Alex and Tereza look at each other, both visibly uncomfortable with the current situation.
They then glance at the pale Nico Robin, who is seemingly speechless—unable to respond to Benezia's demand.
Wow, I didn't think there'd be a day when Tereza and I—especially Tereza—would be shocked by someone else's extreme actions, except maybe Rishi. I have to say, this damn Matriarch is fucking crazy. Not only is she calculative, cunning, and ruthless... she's extremely decisive and casually opens the door to hell.
I also blame the spider for egging her on! What a fucking mess! I want to scream. I feel like Gordon Ramsay, but I'd better stay calm and not rage like he does. Gotta play it cool.
"Who... who are you people? Are you Marines? Or are you... CP9?!" Robin asks, trying her best to remain calm.
Princess Jewel is a spider. Please correct her, Soulmate. What a foolish person!
No. It's your fault we're in this mess! You are a very naughty spider! She wasn't even talking about you, by the way!
Princess Jewel is always kind, well-behaved, and dependable. How can she not be the center of attention?
To Alex's annoyance, Benezia remains silent before looking at him with an amused, slightly pleased expression.
Does she expect me to answer? She started this bullshit, so she might as well make up her own story! Fine... I guess I am better in that regard, at least. I feel like the biggest liar ever since I entered the Realm. Even in the real world, did I not lie this much!
"CP9 is pathetic," Alex says, thinking about what to say, his face turning serious. He taps into [Shepard's Promise R2], his eyes briefly flickering with a blue spark of lightning as he formulates his strategy.
He then takes a deep breath and begins to speak in a clear, calm, almost casual tone. "But to answer your question—no, we're not members of CP9. We're not part of the filthy World Noble spy agency. It's also rather curious that you mention CP9, which is a secret organisation. Only CP1 to CP8 exist on paper. Of course, we're not Marines either. I guess you could call us Rebels... no, that doesn't quite fit, since we're not part of the silly Arabasta Rebellion or the Revolutionary Army."
Alex pauses, pretending to be deep in thought, before continuing.
"I can't tell you much, but maybe you can view us as people interested in a little revolution. There exists a long period that is lost to history. During the last decades—and even centuries—something precious has been lost, clues to uncovering the truth about that missing period of time. Cynics might say... something was written out of history itself. Whenever there's a battle, there's always one winner and one loser. Regardless of the truth, the winner declares their version as the only truth. Anything that contradicts that version gets wiped off the face of the earth... along with anyone who seeks it."
"You... you're talking about the Void Century?! You know about it?!" Robin exclaims, her calm mask now fully shattered.
What a history freak... looks like I got her!
"We know some things," Alex says. "It's all related to those filthy Celestial pigs. In any case, there are still sources of truth left, and we're searching for them. We're not interested in harming you—in fact, we even respect you. We know about you—our investigations led us to research the Ohara incident. What happened to you and the island is a terrible crime, so we do not want to put you in a bad spot—you do not deserve it."
He pauses just a moment before finishing.
"However, if you try to ruin our plans, we're not going to sacrifice ourselves for your sake. Nothing changes for your daily duties. We just want you to give us the missions we want. Is that acceptable?"
Robin stares at Alex, her hands trembling slightly. "Yes... May I ask you a few questions? I've been searching for so long—I need to know."
As Alex is about to answer, Benezia cuts in, interrupting him.
"It's a give-and-take situation. You give us exactly what we want, child, and if you do a good job, we might answer your questions and provide you with a few clues for your journey. Don't think we're simply blackmailing you, because we fear you. We're strong enough to take you down—and all of the other officer agents, for that matter. It would merely inconvenience us. Even Crocodile does not intimidate us. I expect a favourable answer. Do you accept our conditions?"
"I just need to give you preferential treatment?" Robin asks, a little confused.
"Exactly," Alex says. "Maybe a few more things, but really, nothing too much. Your reputation, your secret, and everything else you might value here will remain secure. In return, as Benezia said, we'll answer your questions."
"I will gladly accept this offer... I have more than just a few questions. However, despite my role, the boss makes the major decisions. I am, in fact, just his assistant, doing the menial tasks and acting as an adviser. The decisions are made by him. I also can't simply send you—the currently sixth-highest pair of agents—somewhere without a good reason. Especially because Mr. 0 is personally interested in you. He mentioned you might be as capable as Mr. 1."
"Huh, so he doesn't think that highly of us then," Alex jokes.
"Didn't you hear what I said? He compared you to the highest-ranked officer," Robin responds, visibly annoyed.
She doesn't get it....
"Heh, I heard you just fine," Alex replies smugly. "Anyway, you said you can't send us anywhere... you'd better come up with an idea to make that happen."
"You can simply come up with fake intel. You're in charge of that information to begin with, aren't you?" Benezia asks bluntly.
"True... but we're operating in only a small part of the Grand Line. Currently, the boss wants you to handle the issues on Sandy Island. I'll try to come up with a few missions. However, you just want to leave on a pretense, right? I can't make that happen—it doesn't work that way."
She sits down in her chair, her posture now calm, though there's a subtle tension visible on her face. "The boss won't allow it, and the consequences for me would be dire. Cro—no, Mr. 0 is not a foolish man. He's cunning, intelligent, and willing to play the long game. The only way you can go wherever you want is if you have a real mission. I can tweak some details or give you far more time than required, but I can't just fabricate something meaningless. I also need time... how about this: you complete one of the missions I already told you about. If you tell me where you want to go, I'll try to craft a halfway believable story around it."
Benezia reaches into her robe and pulls out a map from her inventory, handing it over.
"These are some of the locations we're interested in exploring," she states.
"Jaya... are you trying to find the lost city of Shandora? Gold?" Robin asks, scanning the map. "It's an interesting mission—but sadly, completely unfeasible. The boss wants results now, not something unreliable."
She continues scanning through the locations. "Thriller Bark... You want to interact with Moria? That's dangerous and also not possible. Going against a Warlord while the Rebellion is still active is the last thing he wants to do. He would never risk his position."
"Water 7... there might be some work to do there, but I'll have to make sure. I remember Mr. 0 casually mentioning something about Water 7, about a year ago. What's left? Sabaody... completely out of the question. It's too far away, and we have no ties or staff there. The risk is also unnaturally high. I'll still see what I can do," Robin says at last, her voice revealing her frustration.
"Isn't bounty hunting a large part of Baroque Works?" Alex asks, a little confused. "You could just send us on a bounty hunt while we choose the locations we're interested in. Pirates are almost everywhere. Just make up a sighting where we want to go."
"That is true... but I need specific leads to assign you a mission. If I make up information with no sources and you won't be able to find the target, I'll draw attention to myself. The boss does not forgive failure. For now, please consider doing one of the missions I initially offered you. I'll do my best to find something that suits you in the meantime. If you do well, I'll have a strong position to justify a new personal mission to the boss," Robin says, clearly attempting to compromise.
Alex looks to Benezia, who, after a moment's hesitation, nods.
"Accepted," she says. "We wish no harm upon you. But should you cross us, the consequences will be dire. Do not throw away your life, child. I'd hate to kill you."
"Understood," Robin replies, her expression unreadable as she stares at Benezia. "I don't know why you even joined Baroque works, but I will put my trust in your character, not like I have a choice. The mission that will impress the boss the most is eliminating key targets. I have a long list of threats to the cause of Baroque Works. You can choose to gather resources or spy on the Rebel Army instead, but neither of those tasks is what the boss expects from you. He told me to give you these three choices as a test. He expects you to take the riskiest assignment to prove your combat strength."
"Fine, I guess?" Alex says. "It sounds doable. We are highly mobile, and we will probably do just fine."
I wonder... will players be involved?
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