One Piece: Wielder of the Void

57. Heavenly Tribute

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This was already considered a high-end reception, with an elegance befitting royalty.

Although the speed wasn't fast, and the journey was much farther than taking a ship, the slow pace allowed one to fully take in the sights of Alabasta.

Travelling across the arid desert on a camel-drawn carriage, you could feel the pulse of the kingdom's condition and its grandeur mixed with the unmistakable signs of hardship.

The path wound through villages and open plains, revealing small clusters of homes and struggling farmlands.

The once-vibrant rivers that sustained these communities had long since dried up, leaving behind barren, cracked soil.

What they encountered along the way resembled the state of the Tru Kingdom just two years prior a Kingdom weakened by famine, drought, and internal strife.

The people here were in similar dire circumstances, their faces etched with fatigue and their bodies marked by poverty.

Vivi's heart ached as she saw children playing with scraps, their clothes mere rags, while the adults toiled under the scorching sun for meagre returns.

"I heard your Kingdom is planning to join the World Government?" Vivi asked, breaking the silence. Her question floated on the desert wind as the caravan moved steadily through the barren landscape.

She looked over at Anos, who sat calmly beside her, his face impassive as usual.

Vivi often found it hard to read him, as his stoic demeanour rarely wavered, even in conversations like these.

"Yes," Anos replied simply, his voice calm yet firm, offering no further elaboration. He was a man of few words, preferring action over long-winded explanations.

"Why do so many Kingdoms want to join the World Government?" Vivi pressed, curiosity overcoming her restraint. "They have to pay such high Heavenly Tribute fees every year. I don't understand what the benefit is."

There was a slight edge to her voice, as she had often seen how the poor suffered while the rich became wealthier in such arrangements.

Alabasta, under her father's reign, had resisted joining the World Government's tribute system, seeing it as an unnecessary burden on its people.

Anos smiled faintly at her question. He had anticipated this topic, especially given Vivi's strong sense of duty toward her people. "If I remember correctly, Alabasta does not have to pay the Heavenly Tribute, right?"

He remarked, raising an eyebrow slightly. His eyes, though sharp and cold, held a glimmer of understanding.

He knew the delicate balance Vivi was trying to strike between loyalty to her Kingdom and her curiosity about global politics.

"Yes, but even so," Vivi began, her brows knitting together, "it seems like a massive burden on the Kingdom that do join. Why would anyone willingly subject themselves to such fees?"

She was genuinely puzzled. As a princess, she had been privy to the workings of governance, but the full extent of the World Government's dealings often eluded her.

"Managing a Kingdom isn't as simple as it seems," Anos replied, his tone growing more serious. "Joining the World Government isn't always a choice people make willingly. Sometimes, leaders have no other option. Their circumstances force their hand."

He glanced out at the desert stretching endlessly in front of them as if the arid land symbolized the harsh reality of governance.

Vivi listened carefully, sensing there was more to his explanation. She admired the way Anos carried himself, a king who understood the weight of responsibility.