Whooo-
The long blast of a ship's whistle echoed over Bernia Port, like a symphony of the industrial age announcing the arrival of another wave of visitors. This industrial jewel, which had suddenly risen to prominence in the West Blue, was changing people's perceptions of traditional island nations at an astonishing pace.
In the West Blue, where gang influence was deeply entrenched, the Kingdom of Bernia had crushed the Underground Forces with lightning force and established the more regulated Kingdom Security Company.
The gangsters who had once run rampant had either become legitimate security personnel or long since turned into sludge at the bottom of the harbor.
This rare safety drew merchants, investors, and nobles seeking novel experiences from across the West Blue like a magnet.
The soft glow of electric lights began replacing traditional gas lamps, while refrigerators hummed in wealthy households' kitchens. These traces of modernization were quietly changing the fabric of the city.
Amid the bustling stream of disembarking passengers, one figure deftly kept her distance without straying too far.
Nico Robin had just completed an Underworld commission at another port-to silence forever a wealthy merchant who had fled to Bernia with the money.
In the wealthy man's room, she had shed the outfit she had worn for the mission. A golden dancing dress slid down her smooth thighs, and she rose onto her delicate toes as she changed into her signature black cowgirl outfit.
Before leaving, she cast one final glance at the wealthy merchant lying in the luxurious cabin, his face bluish-purple, then used the Flower-Flower Fruit's power to vanish as silently as falling petals.
"Attention, passengers," the ship's announcement suddenly sounded, interrupting her thoughts. "We have received an urgent notice from the port. This vessel will be redirected to the nobles' exclusive passage and