Why are you giving the credit to the Revolutionary Army?
Bonney, with a chicken leg in her mouth and a newspaper in her hand, looked at Cifer, who was enjoying the sunshine, with a puzzled expression.
In her view, going straight to the Holy Land Mary Geoise to kill Celestial Dragons and then leaving gracefully was a feat that pirates could boast about for a lifetime.
"Our captain is now Shichibukai, and we have a protected island, so naturally we can't easily turn against the World Government!"
Robin, being a seasoned veteran, was certainly aware of Cifer's concerns; otherwise, given his strength and style, he probably would have already swaggered over and attacked.
"If you ask me, why don't the two of us storm Mary Geoise together and wipe out those guys?"
Enel, who was enjoying Chopper's back massage, picked at his ear, having long disliked the group they were talking about.
"Captain Cifer has his own reasons."
The weather was perfect, Nolan started bringing all the dishes from the kitchen onto the deck. Bonney, who hadn't finished her chicken leg yet, had already started digging into the plate.
"Wait, Bonney ~"
Enel didn't care about anything else and grabbed Chopper to join the battle for the loot. Surprisingly, Cifer didn't participate.
Robin, still very ladylike, rested her chin on her hand as she looked at the noisy yet heartwarming scene, a smile unconsciously playing on her lips.
"Have you thought of something that makes you happy?"
"No~ I just feel so happy to be able to join you guys, Cifer-kun!"
Robin remembered something his friend had said many years ago: if he could see himself now, he would be very happy!
"How lively! Please forgive my unannounced visit!"
A Little Ichi boat slowly pulled up next to the Little Ul.
A man wearing a top hat with goggles, with wavy short blond hair and a burn scar over his left eye, jumped onto the boat.
"My name is Sabo, nice to meet you."
He flashed a bright smile, introduced himself to everyone on the Little Ul, and greeted them.
"Sabo? Never heard of him."
Enel simply glanced back, realized he didn't recognize the person, and turned back to continue the battle of plunder. After all, there's no such thing as companions when you're eating.
Moreover, Enel already knew the purpose of his visit when his ship entered the range of the Mantra's detection.
Sabo felt a little embarrassed when he realized that no one seemed to care about him, as if the timing of his arrival was a bit off.
Fortunately, just as he was wondering whether he should go back to the ship and wait for them to finish their meal before coming over, Cifer paid him a visit.
"So, what does the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command want to discuss with me, a Shichibukai?"
Cifer had long guessed that someone from the Revolutionary Army would come looking for him, but he never expected that it would be this man.
"Revolutionary Army? Second-in-command?!"
Others were unfamiliar with the organization, but Robin clearly had heard of it, her face showing surprise.
"I never expected to have heard of you. What an honor!"
"Mr. Ulquiorra, Miss Robin, Mr. Dragon asked me to give you his regards."
Sabo placed one hand on his chest, exuding an air of nobility in every word and action.
"Forget the pleasantries, just tell me what you need me for!"
Cifer sat up from the beach chair and casually snatched the pizza from Bonney's hand, which she was about to put into her mouth.
"Then I'll be frank. The Mary Geoise incident three days ago was truly horrific. Mr. Long also has great respect for Mr. Ulquiorra!"
"Therefore, the purpose of my trip is to extend an invitation to the Revolutionary Army, Mr. Ulquiorra, hoping that you will join us!"
Sabo's expression turned serious; this kind of topic wasn't suitable for hip-hop.
"You mean, you want me to give up all the advantages of being Shichibukai and join an organization with an uncertain future that is still developing, becoming a wanted criminal, right?"
There was a hint of mockery in Cifer's words.
"No, no, we didn't mean that."
Sabo quickly raised his hands to clarify, not wanting the other party to have a bad impression of the Revolutionary Army because of his unclear words.
"Please forgive this fellow's poor communication skills, Mr. Ulquiorra. Let me explain on his behalf!"
"My name is Koala, and I'm Sabo's partner!"
A girl with orange-yellow hair, wearing a short dress, high heels, and a small hat with goggles, also jumped onto the boat.
"Mr. Long was just trying to express his respect for you. He said that if you are willing, you can become an officer directly by joining the Revolutionary Army."
"Furthermore, we will not ask you to resign from your position as Shichibukai; we are simply giving Mr. Ulquiorra another option for the future."
Koala succinctly explained their purpose, and Sabo breathed a sigh of relief.
"Perhaps there will be a time when I need your help, but I have no intention of joining the Revolutionary Army."
Cifer also expressed his thoughts simply and clearly.
He's just a figurehead in the Shichibukai, he doesn't do anything. If he joined the Revolutionary Army, he'd be busy to death, that's not the life he wants.
Even if the Revolutionary Army's goals are the same as his own, Cifer does not feel that he cannot do it without them.
"That's such a pity~"
Although the main objective of the trip was not achieved, Sabo was not discouraged.
Based on Mr. Long's speculation and with Xiong's help, the person in front of him will most likely do the same thing as the Revolutionary Army.
It doesn't matter which path they take, as long as their destination is the same, they will eventually meet on the road.
"Then may I ask, Mr. Ulquiorra, do you know the whereabouts of the Kuma? We haven't been able to get in touch with him."
Two days ago, the Revolutionary Army Headquarters received news about the Mary Geoise incident through the bear's abilities.
Since he left the Revolutionary Army, there has been little contact between them, after all, their positions have changed.
After being replaced as Shichibukai by Ulquiorra a few months ago, he seemed to have vanished into thin air. If it weren't for what happened two days ago, Sabo would have suspected that something had happened to him.
"Dad?!"
Where is that man?!
Bonney, who was eating, seemed to have caught the key words. She rushed forward with a large skewer of meat in her hand and grabbed Sabo by the collar.
"Um... actually, you should ask your captain..."
Sabo was stunned for a moment, and cautiously pointed to Cifer behind Bonney, who was still scratching his head.
"You bastard! So you were able to contact him all along, why didn't you tell me?!"
Bonney threw away the skewers of meat, jumped onto Cifer and shook him, her face showing no anger, only longing and confusion.
"Seriously, stop messing around..."
Cifer picked Bonney up and stuffed a skewer of meat into her mouth.
"It's not the right time yet. There must be a reason why he's not contacting you directly."
The words were spoken not only to Sabo, but also to Bonney.
That Tyrant had his own concerns and considerations, Cifer naturally wouldn't easily break them.
"The villainous captain..."
Bonney puffed out her red cheeks but stopped fooling around. She had been searching for him for so long, she didn't mind waiting a little longer, as long as she could see him.
If possible, I'd also like to find that Nika...
"Oh, okay then, we won't bother you any longer!"
After Sabo and Koala politely greeted them, they prepared to return to their own ship and leave.
After all, this meeting was not something that could be openly discussed. If they hadn't had someone confirm beforehand that there were no surveillance personnel or other ships nearby, they wouldn't have dared to come so rashly.
"Sabo! Aren't you curious about your past?"
Just as he was about to jump back onto the ship, he was stopped by Cifer.
"My... past?"
Sabo swallowed, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.