Chapter 32 - CHAPTER 32 - The Manor Banquet

Robin's expression darkened. She was already considering ways to "let these children escape." If it had been adults, her cold heart might have allowed her to turn a blind eye, but children were different. She was even prepared to face the consequences of her actions. In her understanding, if Crocodile was using children to achieve some goal, that would be entirely normal. To him, life was nothing more than a meaningless number. She had thought he had changed somewhat in recent times, but now it seemed he was still the same—using any means necessary to achieve his objectives. The idea that Crocodile had actually saved these children was simply absurd. That was even more unbelievable than him using children for experiments. "Wow, this is delicious! I've never had anything this good in my life!" "Me too, me too! That uncle is so kind... I wonder if we'll ever get to eat like this again." "Then we should eat as much as we can now." The children gradually relaxed. Once they realized there was no danger and that they wouldn't be beaten, their natural instincts began to emerge. Miggs was running around in a panic. "Don't eat too much at once—it's bad for your stomach! And stop gnawing on the bones, there's still plenty of meat! Hey, I told you not to eat too much—now you're throwing up!" "Who the hell brought out the alcohol? These are kids! Do you people not understand what children are? Hey, you! Stop drinking that! You can't have alcohol!" The crew burst into laughter, watching the overwhelmed "nanny" Miggs struggle to manage the situation. One man, unable to handle even a group of children—it was an amusing sight. Rosen found it entertaining as well. Standing atop the mast, he looked down at the port district below. Maybe coming to this world meant he had a purpose to fulfill. "Go help out," Robin instructed the nearby female crew members. Women tended to be more attentive to details, making them better suited for caring for the children. Miggs let out a sigh of relief as Robin led him to a secluded spot, out of Rosen's line of sight. She asked about the origins of the children, and when she heard the full story, she was utterly dumbfounded. Did the sun rise from the wrong direction today? She hadn't noticed, but it certainly didn't seem to have come from its usual place. Miggs had already learned the general details from Daz Bones, but Bones wasn't much of a talker, so some parts remained unclear. Robin pressed a hand to her chin, her brows furrowed deeply. Unbelievable. These children hadn't been abducted—Crocodile had saved them?! Impossible. That didn't align with anything she knew about him. She'd sooner believe the sun had exploded than accept that Crocodile had done something truly good. Had something gone wrong with his mind? If that was the case, Robin almost wished the condition would worsen... or never heal at all. Though she couldn't fully believe it, she was starting to accept the possibility. The children's expressions weren't fake. To confirm, Robin personally took care of them for a while. One little girl spoke to her. "Yeah! That uncle saved us from the bad guys. He's really strong—none of them could beat him. Oh! And he even bought my liquor! No one else would buy it. Look, here's the money..." Since the money hadn't been turned in yet, and Holo and his men had been eliminated by Rosen, the money was still in their pockets. The local thugs wouldn't dare touch Holo's earnings—at least not most of the time. If they did steal, it was only a small amount. If they took too much and got caught, they'd have their legs broken. Twenty thousand berries. Just two bills of ten thousand. Light in the hand. "Yeah, yeah! He bought mine too! Annie said we sold the liquor, but at first, we thought it was a trick because that uncle looked really scary..." "Right! But now no one is forcing us to hand over the money anymore. We should give it back to him later—he must have spent a lot buying all our liquor." The children chattered excitedly, and Robin finally pieced everything together. She stood in place, dazed. She had imagined countless possible explanations, yet none of them fit into a conspiracy theory. And he had even fought against the Marines. Was he throwing away his Shichibukai status? Why would he go to such lengths for something so troublesome? "Robin, perfect timing. I might need you to head out again later. Take Daz Bones with you—I need some reliable intelligence." Rosen snapped out of his thoughts and noticed Robin standing in a daze on the deck. He dissolved into sand and soared down from the mast, landing steadily beside her. "Boss," Robin greeted, though she felt a little awkward. Of course, Rosen had no idea that Robin had just constructed an entire mental scenario of him turning from villain to hero. Fortunately, she hadn't acted on those thoughts, or things would have been truly embarrassing. She scrutinized Rosen. He was still the same person. But his actions weren't the same as before. In the past, she would never have dared to look at Crocodile, the Shichibukai, so openly. But now... she couldn't help but observe him. "What are you spacing out for?" Rosen waved a hand in front of her, snapping her back to reality. "You mentioned needing intelligence. Whose information are you looking for?" Robin quickly changed the subject. "Basic intelligence on the major factions and a detailed report on Captain Luca and Rear Admiral Harry," Rosen said after a brief moment of thought. Something told him the next two days wouldn't be peaceful. He had learned some general information about the three major factions in Sake Town from the tavern, but those were just common rumors. The accuracy was questionable. That was why he needed Robin to investigate. "What a coincidence. I happen to have a report on the three major taverns, their current and past leaders, as well as a few key individuals worth paying attention to." "The only missing piece is information on the owner of the Medoc Winery. We know he's a bounty hunter, nicknamed the 'Bounty King,' but in reality, he's just a drunk. He spends nearly all his time drinking at the winery, making it difficult to assess him. Other than that, I have everything." Robin pulled several sheets of paper from her coat, filled with detailed intelligence. This was her habit—collecting useful information, allowing her to monitor changes in the situation. If something seemed off, she would be ready to act. That was how she had survived for so many years. "You really are my lucky charm. Hahaha..." Rosen was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Robin to already have everything he needed. Had she foreseen this? Her intuition was frighteningly sharp. The importance of intelligence went without saying. Without information, one could be completely blindsided. Robin's intel was as timely as a rain shower in a drought. "I also analyzed some of the data—it should be helpful to you. Oh, and one more thing. I almost forgot." Robin pulled another item from her coat, as if performing a magic trick. A finely crafted invitation. "A banquet invitation from Bordeaux Winery, delivered through an intermediary. The event is tonight." "Bordeaux Winery... Balm, huh?" Rosen paused. An invitation from an enemy? Now that was interesting. (End of Chapter)