"Hey, is that guy really going to be okay?"
Bonney watched Sanji, who had charged off fueled by sheer momentum, with a dubious expression. Despite the element of surprise, Bonney had easily overpowered him. They couldn't afford to be burdened by a liability when dealing with government agents. Drake shrugged and dismissed Bonney's concern. "He should be fine."
"This is about whether I can trust him with my back," Bonney insisted. "We're being chased. I can't rely on anyone I don't trust."
"That man's Haki isn't bad. He should be able to hold his own even against Cipher Pol."
"...Him?"
"Yes, him. Besides, our partnership is limited to this island. If you're worried, you should leave soon."
Finding no room for argument in Drake's dismissive tone, Bonney clicked her tongue. "Don't drag me down, or I won't show any mercy!" she snapped at Sanji before storming out of the room.
Drake rose from the floor and motioned with his fingers for Sanji to follow as he headed for the door. Sanji had questions, but first, food.
Drake led him to what appeared to be the ship's galley. Glancing past a kitchen that showed little sign of use, Drake placed a basket of fruit on the table.
"Help yourself."
"...You don't use the kitchen?"
"I can manage the basics, but I don't have the time to cook for others every time. While on this island, it's faster and tastier to buy from shops."
"There's food in the fridge... I'm going to use it, alright?"
"...Go ahead."
Sanji quickly cleaned the kitchen area, took out a frying pan and pot, and began making pasta. Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, his movements were fluid and unhesitating. As long as the ingredients were there, other factors seemed trivial. In no time, he had prepared Aglio e Olio, plated it with practiced hands, and began to eat.
"..."
Perhaps it was because he was a cook, but his handling of the fork was impeccable. It was proof of a proper upbringing. Many pirates, especially in this era, lacked formal education. Learning proper table manners suggested a relatively high standard of education, something usually found only among nobility or large merchant families. Drake, out of habit, observed Sanji's small details as Sanji spoke between bites.
"So, what do you need me to do?"
He understood from the conversation that Robin was being targeted by the government and that government agents were on the island. But he didn't know how to identify them or what to do after confronting them.
"Robin is currently targeted by the Government and the Navy. We'll identify the agents. For now, just knock them out, tie them up, and leave them."
Kaido and Linlin were also after her, but attacking this island would be difficult even for them. They likely wouldn't launch a direct assault. The movements of an Emperor inevitably leaked. If they did move, there were ways to handle it, and it wasn't Drake's primary concern. Having the Government and Navy freely targeting Robin on Midgard was the more immediate problem.
"Why is Bonney-chan helping out? From what you said, she doesn't seem to belong to the same group as you."
"...She has her circumstances. I don't know the details myself, but she's being pursued by the government, so I'm temporarily sheltering her."
If Kanata hadn't given direct orders, Drake wouldn't have stayed on this island dealing with Bonney's pursuers. Officially, Drake was an independent pirate. There was likely a significant reason, but he hadn't grasped the specifics and had no intention of prying. Ask her yourself if you want to know, was his stance. Drake simply wasn't interested enough to ask. Sanji looked exasperated.
"And that's fine with you? You guys are pretty laid-back."
"If you're done eating, let's go."
Sanji quickly washed the dishes and followed Drake off the ship. They headed towards a shop near the royal castle. Searching aimlessly wouldn't reveal government agents; their specialty was stealth.
However, Midgard had a simple screening process for entering the inner sea. Of course, truly covert agents might infiltrate disguised as Marines or pirates... but generally, Marines in the Grand Line used warships, requiring them to switch vessels to enter the inner sea. Ships small enough to enter the inner sea could be monitored from both the outer and inner islands. Thanks to the accumulated expertise of Kanata and Feiyun in identifying suspicious individuals using Observation Haki, ships carrying agents were detected with high probability.
"First, we get information. Then we raid them, capture them, and hand them over to the island security. That's it."
"...Isn't Twilight one of the Seven Warlords? Won't capturing government agents put them in a bad position?"
"If they're found out, it might be a problem," Drake replied cryptically.
If it's not discovered, it's not a crime, he seemed to imply. Sanji gave Drake a dubious look, but Drake remained impassive. Twilight were pirates, after all. They likely had their share of shady dealings, though there were limits.
"How much do you know about Robin?"
"How much...? I know she's an archaeologist looking for the Poneglyphs."
"The government has completely forbidden the reading of those Poneglyphs. Her homeland, Ohara, was destroyed by a Buster Call for doing just that."
"!?"
Drake's words shocked Sanji so much that he dropped the cigarette from his mouth. The pieces clicked into place in his mind.
Ohara, Robin's homeland located on Skypiea. Destroyed for deciphering the Poneglyphs. The stone monument in Ohara, the names carved upon it. Robin placing flowers and praying before the monument.
"So that's it..."
Robin's actions on Skypiea suddenly made sense. If she had truly brought Ohara from the West Blue, not just metaphorically, then the conflict between Twilight, who aided Ohara, and the opposing Government was easily imaginable. It seemed like information that could shatter their Warlord status if revealed to the government, but the fact it hadn't suggested it remained hidden.
Realizing this, Sanji felt a pang of danger; he had stumbled upon quite a mess. Though troubling, Sanji had no intention of betraying Robin. If I just keep quiet about it to the others, it should be fine, he thought.
"We want to keep the relationship between Twilight and Robin as quiet as possible. Please be careful yourselves."
"...I'll do my best."
"Though, I doubt it matters much even if it gets out," Drake mused. Twilight's contributions were significant. They had defeated numerous pirates, contributed to maintaining order, and stabilized logistics through shipping—achievements the government couldn't ignore. Considering their past struggles with disrupted logistics causing price surges, and the fact that Twilight possessed the strength to suppress either Kaido or Linlin individually, the government likely wouldn't choose open hostility. This was based on Drake's understanding, at least.
"Anyway, deal with the agents quickly, then you all should leave the island soon. Disappearing should buy some time."
***
"They're not here?"
"No."
In the back room of the shop near the royal castle, where Drake received information from his contact, he wore a puzzled expression.
"That can't be right. Yesterday, word was quite a few had infiltrated."
"That was yesterday. It got resolved during the night."
"...Who made the move? Someone from the Valkyrie or the Einherjar?"
Twilight's forces were vast, especially on this directly controlled island. It wouldn't be surprising if there were forces Drake didn't know about, and they could have handled the situation. Kanata had ordered Drake to deal with the agents, but that didn't mean he had to do it alone. It wasn't strange if other available forces had been deployed.
"Germa."
"What did you say...!?"
Drake and Sanji stared in astonishment.
"They are allies, certainly... but was the relationship close enough to use them for eliminating agents?"
"I don't know the details myself. But it seems Germa decided siding with us, Twilight, was better than siding with the World Government."
Drake knew little about Germa—or rather, Judge. But he knew they were called "warmongers," and they were the evil army from the famous North Blue story, "Sora, Warrior of the Sea." Whether they could be trusted was not Drake's decision to make, but the timing felt slightly unsettling. Had something happened to solidify their alliance? Drake crossed his arms and fell silent, pondering.
"The only recent major events were the vacant Warlord position and the Emperors making a move... Was there anything related to the North Blue...?"
Perhaps it was a move to cut off funding for the Beasts-Big Mom pirate alliance? Maybe something was discovered during the previous clash. As Drake mulled over various possibilities, someone else entered the shop the same way they had. A group of four unfamiliar faces. As Drake turned his attention to them, he noticed Sanji's eyes widen out of the corner of his vision.
"Hm? ...You, are you Sanji?"
"Well... It's been a while. Fancy meeting you here."
Red, blue, green, pink—three men and one woman, each with distinctively colored hair. Sanji narrowed his eyes, making no attempt to hide his irritation as he glared at them.
"Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, Reiju..."
"Don't use our names so casually, failure," Niji sneered back. Their family ties were already severed. There was not a shred of courtesy between them.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Drake narrowed his eyes and scanned the four. Dressed simply in white shirts and ties matching their hair colors, they emanated a scent of blood incomparable to ordinary pirates.
"Who are you?"
"Who are you?" Ichiji countered.
"He's an intelligence operative for Twilight. Not an enemy," the informant interjected, likely fearing a brawl. Realizing this person knew their location meant they were connected, Ichiji seemed satisfied and posed his next question.
"I see. But why are you with that failure?"
"He's merely cooperating with me. More importantly, are you going to answer my question?"
"We are Germa. We are allied with Twilight. We have no intention of hostility."
Understanding Judge's intentions, Ichiji showed no hostility towards Drake. He seemed uninterested in Sanji, but Niji and Yonji behind him appeared otherwise.
"It's been a while. A little fun wouldn't hurt, right?" Niji grinned.
"We don't have time to play around. Though... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious if that weakling has improved somewhat," Ichiji mused.
"Stop it. We have our next job," Reiju interjected.
"It's not urgent. A little fun—won't matter, right!"
Niji lunged, laughing, throwing a punch at Sanji.
Sanji reacted instantly, spinning and delivering an axe kick to Niji's face.
Yonji, momentarily stunned as Niji went flying, took a kick to the face in that brief opening and was sent flying similarly.
Even Ichiji, who had shown no interest, seemed captivated by Sanji's current movements. But Sanji, the one who had delivered the kicks, wore a grim expression.
(What is this bizarre hardness... It felt like kicking solid steel.)
It was completely different from the sensation of kicking a human. He knew the other three had exhibited unusual toughness since childhood, but surely not to this extent. Has their resilience increased as they grew? he wondered, glaring at the downed Niji and Yonji.
"Surprising. To match my speed with a kick."
"But it wasn't much," Yonji scoffed.
Despite being sent flying, Niji and Yonji showed no signs of pain. Sanji knew they weren't normal, but to take his kicks head-on like this showed resilience far beyond human limits. It felt like Sanji's own leg might give out first from the sheer hardness; it was extraordinary.
"What's with that toughness...!?"
"Sanji, because you were a failure, it never manifested, but... we siblings were born superhuman."
An exoskeleton on humans. Abnormal regenerative abilities. Immense physical strength. —And, hearts of ice, unmoved by anything. Reiju, born as a prototype, lacked the heart of ice but possessed the other traits, a superhuman. Sanji's other siblings possessed all these traits. Ordinary bullets couldn't pierce them, and their unparalleled strength on the battlefield earned them the name "warmongers."
"Do you understand? A mere human like you—can never defeat us!"
This time, there wasn't even surprise. The moment Niji lunged to grab Sanji, Yonji grabbed them both and threw them outside. He hadn't attacked his own ally; knowing Niji was tougher than the wall, he had simply forced them outside where it was easier to fight. Yonji immediately chased after them.
"Hahaha! You seem to have gotten a little better, but you're still the same!"
Niji punched Sanji in the face. Sanji landed a powerful kick to Niji's stomach, but this time, Niji took it head-on, merely sliding back a few meters. The first hit had landed cleanly, but fighting properly, enduring without the suit, was easy.
Now Yonji jumped in, attempting to grapple Sanji, but Drake grabbed Yonji's arm from the side.
"...What do you think you're doing?"
"That's my line. I told you this man is cooperating. Are you looking for a fight?"
"This is a family matter. Outsiders stay out!!"
Perhaps angered by the interruption, Yonji tried to grab Drake with his free hand. However, Drake gripped that arm as well and glared fiercely at Yonji, as if to say, If words won't stop you, then so be it.
"Wha—"
Drake's form shifted. From human to beast. Not as tough as Germa's exoskeleton, perhaps, but the thick, sturdy hide of a creature—a dinosaur. At the sight, Yonji couldn't help but cry out. It was a rare type of Zoan ability. Even Yonji, who had seen many battlefields, had only encountered such users a handful of times.
"An Ancient Zoan user!"
"Grrrrrr—!!"
Using powerful jaws and hard teeth, Drake bit down on Yonji, putting immense force into crushing his abdomen. Unable to ignore this, Ichiji struck Drake's face from the side. The moment Drake's grip loosened from the powerful impact, Niji grabbed Yonji's leg and pulled him free. The surroundings erupted in chaos from the sudden battle, and the three siblings, excluding the uninterested Reiju, fixed sharp glares on Drake. Sanji was no longer even in their consideration.
"You want to fight? Us?"
"That's my line. If you want to interfere in alliance matters, don't spout nonsense about family problems."
Seeing no other option, Ichiji took out a bracelet-like device. Niji and Yonji followed suit, prompting a flustered Reiju to intervene.
"Wait! Are you really going to fight!?"
"This fight started haphazardly anyway. It's a good opportunity to show our strength."
"Don't be foolish! It will inevitably worsen relations!!"
"Shut up, Reiju. He's ready to fight too."
In the volatile standoff, a shadow fell over everyone. Dilus, one of the giants responsible for Midgard's defense, had arrived. At his feet stood Hancock, Sandersonia, and Marigold. The four Vinsmoke siblings' gazes were all fixed on Hancock, eyes practically turning into hearts.
"What are you doing here!"
"Kuja Hancock... there are some people who can't communicate with her. Lucky that Dilus is here."
Hancock was a Kanata loyalist and displayed extreme selfishness when Kaie or other stoppers weren't around. She was the worst person to mediate a fight. Dilus, on the other hand, while valuing strength as a giant warrior, was rational. This was near the royal castle, where the strongest forces were inevitably concentrated, which likely explained why such a group had assembled so quickly.
Drake only wanted to stop the fight, not start one. He reverted from beast form to human form, signaling his lack of hostility.
"I have no intention of fighting. I merely stopped them when they started brawling right in front of me."
"Nonsense... You were seriously trying to bite Yonji's head off!" Niji accused.
"I could see how tough you are. I simply judged that just restraining you wouldn't be enough to stop you."
As the argument between Niji and Drake threatened to escalate, Dilus stomped his foot. The sheer presence forced Drake and Niji to turn their attention towards the giant.
"I will hear both sides later. Are you willing to come quietly to the guardhouse?"
The unspoken threat was clear: If not, I'll crush you and drag you there by force. Making a scene wasn't beneficial for either side. Drake raised his hands to show he wasn't hostile, and Sanji, blood trickling from his forehead, did the same. The problem lay with Germa.
"We have business to attend to. We don't have time to be detained."
"Then I will crush you here and take you. Any objections?"
"Try it if you think you can."
An alliance existed between Twilight and Germa. Detaining them improperly could cause diplomatic issues, and Dilus and Hancock, both poor at handling such matters, exchanged annoyed glances. Might as well crush them first and figure it out later, they thought. It was the pirate way, after all. Just as Hancock raised her arms to petrify them—a figure descended from the sky. It was Kaie, having literally leaped from the castle.
"...Another strange situation."
"Kaie. Good timing, someone reasonable has arrived," Drake sighed in relief.
"Drake, now that you're independent, you'll be judged like any outsider."
"That's sufficient. As long as they don't side with the other party."
Kaie then turned her attention to Ichiji and the others. Kaie was the designated liaison with Germa. She knew why they were on the island, reasons included... but dealing with the trouble they caused was also her job.
"Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, and Reiju... Reiju, I assume you weren't involved?"
"No. These three were the idiots," Reiju confirmed.
"Very well."
In the next instant, Kaie grabbed Ichiji's head and slammed it into the ground. She dodged Niji's immediate counter-punch, stomped on his foot, delivered a powerful blow to his face that sent him reeling, and finally subdued the lunging Yonji with an axe kick to the top of his head.
Ichiji, having instinctively protected his head, remained conscious, but before he could activate his Raid Suit, Kaie landed several more blows, knocking him out.
Her movements were incredibly fluid. Such practiced ease spoke of experience. Drake and Sanji couldn't help but stare, wide-eyed. Elsewhere, the Hancock sisters cheered wildly while Dilus looked exasperated.
"Just listening to them is a waste of time. I'll take them to Judge."
"That seems best. Trying to reason with them verbally would be pointless anyway."
Unnecessary trouble was unwelcome in this city. Kaie effortlessly lifted the three unconscious brothers and, with Reiju following, headed towards the Germa port, her steps showing no sign of the burden.
"Drake, you go with Dilus and the others. Dilus, I doubt it's necessary, but please get a brief statement."
"Very well," Dilus nodded solemnly.
Broadly speaking, both parties involved in this trouble were 'family.' The response would likely be lenient, and since no civilians were injured, there was no need to make a big deal out of it. Pirate brawls were commonplace in this sea; strict enforcement for every incident would be overwhelming.
Thus, Sanji found himself heading back towards the royal castle, accompanied by Drake.
***
Author's Note: Doflamingo has been erased from memory, causing bugs where the truth can't be reached everywhere (even Kanata has forgotten the reason why she acted at that specific timing).