"I want to see what you guys plan to do this time to sneak in."
To execute a kidnapping or assassination plan against him, the prerequisite is that they must get close to him. As long as he prevents the possibility of them approaching, he can fundamentally reduce the occurrence of such things.
Previously, he thought the identity card system was somewhat redundant, but now it seems there's no better policy to make him feel secure.
Not leaving Wano Kuni is no big deal.
If he wants, he can still go out, and as long as he's not too flashy, even those agents can't track his whereabouts.
The safest way is to go out with a big shot, but he doesn't want to do that. Going out with Kaidou is no different from throwing himself into the trap of the Undersea Prison.
He often walks on the path of courting death. Kaidou himself is definitely indestructible, but it's not certain if Queen tags along.
Arceus is relatively safer, but going with Arceus would likely result in Shaina giving him a beating, which is not a good choice either.
After checking the report he had written, Queen didn't find any issues. Just as he was planning to submit the report, a new idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
"Miss Yamato... no, I should say our beloved Ghost Princess might be able to help a lot."
If he could persuade Yamato to go out with him, firstly, he wouldn't be inexplicably taken to an extremely dangerous environment, nor would he face beatings from unknown individuals.
Yamato's strength is one aspect, but more importantly, she has Arceus's contingency plan with her. Thinking this way, going out with her is indeed a very safe choice.
The most crucial point is, compared to Kaidou who appears carefree but is actually shrewd, Yamato is much easier to persuade. As for the last time he was extorted by Yamato, he considers it merely an accident.
Now that Yamato has greater autonomy, as long as he can successfully persuade her, many difficulties can be solved.
He just forgot one thing, if something truly happened, he might still be unlucky.
Queen is not weak; although half of the bounty of 1.7 billion is due to the falls he's taken, his equipment and various annoying tactics make him as tough to deal with as a porcupine.
However, he lacks clear self-awareness of his own strength, because the enemies he faces are each more formidable than the other, from the two Lunarian remnants, Shaina and King, to the couple Setsuna and Zeraora, and then to Yamato, the energetic challenger.
Plus the personal teachings from Kaidou, this has led to a serious misconception about his own strength.
After all, he's a research-type talent, except for the early developmental phase and later special missions, his chances to fight outsiders are rare, which is why he's now perfecting his survival plan.
"Speaking of which... Miss Yamato's schedule seems to have been delayed, huh? This could be a new opportunity."
Arceus had asked her to spend half a month experiencing what real life means. Technically, she should have returned to Ghost Island yesterday, but she hasn't yet, clearly having encountered something special.
No matter what the situation is, this is a good opportunity for persuasion—or rather, comfort—allowing him to get a giant protective umbrella.
A slightly insidious smile appeared on Queen's face, seemingly plotting some sort of scheme.
...
"Achoo, achoo!"
"Ghost Princess, you might be catching a cold. How about we rethink our strategy? That way, we can go back sooner."
"Impossible, I never catch colds, how could I catch one from this? It must be some bastard badmouthing me behind my back."
On the small boat, it was still the four of them sailing, but compared to their initial bright departure, they now appeared a bit down and out.
"Penniless" could very well describe their experience. Originally, Yamato thought her pocket money would be enough for this trip's expenses, but after setting out, she realized that aside from Ajian, everything else in her cloud backpack was gone.
They're all adults, with hands and feet; hunger surely won't kill them. As for where their belongings have gone, there's an attribute called Dark Type, with a skill known as Thief.
It's a skill that makes pickpockets worldwide weep. With it, the identity of the Thief King is theirs.
Without material support and not even flying any flag related to Hundred Beasts, everything relied on their self-sufficiency.
Originally, they began the return journey a few days ago, but there was a bit of an accident on the way.
The New World's weather viciously backstabbed them; under the massive storm, although the ship remained undamaged, most of the onboard supplies were lost.
Returning to Wano Kuni from here will still take some time, and not eating or drinking is impossible, unless in a marathon survival battle lasting several days. Otherwise, no one can sustain without food or water.
This period has taught Yamato how difficult survival in the New World truly is. Due to not flying any flags, this ship appeared like an ordinary distressed vessel to outsiders, stirring up considerable trouble.
Few like Olon Booth, who upon seeing their plunder target as impoverished switched from looting to aiding. Most pirates don't care about the conditions of those they rob, they just take whatever's available.
Even if there's no money, a bottle of milk or a plank from the ship can be their target. These pirates don't set sail for adventure, nor to achieve dreams or fame.
They're purely strong-arming weaklings, deriving joy from oppressing the weak, belonging to the scummiest category among pirates.
And amidst this, cannon fire is unavoidable. On this matter, Yamato adheres to a principle: if it's merely a fight, she'll show mercy, but anyone who dares damage her ship will pay the price.
She'd rather face cannonballs than let this ship lose a single fragment, because the price is just too heavy.
"Ghost Princess, how about we... be straightforward? Without replenishing supplies, returning to Wano Kuni might be a bit tricky.."
"Right, we're pirates after all. Even if you don't like it, Ghost Princess, if we really can't manage, let's leave an IOU then."
Speed and Mizerka hope Yamato can return soon. These young people born in Wano Kuni have never experienced such harsh times. In the past, no matter how tough the training, the logistical supplies never fell short.
Only in this environment do they realize how much they've benefited from Hundred Beasts. The method they suggest is naturally robbing; knowing Yamato's habits, replenishing supplies certainly requires money, she won't forcibly rob ordinary people.
As for working to earn money, working is impossible for them, that profession simply doesn't suit them.
"Let's wait a bit longer, some pirate is bound to pass by. Robbing them of their supplies will let us go back. Darn it, why can't we encounter kind-hearted folks like before anymore..."