Cover Story – The Three Brothers, Part 2:
"You've got the nerve to say you failed to quit again? Why don't you go marry your damn cigars, bastard!"
"BANG!" The infirmary door slammed shut.
Shiryu stood silently outside, scowling. He scoffed in disdain.
Only after the medic had walked away and the hallway was clear did he tiptoe back, knock gently, and whisper pathetically through the door.
Inside, a single furious voice floated out after a long silence—
Three Devil Fruits lay before him.
The two Ushi Ushi no Mi on either side met the requirement—but they were unimpressive, bland. No flair, no power to speak of.
Dugalio guessed that once they got back to the Beasts Pirates, Kaido would probably just toss those two to some random low-ranking officers.
But that Ancient Zoan Brachiosaurus Fruit—the one Vito introduced with great fanfare—caught his eye immediately.
Now that was something special.
Ancient Zoan Devil Fruits.
Each one bestowed monstrous physical strength and wild potential. Among all Zoan-type fruits, their rarity was second only to the Mythical-types.
And Dugalio had made up his mind.
He was going to keep it.
"Nice work," he said, chomping on a cigar and nodding in satisfaction.
"With this fruit, my little brother Queen can finally get Lord Kaido's attention and step into the ranks of the higher-ups."
He might even replace the current "Plague", becoming one of the Beast Pirates' Three Calamities, who knows.
"Heh heh."
He glanced at the clearly nervous Vito Corleone and burst into hearty laughter.
"As for your Corleone Family—trying to establish a trade network in the New World, eh? Maybe I can put in a good word for you with Lord Kaido…"
"R-Really?!"
The blonde man couldn't contain his excitement and looked up abruptly.
"Of course!" Dugalio puffed a smoke ring and said casually,
"Relax. I've got some pull with Kaido. Once I'm back in Wano, just sit tight and wait for good news."
"Thank you, Lord Drought! Thank you so much!"
Vito excitedly rubbed his hands, pacing back and forth for a long time before gradually regaining his composure.
"Come! A toast, Lord Drought!"
He toasted, then waved his hand, instructing maids to attend. His extremely respectful attitude pleased Dugalio greatly.
The nearly nine-meter-tall Dugalio pulled women into each arm, and for a while, laughter and joy echoed out of the reception hall, ringing through the moonlit night…
————
About an hour later.
Night had fully fallen. Stars twinkled sparsely over Rhodes Island.
Dugalio, dead drunk, was escorted by Corleone personnel to the island's most luxurious suite.
As for Vito Corleone—now separated from his guest—he stepped out of the hall in high spirits, humming a tune.
He lit a cigarette and strolled home under the moonlight.
Several black-suited bodyguards followed silently, forming a protective ring around him.
"Hm?"
As Vito approached his private estate, ready to enter the villa under the maids' welcome, he noticed something—off to the side, kneeling quietly on the pebble path.
A thin, dark-haired child.
Still.
Silent.
Like a lone, fragile statue.
His good mood soured instantly.
"How long has this brat been kneeling here?"
He turned to the maid who had come to greet him.
"She started at noon, sir. It's been over nine hours," the maid replied flatly.
"She said if you didn't agree to her proposal, she would kneel here forever."
"Then let her keep kneeling."
Vito sneered, tossing his coat to the maid.
Just as he was about to step inside, the memory of Bakko's recent death returned to him.
He was supposed to be celebrating tonight—two victories in one.
Instead, the prize slipped right through his fingers.
Anger flared again.
With a grunt, he turned on his heel and strode toward the small figure.
Sensing the footsteps, Robin looked up quickly, palms pressed together. Her pale, fragile face was filled with desperation.
"P-please, Mr. Corleone… I beg you. Don't hurt my little sister anymore… She's only nine…"
"If you keep leaving her hanging like that—without food or water—she'll be dead by morning."
"Punish me instead! Please—if you must, crucify me for as many days as you want… just let her go…"
You're only nine yourself.
The maid nearby looked away, sighing inwardly. She couldn't bear to watch.
"Begging now? Too late!"
Vito scoffed. He crouched down slightly and jabbed her harshly between the eyes with his finger.
"Do you have any idea how much time and money I invested in that idiot Bakko? Over six months—six months—and just when everything was about to pay off, it all went down the drain!"
"I sent you a month ago to find that damn pirate crew—and it took you twenty days just to get the poison in place."
"If you hadn't been so useless, wasting all that time, that bastard wouldn't have been caught by the West Blue's First Branch Rear Admiral!"
Robin flinched from the pain, but gritted her teeth and didn't make a sound.
"And he's dead now. Dead at the First Branch. But you made it out alive?"
Vito grabbed her ear violently, his face twisted with rage.
"Tell me! Did you screw me over again, like last time? You colluded with the Marines, didn't you? You sabotaged everything again, didn't you?!"
"I didn't!"
Robin's eyes burned with defiance as she lifted her head. But the thought of her little sister hanging from that cross made her lower it again.
"I swear I didn't, Mr. Corleone. It was just… it was just an accident. But either way, it was my fault. Just—please, my sister and my aunt are innocent… don't hurt them…"
"Get out of my sight!"
Vito roared and launched a brutal kick.
Robin gasped. Her small body flew several meters and slammed into the iron gate with a clang before collapsing to the ground, her face a bloodied mess.
But she didn't stay down.
As soon as she saw Vito turning to leave, she scrambled back up—
—and dropped to her knees again.
"Mr. Corleone!"
For six months, no matter how many times Vito beat or whipped her, the black-haired girl never once shed a tear.
But now she broke completely, wailing at the top of her lungs.
Tears the size of pearls streamed down her green eyes.
"I beg you! Please! My sister will die! She'll really die if you don't let her down!"
Her cries tore through the night like knives. Everyone who heard them felt their hearts twist.
But—
Vito didn't even glance back.
He just waved lazily to his bodyguards and walked away with a sneer.
"So noisy, brat."
The bodyguards understood.
One of them stepped toward Robin, pulled a revolver from his coat, and aimed it at her forehead.
Looking down at her coldly, he said:
"This has gone on long enough. If you keep screaming and disturb the master's rest—don't blame me…"
BANG!
Before he could finish, his head exploded.
Blood and brain matter sprayed across the garden. The massive man was blown off his feet and smashed into the front door.
Vito, one foot already through the doorway, froze.
His eyes narrowed as he slowly turned around.
"Who's there?!"
The remaining bodyguards rushed to protect him, forming a wall and drawing their guns. They scanned the darkness with tense, sweeping gazes.
"So rude… the gangs in West Blue have no manners at all."
A sigh floated in from beyond the gate.
Then—
Under dozens of aimed barrels, a figure nearly three meters tall pushed open the iron gate and strolled in casually.
"Late-night visit, and you welcome me with guns?"
As the intruder stepped into view, the bodyguards didn't hesitate—they opened fire.
Golden-tipped bullets streaked through the darkness toward the towering figure.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The man didn't dodge.
He stood there, letting the bullets strike him. Each one hit with a metallic thud, bouncing off like pebbles.
They emptied entire clips. Shells scattered across the floor.
But he was untouched.
He walked forward, step by unhurried step.
What kind of monster… doesn't fear bullets?!
The guards swallowed hard, fear rising in their throats. They began backing away instinctively.
At last, under the porch lights, they saw him clearly.
A young man—no more than twenty.
Tall, slender. Stunningly handsome, like he'd walked out of a royal portrait.
A pristine white Marine coat of justice fluttered behind him.
He wore a white suit, black shirt, polished shoes.
Elegant. Deadly.
"He's a Marine?!"
"Not just that—an officer!"
"Shit… how did a guy like him end up here?!"
The entire estate descended into chaos.
Servants and guards panicked. Only Vito, after a moment of shock, forced himself to calm down.
He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the man before him.
"Rear Admiral epaulettes. Pretty recognizable face too. You must be Nao, the Deputy Base Commander of the West Blue First Branch?"
But Nao didn't answer.
He walked straight past Vito and knelt down beside the small black-haired girl.
Little Robin also seemed startled by his sudden appearance. Her crying had stopped now, but tear stains still streaked her face. She looked up, bewildered and lost, watching the man slowly approach her step by step.
"Stand up. Don't kneel."
A strong hand lifted her gently.
Then the man crouched down, black eyes locking with her green ones.
"I heard a bit from outside," he said softly.
"I think I understand now."
He brushed blood from her forehead, frowning slightly.
"Why didn't you tell me at the base… that you still had family in the hands of the Corleones?"
"…"
Robin looked at him, dazed.
"You didn't trust me. That's fair. In your position, trusting a Marine must've felt impossible."
Nao smiled faintly.
"But I should've done better. I should've figured out you weren't alone. Then maybe… you wouldn't have had to suffer all this."
"If I'd known, I'd have brought you to Rhodes Island myself—even if you didn't like it."
Robin shook her head furiously. Her eyes brimmed with fresh tears.
"Well… I made it just in time, at least."
Nao gently ruffled her hair and rose to his feet.
He turned toward Vito, still surrounded by guards.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who was just beating her. Am I right?"
He was still smiling. Calm. Gentle.
But Vito felt like he was being stared down by a beast.
Sweat burst from every pore.
"Y-you…"
His hand crept to his gun, voice trembling.
"How… how did you find this place? Did you sneak in alone…?"
"Sneak in?" Nao chuckled.
"That's what sewer rats like you do—not me."
"What the hell does that mean?!"
Vito's anxiety deepened.
Could the Marines be attacking the island right now?
But there was no sound. The night was quiet. Too quiet.
Nao didn't reply.
He glanced down at Robin again. Her knees were raw, skin torn open, bloodied from hours of kneeling.
He fell silent.
Then he spoke again—his voice low, almost like he was talking to her.
Or maybe to Vito. Maybe to all of them.
"We don't deal with darkness using kindness and compromise, Robin."
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOOOM!
From the direction of the distant port, cannon fire suddenly erupted. Countless cannonballs, like a sudden downpour or meteors trailing flames, exploded against tall buildings and bunkers, against fortress cannons…
Amidst the shrill screams of the criminal family members and pirates, they tore through the silence of the darkness.
"It's the Marines! They've landed—dozens of them!"
"Shit, there's too many! We can't hold them!"
"Help us!!"
Under the night sky, Rhodes Island lit up like daylight.
Nao looked up.
When he turned back to Vito, the smile on his face had completely vanished, replaced by an endless coldness:
"We must use fire! We must use light! Only then will it work!"
BOOM!
Both of Yone's swords were drawn simultaneously.
Nao lunged forward fiercely, his entire being like a cannonball, hurtling directly towards Vito amidst the latter's terror-stricken gaze!