Thud. Thud.
The fat female pirate collapsed—and as if triggering a domino effect, the rest of the pirates on the deck began dropping one after another.
Robin felt her vision spinning. Her right hand trembled as she fumbled in her clothes and pulled out a pouch of powder. No time for water—she swallowed it dry.
Only after taking the antidote did her symptoms begin to subside.
"…"
She leaned weakly against the wall, watching the unconscious bodies sprawled across the ship. Then, her small figure stumbled back into the cabin, where she found the Den Den Mushi and dialed a number she'd contacted not long ago.
"It's done. Coordinates are... Please, hurry over."
With that—
Robin slumped beside the railing, staring blankly as the cold sea breeze blew against her.
The crashing waves echoed endlessly, but all around her, the world had gone eerily silent. The joyous singing of Binks' Sake from earlier felt like it belonged to another dimension entirely.
She didn't notice—
Far above, a fat white pigeon soared through the clouds with speed that defied its plump body, sharp eyes watching everything unfold from high above.
———
One Hour Later – Nearby Waters
"Captain Bakko, you're going in alone again?"
"This is too dangerous, Captain—please, at least let us go with you!"
On the deck of a Marine warship, the soldiers of Branch 329 looked on in concern as Bakko slid down a rope and leapt into a speedboat.
"Relax, boys! I've got this!"
He expertly started the engine, then looked up with a grin.
"According to our informant, those bastards are in the middle of a party. If I sneak aboard and hit them by surprise, it'll be perfect. If we approach with the full warship, we'll spook them."
He flashed a wide grin.
"Quit worrying, boys. Don't forget who I am—the invincible Captain Bakko!"
"Captain Bakko...!"
As they watched him wave goodbye, the crew was filled with admiration and excitement.
Of course—he was the Bakko!
In just half a year, he had taken down multiple pirates with bounties over 10 million. He was practically guaranteed a promotion to Headquarters Captain. How could someone like him need their protection?
But not everyone was convinced.
In a corner of the deck, T-Bone stared after Bakko, then quietly slipped away and made a call.
"Nao-san."
His voice was anxious but low.
"Bakko just left on his own. Where are you now? If you don't come soon, we won't be able to catch him in the act…"
"Hm? He hasn't arrived yet?"
The voice on the other end sounded surprised.
"He's late? I've already been waiting here over ten minutes. I was starting to doze off…"
Huh?
T-Bone froze.
Nao-san was already in position?
That fast? He scratched his head in confusion. He hadn't even sent the detailed coordinates yet.
How had Nao-san located the pirate ship faster than he did?
———
Thunk!
The speedboat slammed into the pirate ship with a dull thud.
Bakko tossed up a rope and hooked it over the railing. With practiced ease, he climbed aboard in seconds, landing smoothly on the bow.
Still got it—even at my age.
Satisfied, Bakko brushed off his hands and vaulted the railing.
He looked around the deck. All the pirates were unconscious. He grinned, then turned to the small, silent figure curled up in the corner.
"Well done, kid. After a few jobs together, you're getting pretty good at this."
Robin looked up at him coldly, saying nothing.
Bakko didn't mind. He hummed a tune while walking among the bodies, casually delivering finishing blows. Every so often, he deliberately splattered himself with blood to make it look like he'd fought a brutal battle.
"Three with 10 million bounties, seven or eight worth a few million... Hmm, not bad."
Looks like this target was handpicked by Mr. Corleone.
Decent bounty, low risk—no room for failure.
"Oh? And here we have..."
He stopped in front of the obese female pirate and gave her face a light slap, snickering.
"Crybaby Samuya. Bounty: 32 million berries. Biggest catch of the day. Damn, you're built like a sow. If I had to fight you head-on, I'd be screwed—"
Before he could finish—
The woman's eyes snapped open, bloodshot and furious. With a sudden lunge, she grabbed his throat with terrifying strength.
"Hey, Marine…"
She hoisted Bakko off the ground with one hand, snarling,
"Who the hell did you just call a sow?!"
BOOM!
With a violent throw, she launched Bakko like a cannonball. He crashed into a corner of the deck and coughed up blood.
Robin gasped.
Instinctively, she raised her arms and crossed them over her chest—ready to activate her Devil Fruit. But after a second of hesitation, she slowly lowered them again.
Not worth saving a man like him.
She sat silently, watching the hulking woman approach Bakko step by step—her expression tinged, strangely, with expectation.
"D-Don't come any closer…"
Faced with death, Bakko panicked. His voice cracked with fear.
"I-I work for the Corleone Family! You—you can't lay a hand on me!"
Corleone Family?
Samuya frowned.
Wasn't this guy a Marine officer? Why would he be name-dropping the West Blue's biggest underworld syndicate?
Whatever.
The fat woman sneered. She wasn't impressed.
To pirates like her, the Corleone Family might be scarier than the Marines—but out here on the open sea, who'd know if she killed him?
Her expression darkened. She drew the massive axe on her back and kept advancing. Bakko, realizing his bluff failed, shut his eyes in despair.
Then—
Shhhk!
A gust of wind sliced the air. The woman's steps halted.
A heavy body slumped to the ground—right at Bakko's feet.
Startled, he crawled backward and opened his eyes after a few seconds.
And froze.
The massive Samuya had been cleaved clean in half—blood spilled everywhere. Her top half lay at his feet, eyes wide in terror.
Bounty: 32 million berries. Just like that—gone.
Who saved me?
Bakko turned—only to see a familiar figure descending gently from the sky, landing gracefully on the railing above.
With a warm smile, the figure said:
"Long time no see, Bakko."
Rear Admiral Nao?
Sunlight danced across his striking features, making him look even more charismatic. Bakko stared, momentarily stunned—then sprang to his feet, overjoyed.
"Rear Admiral! You're here too?! What a coincidence—if you hadn't shown up, I'd be…"
"Now, now. Don't call it a coincidence."
Nao raised a hand and cut him off, smiling.
"I came here for you, Captain. You, who serve the Corleone Family…"
BOOM!
His words hit like thunder. Bakko's face drained of all color.
"R-Rear Admiral…"
He realized his earlier words had been overheard. Desperately, he tried to explain.
"You've misunderstood! I only said that to scare the pirate off—to buy time—!"
"Oh? Is that so, Bakko?"
Nao's smile vanished. His voice went cold.
"Since when did Marine officers need to rely on the underworld's name just to scare pirates?"
CRACK!
He stomped the deck. The wooden planks beneath Bakko's feet erupted, launching him into the air—straight into Nao's waiting grasp.
Bakko was barely 175 cm tall. Compared to Nao—who stood close to 3 meters—he looked like a baby chick in a giant's hand.
Gripped by the throat, his face turned red. Before he could even argue, Nao spoke again.
"Oh, by the way... I've been waiting here for half an hour. You're late."
"I hate people who waste my time."
CRUNCH.
With a squeeze, Bakko blacked out instantly.
———
Robin, watching from the corner, had to cover her mouth to stop from gasping.
As Nao still held Bakko, Robin quietly turned and dropped to the floor, crawling toward the other side of the ship, using the bodies as cover.
I have to escape!
She didn't know who the man was, but the white Marine cape and the word "Rear Admiral" Bakko blurted out said it all.
A Marine—and not just any Marine, but a high-ranking one!
There was no way she could fight someone like that. She had to flee while he was still distracted.
But—
Before she could slip into the cabin, a large shadow loomed before her.
A calm voice followed.
"Little one... where do you think you're going?"
Robin's pupils shrank. She instinctively reached for her Devil Fruit—but before she could act, a hand chopped her lightly on the back of the neck.
She collapsed instantly.
———
Darkness. Endless darkness.
In the chaos of unconsciousness, Robin dreamed a long, long dream.
In it, Ohara hadn't burned. Her mother and friends were still alive. The sun was warm, almost too warm.
She laughed, holding her newly earned doctorate, and bounced along behind a group of archaeologists, excited to explore a forgotten forest.
But at some point, she became separated.
Darkness fell. Wild beasts circled. The sky was pitch black. She heard distant howls.
Alone, terrified, she crossed her arms, trying to use her Hana Hana no Mi.
But suddenly, she slipped—plunging into the ocean. Water swallowed her whole. Bubbles rose as her strength left her body...
BANG!
A loud noise jolted her awake.
She gasped, inhaling deeply like someone rescued from drowning. It took a while for her breathing to calm.
Cautiously, she looked around.
She was in a spacious office, lying alone on a rug beside a couch.
Across the room, two men sat at a desk. One had his back to her—it was Bakko. She couldn't see his face, but she could hear their conversation.
"Name?"
"Buggy Usopp."
"…That's a bit much. Marine rank?"
"Admiral."
"...?"
Did I use a lie spray or a delusion spray?
Nao rubbed his temples, staring at Bakko's swollen, bruised face.
After a pause, he continued questioning.
"The encrypted calls you made—those were to the West Blue's biggest underworld family?"
"No."
"Those heroic victories from the past six months—were they arranged by the Corleone Family?"
"No."
"You think you can defeat a pirate with a 10 million bounty in a fair fight?"
"Yes."
"Then why would the Corleone Family help you?"
No response.
"Were you planted as a spy? Like Vergo? You've heard of Vergo, right?"
"No. Yes."
Got it.
Nao finally understood: the Lying Mist's effects worked perfectly for yes/no questions, but broke down when more complex answers were required.
Still, for interrogation, this item—once dismissed as junk—was now proving itself a true miracle tool.
After some thorough questioning, he had pieced together the truth:
About half a year ago, Bakko had been captured in battle by the Corleone Family. He was brought before Mr. Corleone himself, the founder of the syndicate.
But instead of killing him, Corleone saw his cowardly, manipulable nature—and decided to turn him into a mole inside the Marines.