"The Heart Pirates are already at the Conomi Archipelago?" Dante glanced from the report in his hand to Robin, who stood beside him. "That was fast. Didn't Daz Bonez just send word they were on their way?"
He had to admit, Wolf was a genius when it came to mechanics. He was also a man who believed in fair trade and genuinely loved his hometown. If Vegapunk hadn't stepped in, Dante knew that persuading the man to stay would have been a serious challenge. He had even been prepared to prop Wolf up as their lead researcher and legalize some of his inventions just to get him funded.
To his surprise, everything had gone smoothly, and now it seemed even Trafalgar Law had been drawn into his orbit.
"So, where are they now?" Dante asked.
"Romance Dawn," Robin replied, her expression a little strange. "They found it, and Mock and Dr. Wolf happened to be there, so they ran into each other. The report says the whole crew is there now, but it looks like they've run into a bit of trouble."
'Romance Dawn again?' Dante thought. Mock... ever since the place opened, he had become a regular. Now he seemed to take every new employee there to "relax." It had to be said, the results were surprisingly good, Garp and King Cobra had both been quite pleased with the establishment.
Still, Dante shook his head with a helpless sigh. "Tell Mock we're a respectable organization. He needs to stop taking new hires to a place like that." He paused, thinking of Mock's earnest personality, and sighed again. "On second thought, just let him be."
Just as he finished speaking, a soft knock came from the door.
*Knock, knock.*
"Come in," Dante called out, and the door opened.
Bartholomew Kuma entered, wearing his peculiar spotted bear-ear hat and carrying a book. "Boss."
"Kuma, you're back," Dante said, looking up at the large man. "Is everything in the Sorbet Kingdom taken care of?"
"It's all settled." Kuma nodded, a rare, warm smile touching his rugged face. "Everyone back home is grateful, Boss. The jobs you provided... they mean a lot."
"As long as there were no problems, that's what matters," Dante said with a casual wave.
For a number of reasons, they were preparing to expand their markets into the other three seas. To minimize trouble and cut costs, Nami had suggested setting up local transit stations that could also function as warehouses or final processing plants. They would ship raw materials or semi-finished goods, and the local facility would handle the final packaging and sales, allowing them to expand their foothold bit by bit.
When Kuma heard the plan, he saw an opportunity to bring investment and jobs to his homeland. He had immediately raised his hand and pleaded earnestly for the first station to be built in the Sorbet Kingdom. Since it didn't matter where they started, covering all four seas at once was impossible anyway, Dante had agreed and let Kuma handle the arrangements.
"Bonney's been complaining the last few days," Dante mentioned. "She said she wanted to go back with you to see everyone. Vegapunk did say a little sunlight won't hurt her now."
"Let's wait a little longer." Kuma's eyes seemed to soften as he spoke, his voice a low rumble. "Everyone misses her, too. When she's fully recovered, I'll take her back myself." He wanted her to be truly well before she went home again. He believed that day wasn't far off.
"As you wish," Dante said. "Coincidentally, I have something for you to handle right now." A smile played on his lips. "There's a man who might be able to help with Bonney's condition, maybe even speed up her recovery."
Seeing Kuma's expression shift with sudden excitement, Dante held up a hand. "Calm down first." He turned to Robin. "What was that trouble you mentioned they were in? Have Kuma go and sort it out. We can start by doing them a favor. If that doesn't work, we'll try something else."
'If it really comes to it,' he mused, 'I could have Kuro make an appearance. I wonder if Law would acknowledge him as a father figure.' He quickly dismissed the thought. If Law saw a man like Kuro using Corazon's fruit, he wouldn't see a father, he'd probably try to kill him on the spot just to make the fruit reincarnate.
"According to the message," Robin said, flipping through a small notebook, "the Heart Pirates' ship was reported for illegal docking. The Conomi Archipelago's Security Squad towed it to an impound lot. They'll only get it back after they pay the fine."
She looked up at Dante, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"Because of that, the Security Squad apparently chased them all the way to Romance Dawn. The two groups almost came to blows right there in the lounge, but Wolf managed to stop them in time. Otherwise..." She gave a small, knowing smile. "We'd probably be bailing them out of a cell right now."
"Is that so? What a shame," Dante said, nodding with mock regret. Of course, he knew the local security squad, even if they were training camp graduates, stood no chance of actually capturing Law and his crew.
"Well, this works too," Dante decided. "Kuma, head over there and help them sort out the ticket, then get their ship parked properly. Tell them not to leave it wherever they please next time. After that, invite their captain to see me."
He looked over at Kuma, but the big man's expression had suddenly become strange.
"What's wrong?" Dante asked, confused.
Kuma looked down, a hint of embarrassment on his face. He opened his mouth, hesitated, and then mumbled, "Um... I'm the one who reported it."
Dante stared at him.
"When I was coming back, I saw a pirate ship docked where it shouldn't be, so I reported it," Kuma explained, keeping his head lowered. "I'm sorry, Boss. I didn't know..."
Before he could finish, Dante cut him off. "It's fine. You did a great job."
Kuma looked up, his face a picture of confusion. He thought he had messed things up.
"When you're on our turf, you follow our rules," Dante said, waving a hand dismissively. "They broke the rules, so it's their own fault their ship got towed." His tone shifted, becoming serious as he looked Kuma in the eye. "But when you go over there, don't you dare mention you were the one who called it in. Just say it was a concerned citizen."
"...I understand."
--**--**
Meanwhile, at Romance Dawn.
"Ahh~" Shachi sighed contentedly, sinking back into the warm water. "Dr. Wolf, you really know how to live!"
"That's right!" Penguin added, splashing lightly. "And here we were, worried sick! You could have just told us you were coming here, you know."
The other Heart Pirates chimed in with their own playful complaints, causing Wolf to blush. He opened his mouth to explain, but no words came out. It was his first time in a place like this.
"Alright, alright, I'm the one who brought Uncle Wolf here," Mock announced, stepping in boldly. As the boss's loyal subordinate, he felt it was his duty to defend the new hire. "We were waiting for you at the lab, but you took too long, so we came on ahead. Everyone, do me a favor and lay off him. Today," he puffed out his chest proudly, "it's my treat!"
Wolf just stood there, speechless.
"As expected of the East Blue Overlord! So generous!"
"I saw the prices on the way in. This place isn't cheap!"
"East Blue Overlord, total legend!"
The two's chatter filled the air, leaving a helpless Wolf and a stone-faced Law, who had been silent the entire time. As their captain, Law could tell there was more to the story, but he didn't believe a word coming out of this "Overlord's" mouth.
He looked at Shachi and said coolly, "If you're done relaxing, go find Bepo and help him with the ship."
"Aw, Captain, I just got my feet in!" Shachi whined. "Dr. Wolf said not to worry about Bepo! He's a bear, he only likes female bears. Just let me soak a little longer!"
"Female bears?" Mock's ears perked up. He nodded thoughtfully. "I'll see if I can put in a request with the higher-ups to recruit some."
"You can even request something like that? The service here is amazing!" Penguin said, his eyes wide. "And that ticket thing from earlier was so easy. All we had to do was send Bepo to sort it out. So user-friendly." His expression suddenly turned serious. "But as for the female bears, that won't be necessary."
As soon as he said it, the other crew members immediately agreed.
"Right, right! No need for female bears."
"We got no use for lady bears!"
"Bepo doesn't even like soaking his feet!"
As they were all talking over each other, a familiar, furry figure appeared in the doorway. "Um," Bepo said dejectedly, having returned at some point. "Actually, I can soak my feet, too."
The two fell silent, turning to Bepo with sheepish smiles. He was back already? Just as they were about to apologize, another figure appeared behind him, casting a long shadow over the room.
It was a towering man.
Before anyone could fully react, Law's expression hardened. He shot to his feet, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword as he stared at the newcomer. "A Warlord... the Tyrant..."
Why was he here? Before Law could finish his thought, the "East Blue Overlord" stood up and laughed heartily. "Kuma, you're back! Want to join us for a soak? It's on me!"
Law frowned, his grip tightening on his sword as he watched the scene unfold in disbelief. The East Blue Overlord and a dog of the World Government... they knew each other?
While Law was still trying to process the situation, the Tyrant shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm here on business." He turned to face Law, adjusted his frameless glasses, and after a brief hesitation, said with a deadpan expression, "The boss wants to see you."
===============
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