"Sherwin~ You're back, meow!"
(=`=)
When Sherwin returned to the Dodo Advance, his mind heavy with thoughts, Klee Meow immediately leapt at him and crashed straight into his arms.
After rubbing her little head against him for a while, the small Felyne doll tilted her head up and asked with concern,
"Uncle Coby didn't fight with you, did he, meow? Klee can feel he actually a good person, meow~"
"As expected of Klee, your intuition sharp." Sherwin patted her small head.
"Don't worry, we didn't fight. Uncle Coby just wanted to talk to me about something."
"Ehehe~ That great, meow~"
Klee Meow happily rubbed her head against Sherwin again, purring softly.
While Sherwin was dealing with the affectionate little Felyne, the real captain, Hua Mei Meow, had already commanded the other cats to steer the Dodo Advance out of the port.
Once the little doll finally left Sherwin embrace, satisfied, and ran off to discuss twelve different bomb-triggering methods with Purah Meow, Hua Mei Meow walked over together with Nico Robin, who had just taken off her combat suit.
"Admiral, that CP agent named Coby—what did he want with you, meow? Did he find out about Miss Robin whereabouts, meow?"
Robin looked at Sherwin nervously. She'd been getting along very well with the cats in the Research Commission, and she was afraid Sherwin might not be able to withstand the pressure and be forced to drive her away.
At the same time, she didn't want to put the Felynes in danger because of her. Her heart was in deep conflict.
Then Robin saw Sherwin first nod… then shake his head.
That only made her heart twist even more — she wanted nothing more than to grab Sherwin by the collar and make him spit it out already instead of torturing her with suspense.
On the other side, Hua Mei Meow acted on that exact impulse. She picked up her sword, , and jabbed Sherwin thigh with it — of course, the sheath was still on.
"What going on, exactly? Admiral, hurry up and explain, meow!"
"Uncle Coby knows that Robin is on our ship, but the CP organization doesn't know yet…"
Sherwin immediately and honestly summarized the conversation he'd had with Coby.
When he finished, Robin collapsed onto the floor as though all strength had been drained from her.
"So in the end… all my efforts were meaningless?" she murmured blankly, her eyes fixed on the ground.
But Hua Mei Meow patted her gently with a small paw and said in a slightly puzzled tone, "Isn't that actually a good thing, meow? It means that for a long while, you don't have to worry about the World Government coming after you specifically, meow."
"You're right!" Robin eyes lit up instantly as she finally processed what that meant.
But soon after, hesitation clouded her face again. After a long pause, she said softly, "Even so, I shouldn't stay with you all. That way, when the World Government eventually comes to settle accounts, you won't be dragged down with me."
Sherwin rolled his eyes. "What kind of stupid talk is that? Back when we didn't even know about this, we'd already prepared ourselves to be wanted by the World Government. Don't underestimate our resolve."
"That right, Miss Robin. Don't say things like that again. We Felynes have faced Elder Dragons before—what a mere World Government or a few CP agents to us, meow?" Hua Mei Meow chimed in confidently.
Then she turned to Sherwin and asked, "So, Admiral, did you accept Mr. Coby invitation, meow?"
"No." Sherwin shook his head. "Honestly, I was inclined to agree. That way, Robin wouldn't have to keep hiding like this anymore. But…"
His expression shifted several times before he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Uncle Coby told me there was no rush to give him an answer. He suggested I talk it over with all of you first, to see if there anything we might overlook. Once we've made our decision, we can contact him later."
Hua Mei Meow froze for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into giggles. After several sharp glares from Sherwin, she finally stifled her laughter, jumped onto his shoulder, and rubbed her head affectionately against his cheek.
"That Mr. Coby really is just like Klee said—he a good man, meow~"
The Hunter, whose intelligence had just been questioned by that so-called "good man," rolled his eyes so hard it could have powered a ship.
Then the red-striped Felyne straightened up and said seriously, "Since Mr. Coby said that, it must mean there something he can't say outright, meow. Or maybe… he hinting that you can safely ignore the World Government for a while, meow."
"Is that so?" Sherwin scratched his head.
"Then why didn't he just say it directly? I mean, he already gone out of his way to help cover for Robin whereabouts—why make it so complicated?"
"Perhaps… he also trying to observe my reaction," said Robin, who had by now recovered from her earlier shock.
"Given the kind of employers I've dealt with in the past, whether you tell me or not, from his point of view, the moment I find out—or even suspect—you've been keeping something from me, I'd probably choose to 'betray' you first. And then, even if you didn't want to expel me from the Research Commission, you'd have no choice."
Robin gave a bitter smile. "After all, I am the 'Demon Child,' aren't I…"
Sherwin glanced at Huamei Meow expression. The clever Felyne had clearly realized the same thing, but out of consideration for Robin feelings, she chose not to say it aloud.
"Tch! These agent types—each one more cold-hearted than the last!"
The Hunter, feeling his brain lagging behind the tangled schemes, cursed in frustration.
After venting, he cast a suspicious look at Nico Robin. "You're not really thinking of defecting, are you? Klee would be really sad if you did."
That was something he had to guard against—after all, this big sister did have a bit of a history.
"Of course not," Robin said with tears in her eyes, half laughing, half crying. "I'm still waiting for you to become a Warlord of the Sea and protect me."
Right now, Robin situation was very different from what it had been in the manga. Sherwin had received a promise from the World Government that they wouldn't pursue him for the time being, and their current whereabouts were still undisclosed.
That meant, at least for quite a long while, she didn't have to worry about implicating him or the Felynes—and naturally, she had no reason to leave without a word.
As long as Sherwin and his crew could show enough strength to protect her, she wouldn't fall into that tragic mindset of sacrificing herself to save others.
Once Sherwin confirmed there was no issue with Robin, he brought the topic back to the original question.
"So, why did Uncle Cody tell me not to accept the World Government offer too quickly?"
"Maybe… he wants you to let them stew for a bit before negotiating better terms, meow?" Huamei Meow pondered for a moment,
then guessed, "Thanks to Mr. Cody help, the World Government doesn't actually know Miss Robin is on our ship. So in their eyes, even if you don't agree right away, there no problem. Our situation is completely different from the other Warlords, meow."
"And in your case, Sherwin, you're exactly the kind of person the World Government most hopes will become a Warlord of the Sea," Robin continued, picking up the thread of the conversation.
"So even if there are other pirates suitable for the position right now, they probably won't rush to choose them… Moreover, you could serve as an example—showing all those ambitious types that there are other ways to become a Warlord."
So there were this many twists behind it all?
Sherwin cheek twitched slightly his scalp itched as if his brain were about to grow a few extra folds.
Still, Robin and Huamei Meow analysis did make sense—and combined with Uncle Cody subtle hint, it seemed best to let the World Government stew for a while.
As for whether they'd find a new Warlord during that time, Sherwin wasn't the least bit worried. He knew that, unless something unexpected happened, Ace would soon take down one of the existing Warlords anyway. The World Government wouldn't be lacking an open slot anytime soon.
And once they were missing two Warlords, their eagerness to recruit him would only grow stronger. By then, he might even be able to squeeze a few Devil Fruits out of them!