"So that's what we need to do for now. First, we approach Duke Valos and see what he thinks. If that doesn't work, there are still plenty of other nobles to choose from—someone will take the bait." Rosen didn't say it out loud, but if no one did, he would simply make an example out of a noble he disliked.
Raw strength might not be enough to control an entire war, but controlling one noble was not difficult.
"As for the issue of troops, that's not a big concern. Andia may claim to have hundreds of thousands of soldiers, but most are just a rabble. Once scattered, they won't be hard to deal with. With five thousand elites at hand, plus the forces of whichever noble we win over, that's enough to control the situation." Rosen thought for a moment. Once the noble was settled, he would need to call Alice over.
After all, this place would become their main stronghold in the future—provided they secured it smoothly.
If things went wrong, or if the World Government caught wind of it, they would have no choice but to abandon the plan.
Holding onto a kingdom was beyond Rosen's current strength, especially when it came to facing the World Government directly. Unless they were in the New World, where the government's influence was weaker, it wasn't feasible.
Moris and Xia fell silent. They realized they couldn't quite keep up with his line of thought. It seemed everything had already been planned out.
Buru buru buru…
Rosen's Den Den Mushi suddenly rang. He glanced at it—it was from the Dawn. He connected the line. After days without contact, the Dawn had finally reached out.
Since he hadn't been able to get through before, Rosen had stopped trying. He'd planned to buy information from the underworld directly, but now they had called first.
"Boss." It was Robin's voice.
"You alright?"
"All fine. Are you in Paradise?" Robin asked.
"Yes. How did you know?" Rosen was a little surprised.
Then it clicked. Though he had spread plenty of false information across the world, with Robin's analytical skills—and the fact he'd mentioned coming to the Andia Kingdom before—it wouldn't be hard for her to deduce.
"We're already in Paradise. We have something for you."
"Perfect timing."
Paradise, harbor.
The arrival of the Dawn was hard to conceal—their Jolly Roger was too distinctive. But in this lawless sea, pirates were everywhere. Though their bounty was high enough to draw attention, few people thought of reporting it to the Marines. And by the time Rosen and his people showed up, other places would already be flooded with convincing false reports, like eyewitnesses swearing Rosen had landed on the Sabaody Archipelago.
So it wasn't much of a problem.
"Boss will be here soon." Robin and the others stood on deck. A few curious eyes peeked at them, only to be met with a warning bolt of lightning from Enel, who was sprawled lazily atop the lookout.
Enel had recovered from most of his injuries. The people of this world had incredible physiques. Robin too had healed, though she carried a few scars. But once Rosen returned, they would all feel revitalized.
Hathaway, on the other hand, was fully healed—her arm moving freely, with no impact at all.
As a modified warrior of bloodline factors, she looked ordinary on the surface, but her recovery speed was far beyond Enel or the others.
Their plan had succeeded—they had obtained the Pluton blueprints without attracting the attention of government agents. Even the person from whom they had taken them remained unaware.
Hiding them within a cyborg's body wasn't exactly sophisticated.
Similar tricks had existed since ancient times: maps carved into skin, assassins hiding poison or blades inside their flesh to retrieve at the right moment.
"This place is lively—lanterns everywhere. Are they welcoming some big shot, or is it a festival?" Valentine held her umbrella, gazing at the bustling workers on the island's ships.
"A festival?" Natalie stretched her neck, eager to go ashore right away, but they still had to wait for her uncle. Such a hassle.
"Not sure. Boss is here." A ship approached in the distance, Rosen standing tall on the deck.
"How are things?" Rosen asked. He noticed a few missing faces on the ship—men lost in battle. A pity, but he wasn't too saddened. Most of his real ties were with the officers.
"After we broke through the blockade, we stayed in Water 7 for a few days," Robin said. Seeing Rosen whole, with no limbs lost, she finally felt a little relieved.
Considering the situation he had stayed behind in, the chances of escape had been slim.
"Reckless. Why Water 7 of all places? That's right next to Enies Lobby. If Marine Headquarters had caught wind and dispatched forces, it would've been far too dangerous." Rosen frowned.
"And they are…?" Hathaway looked at Moris and Xia, reminding Robin that there were others present.
"Hathaway, I owe that man money. He wants to spar with a skilled swordsman. Go have a bout with him." Rosen gestured toward her.
"Do I kill him?" Hathaway didn't mind. The pirate looked strong enough—good practice.
"Arrogant little girl." Moris narrowed his eyes. It was the first time a woman had belittled him like that. He never killed women, but sparring with a strong one—he didn't mind. Not killing didn't mean not fighting.
"No need." Rosen quickly stopped her. Even if Hathaway couldn't kill Moris, if she maimed him and angered him, it might turn into a fight to the death instead of a spar. That would be dangerous.
"Come then." Hathaway tapped lightly with her foot and leapt toward the island. Moris followed immediately. Strong as she was, she was still far from Hawkeye's level.
But that made her the perfect opponent to sharpen his skills.
Fighting Hawkeye only meant being crushed—too stifling.
"By the way, what was it you said you had for me?" Rosen asked after greeting the crew and exchanging a few words.
"Enel, if you would." Robin smiled up at the lookout. Enel nodded dully, then spread his Mantra to its fullest.
"We should step aside." Xia sensibly steered the ship away. Rosen didn't stop her. He didn't trust her enough yet to share everything.
"What's wrong with him?" Rosen looked at the lifeless Enel. He had expected him to be shaken, but not so badly.
"He's mourning his Ark. But don't worry—once you decide to build another, I'm sure he'll take an interest again." Robin knew the reason. The loss of the Ark hit him harder than defeat itself.
As she spoke, she pulled out an old notebook and flipped through its pages. Rosen's face changed instantly.
Though he couldn't read the text, the fleeting diagrams and outlines of a familiar vessel, combined with their stay in Water 7, made it obvious.
"Are you insane?" Rosen scolded Robin—not for acting on her own, nor because he didn't want the item, but because it was too risky.
"You recognize it?" Robin froze for a moment, not offended. She could hear the concern in his tone. After all this time together, she understood him well enough.
What surprised her was that even without being able to read the plans, the Boss clearly knew what they were.
"The Pluton blueprints. You must have taken them from that cyborg, Franky, in Water 7. Did you leave any loose ends?" Since they had the plans and no one was hurt, that was good. But if there were loose ends or trouble, they would need to go back and fix it.
"You knew all along?!" Robin was stunned. If he already knew, why had he gone through that charade with her in Alabasta? Or had he only figured it out recently?
(End of Chapter)