"Um, Sherlock... even though we've gathered a wealth of useful intelligence just as you said, still..."
Nami blinked her large, bright eyes, her brow furrowing slightly. "How exactly are we supposed to sneak out of here?"
"Sneak out? Nami, what on earth are you thinking?"
Sherlock looked up and gave the "Cat Burglar" a faint glance. Beneath his lenses, his deep black eyes were filled with astonishment, as if she had just made a fundamental error in logic.
"Given our Straw Hat captain's style of doing things, do you really think it's possible for us to retreat quietly and unscathed?"
"That..."
The orange-haired navigator's face went pale instantly. Her lips twitched a few times before she helplessly pressed a hand to her forehead. "Right... knowing Luffy's usual antics, he's definitely going to turn this place upside down."
Nami shook her head with a bitter smile, her voice strained. "Since sneaking out is impossible, what do you suggest we do? In a head-on collision, there's no way just a few of us can overpower the Marines in this fortress. There are simply too many of them stationed here."
Sherlock gently pushed up his glasses. Although the "monsters" of the Straw Hat crew possessed immense combat power, they weren't yet at the level where they could completely ignore the sheer weight of enemy numbers.
"Therefore, we should seek allies."
"Allies? What allies? Sherlock, can't you just speak clearly for once?!" Nami rolled her eyes.
The Occultist's composed demeanor settled Nami's heart somewhat, but his mysterious act deeply annoyed the highly inquisitive navigator.
"As for the specific identities of these allies, it's currently just a hypothesis. To confirm it, we'll need to catch someone and ask." Sherlock added, "Ideally, someone who knows a lot of inside information."
Ignoring Nami's resentful little glare, Sherlock stored all the precious, organized intelligence into his Mirror Space. He then flashed a slight smile at her.
"It's almost twelve hours until nine o'clock tonight. Time is pressing; let's get out of here."
"Eh? Why nine o'clock?" Nami was startled. Did that specific time have some special meaning? "Ah—! Sherlock, I'm begging you, can't you give me even a little hint about your plan? Hey! Wait for me...!"
In the shipyards of the G-8 fortress, a suspicious-looking man with a long nose was swiftly apprehended by several hulking Marines. The movement was so fast that it didn't even alert the shipwrights working nearby.
However, through the power of the Flower-Flower Fruit, a certain dark-humored woman saw the entire process clearly.
"My, it seems Mr. Long-nose has been captured by the Marines. How unfortunate."
Currently, Robin was hiding aboard a Marine warship docked in the harbor. Seeing that Usopp had disappeared from her sight, she deactivated her ability.
"The characters on the backs of those Marines just now... Scavengers? Does that name have some special meaning?"
The charming woman narrowed her eyes. With Usopp captured, the current situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for the Straw Hat crew.
(Is this where my life on that little ship ends?) A complex look flashed through Robin's cold eyes.
If she followed her survival instincts from the past twenty years, the "Devil Child" would naturally abandon her current companions without hesitation and escape alone. Given her personal abilities, escaping Navarone alone wouldn't be a difficult task.
Robin gazed toward the spot where the Going Merry was docked. Countless scenes suddenly flashed through her mind like a film reel, and her gaze gradually became misty.
The farce of a banquet on Monkey Island, the mysterious Rainbow Mist, the peril-filled Mock Town, the Skypiea sitting atop the clouds, the legendary City of Gold...
It was only then that Robin realized she had completely fallen in love with this lively, ridiculous daily life—she had fallen in love with the feeling of having comrades to whom she could entrust her back.
(But how can I... wait, there's still Sherlock.)
Thinking of that bespectacled man whose intellect bordered on the demonic, the corners of Robin's mouth curled into an elegant arc.
(If it's him, he'll definitely have a way.)
Exhaling a long breath of pent-up air, her mind cleared. Robin subconsciously looked in one direction and saw a cargo ship flying the seagull flag slowly entering the port.
(How strange. A procurement vessel like that shouldn't be docking at this particular harbor.)
Suspicion arose in her heart. Robin crossed her arms, intending to use her fruit ability to investigate.
"Cuerpo Fleur: Ojos!"
Several eyes bloomed in the shadows, providing a clear view of the cargo ship's hold.
There weren't many staff members on the transport ship—just a few Marine soldiers whose behavior seemed normal enough at a glance. The only difference was that the backs of their coats all featured a pitch-black circle, looking as if someone had deliberately painted them on.
And as for this black circle, a certain dark-humored woman was all too familiar with it.
(That circle is... the Black of Betrayal?! Miss Goldenweek??!!)
At the same time, inside the cargo hold of the transport ship, three figures of varying heights were hiding among mountains of fruit, whispering to one another.
"Good. By using this procurement ship, we've successfully sneaked into Navarone."
Mr. 5, dressed like a rock singer, wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered, "We're lucky. I didn't think we'd make it this far."
"Mhm, mhm." Miss Valentine nodded with a lingering look of fear. "First, the president of the Goldglint Trading Company was kind enough to let us live, and then we happened to run into Mr. 3 and Mr. 2 on the vacation island. If it weren't for those two, I'm afraid the three of us would have been caught by Colonel Hina."
"I... I'm worried about Mr. 2 and Mr. 3." The little girl painter with pigtails lowered her head and whispered, "Could they have been caught by the Marines?"
"Relax, Miss Goldenweek. They're so strong, how could they be caught that easily?"
Even though Mr. 5 didn't quite believe his own words, he had to say it to comfort the young artist.
"But speaking of which, why did this transport ship buy so much fruit?"
(And still no lemons...) Looking at the fruit taking up massive amounts of space in the hold, the lemon-loving assassin internally added a silent complaint.
"Who knows? Maybe these Marines just really like fruit." The "Bomb Man" curled his lip and continued, "Besides, that's not something we should be worrying about right now. Next, we should..."
Clang...
The hatch was suddenly thrown open. Light flooded into the fruit-filled hold, cutting Mr. 5 off mid-sentence.
The three of them scrambled to look toward the door. When they saw the tall, graceful figure standing in the doorway, the expressions on the faces of these three former Baroque Works assassins couldn't have been more vivid.
"Mi... Miss All-Sunday??!!" the three cried out in unison.
"Miss All-Sunday? Hehe, that certainly is a nostalgic name."
Leaning against the doorframe, Robin calmly looked at the stunned trio. Her heart was also filled with emotion. Who would have thought she would reunite with her former "colleagues" under these circumstances?
"Speaking of which, why are the three of you...?"
"Are you also here to rescue the President, Miss All-Sunday?!" the little girl painter shouted excitedly. The young girl truly hadn't expected that the second-in-command of the former Baroque Works would care so much about her comrades.
"Eh? The President...?"
The expression on Robin's face froze instantly. She scanned the faces of Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, and Miss Goldenweek. Seeing that they didn't look like they were joking, she felt as if a hundred thousand Sea Kings were stampeding through her mind.
(So, that "VIP" the Marines mentioned being held here... refers to Crocodile...)
Even with her cold and composed personality, faced with such a theatrical revelation, Robin felt an overwhelming urge to retort.
(However, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!)
In the blink of an eye, Robin weighed the pros and cons. She calmed her nerves and gave the trio a graceful smile.
"Yes. Our goals are aligned."
(It's just that the people we're saving are different...) Robin added silently in her head.
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