"Alabasta?" Hina tilted her head, curious. "I was there during that operation. Admirl Kuzan, who is this girl you're talking about?"
Kuzan didn't hesitate. "It's Nico Robin, the 'Devil's Child.'"
The name stirred various reactions around the room. Most stayed neutral, but Ain's expression subtly changed. As someone who had communicated directly with Robin before, Ain hadn't expected one of the Admirals to be monitoring her. However, she masked her reaction quickly, maintaining her calm, practiced expression. Meanwhile, Luffy only showed mild surprise, perfectly blending into the moment despite already knowing about Kuzan's connection to Robin.
Kizaru's eyebrow arched as he lounged back, crossing his legs. "O'Hara's orphan, huh? Amazing that you've kept tabs on her after all these years, Kuzan."
"Well," Kuzan replied, shrugging, "she's the only one to ever escape from me. Seems natural to keep an eye on her."
But deep down, Kuzan's reasons were more complex. Part of him wanted to see if his late friend Saul had been right to risk his life for Robin. Perhaps it was also his way of finding redemption, a way to see if there was more to justice than the cold logic that had driven him back then.
Garp, observing Kuzan's silence, noted the conflicted look on the Admiral's face. As his mentor, Garp knew better than most the nuances behind Kuzan's choices. Deciding to change the topic, he chuckled and announced, "Kuzan, you might've missed this while you were in the New World. According to recent reports, the Revolutionary Army has announced that they've found the legendary Golden City in the sky. Turns out, Montblanc Noland was telling the truth all along!"
Everyone in the room raised their eyebrows at the revelation. Kizaru, who hailed from the North Blue, looked the most surprised. "Oh? So the Golden City really does exist? I grew up hearing Noland's story as a joke."
Garp nodded. "Yeah, it's confirmed by the government. They're not exactly happy about it, either." He leaned back, his voice growing more amused. "What's even more interesting is that Nico Robin showed up at one of the black market gold trades related to the discovery."
Kuzan rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache creeping in. "So, the Golden City is real, and Nico Robin is now tied to the Revolutionary Army? Garp-san, where did you get this information? Is it reliable?"
Garp grinned, clearly enjoying the shocked reactions. "I was just chatting with Tsuru, and she mentioned it. Apparently, the higher-ups were furious when they heard. I'd have loved to see their faces, Bwahahaha!"
Kizaru shook his head, genuinely impressed at Garp's nonchalance. "Garp-san, don't forget, this Revolutionary Army is led by your son, Dragon. With the government this mad, he's bound to be in serious trouble. And yet, you're here, grinning over donuts."
"Hmph, that brat," Garp snorted, dismissive. "Would serve him right to get caught and thrown in Impel Down for a bit. Maybe he'd finally get a taste of discipline."
Kizaru chuckled, shaking his head. "If he gets caught, it'll be more than just a little taste of discipline, Garp-san." He turned his gaze toward Luffy, who was listening with a keen interest. There was a playful glint in Kizaru's eyes as he watched Luffy's curious expression, noticing the younger man seemed unbothered by the implications.
Under Kizaru's pointed stare, Luffy suddenly felt a chill. He looked up to meet Kizaru's eyes, catching the Admiral's amused smirk. "Uncle Borsalino, why are you staring at me like that?"
"Luffy-san," Kizaru said with a lazy smile, "you're quite the carefree type, aren't you? Dragon's your father, and he's in hot water with the government. Aren't you worried about him at all?"
Luffy shrugged, spreading his hands nonchalantly. "What's there to worry about? Am I supposed to be worried he'll run out of treasure from the Golden City?" He paused, grinning. "Or that he'll get caught and end up on an execution platform? If the government was really capable of taking him down, they'd have done it already. He wouldn't have gotten this far otherwise."
Kizaru raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback by Luffy's calm and unbothered attitude. "Quite the way to look at it, Luffy-san."
Luffy leaned back on the sofa, putting his arms behind his head, a relaxed smile on his face. "Besides, the Revolutionary Army and the government can fight all they want. I'm here as a Marine. I just need to finish my missions, eat, drink, slack off a bit, and collect my paycheck."
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