"Let's go look for Sanji."
They waited until late into the night, but Sanji didn't return. After eating a dinner prepared by Zepo, they went to bed feeling uneasy. When they woke, he still hadn't come back. Something was definitely wrong.
Luffy announced his intention to search while heartily munching on toast topped with vegetables and cheese (courtesy of Zepo). Most agreed, but Zoro alone dismissed the idea.
"Leave him be."
"If his mother took him somewhere, that means his old man and the others are probably there too, right? Maybe they're just having a complicated family discussion. Us barging in will only make things worse."
"But we don't know if he's even still there," Nami countered.
"Then where else would we look? They say this island is artificial, but it's huge, big enough for giants to work everywhere. Searching blindly won't find him."
Searching with dozens, even hundreds, of people might yield results, but a handful running around such a vast island was futile. Even with the districts, each section was enormous. Running around without any leads would just be a waste of effort. Usopp nodded in agreement with Zoro.
"And if Zoro goes looking, we'll end up having to search for Zoro too. That's just asking for secondary trouble."
"Ah, that would be bad," Luffy agreed.
"I'll cut you," Zoro muttered, a vein pulsing silently on his forehead.
Regardless, disappearing without a word or message was strange. They should at least check with Sora, but... no one knew exactly where Sora had gone. Usopp and Nami had accompanied her as far as the royal castle, but she had gone her separate way from there, leaving them with only a general direction.
Robin, wiping Chopper's messy mouth with a napkin as he ate, offered a suggestion.
"Maybe Kaie-san knows her whereabouts?"
"Right. Let's go see her again!" Nami decided.
"But didn't she say she was sending someone to appraise the gold? Shouldn't someone stay behind?" Usopp asked.
"Then Zoro and I will stay. You guys go look," Nami instructed.
Since Nami was the Straw Hats' treasurer, she should indeed be present for the gold appraisal. Having Zoro, who wasn't inclined to search anyway, stay behind also seemed reasonable. Besides, there was no point in the entire crew trailing along. If Sanji was with Sora, there was no need to search. If he wasn't, they had too few leads to do anything anyway.
Thus, it was decided that Luffy, Usopp, Robin, and Pedro would go. Uta, who had stayed overnight on the Going Merry, was also present, but she wasn't familiar with the island either. Though Hancock and her sisters might scold her again, Uta wanted to talk more with Nami and the others, so she decided to remain on the ship.
"Alright, let's go find Sanji!"
"Robin, do you know the way?" Usopp asked.
"I know where the royal castle is, at least."
She had memorized the general layout the previous day. They might take a slight detour, but she wouldn't get lost.
***
However, when they reached the royal castle, they found it in a state of unusual commotion, quite different from the day before. Robin frowned, pulling her hood down to obscure her face, and stated their purpose at the entrance: they wished to see Kaie. But the woman at the reception desk looked troubled.
"Kaie-san isn't here right now," she explained.
"Not here?"
"I don't know the details, but she said she had some business and left just a little while ago."
It seemed they had just missed her. Luffy and the others exchanged uneasy glances, wondering what to do. If only they knew where Sora was... but would this receptionist know? Deciding it was worth asking, Pedro stepped forward.
"Excuse me. We're looking for someone named Sora. She should have been here yesterday as well."
"Yesterday too...?"
The receptionist's gaze flickered towards Luffy. She likely recalled the group that had caused a stir in front of the castle yesterday before entering with Kaie.
"Ah," she murmured, the memory connecting to Sora.
Sora herself, being part of Germa, and with the Germa contingent having stayed on the island for some time, meant the receptionist knew their general location, even if she wasn't privy to internal affairs.
"Sora-san is... probably with the Germa group."
"We don't know where they are either," Pedro explained. "We have no clues to start searching randomly."
"I see..."
Recognizing them as acquaintances, the receptionist readily told them the location of the Germa port without further issue. It would be quick if Sanji is with Sora, Pedro thought, though he suspected it wouldn't be that simple. He started walking towards the designated port.
***
The Germa residence was strikingly conspicuous. Gazing up at the colossal, Den Den Mushi-shaped ship, Luffy and Usopp could only stand with their mouths agape.
"It's huge..."
"Sanji's mom is here?"
"Probably. This is the right place," Pedro confirmed.
"Hellooo~. Coming aboard~."
"Wait up!!" Usopp yelled.
While Usopp was confirming with Pedro, Luffy had already dashed up the gangway onto the ship. A large number of people milled about on deck. Crew members? Usopp wondered, just as the group simultaneously converged on them.
"Who are you? State your business."
"Whoa!? You surprised me..." Luffy jumped.
"We came to see Sora-san. Could you please inform her?" Robin requested.
"Sora-sama...? Wait here."
The men surrounding them all shared remarkably similar faces and builds. Same build, same face... it reminded Robin of the incident on Skypiea. Though she thought it unlikely to be related, she couldn't help but be wary.
Shortly after, Sora appeared, dressed in a white lab coat, and waved. The men encircling Luffy's group parted as she approached, then stepped back slightly to observe from a distance.
"Here for a visit? I'm happy to see you, but things are a bit hectic right now..."
"Hectic?"
"Yes," Sora trailed off, looking reluctant to elaborate.
Germa were "warmongers." If they were busy, it meant conflict was brewing. Sora herself wasn't keen on fighting and took no pride in their martial reputation. She preferred peace, but the decisions of Judge, the King of Germa, were absolute. Returning to find things immediately busy was difficult, but Luffy's group hadn't come just for a social call either.
"Lady, do you know where Sanji went?"
"? Isn't Sanji with you?"
"That's the thing. Sanji went off with you somewhere yesterday and hasn't come back."
"I saw him off until he left, at least. If he disappeared, it must have been after that..."
This wasn't something Sora could ignore either. She wanted to search, but Judge likely wouldn't permit it. Sanji had been disowned. For Germa, Sora was important only as Judge's wife; they had no reason to care about Sanji now, no grounds to authorize a search. Her presence on Skypiea had only been permitted because Twilight had undertaken her protection.
Sora's face paled. Even though he was grown, a parent would naturally worry about their child's unknown whereabouts.
"You're going to look for Sanji, aren't you? Where will you search?"
"We plan to search the direct route between here and our ship. If he disappeared, that's the most likely area," Robin explained.
"What about you, lady?" Luffy asked.
"I... I'll try to convince Judge somehow, get him to delay our departure."
Searching without permission would cause trouble, especially concerning Sanji. She needed to proceed cautiously. Regardless, they had to do what they could now.
The plan was set. They exchanged determined glances, nodded once, and set off. Robin, still hooded, took the lead. Pedro, with his keen eyes and nose, brought up the rear. Leaving the ship, they started walking straight back towards the Merry.
"But seriously, where could Sanji have gone?" Usopp wondered aloud.
"He didn't come back to the ship. He's not with his mom... Then where?"
Zoro had a point; they had too few leads. If only they had something, anything, to go on—.
Mulling this over, they hurried down the main street and turned a corner—colliding with a man turning from the opposite direction. Luffy, who was behind Robin, caught her before she fell.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
"Sorry 'bout that. But what's the hurry—"
The man who bumped into them stopped mid-sentence. Robin recognized his face—one of the men who had been following them yesterday—and then realized the collision had knocked her hood off.
"—You're Nico Robin...!?"
She tried to cover her face, but it was too late. The man glanced at Luffy standing behind her, then immediately turned heel and ran off somewhere. Luffy tilted his head, voicing his confusion.
"What was that about?"
"..."
Ideally, she wanted to deal with him before he could report to anyone, but the street was too crowded. Any overt action would attract unwanted attention. Her presence on the island had already been compromised yesterday. Judging the urgency wasn't excessively high, Robin pulled her hood deeper over her face and started walking again.
"Let's hurry. We need to find Cook-san quickly."
It would be best to finish their business and leave the island. Robin understood who targeted her. Giving her enemies time was a poor strategy. Worst case, it could lead to a repeat of Alabasta.
***
"Oh ho, this is marvelous!!"
Meanwhile, back on the Merry, Kaie had arrived accompanied by an elderly appraiser. The old man, his excitement palpable before the gold brought back from Skypiea, peered intently at the details through his magnifying loupe.
"One of your crewmates is missing, you say?" Kaie asked.
"Yes. Robin and the others went to see if you knew Sora-san's location, but..." Nami explained.
"They must have just missed me. I took a detour to bring him along," Kaie clarified, gesturing to the appraiser.
Inside the ship's cabin, Kaie took a sip of the tea Zepo had poured her, thinking about the missing Sanji. The man who had inexplicably turned to stone yesterday. The cause remained a complete mystery, but what had happened? Hancock insisted she'd done nothing, and Kaie certainly hadn't. And now that same man was missing.
Even if they cried for help, they were pirates. No one would likely assist them. Kaie was only listening because of their connection, but pirates disappearing wasn't exactly a rare occurrence. Though almost non-existent on this island, kidnappers were relatively common elsewhere. As long as the Celestial Dragons existed, it was a culture unlikely to die out.
"...Though it's probably unrelated this time."
If kidnappers were operating in Midgard, they would have been found long ago. This island wasn't affiliated with the World Government, meaning the government wouldn't protect it. Conversely, it also meant that individuals the government might overlook wouldn't escape notice here. Kanata did not approve of the trade in weapons and slaves. Anyone attempting such transactions secretly on this island would be swiftly discovered and dealt with by Kaie. Therefore, kidnapping was likely not involved in this case.
"Do you have any leads?"
"Leads... Hmm. Places Sanji-kun might go..."
"Places Sanji would go…" Nami trailed off.
She exchanged a look with Chopper.
"Places with lots of women!" they chorused.
"...Is that so," Kaie chuckled wryly. Same type as Scotch, then, she thought. Scotch, whose hairline had receded enough that he now kept his head shaved, often intimidating others, had always been fond of women and had money. Disappearing for two or three days after drinking wasn't unusual for him. Since they were making a fuss after just one night, Sanji's case was likely different, but it was still a point of reference.
"By the way, what is Uta peering around for?" Kaie inquired.
"Is Hancock-san here today?" Uta asked.
"She's free until Tesoro arrives. I let her do as she pleases today."
"Oh, okay."
Uta had been peeking out the door leading to the deck, likely looking for Hancock. Perhaps she thought she'd be dragged back if spotted again. Seeing Hancock wasn't around, Uta closed the door and sat down next to Kaie. Looking closely, Uta was indeed a striking beauty. Tall, with long, slender legs, well-defined features, and glossy purple hair that captivated people regardless of gender. She had curves in all the right places. Though, being a warrior, a closer look revealed she was quite muscular. ...Kaie herself admired Kanata, so while she didn't mind her figure, she wished she were shorter.
"Kaie-san, you're beautiful," Uta commented suddenly.
"...What brought this on?"
"I was just thinking, if Kaie-san called for Sanji-san, he might appear out of nowhere."
"Surely not."
"Seems plausible," Nami and Chopper agreed.
"Surely not..." Kaie repeated, slightly taken aback. This was a rather unfortunate way to be trusted. As one of Twilight's senior members, yet still relatively young among the executives, Kaie was often relied upon by those below her, but this was a first.
"...Well, he'll probably turn up eventually. I haven't heard reports of any major incidents."
It was only the day after yesterday, so perhaps information just hadn't reached her yet, but urgent matters would trigger a call on her personal Den Den Mushi. The lack of contact likely meant the situation wasn't critical.
"I'll help if I can. It seems Robin is indebted to you as well."
"...You know Robin too?" Nami asked.
"We've known each other for quite some time."
They had been acquainted since Robin was brought from Ohara, making it roughly twenty years. Kaie, being closer in age, had often looked after Robin, making her like an older sister figure, much like Teach was an older brother figure. Unlike Teach, however, Kaie wasn't knowledgeable about archaeology. She had come here partly hoping to see Robin again after a long time. She cared deeply for her younger sister figure.
A girls' gathering with Chopper present to talk about Robin would be nice, but... Robin's past involved too many classified matters to discuss casually. Besides, Kaie preferred listening over talking. She decided to ask about their journey instead.
"The appraisal will take time with this amount. Waiting for Robin and the others to return might be boring. If you don't mind, please tell me about your journey so far."
"Oh, I'm interested too!" Uta piped up.
"Well... we haven't traveled together for that long, but if that's okay," Nami agreed.
"Yes, that's fine," Kaie smiled, settling in to listen to Nami and Chopper's stories.
***
"Well now, Maja, Guernica, Joseph. On a mission?"
"Yes. You've been summoned as well."
"That's unusual, summoning even me. Is it more important than gathering intel in the pleasure district?"
"Nico Robin has been located."
"—I see. Ahead of the Four Emperors, then."
"We need to hurry. Another move by the Four Emperors Alliance would be problematic."
"Capture?"
"If it can be done covertly. We can't afford them storming Impel Down for her. Worst case, eliminate her to prevent the Poneglyph information from falling into their hands."
"Location?"
"—Midgard."