On the azure sea, Setsuna's fleet slowly approached Water 7.
The floating city was bathed in the warm morning light. Exquisite houses reflected on the shimmering water surface, the entire city resembling a flowing oil painting.
"All crew, free time. Return to the ship by sunset," Setsuna gave a concise order, then headed straight for Water 7's largest restaurant.
After all, he had tricked Don Slime regarding the 'demon' matter. He needed to placate him with delicious food quickly.
Moreover, Water 7's Mizu Mizu Meat was famous throughout the Grand Line. Even he had been looking forward to it for a long time.
Two hours later, Robin was strolling through the bustling streets with Uta and Bonney. The three women naturally formed a small group, enjoying their rare leisure time.
Uta wore a red-and-white dress, filled with curiosity about everything in this water city.
She would occasionally stop to watch street performances, sometimes humming her own melodies.
Bonney was like a cheerful skylark, her pink hair bouncing with her hops, holding a cotton candy bigger than her face.
"Robin-nee, the clothes in that shop are so pretty!" Bonney pointed at the exquisite dresses in the display window.
Robin smiled gently. "We'll go buy some later. But for now, let's find a restaurant first. I've heard the seafood paella here is very…"
Before she could finish, her expression suddenly turned serious. She warily scanned their surroundings.
Bonney, whose appetite had been piqued, asked, puzzled, "Robin-nee, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing. Perhaps I'm being too sensitive," Robin shook her head slightly. Years of life on the run had given her an extraordinary sharpness… she knew they are being followed.
But Robin wasn't too concerned. She was different now. She had a solid backing.
…
In an underground shipyard, a bar owner, dockworkers, ordinary citizens, the mayor's secretary… people of various identities gathered here.
"Blueno, why have you called us here?" Jabra said impatiently. "Speak quickly. If I'm late getting back, my pay will be docked."
Looking at this comrade already assimilated into the life of a laborer, Blueno sighed, then said seriously, "I discovered the trail of the [Devil Child], Nico Robin. She's on this island!"
"What?" Kalifa pushed up her glasses, unable to hide her surprise. "That [Devil Child] who had a 79 million Belly bounty at the age of eight?"
"Correct," Blueno nodded gravely. "I presume you all understand her value. If we capture her, we might be able to end this undercover mission early and return to headquarters."
These words greatly tempted the agents present. They had already been undercover in this city for two whole years.
It was foreseeable that they would have to continue undercover for a long time to come.
They didn't want to waste the most precious years of their lives in a place like this.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Lucci was decisive. "Execute the capture immediately!"
"It's not that simple," Blueno shook his head slightly, his expression serious. "She came ashore from the Gourmet Navigation Group."
"The Gourmet Navigation Group!" Kaku exclaimed. "That's the fleet of Chiaki Setsuna, the one who killed Golden Lion and was invited by the World Government to become a Warlord of the Sea?"
Blueno nodded. "That's a very troublesome individual. Even his Vice Captain possesses the terrifying strength to defeat a Warlord."
Lucci crossed his arms. "Although the Warlords are government allies, their privileges don't include harboring government fugitives. We can just go and demand she be handed over."
Kaku hurriedly stopped him. "Absolutely not! A man who can kill Golden Lion… how could he be threatened by us?"
Jabra sneered from the side. "You only know how to use brute force. A spy who doesn't use their brain will be a spy forever."
Lucci's gaze turned cold. "Do you want to die?"
"Your Doriki is higher than mine, but that doesn't mean you can break my [Tekkai]!" Jabra was very confident. He was the only one in CP9 who could move freely while using Tekkai.
"Enough arguing!" Kalifa stepped in to mediate. "Jabra, do you have a good plan?"
Jabra showed his canine teeth in a cold smile. "Have Blueno use his ability to quietly take Robin. She definitely won't dare expose her identity. On that fleet, she's probably just an insignificant ordinary person. No one would care if she went missing."
Lucci thought for a moment. "Fine. We'll do as you say."
…
At Water 7's most famous seafood restaurant, Robin and her two companions were enjoying a sumptuous lunch.
Uta enthusiastically showed them a new song she had composed. Bonney focused intently on the mountain of delicious seafood before her.
Suddenly, a door appeared out of thin air behind the three. Before they could react, a powerful suction force instantly swallowed them.
The restaurant waiter stared dumbfounded at the suddenly empty seats, the tray in his hands falling with a clatter. "D-dine and dash?"
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "Now they use Devil Fruit powers to dine and dash?"
Robin and the other two tumbled out of the door, finding themselves in a dark, damp underground shipyard.
Six dark figures closed in from all sides. One of them frowned. "Blueno, why did you capture three people?"
Blueno explained calmly. "To prevent anyone from sounding the alarm. For safety's sake, I took them all."
"It doesn't matter," Lucci stepped out from the shadows, standing before Robin. "Nico Robin. You know why we're here."
Robin protectively shielded the two girls behind her. "You're from the World Government?"
Lucci said calmly. "CIPHER POL No. 9. That's our organization. A secret intelligence agency directly under the World Government."
If this were before, Robin might have collapsed on the spot. But now, not only did she not retreat, she actually revealed a composed smile.
"You bad guys! What do you want with Robin-nee?" Bonney puffed out her cheeks, angrily placing her hands on her hips.
Kalifa pushed up her glasses, a meaningful smile appearing. "Little girl, you don't know, do you? She's the [Devil Child] who had a 79 million Belly bounty at the age of eight. A very dangerous criminal!"
"Wow! So cool!" Bonney's eyes sparkled upon hearing this, her face full of admiration. "I wish I could have a bounty when I was eight too!"
Having grown up witnessing the dark side of the World Government, her mind was full of rebellious thoughts.
Uta, on the other hand, elegantly tapped her chin, thinking to herself. "I destroyed an island and released a demon when I was ten. If that incident were exposed, I wonder how much my bounty would be?"
Seeing their reactions, Kalifa's face instantly darkened. "As expected, those who associate with Nico Robin are no good. Let's capture them all."
At that moment, Uta stepped forward. "Robin-nee is my crewmate. If you want to capture her, I won't hold back!"
The CP9 members were stunned. This seemingly fragile-looking girl was actually an officer of the Gourmet Navigation Group?
"Hahaha!" Jabra couldn't help but laugh heartily. "A little girl like you can be an officer? It seems that Chiaki Setsuna really has no one else to use."
Lucci didn't underestimate Uta because of her appearance. He instantly transformed into his leopard-man form, his sharp claws aimed straight for Uta's throat.
"Uta Uta World."
With Uta's clear voice, Lucci's body froze in mid-air, then fell to the ground with a 'thud' like a marionette with its strings cut.