Carl led Lucia out of the bar, giving Shanks and Makino some privacy to have a heartfelt conversation.
When the two of them returned, Makino's face was flushed. Seeing Carl, she still called him
With a wave of his hand, Carl left Makino a hefty sum of Belly and several chests filled with jewels—a gift from an elder brother to his sister-in-law.
Makino wanted to refuse, but Carl was insistent. She had no choice but to accept, instantly becoming the wealthiest person in Foosha Village.
Carl instructed her, "From today onward, close the bar. Focus on taking care of yourself and the baby. We'll talk about reopening after you've recovered."
Makino nodded obediently. Carl continued, "The child you're carrying has Figarland blood. When your due date approaches, I'll send someone to take you to Mary Geoise."
Makino's expression changed as she stammered, "W-Wait, is that really appropriate? I... I..."
"Relax. We're family now. As the wife of a Figarland, isn't it only natural for you to meet your father-in-law?"
Makino blushed and lowered her head, whispering,
"It's the right thing to do, but... Shanks hasn't even decided when he'll go back. If I leave like this, won't he be upset?"
Carl waved dismissively. "Upset? About what? Once you go, he'll have no choice but to follow. He won't be able to run."
Imagining Garling's expression when he saw Makino, Carl smirked mischievously.
After spending a bit more time in the bar, Carl and Lucia left. They returned to the shore where the Marine warships were docked. Before departing, Carl stationed three Vice Admirals and a sizable force to temporarily guard the area.
Their mission was to maintain security and establish a new Marine base. Once the base was operational, they would be reassigned to Marineford.
During this time, all stationed Marines would receive double pay.
Carl also contacted Stussy, instructing her to dispatch CP0 agents to Foosha Village for Makino's protection.
With everything arranged, Carl gave the order for the fleet to set sail. He was heading to rendezvous with Sakazuki and the others.
Aside from Carl and Lucia, Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Aramaki had each led a fleet to different seas, conducting large-scale sweeps in their respective territories.
So far, there was no sign of Luffy and his crew. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.
Beneath the ocean, three pitch-black submarines glided through the water.
Inside one of the compartments, Nami wiped sweat from her forehead. She was dressed lightly—an orange-striped bikini top, a pair of short shorts, and flip-flops. Even so, the confined space was stiflingly hot.
Chopper and Brook were also in the room. Chopper's head was wrapped in bandages as he nibbled cautiously on a flower—his last one. Once it was gone, who knew when he'd get another?
Brook, on the other hand, was downing an entire barrel of milk. His bones were covered in fine cracks—evidence of the damage caused by Garp's devastating punch, which had nearly reduced him to dust.
Now, he moved with extreme caution, drinking as much milk as possible to aid his recovery.
The three remained silent until a knock at the door broke the quiet.
Since Chopper and Brook were both injured, Nami got up to answer. Opening the door, she found Lindbergh standing outside.
Upon seeing him, Nami immediately complained, "Lindbergh, how much longer do we have to stay in this submarine? It's too hot in here, and we can't even take a bath!"
Lindbergh shook his head helplessly. "We'll have to stay put for a while longer. Unless we need to resupply, we can't risk surfacing. The entire Four Seas are swarming with Marine warships. If we're discovered, it could even draw the attention of the Fleet Admiral."
At the mention of the Fleet Admiral, Nami's expression stiffened before she let out a heavy sigh.
Lindbergh continued, "Don't worry. The submarines I designed are extremely safe. With their diving capabilities, the Marines won't be able to detect us."
The three submarines were already packed with people. Those who couldn't fit had been hidden in small nations across the Four Seas under Gildeo's arrangements.
Gildeo had anticipated this scenario long before the Revolutionary Army's retreat from Baltigo. If they hadn't made preparations, the years of struggle would have been meaningless.
Nami slumped back into her seat, looking utterly defeated.
Lindbergh tried to console her. "Don't be too discouraged. The situation will turn around. The Marines won't keep such a powerful force stationed in the Four Seas forever. Oh, by the way, I have some good news—Emet's power core has been repaired. He's awake now!"
Nami froze for a moment before responding indifferently, "Oh, that's good."
She had no fondness for Joy Boy, who had taken over Luffy's body. In fact, she resented him.
And by extension, she felt the same way about Emet, Joy Boy's loyal follower.
Even more so because Emet had also "taken over" Franky's body.
An awkward silence filled the room again. Seeing her reaction, Lindbergh scratched his head awkwardly.
Suddenly, Nami spoke up, "How's Luffy?"
Lindbergh sighed. "Still the same. He's locked himself in his room and hasn't come out. If this continues, I'm worried about him..."
Nami bit her lip, then suddenly stood up. "I have to go see him!"
She brushed past Lindbergh and stormed off. He quickly followed.
Standing outside Luffy's quarters, Nami knocked and called out to him several times—but there was no response.
Growing anxious, she began kicking the door. Lindbergh rushed over, but before he could react, Nami grabbed him by the collar and yelled, "Open the door!"
Not daring to hesitate, Lindbergh placed his palm on the door and sent a powerful shockwave through it, blasting it open.
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+210 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg