Chapter 266: Life's Troubles, Talk to the Boss...
Everyone!
Robin remained silent.
"CP9."
The man revealed his identity, "You should know who we are."
Of course Robin knew.
The secret intelligence agency directly under the World Government, and the ones who had been tracking her all along.
"What is your purpose?"
"We not only intend to take you away, but also require your cooperation in a mission."
Robin frowned.
"And if I refuse to cooperate?"
The man was silent for two seconds.
Then he uttered a single word.
"Buster Call."
Robin's pupils contracted sharply.
Buster Call.
Authorized by the World Government, organized by Navy Headquarters.
Deploying five vice admirals, ten warships, and nearly ten thousand soldiers to launch indiscriminate, devastating attacks on the target area.
That was how Ohara disappeared.
Her mother, her teachers, all her fellow countrymen—turned to ashes in that assault.
The man continued to threaten:
"If you don't cooperate, we will initiate a Buster Call. The Straw Hat Pirates will vanish from this world because of you."
Robin's hands trembled.
To this day, she could not forget the horrific scene when her homeland was attacked by the Buster Call.
Now, the World Government's secret agents, CP9, were threatening her with the Buster Call once more.
And the targets were these companions who were willing to accept her, willing to fight an admiral for her, and oppose the government.
Though they were strong, the opponent was the Buster Call!
What kind of monsters were the Navy's vice admirals?
Moreover, with ten groups of warships, their artillery fire could destroy even an island, let alone a small pirate crew.
Just then, a "Bururururu" sound came from her chest.
Den Den Mushi.
Robin froze.
The man heard it too.
"Answer it, but remember our words."
Robin did not answer the call in front of CP9.
"As long as you don't harm my friends, I will cooperate."
The man nodded.
"Smart."
He turned and disappeared into the shadows of the bridge tunnel.
Robin stood in place for a long time.
Then she walked out of the dark bridge tunnel, a smile returning to her face.
Sanji and Chopper were calling her name not far away.
"Robin—over here—"
"Coming."
After regrouping, Robin dialed back the earlier call.
It was news from Skypiea.
Then Robin asked Sanji and Chopper:
"I need to find Ralph to relay some information."
"Will you two return to the ship and wait, or come along?"
Sanji and Chopper said, of course they'd come along!
They also wanted to see the world's best shipyard.
At the center of Water 7, the headquarters of Galley-La Company.
It was a massive building.
In front of Dock 1, workers moved in and out, busy yet orderly.
When Robin and the other two found Lufia and the others, separated by a waterway, Lufia and the other three were standing at the dock entrance talking to someone.
They had just exchanged the gold for Berry.
Each of the four held a box of money, with Nami clutching hers tightly, extremely nervous.
Just then, an unexpected incident occurred.
A splashing sound came from the nearby canal.
Several people riding Yagara Bulls, a common mode of transportation in Water 7, came rushing down the canal with the current.
They were moving fast, reaching the entrance in the blink of an eye.
Two of them leaned down and grabbed the money boxes from Nami and Usopp's hands.
"Robbery—!"
Nami screamed.
Usopp tried to grab them but failed.
The two Fish-men, holding the money boxes, laughed loudly as they sped away along the water.
The next moment, Ralph appeared behind the two Fish-men.
Geppo.
He took several steps in mid-air, catching up to them.
Then delivered a punch to each.
Thud. Thud.
The two Fish-men riders tumbled off their bullfish and fell into the river.
The money chest landed in Ralph's hands.
Holding the chest, he returned to his original spot and placed it back into the hands of Nami and Usopp.
"Keep a better eye on it next time."
Nami stood with her mouth agape, unable to process what had just happened.
Usopp's expression darkened, his grip on the chest tightening slightly.
Outside the Galley-La Company, a crowd watched the scene unfold.
Iceburg's eyes flickered slightly.
Standing behind him were his secretary and several of the company's foremen.
A woman with short blonde hair and a burly man with a pigeon perched on his shoulder wore particularly vivid expressions.
But their gazes were all fixed on Ralph.
The burly man with the pigeon, Rob Lucci, narrowed his pupils slightly.
Soru.
Geppo.
This Pirate knew the Six Powers.
And he used them better than most CP agents.
Beside him, the blonde woman, Kalifa, adjusted her glasses, concealing the surprise in her eyes.
Ralph turned around, meeting their gaze directly.
He held eye contact for a second before looking away.
"Who were the ones trying to steal the money?"
Ralph deliberately asked Iceburg.
Iceburg sighed.
"Members of the Franky Family."
"A group of thugs from a ship dismantling yard. They occasionally attack Pirates who come to Water 7."
"Ship dismantling yard?"
Usopp rubbed his wrist.
"Isn't that a legitimate business?"
"They're also Bounty Hunters," Iceburg said.
"Capturing Pirates for bounties, stealing Pirate treasures—they'll do anything to make money."
Lufia, slow to react, gritted her teeth in anger.
"I'm a Pirate! How dare they try to rob me!"
Iceburg smiled.
"Come inside first! I believe the person inspecting your ship will be back soon."
Robin and the other two arrived to join them.
The seven of them followed Iceburg into the Galley-La Company.
The company was vast, with ships under construction or repair docked inside.
Workers climbed up and down scaffolding, the sounds of tools and materials clashing filling the air.
Lufia's eyes sparkled as she looked around.
"This is amazing…"
Sanji nodded.
"As expected of the world's number one shipyard."
Just then, a man with a long, square nose hurried back into the shipyard.
Kaku was also a foreman at the shipyard and, at the same time, a CP9 agent undercover there.
He had just gone to inspect the condition of the Going Merry and returned to report to everyone.
"Boss, I checked the ship."
Iceburg nodded.
"How is it?"
Kaku fell silent for two seconds.
"The keel is severely damaged. It has no value for repair."
Usopp stood up.
"What?"
Kaku explained in detail.
"The extent of the keel damage makes it impossible for the ship to continue sailing. To repair it, the entire keel would need to be replaced. And replacing the keel—
"Is no different from building a new ship."
Iceburg added, "I suggest you buy a new ship."
Usopp's face flushed red.
"Impossible! How could the Going Merry be broken? Ralph and I have always protected it well!!"
Sanji frowned.
"Usopp, calm down. Ships aren't like people. People can grow stronger through hardships, but ships can't."
Usopp glared at him.
"What do you mean? The Going Merry has been through so much with us! The East Blue, Reverse Mountain, Alabasta, Skypiea—"
"It never abandoned us!"
Sanji said nothing.
Lufia lowered her head, biting her lip.
Usopp turned to her.
"Lufia, say something! Are you really going to give up on the Going Merry?"
Lufia raised her head.
Her eyes were slightly red, but her gaze was firm.
"I'm not giving up."
"But if the Going Merry really can't sail anymore, we still have to move forward!"
Usopp was stunned.
Then his expression changed.
"Move forward? You're going to abandon it? How can you say that so easily?"
Lufia opened her mouth but couldn't speak.
Usopp looked at Ralph.
"Ralph, say something!"
Ralph stood up.
He looked at Iceburg.
"If I can repair the keel, will the Going Merry still be our Going Merry?"
Iceburg frowned.
"Young man, you may not understand. The keel isn't something you can just patch up. It's the foundation of the ship."
"I know."
Ralph interrupted him, "I'm not talking about patching it up, I'm talking about repairing it. Even more thorough than repair."
He turned and looked at Chopper.
"If a person is terminally ill and all medical methods have been exhausted, normally a doctor would diagnose the patient as beyond hope!"
"But this world has miracles!"
"And one of the concrete forms of miracles is what the world calls Devil Fruits!!"
"If Devil Fruits that can bring people back from the dead exist, then there must be a way to save a ship too!!"
As he spoke, he took out Munch-Munch.
The Little Dinosaur was sleeping and was shaken awake, grumbling unhappily.
Iceburg and the shipwrights behind him were stunned.
"Devil Fruits... used in shipbuilding?"
Ralph didn't waste any more words.
He picked up two pieces of wood from the nearby material pile.
One was new and intact.
The other was old, with a deep crack in the middle.
He placed the two pieces of wood in front of Munch-Munch.
"Munch-Munch, eat them."
Munch-Munch tilted its head to look at him, then opened its mouth.
It swallowed both pieces of wood in one gulp.
Chewed a bit.
Opened its mouth and spat out a new piece of wood.
That piece of wood was slightly smaller than the original two, but its grain was tight and its surface smooth.
Ralph picked up the wood and handed it to Iceburg.
Iceburg took it and examined it carefully.
Then his expression changed.
"...This is impossible."
Several foremen behind him gathered around, looking at the wood and exchanging glances.
Ralph took the wood back and returned it to Munch-Munch.
Munch-Munch swallowed it in one bite, treating it as a snack.
"So."
Ralph looked at Iceburg, "If I use this method to repair the Going Merry's keel, it will still be the original Going Merry. Even stronger than before."
Iceburg was silent for a moment, then admitted frankly:
"It is indeed miraculous!"
Then, he changed his tone, "But when it comes to the entire ship's keel, we still need to verify it ourselves."
Ralph nodded.
"Alright."
Usopp rushed over and hugged him.
"Ralph!"
Ralph felt a bit uncomfortable being hugged like that.
"..."
Lufia also smiled.
She ran to Ralph's side and patted his back hard.
"I knew you'd have a way!"
Robin stood at the back of the crowd, watching this man who created miracles.
Thinking to herself, should she tell the Boss about her own matter?
After all, the Boss knows everything, and nothing seems to be beyond him!