After a quick sweep inside the treasure room, Tiffany Palace found nothing that interested her, though Fang Yi casually pocketed a few pieces of jewelry as a surprise for Buggy later.
"Creak…" The door suddenly swung open as an armored guard entered.
Alert as ever, Fang Yi yanked Tiffany into hiding.
"Huh? What is he doing?" Tiffany murmured in excitement… until she realized something was wrong.
This guard wasn't hunting for thieves—he was leisurely admiring the treasure. And the way he moved looked very familiar to Fang Yi.
He paused and made a strange chirping sound—their agreed-upon secret signal.
The guard froze, then relaxed, responding with a chirp of his own.
"Buggy… of course it's you!" Fang Yi smiled and emerged from hiding.
"Yi‑ge? What are you doing here?" Buggy's voice came from inside the armor.
Tiffany stepped out curiously: "You two know each other?"
"Wait… you're not some slave I rescued, are you?" Buggy looked at Tiffany in surprise.
"Not now—not the time for explanations. Shanks? No sign of him yet?" Fang Yi scowled.
"I'm impressive, right? Using my ability, I can wear this armor solo!" Buggy was separated from his armor, pieces floating above the floor.
"Aaaaaaaaa!" Tiffany screamed at the sight.
Buggy and Fang Yi were stunned.
"Stop gawking! We need to move—find Shanks fast, then run!" Fang Yi clamped Tiffany's mouth shut and yelled to Buggy.
"But—but—but the treasure in here…" Buggy frowned wistfully.
"This is not the treasure-hunting moment, you big idiot! Take me to Shanks now!" Fang Yi was furious at Buggy's timing.
"Ohhhh, follow me—Shanks is just ahead!" Buggy led the way, but all guards had been roused by Tiffany's scream. He couldn't spot Shanks in the sudden chaos.
"Unbelievable, you two!" Fang Yi sighed. "You go rescue Tiffany; Barrett and I will hide in the slave quarters. Once you find Shanks, bring him here. We're exposed—time to vanish!"
After escorting Tiffany out, Buggy looked back and shrugged absently: "That treasure room… maybe next time?"
He left Fang Yi holding Tiffany's unconscious body and plunged into the mess. Alone, Fang Yi gently revived Tiffany.
"You... why are you carrying me?" she said, waking.
"I had to protect you. You're… the Princess," Fang Yi replied wearily.
"And we got caught?" envisioned.
"Yes." He strode toward the slave quarters, Tiffany wobbling on his back.
Meanwhile, inside Commeracco's sleeping area:
A guard approached the Celestial Dragon Commeracco and reported: "...a woman's scream was heard just now. Other guards are searching."
Commeracco groaned and ordered, "Tell them to be quiet. If they find who woke me, kill them and dump them. I don't want this disturbance."
Satisfied, he fell back asleep. Guards quietly withdrew and reinforced the security without alerting the sleeping dragon.
Back in the slave quarters, just before dawn:
Barrett looked up at Fang Yi—relief flooding his face, but then hesitation. "Who is this girl?"
"She's a Celestial Dragon Princess," Fang Yi sighed. "Story of the night: Tiffany's hidden appearance triggered alarms that exposed us."
"If she isn't rescued by morning… we're toast." Barrett frowned. "They'll raise the alarm level, maybe call Marines. We'll never survive!"
"What do we do?" Fang Yi pondered.
"Make her a hostage then! Demand they give up the Surgery Fruit doctor for her return!" Barrett suggested.
"And then what? You think Marines let you walk away? With a hostage? No. Even if they deliver him, it's a trap. We'd be cornered," Fang Yi shook his head.
"We can't just wait," Buggy muttered from another corner.
"Yi‑ge, maybe I'll go talk to her family while you three hide her? Then we can strike a deal," Shanks offered.
"We divide up and we lose!" Fang Yi sighed.
Before they could decide, Tiffany sat up and shouted: "Hey—you're not a thief, are you? What kind of person are you?"
"I'm sorry, Princess Tiffany. I lied... I needed that doctor. My father is sick. That was why I came," Fang Yi responded gently, eyes kind.
"I don't trust you again! Release me!" Tiffany struggled against her restraints.
"Release, you would be suicidal," Buggy sneered. "If I were you, I'd keep moving."
Tiffany laughed suddenly at Buggy's round nose: "What? Your nose is huge!"
"And yours is nothing but oversized pigtails, missy!" Buggy retorted—but Shanks pulled him back.
"Tiffany, we discovered tonight that only daylight remains to escape. I'm sorry, but we have to go," Fang Yi said softly, drawing his dagger.
What? You… want to kill me? Tiffany's voice trembled.