Lloyd took Lucia out of the bar, giving Shanks and Makino the opportunity to express their true feelings to one another.
When the two returned, Makino's beautiful face was flushed red. The moment she saw Lloyd, she shyly addressed him as Dage, Big Brother.
Lloyd casually waved his hand and left behind a large amount of Berries along with several boxes filled with precious jewelry. As Makino's Dage and Shanks' elder brother, he considered it a meeting gift for his future sister-in-law.
Makino repeatedly tried to decline, but she simply could not refuse Lloyd's insistence. In the end, she accepted everything, instantly becoming the wealthiest person in Foosha Village.
Lloyd looked at her and instructed,
"Starting today, stop running the bar. Wait until the child is born and you've fully recovered before considering reopening it."
Makino obediently nodded.
Lloyd continued,
"The child you're carrying possesses the bloodline of the Figarland Family. When your due date approaches, I will send someone to escort you to Mary Geoise."
The moment those words left his mouth, Makino became visibly flustered.
"Eh? Ehhh? Big Brother, is that really appropriate? I... I..."
"There's no need to be nervous. We're already family. As the daughter-in-law of the Figarland Family, isn't it only natural for you to meet your father-in-law?"
Makino's face grew even redder. Lowering her head, she softly replied,
"That's true, but... Shanks still hasn't decided when he'll return. I'm worried he'll be upset if I go ahead like this..."
Lloyd dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand.
"Upset? Who would he be upset with? The moment you go, he'll return obediently. He won't have anywhere else to run."
Thinking about the expression Garling would make upon seeing Makino, a faintly amused smile appeared at the corner of Lloyd's lips.
After remaining at the bar for a little longer, Lloyd departed with Lucia.
The two returned to the shoreline where the warship was anchored.
Before leaving the island, Lloyd transferred three Vice Admirals from Marine Headquarters along with a large number of elite Marines to remain stationed in the area temporarily.
Their mission was to safeguard the surrounding sea region and establish a new Marine branch base. Once construction was completed, they would return to Marineford.
During this period, every Marine Headquarters officer and soldier stationed there would receive double salary and additional subsidies.
That was not all.
Lloyd also contacted Stussy and ordered CP0 agents to be deployed to Foosha Village to provide special protection for Makino.
Only after making all necessary arrangements did Lloyd issue the order for the fleet to set sail.
His destination was the rendezvous point with Akainu and the others.
Besides Lloyd and Lucia, Akainu, Aokiji, and Aramaki had also participated in this operation. Each of them commanded a separate fleet and was responsible for sweeping one of the Four Blues.
Yet despite the extensive search efforts, there was still no sign of Luffy and his group.
It was as though they had vanished from the face of the world.
...
Deep beneath the sea, three enormous black submarines silently cut through the dark waters.
Inside one of the cabins, Nami continuously wiped the sweat from her forehead.
She was dressed as lightly as possible, wearing an orange-striped bikini top, extremely short shorts, and a pair of flip-flops.
Even so, the cramped environment inside the submarine remained unbearably stuffy.
Chopper and Brook were also present in the cabin.
Chopper's head was wrapped in thick bandages. He sat quietly in a corner, holding a piece of cotton candy and licking it little by little.
It was the last piece he had.
Once it was gone, he had no idea when he would get another one.
Nearby, Brook clutched a large barrel of milk and drank greedily from it.
Tiny cracks covered nearly every bone in his body.
Garp's punch had nearly reduced him to dust.
As a result, Brook did not dare make any sudden movements. Every step he took was cautious and deliberate.
Whenever he had free time, he drank milk to accelerate the recovery of his damaged skeleton.
The three quietly occupied themselves until a knock sounded on the cabin door.
Since Chopper and Brook were injured, Nami stood up and opened it.
Outside stood Lindbergh.
The moment he entered, Nami immediately began complaining.
"Uncle Lindbergh, how much longer do we have to stay inside this submarine? It's so stuffy in here, and we can't even take a proper bath!"
Lindbergh helplessly shook his head.
"I'm afraid it'll be a while longer. During this period, we absolutely cannot surface unless we're replenishing supplies. Marine Headquarters warships are patrolling all over the Four Blues right now. If we're discovered, it'll be extremely dangerous. We could even attract the attention of the World Government."
The mention of the World Government caused Nami's expression to stiffen.
She let out a heavy sigh.
Seeing her reaction, Lindbergh continued,
"Don't worry too much. The submarine I developed is completely reliable. At our current diving depth, the Navy won't be able to detect us."
The three submarines were already packed to capacity.
As for those who could not fit aboard, Koala and the others had arranged for them to hide within various small nations scattered throughout the Four Blues.
This possibility had been anticipated before the Revolutionary Army's complete evacuation from Baltigo.
If they had not prepared contingency plans of this scale, the Revolutionary Army would never have survived for so many years.
Nami slumped back into her seat, her face filled with despair.
Attempting to comfort her, Lindbergh said,
"Nami, don't be so pessimistic. Things won't stay this way forever. Marine Headquarters can't maintain such an enormous military presence throughout the Four Blues indefinitely."
Then he suddenly brightened.
"Oh, right. I have some good news. Emet's power chamber has been repaired. He's awake now."
Nami paused for a moment before responding flatly.
"Oh. That's good."
She held no positive feelings toward Joy Boy, the consciousness that continuously occupied Luffy's body.
In fact, she actively disliked him.
As a result, she also found herself instinctively resistant toward Emet, the giant robot who remained unwaveringly loyal to Joy Boy.
Not to mention that Emet was currently inhabiting Franky's body.
An awkward silence settled over the cabin once more.
Lindbergh stood there uncomfortably, unsure of what to say.
After a moment, Nami suddenly asked,
"How is Luffy doing?"
The mention of Luffy caused Lindbergh to sigh.
"Still the same. He's locked himself inside his cabin and hasn't come out. If this keeps up, I'm honestly worried about him..."
Nami bit her lip.
Then she abruptly stood up.
"No. I need to see him."
The moment she finished speaking, she rushed past Lindbergh and out of the cabin.
Lindbergh quickly followed behind her.
The two soon arrived outside the cabin where Luffy had secluded himself.
Nami immediately began knocking on the door.
"Luffy!"
"Luffy!"
"Luffy, answer me!"
She called his name repeatedly, but there was no response from inside.
Growing increasingly anxious, Nami began kicking the door.
When Lindbergh finally caught up, she grabbed the fur around his collar and shouted,
"Open it! Right now!"
Not daring to waste a second, Lindbergh immediately acted.
With a powerful strike of his palm, he slammed into the cabin door, blasting it open with brute force.
===
Get access to the entire catalog on Patreon, where all chapters are conveniently organized into collections.
If you prefer not to pay for a monthly membership, this is a more affordable option that gives you access to the content you want.
(Buying the collection gives you access to all chapters in it.)
Search for "_Zeph" on P@treon to get started.