Just a few hours after the Straw Hat crew departed from Midgard, a World Government ship arrived at the port. Its crew consisted solely of World Government agents, among whom a man and a woman wearing eye-catching masks stood out as the worst kind of opponents. Hidden in the shadows, Drake watched them, a cold sweat breaking out on his skin.
(CP-0…!? And masked, high-ranking agents at that. What business could they possibly have on this island!?)
Within Cipher Pol, those bearing the number "0" were special in a way distinct from the clandestine "9." They were the intelligence agency directly under the World Nobles… the Celestial Dragons, and they even acted in complete disregard of the Navy's will.
The fact that they, an assassination squad, presented themselves so ostentatiously was likely meant as a stark reminder that defiance meant death, as their existence was officially acknowledged.
Their movements were dictated solely by orders from the Celestial Dragons, and their appearance was often seen as a precursor to historical events. They were, in short, not the kind of people you ever wanted to encounter for any good reason.
(Showing up right after Robin set sail… she really does have the worst luck.)
It seemed unlikely that CP-0 would mobilize just because they sensed Robin's presence, but if she had been found, even Zepo or Pedro would have struggled to resist them. If they had encountered each other by chance in Midgard, Kaie and CP-0 would likely have clashed, regardless of their intentions.
And regardless of who won, if it became known that Robin had been captured, the Four Emperors Alliance would undoubtedly make a move again. Drake honestly wished the world's situation wouldn't hinge on the movements of a single woman… but he understood the immense risk involved in sheltering her.
Robin's mother, Olvia, remained confined to Hachinosu precisely because her existence, if known, would unquestionably lead to war. The ability to read the Poneglyphs carried that much weight.
Whatever the case, the reason CP-0, who rarely mobilized, had appeared needed investigation. Drake peeked out slightly from the shadows, trying to observe the four agents' actions, when in that instant—
"──!?"
Their eyes met.
Drake immediately ducked back into hiding and fled the scene. Many others likely saw CP-0 there, but having been spotted once, remaining was too risky.
"Hope this doesn't turn into something nasty…"
The situation in the seas had been unstable recently. The fact that CP-0 was active in this climate filled Drake with unease.
…
"…"
"What is it, Maha?"
"…No, it's nothing."
The man holding a round Hyottoko mask in one hand had been staring intently somewhere, but eventually, as if losing interest, he turned back to face forward. Midgard was an island frequented by government intelligence agents. Some were stationed there permanently to ensure a constant flow of information… but there seemed to be some trouble, as intelligence gathering hadn't been going well.
"What happened?" Guernica asked.
"It seems the stationed units have all gone missing…" Joseph reported.
"…Did Nico Robin realize she was being watched?" Maha wondered aloud.
"Even so, I don't think it's easy to eliminate all those agents, there were quite a few of them," Stussy mused.
"What did Twilight say?" Guernica inquired.
"They claim they aren't aware of the movements of government intelligence agents on the island," Joseph replied.
"…"
Midgard was an island governed by Twilight. Even if government agents were present, they usually maintained a policy of mutual non-interference. If someone helping Robin had clashed with the agents, it was exceedingly strange that Twilight wouldn't have noticed.
Which meant.
"…Our concerns are becoming reality," Maha muttered.
"Concerns?" Guernica asked.
"It's nothing. Further pursuit would likely be a waste of time. I doubt they left any traces."
Not everyone on this island was an agent of Twilight. It was possible some information could be found by digging deeper, but if the government agents had been eliminated so thoroughly, dummy information had likely been planted as well. Sifting through it would take time, and the longer they took, the farther their target could flee. While the possibility of a chance encounter wasn't zero, making a large move and alerting the Four Emperors Alliance was also problematic.
Guernica sighed.
"We have no choice. We'll leave as soon as supplies are loaded. Nico Robin is a priority target, but things have gotten a bit tricky."
"Oh, already?" Stussy asked coquettishly.
"We didn't come here to play. We need to confirm the details about that blueprint the fish-man has in Water 7, then we'll split up for individual missions again," Guernica stated.
"I know, I know. I'm known as the 'Queen of the Pleasure District,' after all. I just thought I might find some nice cosmetics," Stussy replied.
"…One hour only," Guernica conceded.
"Okay~"
Still masked, Stussy cheerfully walked off towards the rows of shops. Only Guernica, Maha, and Joseph remained. There was no particular conversation, but Maha suddenly muttered.
"…You're surprisingly lenient with Stussy."
"…"
Guernica hadn't intended to be, but apparently, that's how it looked. Since they had time before departure anyway, he told the other two they were free until then. Maha and Joseph promptly returned to the ship, seemingly having no particular desire to do anything else.
…
Impel Down, the underwater prison, had several levels. Officially, the deepest was Level 5, but Level 6 existed to house criminals whose atrocities were too brutal even to be reported in the newspapers. Throughout its history, only Shiki the Golden Lion had ever escaped.
However, inmates occasionally went missing within the prison. They vanished so unnaturally that the guards whispered rumors of the "Oni's Sleeve-Pulling." Where did these vanished prisoners go? Buggy, clad in prisoner attire, found out as he was led into a place resembling a party venue.
"Welllll!!! COOOOOME!!! Nnnhuhuhu, welcome, red-nosed boy!!! This is Impel Down Level 5.5, the secret flower garden of the prisoners!! Ahhh, New Kama Land!!! Yee-haw!!!"
A face far too large for its body. Fishnet stockings covering limbs, bondage gear—it was an overwhelming shock for anyone seeing it for the first time. The impact was so strong that Buggy was too stunned even to retort about being called "red-nosed."
"Wh-What is that guy…? And everyone else here! Why was I brought here!?"
Utterly bewildered, Buggy had been rushed from his cell, urged along without understanding the situation. Being imprisoned in Impel Down had felt like the end of his luck, but his cuffs hadn't contained Seastone. While searching for a chance to escape, he had somehow ended up here, unable to keep up with the rapidly changing circumstances. The okamas of New Kama Land welcomed him, saying it was understandable, offered him a seat, and served him drinks and food.
"I'll explain the situation simply. But first, I want to ask one thing… Vanata, what's your relationship with Dragon?"
"Dragon? You mean the Revolutionary Army's Dragon?"
"That Dragon. I heard vanata was working with him just before being imprisoned here?"
"With him… ahh."
Buggy struggled for words, unsure how to explain. He had traveled with Dragon for a short time after entering the Grand Line, but that was only because they knew each other.
The root of their acquaintance stemmed from Buggy being an apprentice on the Roger Pirates and Dragon being a member of the Twilight Pirates.
Explaining this would require revealing his past affiliation with the Roger Pirates, which would make things very difficult for him going forward, so he wanted to fudge the details if possible.
As Buggy hesitated, Ivankov, guzzling alcohol, revealed their identity first.
"Vatashi is an officer of the Revolutionary Army. I'm imprisoned here for the same reason… So, if vanata is a comrade, I wouldn't hesitate to help."
"Nah, I'm not with the Revolutionary Army…"
"Then what are you?"
"A pirate! With him… yeah, back when he was a pirate, we met."
"...! Vanata, when was this?"
"Eh? That was, let me think… right after the fight with the Golden Lion, so maybe 25, 26 years ago?"
"…The timing matches."
Dragon hadn't been a pirate for long, roughly three years. He had been part of Kanata's crew back when they were known as the "Witch's Crew," before they became the "Twilight Pirates." Now that he was famous as a revolutionary, few knew about that time, but they weren't non-existent.
"Then vanata, you know Kanata too?"
"Wha!? W-Well, yeah, I know her…"
Buggy replied vaguely, worried Ivankov might ask him to act as a go-between. Hearing this, Ivankov placed a hand on their chin and thought for a moment. Buggy wasn't under Twilight's umbrella, given his imprisonment. Yet he knew Twilight from the Dragon era and was trusted enough by the current Dragon to share a ship. Their relationship must have been substantial, yet Ivankov didn't recognize Buggy's face. His background was extremely mysterious, but the government's investigation had confirmed Dragon trusted Buggy enough to travel with him. If he wasn't an enemy, at least, Ivankov judged it safe for him to be here.
"Well, at least here you won't be tortured. Vanata can rest easy."
"That's a relief! When they said Impel Down, I thought I was done for!"
"Nnnhuhuhu!! You should thank Candy for bringing the information!!"
As Buggy scarfed down meat and chugged alcohol, Ivankov recalled the events leading up to bringing him here. They hadn't known there were Revolutionary Army comrades in Impel Down, but since Ivankov's imprisonment, crucial information had occasionally reached them, mixed in with the trash.
Buggy's case had been mentioned in one such piece of information, prompting Ivankov to act immediately, thinking he might be a comrade. The result was negative, but if Buggy was an acquaintance of Dragon, sensitive information might have already leaked to the Navy or the government.
So, it was a favorable outcome nonetheless. It was unsettling not knowing who was providing the information, but with no way to contact the outside, verifying allies was impossible. …Judging by the nature of the information, Ivankov could guess the source held a high position, but that was the extent of their knowledge.
"So, when are we breaking out?" Buggy asked.
"I don't plan on breaking out for a while yet. Vatashi will start a revolution with Dragon!! When he makes his move, that's when vatashi will break out!! So you'll have to live here for a while!"
"Hey, hey, are you serious!? I wanna be a pirate!! I wanna get outta this dump ASAP!!!"
"Then shall I return you to your cell? Even if you break out, without careful preparation, you'll just get caught and tortured."
Magellan's short working hours aside, encountering Shiryu, who wandered Impel Down irregularly, would certainly lead to a horrible fate. Hearing this, Buggy groaned "Gunununu" and slumped onto the table in defeat.
"My pirate life… Hope Alvida, Mohji, and Cabaji are doing okay…"
"Don't lose heart. The seas have been getting rougher lately, and the time for revolution is drawing near. The day we return to the outside world is close."
Buggy didn't know it, but Twilight was also backing the Revolutionary Army. When that day came, reinforcements would surely arrive, so Ivankov felt no particular urgency.
Still slumped over with drink in hand, Buggy shot Ivankov a skeptical look, muttering, "Yeah, right." Ivankov, unperturbed, took a large bite out of a watermelon, rind and all.