The once pitch-black sky gradually lightened, and the sun seemed on the verge of rising.
At the spot where the Golden Merry was anchored.
Sherlock used his Shadow Mirror ability to meticulously inspect every inch of the Merry, confirming multiple times that no dangerous items like bombs had been planted on board. Only then did he nod to the others.
"Good! Let's set off quickly!"
Luffy charged ahead first, grabbing Usopp and Sanji by their collars and dragging them aboard like dead dogs. With the idiot captain's rough handling, those two poor guys weren't waking up anytime soon.
Zoro hauled up the anchor and glanced at Miss Valentine, who Sherlock had dumped motionless on the deck. Frowning, he turned to Sherlock and asked,
"Hey, Sherlock, why bring her along? Wouldn't it be better to leave her here?"
The green-haired swordsman was deeply wary of this assassin from Baroque Works.
Sherlock tightened the mooring rope, glanced back at the assassin miss still bound in a turtle-shell tie, and received a ferocious glare in return—though it carried no real threat.
"She has a lot of untapped intelligence. We can't let her go just yet…" Sherlock pushed up his glasses and smiled faintly. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her personally."
Vivi had told everyone earlier that Baroque Works had several other bases nearby, similar to Whiskey Peak. If they didn't leave soon, they might end up with thousands of bounty hunters on their tail.
Though those so-called bounty hunters—read: cannon-fodder small fry—were no match for the "monsters" on board, the Straw Hats had to depart immediately to protect Vivi.
But the two idiots who'd slept through a full five chapters were loudly unhappy about it.
"Hey, hey, hey, why are we leaving so early? The sky's not even light yet!"
"Yeah, yeah, the ladies here are so cute—let's stay a few more days!"
"Two clueless idiots still complaining!" Zoro, who'd been busy all night, had veins popping on his forehead. Unable to stand the whining curly-brow and long-nose any longer, he turned to Nami, who was studying the sea chart. "Hey, you explain it to them."
The navigator nodded, cracked her knuckles, and walked over to the pair. Moments later, she returned with a smile.
"Done explaining? That was fast!" Zoro said, surprised.
"Yep, all explained." Nami glanced at the log pose on her wrist and answered casually, "Though I skipped the details…"
Vivi and Miss Valentine stared at Sanji and Usopp, now sprawled on the deck with massive lumps on their heads, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
"What a terrifying woman," the two new passengers—who weren't very familiar with Nami—thought, mentally equating the navigator with the likes of Sherlock and Zoro.
The Merry sailed along the river beside Whiskey Peak toward the nearest sea route, the thick fog once again shrouding everyone's vision.
Though they were about to leave this troublesome place, Sherlock remained on high alert. He knew that woman called Miss All Sunday might very well come looking for them.
Suddenly, Sherlock's pupils contracted sharply, and his entire body silently vanished into invisibility.
"How nice We've shaken off the pursuit"
A slightly husky, seductive female voice rang out on the ship. Nami, feeling relaxed, casually replied, "Yeah, that was way too close."
"Be careful not to hit any reefs~" came the same unfamiliar voice.
Nami puffed out her ample chest confidently. "Don't worry, leave it to me!"
Huh?
After saying that, Nami froze as if doused with a bucket of ice water. Luffy and the others sensed something off too. In perfect sync, they whipped around—and were stunned.
Perched on the railing above the Merry was a stunning woman in a purple jazz hat. She rested her cheek on one hand, her long fingers tapping rhythmically across her smooth, delicate face like a musician playing an instrument. A pair of captivating eyes, clear as autumn waters, gazed down at the Straw Hats with keen interest.
"What a fine ship…" the mysterious woman remarked casually.
"…"
"Oh! What a sexy big sister!!!" The perverted cook sprawled on the deck recovered first, his visible right eye turning into a pink heart as his body writhed like noodles in excitement.
"Who's this chick?" Luffy tilted his head in confusion. The idiot captain felt like ever since entering the Grand Line, all sorts of weirdos kept popping up on his ship.
"Miss All Sunday!" x2
Princess Vivi and Miss Valentine cried out in unison, their faces draining of color. They couldn't fathom why the boss's partner was here.
Miss All Sunday glanced down at the sound. When she spotted Miss Valentine trussed up in that utterly humiliating binding, even her composure faltered for a moment.
"Captured alive…and tied up like that… Heh, what a bunch of twisted pirates…" Miss All Sunday turned her head away, expression unchanged, as if she didn't know the woman at all.
Learning that this black-haired woman was a Warlord's partner, the timid navigator and Usopp—who wore a look of "I don't know what's happening but it's scary"—ducked behind the mast together.
Zoro narrowed his eyes, silently reaching for Wado Ichimonji at his hip, muscles tensing.
Vivi began loudly demanding why Miss All Sunday had told her who the mastermind was.
"…So, telling you who the mastermind was? That was just a whim." Miss All Sunday lifted her chin, revealing a neck as graceful as a swan's.
"Did you really think you could save this country? What a naive princess…"
At those words, Vivi's mind flashed to Igaram's kind smile and their promise to reunite in Alabasta. But now, Igaram had been killed by this hateful woman!
"You…" Vivi gritted her teeth, rage boiling inside her as she glared furiously at Miss All Sunday seated on the railing.
"Don't underestimate people!"
—Infinite Gun System!
As Princess Vivi roared those words in fury, over a hundred muskets suddenly materialized around Miss All Sunday, surrounding the top Baroque Works officer.
"It's rude to board someone else's ship without buying a ticket, beautiful lady." Sherlock's figure slowly emerged beside Miss All Sunday. He pushed up his glasses, his star-deep black eyes beneath the lenses perfectly calm.
"Or are you planning to board first and pay later?"
Seeing Sherlock subdue the enigmatic woman, Nami cheered, "Nice one, Sherlock!"
"Something's off," the green-haired swordsman muttered gravely, his instincts screaming. "She's way too calm!"
Facing all those dark muzzles, Miss All Sunday remained utterly unfazed, as if the guns were mere illusions.
"So you're the 70-million-beri conjurer—Sarsalian Sherlock?" Miss All Sunday turned gracefully, stepping closer. Her lovely eyes scanned the bespectacled man in black from head to toe, a charming smile curving her lips.
"Heh, quite the handsome man."
Sherlock frowned slightly as the beautiful woman approached. A faint, floral fragrance wafted from her on the gentle sea breeze. He inhaled instinctively—yes, like flowers.
She was undeniably gorgeous and sensual, but unlike Nami's wildcat allure, hers stemmed from an elegant poise and a mature steadiness honed by time. Stunning yet not brazen, reserved yet not stiff—this natural charm was truly exquisite.
(Come to think of it, Lisanna must be about this age now…) The thought popped into Sherlock's mind unbidden.
Then the corner of his mouth lifted. He shook his head with a chuckle. "The feeling's mutual, Devil Child—Nico Robin."
Though the old bounty poster photo looked nothing like her, Sherlock recognized her true identity from that distinctive, prominent nose.
Her expression didn't flicker at having her identity exposed. Nico Robin glanced down at Luffy, who was glaring at her furiously, and let out a soft laugh—like silver wind chimes in the breeze.
"Heh, this little ship really is something. Not only does it carry two descendants of the Twenty Kings, but also an inheritor of the Will of D."
"What's this woman blabbing about?" The Straw Hats were utterly baffled by Robin's cryptic words.
"…" Sherlock narrowed his eyes, slowly raising his left hand. The floating muskets loaded their bullets in perfect unison, the metallic clacks chillingly uniform.
One wave of his hand, and the next second, countless bullets would shred this beautiful woman to pieces.
"Pointing guns at a lady is terribly rude~" Robin smiled sweetly at Sherlock.
The world blurred for an instant. Then Sherlock realized his silver-rimmed glasses had vanished from his nose. Even more astonishing, several arms had sprouted from his body like blooming flowers, pinning his own hands behind his back.
"Sherlock!"
"Damn it, she's a Devil Fruit user too?"
The Straw Hats started to rush forward but were stopped by Sherlock's glance.
"What lovely glasses~" Robin examined Sherlock's glasses closely. The silver frame was sleek and understated; the lenses were spotless, gleaming like new.
Delighted, Robin smiled serenely, slipped the glasses onto her own face, and pushed them up with a familiar gesture…
Nami and the others glanced from Robin in the silver-rimmed glasses to Sherlock without his, and a strange feeling stirred in their hearts.
That calm, composed expression, those deep and captivating eyes, the elegant aura, plus the signature glasses and push-up motion…
She was practically a female Sherlock!
"Oh!~ Robin-chan looks so charming in glasses… Urk!" The lovestruck cook's swooning was cut short by a knockout punch from the great demon Nami.
"Could this scary lady be Sherlock's long-lost sister?" Usopp mused, stroking his chin with wild imagination.
Luffy blinked hard, staring up intently, his face filled with horror.
"Sherlock? Sherlock! Where'd you go???" The moron shouted anxiously, then sucked in a huge breath and bellowed at Robin, "You jerk! Where'd you hide my crewmate?!!"
"Huh?" Robin blinked, clearly unable to follow the rubber-brained captain's logic.
Nami, Zoro, and the others instinctively glanced at Sherlock standing beside Robin. The now-glasses-less conjurer stared at his idiot captain with a pained "are you kidding me" expression.
(So the glasses are the real body, huh?)
Everyone silently roasted him in their heads.
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my pa-treon:
pat reon .c-om/windkaze