As Smoker's words fell, the atmosphere in the courtyard seemed to solidify.
Tomioka saw Robin, who had been standing silently by a broken pillar, shrink back and completely hide in the shadow of the pillar.
Tashigi stepped forward, adjusted her glasses, and took out a pair of handcuffs from her waist. "According to the intelligence we currently have, a large amount of Dance Powder was found on the Baroque Works artificial rain ship intercepted at sea. The evidence is conclusive."
Her gaze swept over everyone present, finally resting on King Cobra as a sign of respect: "Besides the mastermind Crocodile, we now confirm that this criminal organization also has a visible agent responsible for issuing daily commands. And according to the testimonies from other arrested members, she is a slender woman of outstanding temperament."
"However, in Alabasta, most of Baroque Works' high-ranking officers have been arrested. Only this agent, we haven't even seen her shadow."
Luffy, upon hearing the description, visibly stiffened, then exaggeratedly pouted, his eyes uncontrollably darting towards the sky, looking guilty as if he knew nothing.
"Never seen her," Luffy's voice sounded a bit airy.
Tomioka looked at Smoker expressionlessly, his tone flat: "No."
Smoker's gaze swept back and forth between Luffy and Tomioka. He puffed on his cigar, slowly exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, his voice carrying a warning:
"I said I would let you go this time, but that doesn't mean you can harbor criminals of this country... Straw Hat, that's a crime of harboring a fugitive."
Just then, King Cobra, who had been rescued from the wall by Tomioka and was tidying his torn clothes, spoke. His voice, though somewhat weak, carried the steady composure of a king:
"That woman... I have seen her."
"!"
Luffy immediately turned his head, staring intently at Cobra, his mouth opening and closing as if he was about to curse.
But Cobra did not look at Luffy; he simply met the Marine's gaze and continued:
"However, after Crocodile appeared, she hastily left. Now, I'm afraid she's long gone from Alabasta City."
Tashigi looked puzzled. "Fleeing at the last moment when the plan is about to be completed? That doesn't seem logical."
"That, I do not know," Cobra shook his head, his expression natural.
"Perhaps she wanted to return to the Rainbase headquarters, Rain Dinners? I recognized her as seemingly the manager there." At this point, Cobra even looked towards the direction of Rainbase to the west, as if Robin had truly left from there.
Tashigi nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Smoker: "Rain Dinners... manager... Colonel, this is very possible. We should immediately send people to Rainbase to investigate."
Smoker's face darkened. Having been a Marine for so many years and undergone so much training, how could he not see the unnatural atmosphere and eye contact between these people?
He was certain that the so-called agent was definitely connected to the Straw Hat, and even to Cobra. But at the moment, there was no evidence, and he was facing the direct testimony of a king, so he couldn't forcefully refute it.
Smoker let out a dissatisfied snort through his nose, giving Luffy and Tomioka a deep look. "Let's go, Tashigi."
He said no more. With Tashigi, he helped the unconscious Crocodile up, turned, and left the chaotic palace courtyard.
Cobra even waved his hand, "Thank you, Marines."
"Goodbye, Smoker! And you, glasses swordsman!"
It wasn't until the two Marines' backs completely disappeared from sight that Robin quietly emerged from behind the pillar's shadow. She looked in the direction Smoker had left, then at the few people who had lied:
"I didn't expect... you would actually keep your promise."
"Whew!!!"
Luffy finally took exaggerated gulps of air, patting his chest. "You scared me to death just now! I thought you, old man, were really going to spill the beans!"
Cobra, however, showed a gentle and wise smile: "How could I... I wouldn't go back on my word to someone who just helped this country."
In Cobra's words, there was no further pursuit of Baroque Works' past issues. He knew those were irreversible. The victory of the recent battle alone was enough; at least, this country could now find peace.
"Then, Miss Nico Robin, would you like to see it now? The answer I promised you."
Robin met Cobra's gaze. She nodded gently, "Mm."
"Great! Let's go then!"
Luffy wasn't particularly interested in the so-called Poneglyphs. He excitedly tried to drag Tomioka away to meet up with Vivi and the others.
But Tomioka's steps stopped. He remembered something important.
"Where's Igaram?" he asked Robin calmly.
Luffy also reacted immediately, jumping in front of Robin and shouting, "Right!!! Where's Uncle Igaram?! Where did you hide him?!!!"
Looking at the nervous Straw Hat and the focused Tomioka, Robin's lips curved slightly upwards, revealing a somewhat mischievous smile, a little different from her usual demeanor.
"Him... by now, he should have been released and be on his way, right?"
Her tone was relaxed, as if recalling Igaram's location. "Don't worry, these past few days, aside from not being able to move freely, he's been very comfortably taken care of with food and lodging."
Cobra, hearing this, also showed a relieved smile. He patted the dust off his clothes and said, "Good, since Igaram is fine, that's good. I trust you."
The four then parted ways at the courtyard entrance.
Cobra took Robin to the royal tomb where the Poneglyph was hidden.
Luffy, meanwhile, hooked his arm around Tomioka's neck and dragged him towards the plaza.
"I'm telling you, Usopp, that guy, he kept saying he missed you!"
Luffy said with a grin, as if the tense atmosphere from earlier had never existed. "He said if you were there, Yuba and the green land would have been even more interesting."
"Hehehehehehehe."
Tomioka tilted his head slightly, unaccustomed to the gesture, but still responded, "Is that so..."
...In a room in Alabasta, Koza was pushed inside.
"Igaram?"
"Koza!"
Koza looked slightly shocked at the sight before him: the minister who had reportedly been missing for several years, now tied up in a chair and eating watermelon.
"How did you end up here too...?"
"These guys, after tying me up here... wouldn't let me move..." *chew chew chew* "But there's a lot to eat..."