"Where's Rayleigh?" Rosinante asked with a grin after Bins and Redfield had changed into proper clothes and everyone had taken a seat. "Off fooling around somewhere again?"
"You know what he's like," Shakky said. "If he hasn't gambled away every last berry in his pocket, he's not coming back."
Rosinante laughed.
"And after he loses everything, he sells himself, then robs the person who bought him so he can go gamble again."
"What a truly rotten bastard."
But as he said that, his expression suddenly darkened.
"I saw a lot of human trafficking shops in Sleepless City," Rosinante said, frowning.
Shakky snorted softly.
"Human trafficking? It's far worse than that."
Her eyes turned cold as she exhaled a thin stream of smoke.
"During the years you disappeared, Sleepless City got worse and worse."
"Right after that great war, before the news had fully spread, the Celestial Dragons began rounding up merfolk and all sorts of special races on a massive scale."
"They turned them into playthings."
"King Neptune of Fish-Man Island personally went to argue with the Celestial Dragons over it... and was beaten so badly he was left gravely injured."
"Since then, the relationship between humans and Fish-Man Island has only gotten worse."
"If Whitebeard hadn't taken Fish-Man Island under his protection, whether Fish-Man Island would still even exist today would be hard to say."
She tapped ash into a tray.
"And after that, the slave trade boomed again in Sleepless City."
"More and more casinos."
"More and more brothels."
"In the eyes of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, the wealthy people of Sleepless City are nothing but crops waiting to be harvested."
"A year ago, they even started charging an entrance tax and an exit tax just to enter or leave the city."
Shakky spoke lightly, but there was a faint edge of dissatisfaction in her tone.
As if she were saying very clearly:
This mess started because of your city, so this is your responsibility too.
At the side, Bins's face had already turned stormy with rage.
Sleepless City had once flourished because the Oathblood had painstakingly built and protected it.
And now?
The World Government and the Celestial Dragons had turned it into this filthy, rotten disgrace.
How could he not be furious?
Rosinante slowly narrowed his eyes.
"What a complete mess."
He leaned back slightly, voice calm—but carrying a dangerous chill.
"Looks like I need to make a trip to Mary Geoise."
"There are plenty of things I can ignore..."
"But the merfolk, and those special races..."
"I have to give them an explanation."
A faint, almost imperceptible heaviness passed through his eyes.
"Back then, it was because of my promise that they came to Sleepless City in the first place."
"Now that things have turned out like this..."
"I have no choice but to take responsibility."
Shakky glanced at him.
"You'd better think carefully," she said. "That's Mary Geoise."
"The power backing the World Government isn't simple."
Rosinante smiled faintly.
"I've always been a very reasonable person."
"I convince people with virtue."
"I'm only going there to have a nice little talk with them."
He spoke as casually as if he were discussing how to rearrange furniture in a room.
"But..."
His smile deepened, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"If it really comes to that point..."
"Then I suppose the World Government will just need a change in leadership."
He tilted his head slightly.
"I hear the Revolutionary Army has been making quite a stir lately."
"Tell me, if the Revolutionary Army were the ones running the World Government..."
"Wouldn't that be better than letting the Five Elders keep running it?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
Shakky rolled her eyes.
"Just make sure you don't get schemed against again," she said mockingly.
Rosinante's eyes flickered.
"Now that you mention it..."
"The last time I got played like that really did piss me off."
His smile turned colder.
"Good."
"This time, I'll settle the old score and the new one together."
"Your Majesty," Bins said, suddenly stepping forward, "should I find a way to gather the Oathblood so we can act together?"
Bins didn't know exactly where the Oathblood was now, nor what their current condition was.
But he believed with absolute certainty that such an elite force could not possibly have been wiped out completely.
And as the commander of the Oathblood—
If he wanted to find them...
Then he had ways.
Rosinante shook his head slightly.
"Most of them are currently sheltering under the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Because of that, I owe old man Whitebeard a favor."
He smiled.
"So after I properly thank Whitebeard... then I'll call the Oathblood back."
Bins's face turned serious.
"Your Majesty, you can't possibly mean to storm Mary Geoise alone?"
"Absolutely not."
"This time, no matter what, please allow me to follow you."
Rosinante looked at him with a faintly amused expression.
"Oh?"
"You want to come with me to Mary Geoise?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"I wonder... after ten years in Impel Down, have your limbs gotten rusty?"
Rosinante truly didn't care much whether Bins came or not.
He had complete confidence in his own strength.
Even if a real battle broke out, he was fully confident he had enough power to protect Bins.
His current physical condition might be weaker than it had once been...
But his actual combat power had risen tremendously.
With the various secret techniques he had developed and acquired in the Naruto world...
Even if he had to face the Five Elders head-on—
Rosinante didn't think he would fear them in the slightest.
And besides...
Bins, as the user of the Hole-Hole Fruit, was hardly someone who needed protection in the first place.
"Your Majesty, rest assured," Bins said solemnly.
"Even though I was trapped in Impel Down for ten years, I never once slacked off."
"I always believed that one day, sooner or later, Your Majesty would return."
"And when that day came..."
"I absolutely could not allow myself to become a burden dragging you down."
Rosinante stared at him for a moment, then smiled.
"Good."
"Then come with me."
"Let's go take a trip to Mary Geoise together."
"Yes!" Bins answered immediately.
At that moment, Redfield also spoke up with a faint smile.
"Please allow me to go as well."
"Frankly, I was wondering how I was supposed to repay the favor I owe you."
"Since this opportunity has presented itself..."
"I may as well return the favor this time."
Rosinante laughed lightly.
"You really don't need to take that so seriously."
"I only let you out on the way, that's all."
Then he waved a hand.
"But if you want to come... then come."
Redfield only smiled faintly and said nothing more.
But in his scarlet eyes—
There was already a sharp, eager glint beginning to rise.
Mary Geoise.
The Holy Land.
And this time...
It seemed three monsters were about to walk straight into the heavens.