Almost instantly, Vergo was surrounded by the Palicoes, their fur bristling in unison. Xie Wen also rested a hand on White Calm's hilt and stared coldly at him.
"Vice Admiral, would you care to explain?"
The adjutant who had boarded with Vergo hurriedly protested, "Have you made a mistake? Vice Admiral Vergo brought us here to help you deal with those pirates. Why would he want to harm anyone aboard your ship?"
Zephyr, who had been sharing embarrassing stories about Garp and Sengoku's younger days with Xie Wen, turned his gaze toward Robin after hearing Shirahoshi say her name and quickly recognized her.
However, he did not intervene immediately. Instead, he pulled his two students aside.
As a former Admiral, he naturally knew the real reason Robin was wanted, so he would not regard her as a pirate. However, he also understood just how important Nico Robin, who could read the Ancient Script, was to pirates who wanted to become the Pirate King.
So, although Zephyr sympathized deeply with Robin's plight, from his standpoint, he actually hoped that Nico Robin would be captured, or even killed.
At the same time, he was somewhat curious about Xie Wen's choice, and whether he knew what becoming Nico Robin's companion meant.
"They haven't made a mistake." Having spent so long undercover within the Marines, Vergo was quite good at thinking on his feet. Rather than defending himself, he offered a half-truth. "Because I did intend to arrest her..."
Vergo pointed at Robin and said gravely, "A dangerous criminal wanted by the World Government since the age of eight, who once destroyed six Marine warships-the 'Devil Child,' Nico Robin!"
After announcing Robin's identity, he turned to Xie Wen and seized the initiative. "I thought you were different from the other Shichibukai, a Bounty Hunter