Sitting side by side in the spacious room, Cyrus responded with a smile.
"There's no rush to leave this place. After all, this is the first branch I've established myself, and moreover, many pirates entering the New World take this route."
"But this location is too close to Mary Geoise, and it's also near Marine Headquarters. They might send people again," Robin noted after some thought.
'So that's what she is worried about.'
She had a valid point.
This concern included Punk Hazard as well, since it was originally the site of a World Government research facility.
As the first island on this specific route into the New World, Dressrosa was geographically very close to the Marines' seat of power.
"They won't come again for a while, unless they find a method that actually has a chance of eliminating me," Cyrus said with a relaxed expression, not seeming concerned about it at all. "So, while the Marines and Mary Geoise are close to us, I'm also close to them."
"Mutual deterrence then?" Robin nodded in understanding.
"They don't really deter me," Cyrus corrected. "It's just that I can't completely defeat the Marines and the World Government by myself right now. If I were to take action, I'd have to do it alone for the time being."
"But the Revolutionary Army contacted us," Robin pointed out, remembering Crocodile's earlier report about the revolutionaries reaching out to the Hunter Guild.
"Even with the Revolutionary Army, it wouldn't be enough." Cyrus shook his head. "In the current situation, if a conflict of that scale truly erupted, the consequence would be the complete loss of control over the entire world."
"Alright then," Robin nodded after thinking it over.
It was true; once a war of that magnitude began, it would certainly throw the globe into absolute chaos.
"So, you actually intend to resolve everything with the minimal possible impact?"
"Not exactly. Because when it senses danger, the World Government will struggle too. We'll just have to see when it can't take the pressure anymore," Cyrus replied, gently taking Robin's hand.
The skin of young beauties in this world was truly remarkable—unnaturally perfect.
When he first met Robin, her complexion wasn't as dark as he remembered from the original timeline, and during her time spent with him, her skin had become even fairer.
Having her hand held by Cyrus, Robin momentarily forgot what she wanted to ask, taking a moment to calm down.
She didn't pull back, instead watching as he focused on tracing her fingers.
"Since we're establishing a branch here, you haven't mentioned who will manage this place. According to what you said, this branch needs someone very powerful to hold down the fort," she reminded him.
"You mean Issho?" Cyrus naturally understood the implication.
"Yes, Mr. Issho is currently helping the people of Dressrosa repair the buildings in the city, including the palace in the high district," Robin noted.
"Issho won't do. Not because he lacks strength, but because his abilities can help you grow stronger quickly, and they also significantly enhance my own training."
As his personal gravity room, Cyrus wouldn't let Issho stay behind!
Moreover, during their future voyages in the New World, the opponents they encountered wouldn't be lone operators, meaning the team would need at least one other person of considerable strength besides himself.
As for Robin, although she possessed Devil Fruit abilities and had improved her strength during this period, she had not yet reached the level of her future Wano self.
Moreover, even if she had, it still wouldn't be enough, as her current physical conditioning couldn't quite keep up.
They were truly short-handed.
Cyrus stroked his chin as numerous figures flashed through his mind.
Most of the notable fighters were either pirates or Marine personnel, and those without affiliations possessing decent strength were genuinely few.
However, this world had many people like Issho who were incredibly powerful but relatively unknown.
The problem was that unless these hidden masters revealed themselves, finding them wouldn't be easy.
Seeing Cyrus lost in thought, Robin didn't interrupt him, her gaze lingering on his face before dropping to her hand.
Outside the room, footsteps approached.
Both of them knew who was coming as Violet arrived with a young girl about eight or nine years old—her niece, Rebecca.
This was the same female gladiator from the original Dressrosa arc who wore extremely revealing armor, but the young girl hadn't grown up yet.
When Violet brought Rebecca into the room, she saw Cyrus holding Robin's hand and gently massaging her fingers, while both of them stared directly at the doorway.
'Bad timing?' The thought crossed Violet's mind, and her expression turned somewhat awkward.
Rebecca hid behind Violet's skirt, peeking out to look at Cyrus while clutching the fabric.
'Is this the person who drove away Doflamingo?'
Cyrus remained silent, waiting for Violet to speak first, but the princess felt so embarrassed that she momentarily forgot her words.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Robin took the initiative to ask, "Violet, did you come to see the President about something?"
"Oh! It's my father!" Violet was startled by the prompt and nodded repeatedly, her face flushed. "It's like this—my father hopes to invite you to a banquet. Without your help, Dressrosa would still be under Doflamingo's oppression. Additionally, he wants to discuss the situation in Dressrosa with you. Specifically, about what Doflamingo left behind: that factory that produces Artificial Devil Fruits, and several dozen real Devil Fruits."
Robin froze, her eyes widening in shock. 'Several dozen Devil Fruits?'
She thought she must have misheard, turning to Cyrus in astonishment only to see him looking completely unfazed.
"These matters should be handled by you, Mr. Cyrus," Violet concluded, awaiting his response.
"Among those Devil Fruits, how many are artificial?" Cyrus asked.
"Well, it seems most of them are. These were prepared by Doflamingo for trading with Kaido, while the genuine ones were obtained at great cost during this period to lure the Emperor here. It appears he planned to use Kaido against you, though Kaido never responded."
Having previously worked under Doflamingo, Violet had been collecting information related to Cyrus, and this trap wasn't particularly secret within the Donquixote Family.
However, in Violet's eyes, although Kaido was a major figure and a top-tier powerhouse in the New World, the Emperor still fell far short of Cyrus.
After all, Kaido of the Beasts had not accomplished the world-shaking feats Cyrus had done.
This was the simplest, most fundamental understanding shared by everyone in Dressrosa.
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