands planted in the sand overlooking the town as a voice pleads, "You have to stop those fools...! Please, Vivi..."

A map panel labels "Katorea Oasis Town (Situated next to Nanohana)" and notes "Current Main Base of the Rebels." In the rebel camp, people mill about near weapon carts marked "WeaponsI" and tents while one asks, "What's the matterI You seem to be spacing out..." Another replies, "It's not much but we managed to score this much at least... Where's KouzaI" "He's inside." Inside a tent, Kouza lies resting with crossed arms and a serious expression. He mutters, "This country... Has gone mad..." A caption box identifies him as "Leader of the Rebel Forces Kouza."

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