Why Would He Need a Reason?

In the speeding new car, Miming excitedly felt his own face. The gains from this day had truly been enormous.

First, with this car, he could easily travel around Mary Geoise, survey the roads surrounding it, and identify possible escape routes.

Second, he had obtained information about Nico Robin. Spandine was eager to curry favor with him, so he could secretly protect Robin.

"Why would someone as exalted as Saint Miming be interested in Nico Robin?"

Back then, in the small garden at headquarters, Spandine regretted asking the moment the words left his mouth. Did Saint Miming need a reason? Did he need to explain his reasons to a nobody like him?

"Because Nico Robin stole something important from me," Saint Miming answered casually. "Five years ago, I was in Ohara too, aboard a Navy ship. I went to Ohara to watch the fireworks."

"Oh!" Spandine hurriedly applauded. He remembered that incident; he had even arranged it himself. "The fireworks of a Buster Call were an unforgettable sight! So that means, on the way back, that island..." Spandine racked his brain, then remembered. Robin had suddenly appeared aboard a ship departing from a small island back then.

"Bring Nico Robin before me unharmed," Miming told Spandine. "I want her to know the consequences of stealing from me. If the Navy wants to kill Robin, then you must help Nico Robin escape. In short, I grant you the authority to ensure that this credit belongs to CP9."

"Yes! I will revise the wanted poster at once. Nico Robin must be captured alive."

Spandine did not doubt him in the slightest. Saint Miming was clearly favoring the Enies Lobby CP9 led by Spandine, and that made Spandine bloom with delight.

Then, while happily acquiring his new car, Miming also took the opportunity to visit headquarters' archives. Besides personally viewing some precious combat recordings and Devil Fruit ability development manuals, he casually took a copy of the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.

The only regret was that there were only a few Devil Fruits available to view in headquarters' Devil Fruit vault. Aside from the Celestial Dragons occasionally coming to demand them, all useful Devil Fruits had been distributed to the military to bolster its combat power. The Devil Fruit Encyclopedia could identify most Devil Fruits, but it was not necessarily completely accurate, since Devil Fruits were named based entirely on the abilities displayed by their users, and countless Devil Fruits remained unknown.

A few days passed, and soon the entire Holy Land Mary Geoise had grown accustomed to Saint Miming's car. He drove around with absolutely no class, charging recklessly everywhere and honking at people. Most infuriatingly, he even brought female slaves in his car, deliberately making those three slave girls laugh more happily than the Celestial Dragons themselves. In the entire Holy Land, only Saint Miming was arrogant enough to behave like that.

The Celestial Dragons' renewed complaints gave the Gorosei another headache. However, Miming was at least somewhat sensible. After the Gorosei called him, he stopped doing such things. After all, it was terribly uncouth, even for a Celestial Dragon. Once he had achieved his goal, Miming no longer bothered with it.

Now, whenever Saint Miming appeared in his car, the Celestial Dragons on the streets scattered in an instant. Getting hit meant getting hit for nothing, so who would not move aside? Whenever the air car neared a checkpoint and honked rhythmically a few times, the guards would immediately throw open the gates with a rumble.

"Master, this is so much fun!" The Boa Sisters sat in the car. They had never experienced driving around for pleasure before.

Hancock wore a Seastone helmet, while Sandersonia and Marigold's long tails were coiled up in the back seat, filling even the spacious cabin.

Miming drove all the way to the edge of the world and looked down upon the sea of clouds.

With a clang, Hancock threw her spiked helmet onto the ground, revealing her long hair and enchanting eyes. After removing her armor, she stood atop the hood with her long, snow-white legs, letting down her hair. The evening breeze lifted the ends of her hair, while her peerless beauty was framed by clouds glowing across the sky.

"Master, the sunset is so beautiful."

"Isn't a sunset meant to serve as a backdrop for you?" Miming laid it on thick without spending a penny. He lifted Hancock's face and gazed into her eyes. "The sunset reflected in your eyes is even more beautiful!"

Whenever this happened, Marigold and Sandersonia pretended to be petrified. Can't see it, can't see it.

After their brutal training, they were no longer weak little girls.

Hancock could freely control petrification and undo it, while rapidly improving her Haki. She had also learned many techniques from Miming's "Shadowless" and developed her own ultimate move, "Perfume Femur."

Marigold and Sandersonia could already control the extent and parts of their snake transformations as freely as Cairns, though they still could not completely eliminate their features. Their snake tails gradually shrank into legs, but Marigold turned fat, her belly swollen as though she were ten months pregnant, while Sandersonia's head was a full size larger than her shoulders. Their pupils still resembled those of snakes, and whenever they opened their mouths, their long tongues would extend like snake tongues.

"Master, can Life Return really fix this?" Marigold and Sandersonia were nearly in tears every time.

"It really can." Miming leaped onto the hood in a flash. "Look!"

Miming began activating Life Return, controlling his body as it changed. First came his belly, which gradually swelled until it was even larger than Marigold's, so big that he could not see his feet when he looked down.

Marigold cheered, "Bigger, bigger, make it even bigger, hahaha!"

Then his head began swelling larger and larger, ring by ring.

Sandersonia cheered as well. "It's even bigger than mine, hahaha!"

Miming bounced twice on the ground, his huge head and enormous belly making him look like... Doraemon?! Even he found it ridiculous, while Marigold and Sandersonia laughed nonstop.

"Mastering Life Return may be the only way to remove the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon without leaving scars."

"We will definitely master it!"

They had so much fun outside that they could not bear to return, and night fell. Marigold and Sandersonia transformed into giant snakes again, coiling together and wrapping the two of them up. Everyone huddled together in a soft, comfortable bundle, counting stars in the sky.

Marigold and Sandersonia fell asleep sweetly, filled with hope that they would regain their beauty.

Hancock nestled against Miming's chest and said blissfully, "If this is a dream, please do not let me wake up."

"I am sorry, but you will have to wait another year." Miming spoke with deep apology. "To free all the slaves of Mary Geoise, I need your strength."

"To receive Lord Miming's love, even if this concubine had to die immediately, she would have no regrets." Hancock gently pressed a finger to Miming's lips, but he kissed her instead.

The enormous snake tails gently wrapped around them like blankets.