A year ago, Ginny obtained a discarded Den Den Mushi.
However, with her familiarity with communication devices, she quickly restored it to a usable state and re-established contact with the Revolutionary Army.
The Revolutionary Army clearly had no plans or ability to rescue her.
But Ginny's resolve was not shaken by this; she did not want the Revolutionary Army, which had developed with such difficulty, to engage in a frontal battle with the World Government prematurely because of her.
Not to mention that she was not in mortal danger now; even if she were, she would be willing to sacrifice herself rather than have others execute a rescue plan.
Tonight, Ginny once again took out the Den Den Mushi and reported the recent situation in Mary Geoise to the Revolutionary Army.
"The atmosphere on the Red Line seems a bit off these past few days."
Ginny chose her words carefully, saying with some uncertainty:
"I just feel a sense of urgency."
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Belo Betty, who had replaced Ginny as the new commander of the East Army, spoke with concern:
"Sister Ginny, you must be careful."
"Just protect yourself; don't deliberately try to gather intelligence."
"Don't worry, I..."
Just as Ginny was about to say something, footsteps were heard outside the door, quickly approaching.
A trace of panic flashed in Ginny's eyes; she instinctively grabbed the Den Den Mushi and scanned every corner of the room
the vase with white roses, the half-open jewelry box on the dressing table, the lace nightgown hanging on the coat rack... Finally, she lifted the duvet, and without time to end the call, she tucked the Den Den Mushi deep under the bedding.
Black's push on the door was just enough to make the hinges groan, and his jacket still carried the faint scent of the Human Shop and auction houses of Sabaody.
"Your Highness!"
Ginny quickly stood up, displaying just the right amount of respect
neither fearing him like an ordinary maid nor being as casual as Robin and the others.
Black walked up to her and gently lifted her chin with his finger:
"It's been several years since I brought you here; it wouldn't do to keep wasting such... beauty."
Seeing the fire in Black's eyes, Ginny's pupils constricted slightly, and her body tensed for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.
She took a few steps back, lowered her head, and hid the complex emotions on her face
anger, helplessness, fear... the list went on.
Black hung his jacket on the hanger, the rustle of the fabric masking the faint intake of breath from Belo Betty beneath the bedding.
When the heavy body pressed down, Ginny bit her tongue hard.
The taste of blood spread in her mouth, and in a daze, she seemed to hear Belo Betty muffling the Den Den Mushi.
Black's actions carried a deliberate brutality, each motion accompanied by distinct sounds
the clink of the belt buckle against the bedpost, the dull thud of movement against the mattress, the rhythmic creaking of the bedframe... All of it was faithfully transmitted through Ginny's carefully modified Den Den Mushi into Belo Betty's ears on the other end.
When the final creak of the bedframe subsided, Black held the silent Ginny as they lay on the bed.
His fingertips traced idle circles along Ginny's shoulder blade, sweat soaking into the feather pillow beneath them.
Black suddenly spoke:
"Don't leave the manor recently; we might have to go out for a while in a few days."
"Hmm?"
Ginny's gaze shifted instantly from confusion to sharp clarity; she realized this might be an opportunity to gather intelligence.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly in the dark, and the way she turned over was deliberately slow; her calf brushed against Black's waist as she asked tentatively:
"Your Highness, has something happened?"
Black, however, seemed to have entered a relaxed, indulgent state, answering whatever was asked.
He toyed with Ginny's hair, his voice perfectly pitched for the Den Den Mushi beneath the bedding to capture:
"Garin whipped four Slaves to death a few days ago, and Saint Figarland Garling got into a dispute with another noble again."
"Do they... often do this?"
Ginny gently stroked Black's chest, letting out a soft, controlled whimper.
Black found it somewhat amusing that this usually outspoken woman was attempting to use a honey trap on him.
However, he didn't expose her. Instead, as if unaware, he pressed Ginny's wrist above her head and continued:
"Their conflicts have been going on for a long time, and now they're just escalating."
"Garling and the others have clashed more than once recently, and things are getting increasingly reckless."
"Last time, they nearly went all out. Even the Gorosei had to step in to stop it."
"But if this continues, it won't be long before, due to some trigger, it turns into a real confrontation."
Ginny endured the slight pain in her wrist, trying to extract more key information:
"Are those Celestial Dragons... very powerful?"
At that moment, static from the Den Den Mushi suddenly intensified.
"Is there some sound?"
Black raised his head slightly, feigning confusion.
Ginny knew that Black rarely used Observation Haki casually within Mary Geoise.
At this moment, she absolutely could not let him grow suspicious.
If he activated Observation Haki, the hidden Den Den Mushi would be discovered instantly.
She gritted her teeth, hooked his waist with her leg, and prayed silently:
"Don't find it… please don't find it…"
It seemed her prayer worked, as Black's attention shifted away again.
He rolled over, the bed curtains swaying violently as he continued:
"Where was I?"
"Ah, yes… Garling is the Commander of the God's Knights the strongest force directly under the Celestial Dragons."
"Ordinary nobles wouldn't even stand a chance against him, let alone oppose the entire God's Knights."
"Still, some people have their own forces. If pushed too far, they can cause quite a bit of trouble."
As Black spoke, Ginny arched her neck and let out another sound, successfully prompting him to continue:
"And that Fish-Man who escaped from Mary Geoise back then…"
"I think his name was Fisher Tiger, right?"
His sneer mixed with the creaking bedframe as it echoed into the Den Den Mushi:
"Without internal help, how could a mere slave climb the Red Line and escape?"
"When I passed Fish-Man Island, I heard some interesting things."
"And just today, I received news"
"That Fish-Man named Tiger is planning to gather companions, return to the Red Line, cause chaos, and free the slaves."
Black finally concluded:
"Mary Geoise won't be peaceful for a while… we might have to leave temporarily."
…When Black finally turned over and fell asleep, Ginny carefully slipped out from under him.
Dragging her exhausted body, she retrieved the Den Den Mushi, ended the call, and hid it again.
The Den Den Mushi's shell was burning hot; hours of continuous transmission had pushed the small creature to its limit.
After finishing everything, Ginny collapsed weakly back onto the bed and slowly closed her eyes.