"He really didn't recognize me…"
On the outskirts near the Royal City, Ross touched her face as she watched Gance's entire group pass by like ordinary citizens.
She had followed Jolyne Kujo all the way and soon caught up with Gance as he headed toward the Royal City. She also noticed he seemed to be with people from the Haichi Chamber of Commerce.
But when Ross appeared in front of Gance, he did not recognize the princess at all. He only cast a wary glance at the woman behind Ross, Robin.
"It's Jolyne Kujo…"
The people from the Chamber of Commerce immediately recognized Robin.
A bald, overweight middle-aged man at the front avoided her gaze. In the First Half of the Grand Line, encountering pirates with bounties over {300,000,000} Berries, and running into one in person, was extremely unlucky.
The bald man didn't want to complicate matters and quickly led his Chamber of Commerce group and Gance's team into the Royal City.
Ross, still touching her face in disbelief, suddenly had a small mirror handed to her.
Robin smiled: "You'll know when you look."
Ross took the mirror and was instantly stunned. The reflection staring back at her, equally shocked, was not herself at all.
"It was him! Giorno…"
Ross, overwhelmed and low on morale, sank forward onto her knees.
"So being eaten by him… that wasn't just a dream…"
Robin comforted her: "Don't worry, we'll turn you back."
Robin then led Ross into the Royal City. Although the island's economy had declined and the so-called "Prosperous Country" was becoming less fitting, the Royal City was still better off than the previous town; at least there were fewer patched clothes on pedestrians.
Ross touched her face in shock, suddenly realizing: "It's the Munch-Munch Fruit! Giorno… he got Wapol's Munch-Munch Fruit?!"
Robin smiled: "Just realizing that now?"
Ross was speechless.
Using her Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) with B.I.B., Robin guided Ross from a distance, keeping behind Gance's entire group.
"Those people Gance brought…" Ross lowered her head in silence, then spoke: "I feel like I've seen them somewhere before."
"Were they palace guards back then?" Robin guessed, slowing her pace. Ahead was a massive incline, a terrain feature typical within a Royal City, usually indicating the location of the palace.
"I don't know…" Ross shook her head. "I've been away from home for nearly two years; maybe I'm remembering incorrectly."
In the distance, Gance and the Chamber of Commerce group climbed hundreds of stone steps up the incline, clearly heading straight to the palace atop the hill.
"They're going to the palace of Harahatania Kingdom…" Ross said with some doubt. "Gance… could he have been assigned some diplomatic task by the king? But…"
Robin replied: "He's the palace guard commander. His duty is to protect the royal family."
Ross pursed her lips. And… why had Gance been so ruthless in the restaurant, shooting civilians in the street? That was not like him at all.
"Want to see?" Robin bent down and asked. "What they do after entering the palace…"
"Break into the palace?" Ross shook her head repeatedly. "How could they do something like that…"
At that moment, Robin's voice sounded:
"Use your Kenbunshoku Haki for a moment."
Ross blinked. Who was Robin talking to? She saw Robin staring at the air beside her, then raising her hand and seemingly grabbing something from it, lightly placing it over Ross's face. But there was clearly nothing there on Robin's face…
Ghost?!
Ross suddenly remembered. The JOJO Pirates had three members!
Robin's hand pressed lightly on her shoulder, making Ross shiver in fear.
Through her narrow, white-glowing eyes behind the dark mask, Robin used B.I.B., and thus Liam's Kenbunshoku Haki, to quickly lock onto the aura of Gance as he entered the palace.
She pressed gently on Ross's shoulder and slowly said: "Next…"
Ross widened her eyes as another scene appeared before her.
"She" saw Gance!
Even the sounds around came into focus: the rustle of clothes as people walked, and the crisp, deliberate steps echoing through the palace halls.
"She" heard someone beside Gance say: "Your Majesty, we've been awaiting you for some time."
Soon after, Gance and the others were led into a palace chamber, where they saw the King dressed in simple palace attire, drinking alone. His beard was messy, his eyes sunken, his face showing clear exhaustion.
"Oh hē hē hē, King, why are you drinking alone?"
Gance quickly stood on one side opposite the King, while the voice "she" heard moved in front of Gance and sat across from the King.
Meanwhile, on a street outside the palace, inside a cold drink shop, Ross muttered to herself, staring at her hands and touching her ears, questioning reality once more.
"I'm right here… so why can I see and hear Gance and the others inside the palace?"
Across from her, Robin, wearing sunglasses, flipped through a magazine casually, clearly not intending to answer the question.
Ross took a deep breath, focusing once more on the alternate layer of sights and sounds she could perceive…
"This can't go on, King," said the bald, middle-aged man sitting opposite, twirling the gold ring on his thumb, speaking with a hint of grievance.
"Our small Haichi Chamber of Commerce has invested heavily over the years to help the Royal Family of the 'Prosperous Country' cover the shortfall in the Heavenly Tribute. King, if you don't repay the loans soon, our lives will also be very difficult!"
The King opened his tightly shut eyes, looking up as if to argue, but then noticed the several solemn, robust men standing behind the man. A wave of helplessness swept over him, and he forced a bitter smile: "I want to repay the debt too, but…"
Gance stood like a bodyguard, eyes scanning the room calmly.
The King's hand trembled slightly as he lifted his cup and drank it in one go: "As long as this year's Heavenly Tribute is safely delivered aboard the Marine Battleship, if we can delay a bit longer, we will definitely be able to repay your Chamber of Commerce's loans in full…"
"Then," the bald man spun the gold ring on his thumb and asked with feigned concern, "This year's Heavenly Tribute, there won't be any accidents, right?"
"No, no…" the King murmured, staring at his reflection in the cup. "This year, with CP-9 from the government assisting, nothing will go wrong… But if the Tribute is again unprotected, forcing the citizens to pay even more to cover it, then I… as King… will have no choice but to atone with my life…"
…
Marine soldiers and palace guards kept watch, while inside the treasury, a CP-9 agent named Yuikura sat in the shadows, long hair messy, meditating while holding a Den Den Mushi.
Next to it was a smaller white Den Den Mushi, designed with special frequencies to prevent eavesdropping.
Yuikura, in a Kabuki-like tone, announced himself over the device; the expression on the other end remained unchanged.
A woman's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, calmly asking: "How's it going?"
Yuikura, unfazed, continued in his theatrical cadence: "I am stationed inside the treasury, but if any pirates attack, they won't return alive! The others are searching for clues elsewhere on the island…"
On another island, Stussy, dressed elegantly like a noble lady, sipped red tea and asked the Den Den Mushi in her hand: "Where's Lucci?"
…
(To Be Continued…)
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