When Werther arrived at Anita's room, he found three people waiting inside.
One was Anita. Of the other two, one wore a white metal mask that covered almost his entire head, with pieces of armor embedded all over his body.
Embedded was the only word for it. Werther had the feeling that both the mask and the armor were joined to the man's flesh, almost like part of his skin.
The moment Werther entered, he noticed the metal-clad man. The man felt strong. Even standing still, his presence was no weaker than Aokiji's.
"Hello, Mr. Werther. I'm Anita's father, Johnny."
Werther turned toward the voice and saw the third person in the room: a tall, middle-aged man. His regular features lent him an air of authority, marking him at a glance as someone long accustomed to power. Yet a deep scar cut across his face.
The scar was so prominent that Werther wondered if the blow had gone all the way to the skull.
This had to be Anita's father, Johnny. The half-metal man couldn't possibly be him. He was probably one of the Guards.
Johnny wasn't dressed in the Dragon People's peculiar attire, and his hairstyle was fairly normal too.
"Hello, Mr. Johnny. I'm Werther."
He had kidnapped the man's daughter, but things had changed completely toward the end. Werther didn't feel awkward about it.
"We've only spoken over a Den Den Mushi before. Meeting you in person is quite a surprise, Mr. Werther. You're so young.
"Thank you for looking after Anita. I promised you a generous gift, and I haven't forgotten."
A smile tugged at Werther's lips. A gift from one of the Dragon People ought to be something special.
Johnny took a box from behind him and handed it to Werther, then gestured for him to