"What?!" Sabo, Koala, and Hack were stunned. In their eyes, their enigmatic leader actually had a son—and a father who was a Marine hero?!

Moreover, this son was also Sabo's sworn brother. Wait, did that mean Sabo was also Dragon's son?

Was he blood-related? This news was explosive for all the Revolutionaries. After all, even revolutionaries could be gossipy.

"What are you thinking? The leader and I look nothing alike. Didn't he just say we're like brothers, not actually related by blood?" Sabo said helplessly.

"Boss, isn't this too much information?" Robin whispered worriedly.

"Relax. If the Revolutionary leader is willing to engage with me over such a small secret, it might actually be a good thing," Rosen replied indifferently.

If he could establish a connection with Dragon, he might get a clearer picture of Dragon's "ideal nation." If their ideologies weren't too far apart, deeper cooperation might even be possible. Of course, there were risks, but nothing could be known without first making contact.

"Then we'll wait for your good news." It seemed Sabo and the others felt the exchange was worthwhile, so they'd likely deliver the rubbings soon. Rosen was also curious about the so-called Void Century records.

"O-okay…" Sabo was still processing the earlier revelation.

---

"Boss, thank you," Robin suddenly said.

"This is huge news. Who'd have thought that monkey-like Straw Hat kid from Whiskey Peak was the son of the Revolutionary Army's leader—and the grandson of Marine hero Garp? It's great to be alive," Valentine muttered, still shaken.

Looking back, it was lucky they'd only been beaten up. If she and Mr. 5 had actually killed Luffy, the best outcome now would've been rotting in prison.

"Hahaha…" Rosen laughed heartily at Valentine's nervousness. Like many, he'd once joked about Luffy being a "nepo baby."

"Robin, if you want to thank the Boss, why not do something practical? He stood up for you all day," Valentine teased, floating near Robin with her umbrella.

Robin paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "How about this? I'll treat everyone to a few days in Montrouge Island. I hear their food and hot springs are famous in the Grand Line. All expenses will be on me."

"Huh? You have personal funds?" Rosen blinked. He'd never seen Robin save money. Was she not using the crew's funds? Could she really afford it?

Even with the Dawn's modest crew of twenty-some people, the expenses wouldn't be trivial.

"Oh my, Boss, why so surprised? In Alabasta, I skimmed quite a bit for myself. My little stash isn't empty yet—though I haven't touched recent treasure hauls," Robin admitted with a graceful smile.

She'd always been ready to flee at a moment's notice, so carrying money was essential. Besides, in the original story, she'd easily bribed Nami with gems, proving she had some savings.

"Embezzlement isn't something you should admit out loud. But I've never seen you carry valuables on the ship," Rosen mused. Even gold would've been noticeable.

"I used an underground intermediary to deposit it in an anonymous bank. Here's the check." Robin produced a thin slip of paper from her inner clothes, displaying a hefty sum.

Rosen was taken aback. While banks existed in this world—like when the World Government tried bribing Morgans with a check—most pirates and outlaws avoided them due to instability.

In a chaotic world, even reputable banks could collapse, and outlaws had no legal protections. Gold and gems were far safer. Yet Robin had chosen the banking route.

Then again, it made sense. Carrying treasure wasn't practical.

"200 million berries?! Robin, you're loaded! No wonder I always felt my Baroque Works salary wasn't enough," Valentine gasped.

Rosen sighed inwardly. Was this a complaint about low pay? He'd have to earn more. Between funding Law, buying Devil Fruits, and other expenses, he'd already spent over a billion berries recently.

Speaking of Devil Fruits, Rosen had nearly forgotten. The two they'd acquired from Brant were unremarkable, already logged in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. He'd fed them into his mission progress the day after arriving at Garland Island. Now his capacity task stood at 3/5.

The only ability he still coveted was Charles', but that would require meeting Blackbeard first. For now, Charles remained imprisoned in the Dawn's hold.

Rosen's remaining funds, including unclaimed treasure, totaled around 1.1 billion berries. The two Devil Fruits alone had cost 700 million—proof of their exorbitant prices.

Law took 200 million, Brant another 100 million for the ship, plus miscellaneous expenses. Rosen had spent over a billion berries recently—enough for most people to live lavishly for lifetimes.

"Alright, let's gather everyone and head to Montrouge Island. Those with bounties, keep a low profile. We're there to relax, not stir trouble."

"Got it. I'll inform the crew," Valentine said, floating off.

"No regrets? This'll probably cost 20-30 million," Rosen teased.

"It's your money anyway."

"..." Rosen had no rebuttal.

Robin chuckled behind her hand. In truth, some of it was her own savings, meant for emergencies. But now, she doubted she'd ever need it—she planned to stay by his side.

"We'll join too. In case of trouble, and we need to restock supplies," Iris suggested.

"Fine by me." The only question was whether Queen Hathaway had finished her tasks.

---

"Your Majesty, you're going ashore personally?" Iris asked, surprised.

Iris wasn't wanted—the Marines assumed most of Hathaway's crew had died in the Buster Call. Only Hathaway was confirmed to have escaped.

During the Celestial Dragon ship attack, Rosen had acted alone, and the Marine escorts had been dealt with swiftly. Any survivors couldn't identify Iris, who'd shown no extraordinary skills.

To outsiders, she was just an ordinary subordinate of the Shichibukai, unremarkable. Meanwhile, bounties for Daz Bones and others had been raised.

(End of Chapter)