Broken Faith

Observation 7: Sometimes you just aren't strong enough

Your fork stabbed into a section of vibrant salad. "Are you quite sure that sending out your retainer is wise in this situation?"

"Whether it is wise or not doesn't matter." Cobra hummed while slicing a line of meat. "I am merely one man. What my daughter is doing concerns the entire country, and I believe Pell would be able to help her in that regard."

To all the servants surrounding the room (save Ace who was standing enviously behind you) it would seem as if you and the King of Alabasta were still on bad terms, and only agreed to eat together in order to exchange barbs and quips. But the truth couldn't be more different. This was one short time of the day when you could properly relax and enjoy yourself, and he knew it.

Cobra himself had been very happy to try and alter his citizen's perception of you, but you had refused. You had worked long and hard to maintain this image of savagery and rudeness. Even though it would treat you better, you couldn't let that work just go to waste.

So there you were. Sitting and having dinner with a King as leisurely as physically possible. And loving every moment of it.

"And Chaka?" You cocked your head to the side. Ace dutifully moved forwards, slicing up your meat and placing a large slice in his mouth. To the others this was barbaric, you were using a Marine to check your food for poison. That wasn't it. He was just hungry. "Surely you must have kept someone by your side."

Cobra chuckled to himself. "As you have previously said, this country's military has been spread thin. Too thin to deal with a disaster of the magnitude Vivi has revealed. I sent him away to bolster the morale of the Royal Guard."

"You sent him awa..." You pinched the bridge of your nose. "Are you seriously expecting me to believe that you, the sovereign of an entire nation, purposefully deprived yourself of your best guards? Simultaneously? In a time of Civil War? Are you quite mad?"

"I can assure you I am perfectly sane." The slight curl of his lip completely betrayed the harsh tone he was using to speak with you. "It may sound foreign to you, however in this country I believe the people should come before the king. My life is only one out of many. As such, I am willing to risk it for the sake of my country."

Whooo boy... You had thought like that once, it was true. Greatest joy for the greatest number right? It was such a self sacrificing utilitarian perspective. But it never worked in the long run. It didn't matter if Cobra was one man; he was the king of a country. If he perished, life for the citizens would change no matter what. For the better or worse, who could tell. But they would still change.

One thing Civil War never properly considered was the amount of work behind running a country. It was a lot. Far more than most people were properly aware of. Especially without a central guiding figure who was already familiar with it.

However... sometimes it was so much easier to sacrifice yourself.

"I always knew you were a foolish man," you hummed as Ace stepped back from your plate... with every piece of meat conspicuously missing. Typical. Well it wasn't as if you particularly cared. "Although perhaps it had slipped my mind for a brief moment."

"And I always knew you were a callous and insensitive individual." Cobra steepled his fingers over his meal, a twinkle of... something in his eyes. Something which, to those who did not know your true nature, would be completely undecipherable. To you, however, it was quite clear.

He was enjoying this teasing. And so were you, if you were being honest with yourself. But you couldn't stay like this forever. While you still had completed a significant portion of work, there was still so much more that needed to be done. Especially now that you had decided to provide aid to Alabasta when it recovered.