Nami and Robin Both Fall

"Tuo~"

Back at the hotel.

Sumer returned to the deluxe room, arms folded as he looked at the weak-faced Robin and nervous Nami. There was no lecherous look on his face; instead, he was remarkably calm.

As he had said before, he was now a Celestial Dragon. What kind of luscious beauty could he not have?

If he wanted something more exotic, it would not be impossible to bring Charlotte Linlin over.

"Damn it."

Nami trembled all over.

Her Seastone handcuffs had already been removed. Her hands were clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her flesh as she wished she could rush forward and bite Sumer to death.

But whenever she thought of Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper, who were still imprisoned, she felt utterly discouraged.

Was there really no escape from this disaster today?

She was only eighteen.

"Give us some time to wash up."

Compared with Nami's unease and panic, Robin was much calmer.

She had seen and experienced far more darkness than Nami ever had.

Right now, they needed to buy time.

They would be escorted to Mary Geoise tomorrow. As long as they were not defiled tonight, there was still hope.

At the very least, she had to protect Nami.

She had also considered taking Sumer hostage, but she had not expected him to be so vigilant. He had only removed Nami's Seastone handcuffs.

Besides that.

The female agent with long golden hair, Califa, had remained by his side the entire time.

From the looks of it, she did not seem to be planning to leave tonight.

What she did not know was that—

Rob Lucci was still guarding the door outside.

As for Kaku, Jabra, Fukurou, Kumadori, and Bruno, Sumer had arranged for all five of them to remain on Doll's warship.

Though they were in an alternate space.

The purpose was to prevent Doll and Aokiji from secretly releasing Straw Hat.

For now.

Straw Hat could not be rescued.

Because Sumer still needed to further increase his value in Saint Nerona Imu's eyes and gain more of Saint Nerona Imu's favor.

He planned to learn from someone.

As for whether he might lose control along the way, Sumer only had one thing to say: the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish—

Besides, Saint Nerona Imu had his back.

That was the advantage of having a good boss!

"Go on, go on. A moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold pieces. You only have half an hour!"

Sumer frowned as he looked at the two women, their dresses torn, bodies covered in dust and blood, their hair hanging loose in a miserable state. He agreed to Robin's request.

Patter, patter~

Supported by Nami, Robin entered the bathroom.

Soon, the sound of running water came from inside.

"Come over and give me a massage!"

Sumer crooked a finger at Califa. She adjusted the women's glasses on the bridge of her nose, then sashayed over to him with a seductive catwalk.

Like an emotionless massage machine, she began working over Sumer's joints and bones.

Sumer lay on the bed, enjoying the massage as he considered what might happen next and made plans for the future.

Meanwhile.

Following Sumer's orders, Kaku went to Saint Marcus Mars's room.

He reported that Sumer had taken a liking to Robin and Nami, and that he had released Zoro and Sanji.

It would not have mattered if he had not reported it.

But after thinking it over, Sumer decided it was better to inform him, lest some trivial matter create a rift between them.

If any problems arose because of this later on.

He could also have Saint Marcus Mars take part of the blame.

After all, he had informed him, and Saint Marcus Mars had not stopped him. That meant the decision was effectively made by both of them.

Looking at it this way, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Just as expected.

After hearing Kaku's report, Saint Marcus Mars did not care who Sumer had taken a liking to or whom he had released.

As long as he had not released Straw Hat, it was fine.

On the contrary, Saint Marcus Mars was quite pleased with Sumer's modest and sensible conduct.

"Nami, when we go out later, I'll use every ounce of my strength, then drain... and hold him back.

"I'll drag things out until dawn as much as possible. That way, you might have a chance of avoiding being bullied by that bastard."

"So no matter what happens later, you have to endure it. Treat yourself like you're invisible."

Inside the bathroom.

Robin leaned against the cold wall with her wet hair draped over her shoulders, earnestly instructing Nami.

"Robin~"

Nami's eyes reddened as she struggled to hold back her tears.

She kept shaking her head. She had not expected Robin to still be thinking of protecting her at a time like this.

"Listen to me. Sacrificing one person is better than sacrificing two!"

"As long as we're alive, there's still hope!"

"Robin, let me go—"

"No!"

Knock, knock, knock~

Half an hour passed quickly.

Amid Califa's repeated knocking, Robin emerged wrapped in a bath towel, supported by Nami, who was also wrapped in a bath towel.

"You look much cleaner after a bath!"

"Tuo!"

Sumer sat at the foot of the bed, his gaze like blades as it scraped painfully over Robin and Nami.

As the bath towels fell, Robin and Nami both gritted their teeth in humiliation.

Their pitiful, angry expressions made Sumer's mouth go dry.

"I-I-I'll go first~"

As if she had used up all her strength, Robin volunteered herself in an attempt to draw all of Sumer's attention onto herself.

She succeeded, but she also failed!

Marineford.

"Are you sure?"

Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku held a Den Den Mushi with a grave expression. After hanging up, his gaze darkened.

"What happened?"

Tsuru, who happened to be in the office discussing matters with Sengoku, knew something bad had happened as soon as she saw his expression.

"There was a call from Doll's side. Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy has been captured by the former CP9, now Saint Germain Sumer's personal CP0."

"One of Saint Mars's reasons for going to Water 7 was to capture Straw Hat."

"They'll escort him back to Mary Geoise tomorrow."

"Does Garp know?"

Tsuru's expression changed slightly as she realized the severity of the problem.

Why would Saint Marcus Mars, one of the Five Elders, personally descend to capture an unknown pirate?

There had to be a reason.

Most importantly, Straw Hat was Garp's biological grandson.

Tsuru was deeply worried that Garp might do something irrational once he learned this news.

"He should know. He may have already headed to Water 7!"

Sengoku rose from his chair and paced back and forth as he thought.

There was no way Garp had not received the news, considering Doll and Kuzan were both at Water 7.

And when the Straw Hat crew had been captured, the World Government had not deliberately kept the news under wraps.

"I'll go to Water 7."

Tsuru had an ominous feeling.

"You're the only one who can go. I can't leave. You must stop Garp from doing anything stupid. I'll call Fleet Admiral Kong and ask what this is about."

"That idiot. We told him long ago to bring Straw Hat back to his hometown and keep him under strict watch. Don't become a pirate, don't become a pirate, but he kept indulging him—"

Sengoku was furious.

"Stay in touch."

Tsuru sighed, her face equally helpless.

After Tsuru left, Sengoku immediately took a Den Den Mushi from a drawer and dialed it. The other end connected to the office of the World Government's Commander-in-Chief.

Pururururu~

"Hello—"

"Fleet Admiral Kong, it's me, Sengoku!"

"Sengoku, what is it?"

Mary Geoise.

Inside the World Government Commander-in-Chief's office.

An old man with a broad chest, a powerful build, tawny skin, and white hair and a beard shaped like the character "mountain" set down his fountain pen and looked curiously at the Den Den Mushi.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy, who defeated one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile, some time ago, was captured at Water 7 by Saint Mars and Saint Germain Sumer."

"I just received word that he will be escorted back to Mary Geoise tomorrow."

"I want to ask why Straw Hat is being treated with such importance. Even Saint Mars, one of the Five Elders, personally moved against him."

After hearing Sengoku's words, a flicker of hesitation crossed Kong's stern, imposing face.

As though confirming something, he finally asked a question.

"Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy? Monkey? What is his relationship with Garp?"

"Fleet Admiral Kong, you don't know?"

"Should I, with all the matters I handle every day, know?"

Kong's face darkened, and even his tone became unstable.

Because he had already guessed it. Combined with what Sengoku had said earlier, his heart instantly sank.

"Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy is Garp's biological grandson and Dragon's biological son."

Sengoku's single sentence completely shattered Kong's last hope.

"Damn it! What the hell has Garp been doing? How did he raise his son and grandson?"

"One is the leader of the Revolutionary Army, and the other is a pirate. Now he has even drawn the personal attention of one of the Five Elders."

Kong could no longer keep his composure.

Back when he had still been Fleet Admiral, he had raised Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru as disciples and as the future of the Navy.

Their relationship had been both mentor and friends.

Among them, Garp had been the most unruly, a complete troublemaker who had caused him no end of worry and cleanup.

Only after Kong was promoted to World Government Commander-in-Chief did he finally get some peace.

"We've advised him many times as well."

Sengoku sighed. Sometimes, it really was frustrating.

But this was not the time to be frustrated.

He needed to find out exactly what Straw Hat had done to make one of the highest authorities personally descend to arrest him.

This was unprecedented in a hundred years.

Because for the Five Elders to act personally, something world-shaking must have happened.

Yet as Fleet Admiral, he had not heard even the slightest rumor. That was very strange.

And if he did not uncover the reason, then if anything happened to Straw Hat, Garp might do something foolish and trigger an irreversible chain reaction.