Chapter 446: The New Ship Sets Sail: Robin’s Disappearance

With news from all over being deliberately withheld, it wasn’t until three days later that Karl finally learned the truth—Sakazuki had actually taken down two members of the Holy Knights.

Sitting on Cake Island, Karl found it hard to sit still. “So, if two Holy Knights make up 1%, that means after taking down about 200 Holy Knights, the ultimate mission will be complete.”

Even at the very end, the Holy Knights never imagined they’d become units of measurement.

But after thinking it over, Karl shook his head. Now wasn’t the time for a full-scale battle. If the World Government discovered someone was hunting Holy Knights, war would break out instantly.

That wouldn’t leave Luffy and the others any time to grow stronger. So, despite his impatience, Karl pushed back his urge to act for now.

But that didn’t mean he’d just sit around waiting. “Perospero, spread the word—I don’t want to see a single World Government or Navy spy anywhere in the New World.”

Now that they understood how to advance the ultimate mission, Karl’s Pirate Crew would have to cut out any spies lurking in the New World if they wanted to make big moves.

“Understood, Father!”

…

Three short days later, the brand-new Going Merry was revealed to everyone. Its hull gleamed with intertwining streaks of gold and red, making the whole ship appear bold and majestic. The figurehead had changed from the familiar sheep’s head to the fierce head of a lion.

As for the original Merry figurehead, it had become the true keel, now hidden inside the new ship.

“Sugoi!”

“Hayaku!”

“Is this our new ship?”

“It looks amazing!”

Luffy started bouncing around the deck with Usopp and Chopper in tow. Nami and Sanji wandered off into the cabin, each checking out their new bedrooms and the kitchen setup.

Merry soon joined in the fun. With the new ship fully built, Merry could feel his strength soar—a boost four times greater than before.

The moment the new ship was completed, he realized he could now exist separately from the ship. Even if the Going Merry were damaged, he’d still be just fine.

Ye Fan had pulled out the wood essence that belonged to Merry from the old ship’s keel and poured it into the ship spirit. Now, the relationship between Merry and the Going Merry had shifted from symbiotic to master and servant.

Between the first and second decks, a huge holding tank had been installed—it could keep any fish they caught fresh and lively.

“Super! Awesome!”

When Franky struck his classic pose on the deck, the ship’s welcome party officially came to an end.

“By the way, has anyone seen Robin?”

After days of hard work and finally able to rest, Nami noticed the room next door was empty. She searched everywhere but couldn’t find even a trace of Robin.

“Phew!”

“Robin-chan? Now you mention it, I haven’t seen her at all these last few days.” Sanji twirled his blond curls and fell into thought.

“Robin’s not here?”

“Guys, has anyone seen where Robin went?” Luffy called out, standing on deck, but everyone just shook their heads.

Only when he looked at Ye Fan did Luffy’s eager face turn serious.

“Hey, Ye Fan, you know don’t you—where did Robin go?”

Everyone turned their attention to Ye Fan, who spread his hands in mock helplessness. “Has Robin ever told you what happened to her as a kid?”

“Never heard anything about it.”

“Robin never talked about her childhood. All I know is she’s from the West Blue and works as a historian.” Nami strolled out from the cabin.

Ye Fan straightened up and looked at the confused group.

“Robin comes from Ohara in West Blue. Because Ohara studied the Poneglyphs, the World Government launched a Buster Call to destroy them. Robin was the only one left alive on the whole island.”

“And she was only eight back then, already carrying a seventy-nine million Berry bounty on her head. She’s been on the run ever since, until she met us.”

“Three days ago, during the fight in front of Galley-La Company, Robin was taken away by World Government agents from CP9.”

“If she refused, that man named Lucci threatened to unleash a Buster Call on Water 7. We’d never have enough time to fix the ship, and someone might even die. For our sake, Robin went with them.”

“Damn it! Why didn’t you stop them then?” Sanji charged at Ye Fan, grabbing his collar in frustration.

“How could this happen?”

“So that’s why—the CP9 agents came to take Robin. No wonder you suddenly fought that guy in white.”

Luffy finally put the pieces together. That strange fight from before was all because someone tried to take their friend.

Looking at the furious Sanji, Ye Fan gently patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, everyone only let Robin go because we’re her friends. Our job is to help her break free from her fears.”

“And the best way to do that is to show her that the Buster Call means nothing when it comes to us.”

After hearing this, Sanji finally let go of Ye Fan’s collar.

“Besides, I’ve kept my Observation Haki locked on Robin this whole time. She should be on that train behind us.”

Everyone gasped. If Robin was on the train, didn’t that mean she was about to be taken away?

They spun around, hearing the distant whistle, just as a speeding train shot past. Thanks to their Observation Haki, they could clearly see Robin, dressed in purple, standing by one of the windows, staring straight at them.

“Chase her! Go! After the train!”

Awoken by urgency, everyone stumbled to ready the ship, pushing hard in hot pursuit.

Franky, who’d meant to get off, was now stuck on board thanks to the sudden chase.

Gin, grinning sneakily, made his way down to the lower deck where the Coup de Vent Cannon was installed.

Ye Fan had already told Gin—the best way to get Franky on their ship was to attack Enies Lobby together. If Franky ended up with a bounty, there’d be no going back. Over these last three days, everyone had witnessed Franky’s incredible skills.

As a shipwright, Franky couldn’t be a better caretaker for the Going Merry. Not only did they gain a valuable ally, but the Merry would get top-notch repairs—a win-win situation.

“Sorry, Franky! City life is a trap!” Gin activated all the devices and pressed the big red button.

At that, a massive jet of air blasted out from the back of the ship, launching the Going Merry forward and catching up with the train in no time. In fact, the ship sped past the train by quite a stretch.

That’s when a frantic voice cried out through the wind. “I haven’t gotten off yet! I’m still on board!”