Nine days passed in the blink of an eye, and Momousagi was already close to "Rain Dinners".
Along the way, Momousagi received no news from "Shiryu," nor did she see a single clue about Shiryu. It was as if Shiryu had disappeared immediately after they parted ways!
Momousagi was also uneasy about this, worried about Shiryu's safety.
Momousagi had also made up her mind that after meeting Crocodile, she must express her stance—if Shiryu was not released, Momousagi was prepared to go to war.
Just as Momousagi was worried about Shiryu's safety, Sig also left Robin's shadow.
Robin then noticed that Siegfried was semi-transparent, and was a little puzzled—wasn't he supposed to be Sea King? He looked more like Pluton!
At first, Sig did not have a shadow, but as he squatted down and touched the ground with his finger, a thick black color spread rapidly along the sole of his foot, as if ink had leaked out, forming a "shadow" on the ground.
At the same time, Sig reached into the shadow as if it were a quagmire, and after scooping around, pulled out a corpse!
Robin:???
After a careful examination, Robin discovered that the corpse was actually Shiryu's —she had naturally examined Shiryu and Momousagi's appearances after receiving the news.
Then, the semi-transparent Sig Shiryu...
You still say this isn't a case of possession and resurrection?
Seeing Shiryu slowly stand up with an arrogant expression, Robin couldn't help but be on guard—although she had witnessed Sig "resurrected" with her own eyes, the difference in his demeanor before and after was too great, it really felt like Shiryu life!
Moreover, Shiryu skillfully took out his sliding cigar box from his pocket, shook it open, and flicked out a cigar...
Judging from the way this person was using it so skillfully, he looked like a seasoned smoker!
Robin initially thought that Shiryu would secretly meet with Sig and Crocodile, but it turns out that from the very beginning, "Shiryu Vice Admiral Shiryu" was actually the Sea King in disguise.
Although it was unexpected, Robin was stunned for a moment before handing the compiled information to "Shiryu".
"Well done, woman. Interested in being an officer's wife? I'm a full-fledged officer in the Marine Headquarters now," Sig teased deliberately.
"No, Impel Down is more suitable for you," Robin said sarcastically, clearly having already learned about Shiryu's situation.
Shiryu ignored her sarcasm and left Yuba, eventually meeting up with Momousagi just outside the Rain Dinners.
Momousagi was both surprised and delighted to see that Shiryu was alright. She had initially assumed that Shiryu had been captured by Crocodile Shiryu he could even begin his investigation, but now it seemed...
"These are the results of the investigation over the past few days. You can decide how to handle them. I'm going to catch up on my sleep." Shiryu slapped a stack of documents onto Momousagi, then went straight to an empty camel, lay down on its back, and rested her head on its neck.
It was clear that the camel was not happy, but it instinctively dared not resist.
As for the information given to Momousagi, Sig has already reviewed it.
Crocodile clearly had a plan in place, after all, his true purpose could not be discovered by the World Government, but... that was limited to his "true purpose".
The mere act of usurping a country is not something the World Government cannot tolerate. In fact, Sig suspects that the World Government's higher-ups are not exactly friendly towards the Nefertari Royal Family, and even if they know about Crocodile's ambition to usurp the country, they probably turn a blind eye.
However, since it's meant for Momousagi, it needs to be presented on a more subtle level. Otherwise, given Momousagi's personality, if she finds out that Crocodile wants to usurp Alabasta, she'll probably take him down immediately— Crocodile isn't afraid of Momousagi, but he doesn't want to be wanted by the World Government!
Once Momousagi exposes his crimes first, the World Government won't be able to pretend to be ignorant.
In terms of secrecy levels, those related to "Pluton" are classified as Level 1, those related to complete usurpation of the country are classified as Level 2, and others such as gradually infiltrating Alabasta, cultivating IQ monsters to trade with Tesoro, and secretly organizing armed forces are classified as "Level 2 and below".
Although these matters have gone beyond the scope of the privileges of the "Shichibukai," however...
Momousagi is already a candidate for Admiral, and she's no longer someone who can't tolerate injustice. At this level, Momousagi would only consult with Marine Headquarters, and wouldn't turn against him on the spot—especially since Cobra himself had already expressed the intention to "turn a blind eye."
Momousagi stared in astonishment at the document in her hand, then at Shiryu, who was fast asleep with his white military cap covering his face. She was absolutely certain that this was Shiryu painstakingly compiled over ten days and nights, risking immense danger, and moreover...
As expected of "Shiryu," he was not discovered by anyone from beginning to end, as if Crocodile himself had given him the information!
Just as Shiryu said, he didn't care what Momousagi would do next.
As expected, Momousagi contacted Sengoku via Den Den Mushi before arriving in Rain Dinners, and accepted Sengoku's "reminder." Instead of being petty, she made many concessions on non-essential issues...
Afterwards, Momousagi relied on her own abilities and the top-secret information obtained by "Shiryu" to display a kingly demeanor upon meeting Crocodile. She pressed Crocodile step by step and confronted him head-on, forcing him to hand over some peripheral personnel in order to appease the Navy... or rather, the World Government's dissatisfaction.
I did give them a good talking-to...
Crocodile may have suffered a silent loss in this matter, but in reality, he only dealt with a group of "scapegoats" who he did not value and even suspected of having ulterior motives!
However, although Momousagi seems to be enjoying great success, she is actually feeling even more resentful inside, and clearly cannot accept this concession with a clear conscience.
Sig remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was planning the "final act" of his inspection!
Sig's original target was the "Land of Workers," also known as the "Land on the Bridge"—the country in the East Blue where the World Government enslaved non- Affiliated Nation and built a bridge for seven hundred years.
However, Sig had previously discovered that Momousagi would never approach that place, since it was no longer within the Navy's jurisdiction but rather a place where the World Government was blatantly oppressing hostile forces. Even if he forcibly hypnotized Momousagi, Sengoku would realize something was wrong. Therefore, Sig changed his target...
Two months later, the patrol had been going on for more than half a year, and spot checks had been completed on the first half of the Grand Line and most of the southeastern seas. With the return voyage approaching, Momousagi hesitated several times before deciding to go to the Kingdom of Goa to take a look!
Although Momousagi knew that the Kingdom of Goa's royal family maintained a good public relations relationship with Mary Geoise and that the country was experiencing frequent chaos, Momousagi still felt she should go and inspect the situation. Shiryu, after offering some sarcastic remarks, still supported her...