Love My Country

A flashback begins, showing a chaotic scene where a young Princess Vivi is running away in tears. Behind her, a group of children armed with sticks—the Sand-Sand Clan—are engaged in a desperate fight against adult thugs wielding clubs and swords. The children yell out to her, "HURRY UP AND RUN, VIVI! OR THEY'LL KILL YOU!" Vivi looks back over her shoulder, her face etched with shock and fear. One of the thugs, a spiky-haired man wearing a spotted coat, laughs menacingly. "AHAHAHA! DON'T WORRY, WE WON'T KILL YA! ALL WE'RE GONNA DO IS RANSOM YOU FOR MONEY!" In the bottom panel, a young Koza, the leader of the children, is shown looking determined and battered. Vivi cries out, "B-BUT... LEADER!"

The thug leader, Agotogi, swings his sword aggressively, shouting, "NOW C'MERE, PRINCESS!" The young members of the Sand-Sand Clan stand their ground, holding up their wooden sticks defensively. Koza yells defiantly, "AS IF WE'D JUST HAND HER OVER! GUYS! WE'LL DIE PROTECTING VIVI IF WE HAVE TO, RIGHT!?" The other children shout in agreement, "THAT'S RIGHT!" The thugs mock them, with one laughing, "HAHAHA! SOME GUARDS YOU TWERPS ARE!" Another thug notices someone approaching and says, "THEY HAVE ANOTHER GUY!?" Vivi watches the confrontation, her face filled with worry and fear for her friends.

The thugs charge forward, yelling, "DON'T LET THEM CHASE HER!" and "SHE'S HEADED FOR THE RUINS! CHASE AFTER HER!" One thug complains, "OH CRAP! SHE GOT AWAY FROM ME!" Vivi is seen running away as fast as she can, tears streaming down her face. The scene shifts to a younger Igaram, recognizable by his curly hair, who arrives at the site of the skirmish. He looks on in absolute shock at the sight of the defeated Sand-Sand Clan children lying injured on the ground. "W-what happened here...!?" he stammers. One of the battered children explains, "THERE WERE THESE BAD GROWN-UPS WITH KNIVES TRYING TO TAKE VIVI AWAY... SHE RAN AWAY TO THE RUINS BUT SO DID THEY AND KOUZA..." Igaram, sweating profusely, yells out in panic, "CHILDREN! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!"

The thugs are now searching the ancient ruins for Vivi. "KEEP LOOKIN'! WE CAN'T LET HER ESCAPE!" one shouts. Another adds, "WHERE IS SHE? I DON'T SEE HER ANYWHERE..." Vivi is shown hiding behind a large stone pillar, panting heavily and trying to stay quiet. Suddenly, Agotogi spots her from atop a wall. "So this is where you were hidin'..." he says. Vivi gasps and tries to run, but Agotogi leaps down, landing directly in her path. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" he commands. He leans in with a sinister, wide grin, telling her, "Now be a nice little girl and stay still while I kidnap you...!" Vivi looks up at him, terrified.

Just as Agotogi corners Vivi, young Koza arrives on the scene, wielding his wooden stick. He points it at the thug and shouts, "DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON THE SAND-SAND GANG!" Vivi turns and cries out, "LEADER!" Koza orders her, "NOW GET OUT OF THIS CITY AND NEVER COME BACK!" Vivi, worried for him, yells, "RUN AWAY, LEADER!" Agotogi slowly draws a large knife from his coat. "A KNIFE? YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO ANGER A GROWN-UP IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YA..." he threatens. He glares down at Koza, saying, "THAT'S ENOUGH, KID. PIPE DOWN AND HAND OVER THE GIRL..." Koza stands his ground, gripping his stick tightly, and replies defiantly, "THAT DOESN'T SCARE ME!"

Koza remembers his vow to his friends: "WE'LL DIE PROTECTING VIVI IF WE HAVE TO!" Vivi, seeing the danger, screams, "NO, LEADER! STOOOP!" Agotogi holds his knife ready and asks menacingly, "YOU EVER BEEN CUT, BOY...?" Koza stands firm, panting heavily as he prepares to defend Vivi. In a swift, brutal motion, Agotogi slashes his knife across Koza's face. "IT HURTS, YOU KNOW..." the thug says with a cruel smile. Koza cries out "UGH!" as blood spurts from a deep cut over his left eye. Vivi screams in absolute horror as she watches her friend get struck down.

Despite the severe slash across his face, Koza does not back down. With a furious roar of "AAARRGHHH!", he swings his wooden stick with all the strength he can muster. The stick connects solidly with Agotogi's face in a powerful strike. The impact is so forceful that Agotogi's eyes roll back, and he reels backward, completely caught off guard by the child's counterattack. The force of the blow causes Koza's wooden stick to snap in half, sending pieces of wood flying into the air as Agotogi falls.

Agotogi collapses to the ground, knocked unconscious by Koza's desperate strike. His large sword lands in the sand nearby. Vivi rushes over to Koza, who has fallen to his knees, clutching his bleeding left eye. "LEADER!" she cries out, kneeling beside him. Suddenly, the rest of the thugs arrive at the ruins. One of them notices their fallen boss and says, "Hey, this kid just knocked out our boss..." Another thug draws his sword, looking annoyed. "Can't believe this... Well let's just kill him and get this over with." He steps toward the children, commanding, "C'MERE, KID..." Vivi and Koza look up, terrified as the armed men surround them.

Just as the thugs close in, King Cobra bursts onto the scene with incredible force. He delivers a devastating punch to one of the thugs, sending him flying. "YOU FILTHY LOWLIVES!" Cobra roars. He stands protectively in front of the children, furious. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO LAY A HAND ON MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER! YOU WRETCHED SCUMBAGS!" Igaram rushes to Vivi's side, asking frantically, "Are you hurt anywhere, Princess Vivi?" Vivi, relieved, cries, "Father... Igaram..." Chaka and Pell also arrive, looking at the defeated thugs. Cobra notices them and says, "Pell. Chaka, What're you two doing here?" Pell replies calmly, "It appears this fellow was another member of their gang," as he stands over another unconscious thug.

Chaka and Pell stand over the defeated kidnappers. Pell asks, "What brings the king of a country so far away from his palace?" Chaka adds, "We beg your majesty to refrain from personally taking these matters into your hands when we're around." Cobra replies, "We should be asking your majesty the same question." Cobra then looks down at the children with a gentle expression. "What brave little children, they are..." He issues orders to his guards: "Chaka! Pell! Go call a doctor! As well as the other members of the Sand-Sand gang." They reply, "Yes, sir!" Igaram says, "Yes, I'll bring a doctor immediately to treat Kouza," noting that "Kouza is...!" Vivi is still crying uncontrollably. Cobra looks at her and asks, "What's wrong, Vivi? How long are you gonna keep on crying?" The bottom panel shows a wide view of the palace in the capital city under a large sun.

Back inside the safety of the palace, Vivi is crying heavily, tears streaming down her face. Igaram and King Cobra watch her with concern. Vivi stammers, "B-but... It was... So scary...!" Cobra tries to comfort her, saying, "Well yeah, it was scary for me too since they had knives but-" Vivi interrupts him, "No, that's not it!" A flashback panel shows Koza yelling, "WE'LL DIE PROTECTING VIVI IF WE HAVE TO!" Vivi continues to sob, her face buried in her arms. "Please don't ever say, Something as scary as dying, leader...!" she cries. Another panel shows young Koza, now with a large bandage covering his injured left eye, looking slightly surprised by her reaction.

King Cobra, Igaram, Chaka, Pell, and Toto (Koza's father) are gathered in the room, listening to Vivi. Cobra smiles warmly, realizing the truth. "So she was scared most by the idea of losing her friends..." he says. He then addresses Koza directly. "Vivi may still be just a little girl but she's also the princess. Kouza, what you did today was very commendable. For that, I must give you a proper thank-you." Koza looks down modestly and replies, "...Vivi's our friend so it's only natural I did what I did." Cobra's expression softens further as he asks, "...Do you love this country, Kouza?" Koza looks up with a bright, wide smile and answers enthusiastically, "Yup! It's the country I was born in, after all!" Cobra grins back at him, sharing the sentiment. "Same here!"

Later, King Cobra and Igaram are walking along a palace balcony as the sun sets, casting long shadows. Igaram speaks up, "I must confess that I am a little worried." Cobra asks, "About what?" Igaram explains his concern for the princess: "To be a ruler means having to lay down harsh decisions at times... I fear Vivi's a little too nice for that." Cobra smiles confidently, looking out over his kingdom. "It's fine... Alabasta is just fine like this..." Igaram, reassured by the king's words, smiles back. "Yes? Igaram..." Cobra says. Igaram pledges his loyalty: "I'll accompany your majesty, 'Til the end of my life."

Vivi looks curious and asks, "Yuba." Koza, now wearing a large traveler's backpack, confirms, "That's right! That's what your dad was talking to my dad about!" Vivi asks, "To Toto...?" Koza explains the plan excitedly. "Yuba's an uninhabited oasis right now, So he asked if my dad would be interested in starting up a town there! My dad accepted the offer to start a town there on behalf of the king!" He gestures enthusiastically, detailing the location. "It's situated right in the middle of Western Alabasta, So it'll be the perfect intersection for travellers and merchants! Just imagine how happy people would be if a town were there! Sounds amazing, right!?"

Vivi asks Koza, "Are you going too?" Koza replies with determination, "'Course! My dad told me I should just stay here but, well... I mean, I know it's gonna be hard work and all, But I still want to try it! I want to help create a new town with my own two hands! Yuba will be a vital town for the future of Alabasta!" Nearby, Toto shakes hands firmly with King Cobra. Cobra says, "I'll leave it all in your care, Toto." Toto replies respectfully, "Thank you, your majesty. I promise the new town will be something to see! I'll build that town so it'll help make this country better than before!" As Toto and Koza prepare to leave, Koza turns to Vivi. "Well, I guess we should say good-bye for now, Vivi. Please do come visit once the town is set up." Vivi smiles and says, "Sure thing, Toto!" Koza adds confidently, "Just you wait!"

Koza waves goodbye as he walks away with his father. "See ya then, Vivi! In the meanwhile... You better grow up to be a good princess!" Vivi cheerfully replies, "Okay!" Suddenly, Toto smacks Koza on the back of the head. "OWW!" Koza yelps. Toto scolds him, "Kouza! That's not how to address the princess of our country!" Vivi watches them go with a fond smile. "As Kouza said, I'm sure Yuba will help make this country even better than before..." The scene transitions to the present day, showing an older Vivi riding a camel across the desert with the Straw Hat crew. She continues her thought: "...So what if there hasn't been any rain for the past 3 years!? I still believe in the king! And I'm sure most of the other citizens still do too!"

Present-day Vivi continues speaking as she rides through the desert with her companions. "I tried and tried... Honest to god, I tried so hard to stop them... But nothing I said was of any use... Those rebels just won't stop..." A flashback panel shows an older, emaciated Toto crying in despair. "They've lost their minds...! THEY'RE PRACTICALLY SUICIDAL AT THIS POINT!" Vivi looks deeply distressed as she explains the situation. "That's why they're planning on settling things once and for all in their next offensive! But their supplies are running low and they know they can't hold out for much longer..." Toto's desperate plea echoes in her memory: "Please, Vivi... You have to stop those fools...!" A shovel is shown stuck in the dry sand.

The scene shifts to a bustling desert encampment. A caption box reads: "Katorea Oasis Town (Situated next to Nanohana) Current Main Base of the Rebels". Several rebels are seen talking outside the tents. "Weapons?" one asks. Another replies, "It's not much but we managed to score this much at least... Where's Kouza?" "He's inside," someone answers. Another rebel notes, "What's the matter? You seem to be spacing out..." Inside a large tent, an adult Koza is shown leaning back. He now has a visible scar over his left eye and wears tinted glasses. A caption identifies him: "Leader of the Rebel Forces Kouza". He looks serious and weary as he thinks to himself, "This country... Has gone mad..."

No description for this page.