Chapter 131Luffy felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure seeing the thoroughly unsustainable expression of shyness on her face.He discovered that he really enjoyed seeing Namiin this state, so completely different from her usual shrewd and forceful demeanor.Just then, Luffy noticed that on the street, people wearing eerie white masks and identical uniforms were passing by from time to time. They had steady auras and brisk, vigorous strides.The expression on his face became slightly more restrained.Nami also sensed the change in him. Following his gaze, she asked nervously in a low voice, "What's wrong? Are those people Marines?"Luffy shook his head, his brow slightly furrowed. "Doesn't seem like it. Their target doesn't appear to be us."But that well-trained feeling made him instinctively feel they were no ordinary people.The two of them temporarily suppressed this doubt. Following the directions they had inquired about, they headed towards Water 7's largest appraisal house and bank to exchange their gold.Inside the appraisal house, when Nami and Luffyproduced the small chest of extremely high-purity gold from Sky Island, they were immediately ushered into a quiet VIP meeting room.An elderly appraiser wearing glasses carefully examined it and offered a price:"One hundred million Berries! With my twenty-five years of experience as an appraiser, this is a very fair price."Upon hearing 'one hundred million Berries,' Luffy's eyes immediately turned into Berry symbols. He thought it was already a huge sum.But Nami suddenly slammed the table and leaned forward. Gone was any trace of her earlier shyness. When it came to money, she immediately displayed the shrewdness and imposing aura of her 'Cat Burglar' persona.She pulled Luffy in front of her and, with an expressionless face, said to the appraiser word by word:"I'll only say three things.""First, take a good look. This is the great pirate with a bounty of two hundred million Berries, Straw Hat Luffy!""Second, I do not accept your appraisal result just now!""Third, if you dare lie about the price, watch your head!"Although Luffy didn't fully understand what was happening, he cooperated with her, casting a faint glance at the old appraiser.The old appraiser was frightened by Nami's rapid-fire words and Luffy's fierce expression.Especially by the very real weight of that two hundred million Berry bounty. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.He picked up the gold again for a closer look, wiped his glasses, and finally, the price skyrocketed from one hundred million Berries to three hundred million Berries!"Deal!"A victorious smile appeared on Nami's face, like a little cat who'd just stolen some fish....At the same time.The trio of Vivi, Robin, and little Merry, relying on Kokoro's letter of introduction, smoothly met with the mayor of Water 7, who was also the president of the Galley-La Company, Iceburg, in a stately office.Iceburg was a middle-aged man with short, dark blue hair and a calm, capable demeanor.After reading the letter, his attitude remained fairly polite. He agreed to the Straw Hat Pirates' request to build a new ship and said he would send his secretary to discuss the details with them.Soon, the office door opened, and a female secretary walked in.She had neat, short blonde hair, wore glasses, and was dressed in a tight yellow blouse with a wide-open collar, from which two snowy mounds seemed ready to burst forth.Below, she wore a black miniskirt paired with black high heels, revealing a pair of long, slender, pinkish-white legs, smooth and tender. Her sexy, fiery attire invited endless imagination."This is my secretary, Kalifa," Iceburg introduced.Kalifa adjusted her glasses, her tone stiff and formulaic. "Regarding the specific requirements for the new ship, we can discuss them in detail.""Thank you very much, Mr. Iceburg, and Miss Kalifa."Robin suddenly spoke up, interrupting Kalifa. Wearing a flawless smile, her eyes lightly swept over Kalifa. "Regarding the new ship's design, we need to discuss it more thoroughly amongst ourselves first. We'll contact you again later, is that alright?"Iceburg raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised, but nodded. "Of course."Compared to the two beauties, Robin and Vivi, Iceburg was more interested in the little girl eating a lollipop and had originally wanted to ask more about her.Chapter 189 TransactionRobin said no more. She gave Vivi and Merry a meaningful look. The three politely took their leave and quickly exited Iceburg's office.Walking on the bustling street, Vivi asked, somewhat puzzled, "Robin, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with that secretary?"Vivi had sensed Robin's urgency.Robin's expression turned grave. She whispered, "I suspect that secretary, Kalifa, is with the World Government.""What?!"Both Vivi and Merry were shocked.Robin's sense of smell was very sharp.People who had spent years mingling in the Underworld all carried a certain scent. Although Kalifa hid it well, for Robin, it was precisely this sense that had kept her alive until now.Especially after encountering Aokiji, the string in her heart had been pulled very tight. Water 7's location was also highly sensitive, with the so-called Enies Lobby and Marine Headquarters both in this vicinity.Regarding Kalifa and the others' identities, Robinexplained quickly, "The World Government has a direct secret intelligence agency, CP9. They are masters of a superhuman martial art called Rokushiki, skilled in infiltration and assassination. The aura and certain details about that secretary next to Mr. Iceburg make me very suspicious. We must find Luffy and the others as soon as possible. This place might not be safe."The area they were currently in was a relatively prosperous part of Water 7, an entertainment district where many gangsters and pirates often frequented. The flow of people was complex.Vivi did not doubt Robin's words and immediately grasped the seriousness of the situation. "Then let's hurry and regroup with Luffy and the others!""I'm afraid it won't be that easy."Robin said calmly. Using her ability, she quietly sprouted several eyes on the surrounding walls to observe the situation. "Government intelligence agency operatives are completely different from Marines. They operate in secret, hiding their identities. Right now, the enemy is hidden while we are exposed."Not long after leaving Iceburg's office, Robin had briefly exchanged a couple of moves with someone suspected to be a CP9 member. The opponent used Soru and Shigan. Although Robin used her ability to quickly break away, the other party had undoubtedly confirmed her presence in this area.They needed to relocate quickly.Robin pulled Vivi and Merry, swiftly turning into a relatively secluded alleyway.She had Vivi and Merry hide behind a pile of junk in a corner. Using the power of the Hana Hana no Mi, she sprouted eyes and ears at the alley entrance and on the walls, nervously peering at the commotion outside.Time passed minute by minute. The atmosphere in the alley grew increasingly oppressive.The tension in Robin's heart did not ease due to the temporary safety; instead, it grew stronger. Because she discovered that among the endless stream of people outside, there seemed to be more than one gaze occasionally, almost imperceptibly, sweeping over this alley.Vivi took deep breaths, trying hard to calm herself down.She knew these people were after Robin.First an Admiral, now World Government spies. The burden Robin carried was far heavier than she had imagined.After a few minutes, the thing that made Robin's heart sink still happened.A tall young man with a long nose, wearing a baseball cap, appeared soundlessly at the alley entrance. His gaze, like a precise searchlight, directly locked onto the hidden position of Robinand Vivi in the dark alley. He spoke calmly:"You're there, aren't you? Devil Child Nico Robin."The air instantly solidified.After a moment of silence in the alley, Robin knew hiding was meaningless. Her clear, cold voice came out. "How did you find me?""Sound. I can hear your breathing. And the one beside you is the rumored princess of Alabastawho was abducted by Straw Hat, isn't she?" The CP9 intelligence agent, Kaku, stood at the alley entrance, his tone devoid of any fluctuation. "Come with us.""Who are you?" Robin tried to gather more information.Kaku had absolute confidence in his own strength and didn't mind revealing it. As he walked into the alley, he said calmly, "World Government direct secret intelligence agency, CP9 intelligence agent, Kaku."So it really was the CP intelligence agency.Robin wasn't surprised. Seeing the other party approaching, she hesitated no longer. Crossing her arms in front of her, she activated her ability instantly."Trente Fleur: Clutch!"Amidst swirling petals, thirty arms abruptly sprouted from Kaku's body, tightening around his neck, joints, and various parts of his body. They exerted force, trying to instantly snap his neck and joints!However, Kaku remained motionless, not even a trace of panic on his face.He allowed those arms to exert force, merely murmuring softly:"Tekkai!"In that instant, the muscles all over his body tensed and hardened like steel. No matter how hard the thirty arms Robin created tried, they could barely budge him!Kaku looked calmly towards Robin's position. "My Doriki is second only to Lucci's. You cannot defeat me."At that moment, Vivi took a deep breath and suddenly stood up from behind the junk, pushing her hands forward!"Gale Impact!"A powerful whirlwind materialized out of thin air, roaring as it swept towards Kaku.Kaku hadn't expected Vivi to be a Devil Fruit user too. Caught off guard, he was directly blown back a few steps by the gale, crashing against the alley wall."Run!"Vivi grabbed Robin's hand. Seizing the opportunity, the two quickly rushed out of the alley, running towards the more crowded areas."An unexpected harvest, it seems."Kaku brushed the dust off his clothes, not rushing to pursue. He just reported a few words in a low voice through a transponder snail.Robin and Vivi hadn't run far before they were blocked at the exit of another street.A tall, burly man in a black suit stood before them like an iron tower, a white pigeon perched on his shoulder.His gaze was cold, as if looking at prey.Beside him stood several others.The long-nosed Kaku from earlier, a burly man wearing a horned headpiece, and the secretary-dressed Kalifa.And on the back of the horned, burly man was a passed-out pervert wearing only swim trunks."Nico Robin, you cannot escape."Rob Lucci said expressionlessly."Escape is impossible, escape is impossible."The pigeon repeated.Robin's heart sank to the bottom.The elite members of CP9 were almost all gathered here?Her expression remained impassive as she spoke calmly, "So, the legendary CP9 has been lurking on this island all along. What exactly is your purpose?""That is none of your concern. In any case, you have now become one of the targets. Nico Robin."Lucci laid his cards on the table, his tone brooking no argument. "You come with us. As long as you cooperate willingly, we will not take action against the Straw Hat crew.""It's a very simple transaction. What do you intend to do, Nico Robin?"Chapter 190 The Approaching Terrifying Force"And if I refuse?"Robin retorted without flinching, even though her palms were already slick with cold sweat."Then we will commence hostilities immediately. After eradicating the Straw Hat crew, we will take you by force." Lucci said coldly."Then come and try!"Vivi stepped forward, tightly gripping Robin's hand, responding without retreating.She didn't even care about her position as the princess of Alabasta at all. At this moment, she was simply a nakama of the Straw Hat Pirates.Lucci narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze falling on Vivi. "It seems you, a noble princess, have also fallen into becoming an accomplice of pirates?"Robin gently pressed Vivi's hand, signaling her not to act impulsively.Lucci actually didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble either. If they could avoid direct conflict, it would be best, because they didn't have only the task of capturing Robin.To be honest, Nico Robin was just incidental.They had been undercover for so many years for the blueprints of Pluton. They had already found them, on Franky's person.It was just when they were about to close the net that they received news of Robin landing in Water 7. Their idiot superior ordered them to bring Robinback as well.According to intelligence, the Straw Hat crew had two powerful fighters. Although Lucci was confident his strength far surpassed theirs, if an accident occurred and it delayed the main task of obtaining the Pluton blueprints, the loss would outweigh the gain.After all, think of how much time they had wasted on this one mission?A full five years!Three years, and then almost another three. They had been mixing in so long they were almost becoming high-level members of the shipyard company.
