.: I spent most of this chapter sitting in front of my computer wondering what exactly I was going to write about. The last arc came easy to me because it was a setting I associate with personally. This current setting is way out of my element, so I am having to constantly research and do my best tapping into my inner Oda. The man is always making characters out of inspiration of historical events and figures because he's a creative genius, and I do my best to emulate that mindset. I can't do it exactly like he can, but I think I do a good job when it counts. This arc feels like it needs a lot of that kind of creativity, so I'm taking the route of exploring stereotypes in Old West media. I catch my parents watching Yellowstone and its spin-offs every now and then, and sometimes I watch it with them, but I haven't fully immersed myself in it. My biggest goal is making this entertaining by combining One Piece aspects with Old West tropes. Even though I feel like I did just that in this chapter, I still feel like it will come across as boring, which really sucks but nothing I can do about it other than keep writing. It'll get more fun eventually. :.

The Girl with A Half-Soul

Chapter 32:

The Lone Ranger

Thanks to Luffy, the crew was now blacklisted in Boom Town. But that seemed pretty normal for everyone. None of them could show their faces without getting shot at. Since the train only came by once a day in the morning, they had no choice but to try to make it through the rest of the day and night. The worst-case scenario was moving on foot to the next town. If absolutely nobody knew or wanted to tell them about the Chupacabra, then that was their plan.

For now, they were working toward blending in. It was the least they could do to get the target off their backs. Robin and Aurilee sat in comfortable silence together right outside of a store. There was a reason why the archaeologist chose her current outfit when she woke up this morning. Cowboys were known to wear their signature hats and boots, and it was assumed their clothes consisted of a lot of leather since they dealt with livestock. That was the look she had when the crew met her after the events of Whiskey Peak and later on in Alabasta. She figured it was worth a shot, and sure enough, it worked.

The only thing Aurilee was unsure about was the long, insulating coat she wore over her shoulders and arms. It was soft to the touch like a sheep. "Aren't you hot in that?" she asked, feeling like she was breaking a sweat in the heat despite her lack of layers.

"A little bit," she honestly replied, crossing her legs, "but you get used to it after a while. Alabasta was a lot hotter than this, too."

Underneath the coat was a purple miniskirt that had white fringe dangling and a purple tank top that was laced up the middle. Everyone was either surprised by her choice of attire or had a chilling flashback because of it. Zoro even called her Miss All Sunday with sarcasm in his tone, whatever the heck that meant. But the joke was on him because Robin was the one crewmate who could take a peaceful stroll through Boom Town.

Not for long, though. Usopp strolled out with his goggles still on his head, but they were hiding under a ten gallon hat. His brown overalls and red t-shirt were covered by a decorative poncho with many colored stripes sewn into it. The look was finished with a regular pair of cowboy boots and his satchel still hanging over his shoulder.

"Looking good, Usopp," Aurilee complimented. It was not the getup she imagined, but it worked. Very simple and probably did not cost a fortune.

"Thanks," he replied genuinely. "You should get something, too."

"What? But I think I look fine." She did not stand out by wearing the gifted pair of overalls. Besides, they were going on a trip, and she wanted to be comfortable. The most comfortable was when she wore her overalls with the rubber band giving her belly support.

"You could at least put a shirt on," he reasoned, eyeing how a lot of her bare patchy skin was showing from just wearing a white sports bra underneath.

She exaggerated a pout by sticking her bottom lip out. "But it's hot, and I'm already sweating so much that it looks like I'm lactating."

"Lactating?"

"I got big titties, Usopp. They sweat like crazy."

He squeezed his eyes shut and was visibly stifled by the response. "Did you have to word it like that?"

"I was just being honest with you," she giggled.

"Still–"

"Stick 'em up!" Luffy suddenly screamed, bursting from the store with two revolvers in his hands.

Usopp squealed and immediately ducked for cover without a second thought. The reaction made Luffy, Aurilee, and Robin all laugh. Nobody was in danger; they ran out of ammo. Usopp was quick to remember that and directed his annoyance at his immature captain. "This isn't the time for jokes like that!" he shamed.

"Says who?" Luffy challenged him nonchalantly.

He huffed, trying to think of a good comeback, but decided to be real in his response. "You won't be making jokes when someone gets shot. Robin got off lucky."

Luffy stuck his fingers through the trigger hole and tried twirling them just to stick them in his waistband, but he could not execute it gracefully. He was now wearing long sleeves and pants, and it looked like something Sanji would wear honestly. It was a blue charro suit with many golden line patterns surrounding the seams, pockets, collar, and cuffs. Robin sprouted hands on his shoulders to tie the loose bow underneath his chin. The only thing out of place was his straw hat that remained in its rightful place. "Robin's tough!" he said.

"I'm not the one who came out unscathed after getting trampled by dozens of horses," the archaeologist deflected.

"Oh, yeah. How'd Nami do that?"

Before any of them could explain that Nami did not summon the horses with her attack, Chopper walked out with a blue sombrero presenting the same line patterns in his hooves. "This apparently comes with your outfit, Luffy," he told him.

"Nah. I don't want it," he denied, adjusting his straw hat. "You take it."

"But I already have a hat, too."

"The straw hat matches better here," Usopp admitted. "You might be better off wearing a sombrero, Chopper."

The idea deflated him. His pink top hat was a gift from Dr. Hiriluk, so it had a lot of sentimental value to him. Losing it would be like losing him all over again.

"I'll hold onto it for you," Usopp promised him as he unlatched his satchel. "Hopefully we won't be here too long. You'll get to wear it again in no time."

With that, Chopper nodded and pulled it off. Somehow his antlers fit through. When he wore the sombrero, the same thing happened. He possessed some kind of talent Aurilee had never seen before when it came to wearing hats, but since it did not faze anyone else, she let it go.

"Where's Aurilee?!" Sanji frantically said from inside. Before anyone could answer him, he came out to her excitedly and held out a circular hat for her. "I think this would be cute on you."

She did not even look at the hat. Her eyes were too focused on him. He was sporting denim jeans with a denim jacket. Underneath was a yellow embroidered floral shirt. His black cowboy hat had matching embroidery around the sides. It was such a sight for her sore, sleep-deprived eyes. A deep heat settled in her nethers, and she felt like even more sweat was soaking into her bra. Being aware of it embarrassed her. "W-W-What?" she stammered, realizing she paid no attention to the words coming out of his mouth.

"Here." He untied the bandana she had wrapped around her hair to keep fly-aways out of her face and replaced it with the hat he picked out. Then he rolled the bandana tighter before retying it around the base. When he stepped back, he almost fell head over heels. "See? You're adorable! Nami, buy the hat, too!"

The navigator stuck her head out. "Fine," she surrendered, looking her down. "At least put on a pair of chaps, Aurilee."

"Do I have to?" she droned.

"Considering you scream 'hillbilly' right now, I highly recommend it." Zoro slid past her with his own cowboy hat in hand. His shirt was black with white embroidery sewn over his chest area. The green belly warmer cushioned his waist from his constricting blue jeans, but the green bolo tie around his neck and green trim around the base of his hat gave him a very ordained appeal. Nami pointed to his leather, frilled chaps. "Zoro knows what I'm talking about."

"Huh?" he questioned, placing his hat over the bandana on his head.

Aurilee could not help but feel outed. Everyone took this disguise thing serious when all she was concerned about was finding comfort in the midst of constant discomfort. She sighed, grabbing Sanji's arm to help herself to her feet. "I'll put on chaps, but the sandals stay on."

"Deal," Nami compromised, disappearing back inside.

When followed, Aurilee almost turned right back around. Nami wanted her to blend in, but all she was doing was standing out! She was wearing a short white dress with short sleeves hanging off the shoulders. A black corset constricted her tiny waist. From the back, a pink skirt hung down to her ankles, acting as a background for her fishnet stockings and black cowgirl boots. The matching pink cowgirl hat coincidentally had flowers and tangerines stitched into its pattern underneath the brim. All prying eyes would definitely be on her. It was all hypocrisy!

Ignoring the silent dissent, Nami quickly found Aurilee's size and threw her chaps. They were simply a leather covering for her legs meant to protect her from environmental hazards. A fat stack of berries was placed on the clerk's counter. Upon exiting, it was time to split up into groups.

"Let's keep a low profile this time," Nami instructed. "No more screaming and getting shot at. Find someone to talk to. Be casual."

"In that case," Zoro replied, keeping a hand on his three sword hilts, "you can find me at the bar." There was no getting a partner to join him. He just walked off. Whether he would actually look for information or just drink all day remained to be seen.

"What if we found, like, the mayor of this town?" Luffy questioned, holding his hands against the back of his head.

Nami almost shook her head in surprise. That was probably the smartest thing their captain said in a while, if not his entire life. "Yes, that's an option," she agreed.

In the middle of the group discussion, Sanji noticed movement in his peripheral. It was a sway of something. When he glanced, he had to double take. There was a lady! She was leaning against a post and had fluffed out her skirt. Her hair was pinned up, and her shoulders and clavicles were very exposed. Getting his attention was exactly what she wanted. A single finger beckoned him over. Hs feet moved on their own in response.

Robin noticed and sprouted hands from the ground to grab his ankles, causing him to almost topple forward. "Found something?" she asked with skepticism in her tone.

Embarrassment and yearning for permission had him look back while pointing toward the pretty lady. If he was allowed to, he could ask her for information…but also get friendly with her.

"I'm fairly sure that's a prostitute," she revealed.

He choked on his own air. If a man had said that, he would have gotten hostile. But his dear Robin was the one who labeled her! Something about it brought on betrayal to his mind. "H-How do you know that?" he denied.

"Because I'm fairly sure that's a brothel."

He turned his head back toward the lady, but he gazed at the building she stood in front of. It did not necessarily stand out among the others (it was just as run down), but there were questionable sounds emanating from it if he listened close enough. A guy stumbled out the front door, and it looked as if he was trying to quickly button up his pants. "But…she's just as pretty as Nami."

Usopp looked back and forth between them, and he almost laughed. Sanji was right! Nami's disguise was just like the dress that woman was wearing! "That's where Nami should go find information!" he blurted out.

The navigator grew flustered. She just thought her disguise was cute! How was she supposed to know that it was what a prostitute would wear?!

"Doesn't hurt to try," Robin added, making her extra limbs disappear with flower petals floating away. "Aurilee and I will join her."

"And me?" Sanji pleaded with a hint of desperation.

"No way," Nami firmly declined. "You wouldn't get any information. You'd just contract a disease."

Both Aurilee and Usopp cracked up at how blunt she put it. Sanji's whole face reddened when he realized he could not defend himself because he definitely would get seduced and pay the consequences later on.

Luffy hopped onto Chopper while he was still sized down, holding onto his antlers, and making him grab him by the ankles. "Let's go find the mayor, Chopper!"

He squeaked at the sudden mount and reacted by sizing up to Walk Point. Usopp climbed up for a ride, too. "Count me in."

"You coming, Sanji?" Luffy asked.

He thought about it, but he had a better idea. "Go on without me," he answered, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Suit yourself. Let's go."

Chopper lifted his nose to sniff before setting out. The three females grouped together and did the same. Sanji dejectedly started eyeing general stores. Maybe a smoke would make him feel better about not getting time with ladies at the brothel.

After a minute or two, he felt someone hook his elbow. He paused in his stride to see Aurilee was the culprit. The delight he got in that moment was met with confusion. She just looked up at him with a nervous smile. Those lovely, mismatched irises of hers made his heart flutter. "What about…?" he trailed.

"I don't think a brothel's a good place for me to be in," she admitted. "You know, trauma and all…"

"Oh." She did not have to elaborate any further. It was a cesspool for triggering flashbacks. If she wanted to join him instead, she was more than welcome to. He slipped his hand out of his pocket and offered it to her. "Then do you wanna go buy a lighter with me?"

The offer was too tempting to resist. She realized she had never touched someone like that, and it made her nervous. But it was not a scared kind of nervous; she just feared it was too good to be true, like the moment she slipped her hand into it, he would fake her out as a joke. She had to remind herself that Sanji would never do that. He held her hand once when he told her part of his life story, but this was different. This was meant to signify either their newfound bond or his promise to keep her out of harm's way. Pushing herself out of her comfort zone, she dragged her hand down his arm to join.

Sanji had to suppress his audible reaction. Her hand was smaller than his, and the skin on her palm still had old calluses, but it was so soft just as he remembered. Not wanting her to slip away, he moved to interlock their fingers together. Realizing what he had done, she followed through by closing her grasp. It was like a spark igniting in her soul. This was what it felt like to be wanted. She knew for a while now that he did, but having evidence amazed her. Did this mean they could always hold hands? Please?

She briskly nodded, feeling light on her toes. Wherever he went, she wanted to follow. Sanji's heart eyes erupted and he continued walking to his destination with her. He thought he would be having a solo mission today, like Mr. Prince would have an encore, but this was much better. Maybe people would perceive them as a real couple. Well, that was perfectly fine with him! Aurilee's condition would only help push that image. Expectant parents! How cute!

Zoro may have a problem with getting lost, but he could always find a bar. This one was called a saloon. When he pushed apart the double doors, nobody paid him any attention. He was just another patron, but the only one who wielded swords. It was not that lighted inside, but there were memorabilia on the walls like random signs, framed pictures, a couple of ragged jolly rogers. One table had a card game going on with a lot of berries stacked in the middle. Two guys competed in a game of billiards on the far side. There was a musician on a small stage playing a guitar as background noise. Zoro noticed the bartender cleaning a glass behind the bar top and decided to start there.

When he took his seat, he had to adjust the swords on his hip to give himself room. "You're new around here," the bartender greeted.

"Just passing through," Zoro replied. "Give me your best liquor."

Years in the business had him read the swordsman easily. He twitched his handlebar mustache and set the glass down with the other clean ones. "That's what they all say." A sealed bottle tapped the wood in front of him as it was served.

Zoro smirked as he opened it and allowed a big gulp. "What are guys usually passing through here for?"

"Gold."

Suddenly the doors flew open, making heads turn. Gunshots were expected, but instead, high spirits were felt. "Guess who!" a middle-aged cowboy with white hair that touched his shoulders and a skinny beard exclaimed.

Zoro kept the neck of the bottle pressed to his lips as he watched with a side eye. The table with the card game erupted in laughter and happy cheers as they recognized the new patron. His hat had a circular brim, his black boots rode all the way up to his midthigh, and his open jacket had fringe, floral embroidery, and big cuffs around his wrists. He greeted them with enthusiastic handshakes. "It's that time of year, huh?" one of them asked him.

"Oh yeah. Time to move the goods around," he answered.

Behind him walked in his entourage. A man with a darker complexion and a thick beard surrounding his lips and chin entered with simple clothes like a long gray jacket covering a button-up shirt and denim jeans. After that, a younger guy with dark hair and a simple mustache came in with his woman at his hip. Zoro noticed his bowtie and how he removed his hat in a respectful manner, pulling a chair out for the woman to sit. Her hair was very frizzy with untamable curls underneath a wide-brimmed hat that sat close to the back of her crown, and her dress was buttoned up the middle with fringe hanging past her knees. It was hard to ignore both of their guns since they appeared to be shotguns or rifles. The last one to come inside was definitely a cowboy. He had a plain brown cowboy hat with a matching leather jacket covering what almost looked like another jacket. As he walked, his spurs tapped the floor. Something about the way the toothpick stuck out between his lips and his rock-solid gait told Zoro that he was not one to be challenged.

"It wouldn't be Lone Star Island without Bison Billy and his Wild Westerners," someone said.

The bartender grabbed specific bottles and rounded the bar top to go tend to them all. "What're we having, Billy?"

"You already know what I drink," he replied with a smile.

He placed a glass on the table and poured something just to move on to the next one. "Ware?" he questioned the darker man.

He just nodded and accepted a glass of scotch to drink. Butler and Oakley, the couple, both chose whiskey. Rip was the only one who declined something to sip on. "Maybe tonight," he said as he leaned back in his chair and kicked his boots up.

Once they were all served, the bartender came back to allow them to enjoy themselves. Zoro had to say something. "I take it they're famous."

The bartender glanced at him in surprise. He must really be new to the island, not just the town, if he had never heard of Bison Billy's group. That was very strange since he looked like a run-of-the-mill cowboy, minus the swords. "The Wild Westerners work for the biggest ranch in Lone Star Island," he explained. "They move horses around their land throughout the year until they're ready to be sold to the World Government for military use."

Moving horses? Well, that explained why Nami spooked horses with her thundercrack. Although, he still did not understand why that one cowboy rode on the back of a cow. Ignoring that, he thought about what was explained. He was already connecting some dots. "I haven't seen a Marine or any government official, yet they do business here?"

He picked up a dirty glass someone had left behind and proceeded to clean it. "They tried to take over when gold brought bandits and pirates by the swarms. Wanted to clean house, you see. But the place is so lawless and corrupt that they were driven out every time. Only a small handful of Marines remain, but they've been forgotten by those ranked higher. The closest they got to having a hand in affairs is paying ranches for their scores of horses. Other than that, they gave up."

Zoro swished his bottle to see how much longer he could stick around. The Wild Westerners laughed with their friends as they told stories of their adventures across the frontier. Even Oakley recreated an event by shooting a can that was across the room. He learned to tune them out. For a dangerous place, they were not unhinged. At the same time, they traveled the island extensively throughout the years. They might be full of information for him to crack into. He also could not shake a sense of relief in that moment. It was better to be a lawless nation than one controlled by Marines. The Straw Hat Pirates had free range to do just about anything here.

"If I was the mayor of a rinky-dink town like this, where would I be?" Usopp thought aloud. As he sat behind Luffy, he tried eyeing somebody or something that would catch the attention of people. Surely if the mayor was in charge, civilians would greet him and make it obvious he was important around here.

Luffy held his hand over his eyes to help shield the sun away. They were walking in the middle of the dirt road with a little bit of traffic along the way. The terrain was not as flat as it appeared from the train platform; Chopper was steadily climbing the littlest bit. He kept his nose alert along with his ears rotating for suspicious noises. The only distraction was seeing people casually riding on the backs of cows. Some of them even lugged wagons behind them. He had yet to see someone riding a horse like they should. Either way, though, he could talk to them.

"Who runs this town?" he questioned a dormant bull with very large horns looming parallel to the ground.

At first, the bull did not understand, but then he just sneered and continued past Chopper.

The response concerned him. He basically just got told that nobody had control here. Lawless truly meant lawless. How could any society survive like this?

Behind them, gunshots rang out, causing Usopp to cower and Chopper to tense up. The sound of a window crashing with a body flying through it followed. Usopp saw how the victim did not move or get up, and he looked away nervously.

They passed a family buying food. The two kids, both boys, were obviously bored and trying to find ways to entertain themselves. The eldest thought it would be a great idea to try mounting their family bull from behind. The three pirates all cringed when back legs bucked and the kid was kicked to the ground. He yee'd his last haw, at least for the rest of the day.

Ahead of them, two people were facing off on opposite ends of the road. Chopper halted when he realized they were not passing each other. Doors and windows abruptly shut when things got too quiet. A small crowd also gathered to see who was going to fall.

Their spurs clinked and fingers twitched close to the holsters on their hips. It was hard to tell whether they were outlaws or cowboys. All there was to notice was a long coat with a white hat and a breeze blowing through the fringe on some chaps with a black hat. Usopp glanced up at the sun to see it was in the center of the sky. A vulture glided in front of it and screeched. Something about this whole scene resonated with him, but he could not quite put his finger on it…

"It's a duel," Luffy labeled with revere. His eyes twinkled as he saw a chance to be included. "Draw!" he called out from above the crowd's heads.

Usopp suddenly slapped his hand over Luffy's mouth as he yelped, but it was too late. The standoff kicked off with dual pistols being pulled and shot. Something was wrong, though. Instead of four shots going off, it sounded like five. Both of their bodies jolted, but no blood spurted. Instead, their guns fell to the ground. "This town ain't big enough for the two of you," someone else claimed.

People made room for the intruder. He was an older man with gray hair and an impressive mustache that hung past his chin. Atop his blue button-up shirt was a white vest, and pinned to it was a blue badge with "Sheriff" written underneath it. "I suggest you both take this somewhere else," he threatened.

"Sheriff Garrett," the duelist wearing the black hat identified. "Maybe you should mind your own business."

"Last time I checked you both were wanted criminals. Either take this somewhere else or you force my hand."

The two glanced at each other. They should have known Boom Town's liberator would catch wind of their encounter. But the same idea crossed both their minds. Sheriff Garrett was a relic of a past age. A part of him lost that edge after so many decades. Because of that, they both joined forces for a minute.

Luffy's intrigued smile transformed into one of confusion and worry. The duelists outmatched the old man. He pointed his gun at them both, trying to figure out which one would strike first. The white hat guy was too fast for him to handle; he snatched the gun right out of his hand and clocked him across the face with the handle. The crowd backed away when they realized this was about to get ugly.

"Hey!" Luffy shouted angrily, dismounting from Chopper, and disappearing toward them.

The black hat guy stomped his chest to knock the wind out of him, but it was the only hit he landed. Luffy delivered a single Gum Gum Pistol to knock him away. It scared the white hat guy. One look from Luffy got him to drop the gun and leave the scene. He saw the coast was clear before kneeling next to the old man to see he was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.

It only took a few footsteps to make their trio a duo. Aurilee expressed concern about entering the brothel and quickly joined up with Sanji instead. Neither Nami nor Robin protested. They simply took it upon themselves to investigate. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were going to find the mayor, so they had to think outside the box. Robin made a good point that brothels were keystones in places like these. All kinds of people visited or regulated them. It was probably swimming with gossip.

Nami did not know what to expect inside. Prostitution was way off her radar of knowledge. Back when she was trying to buy back Cocoyashi Village from Arlong, prostitution was definitely an avenue she could have taken. She had more self-respect than that, though. Plus, the payout she got stealing from pirates was far greater and took less time.

She followed Robin in and let her do most of the talking. Miss All Sunday was back in business and prepared to get her hands dirty. The inside was nicer than what Nami expected. It opened up to a main room with couches and chairs. A couple of men were enjoying drinks with the ladies who offered some for a fee. Nami was nervous that unsightly deeds would be going on out in the open, but they were only heard from the other side of doors where active transactions were happening.

She stood back and hoped that nobody approached her. She definitely looked like she worked here. If Robin was quick, maybe they could make their getaway without incident. Something told her that the same thought was going through her head. She asked if a madam was in charge and requested to speak with her. One of the workers left and returned with an older woman who looked nothing like the others. Her sinched dress, high collar, and updo screamed entrepreneur. She herself did not sell her body, but she profited from others doing it.

"What brings you to the Soiled Dove, Love?" the madam respectfully greeted.

"Do you have time for a chat?" Robin replied.

"Sure. Why not?" She motioned to an empty couch and sat on one side. Robin's attire was not the same as hers, but it gave off similar vibes. She was seemingly a formidable individual. The only question was, in what capacity?

Nami pressed her back against the wall that was next to the entrance. She watched from a distance that their conversation could not be overheard easily. The more she thought about it, the more curious she became. How did Robin seemingly know so much about this industry? There was so much about her past that nobody knew about. The idea of her being a participant pained her. For such a strong woman and daunting foe, it was difficult to imagine her in a desperate situation and needing to get by somehow.

"I'm new around here and trying to figure out where to start planting seeds," Robin perjured, trying to gain trust first. "Can you tell me more about this town?"

Madam Silks was surprised by the initial ruse. The town was so small that there was really no use for more than one brothel. She found the perfect place to monopolize her business. "Depends," she replied, crossing her legs. "What kind of seeds we talkin'?"

"The railroad seems to be a good place to start. I assumed your customers associate with certain trades like alcohol distribution and inn keepers. Would you say there's anything this town really needs to help it grow again?"

She twitched her nose. Smart lady. She saw Boom Town's suffering as an opportunity to flip back to its glory days. The gold drying up was its ultimate downfall, and it was hard to look past that. "Unfortunately, I believe this town has everything it needs to scrape by unless you can prove there's more gold to dig up."

Robin suppressed a chuckle in response to the lighthearted sarcasm. "I'm no miracle worker," she admitted. "Was gold really that big of a staple?"

"It brought its glory days to the whole island, Love. Lone Star Island was just as violent and lawless, but the gold got the government involved. That was what really got life here interesting."

"How so?"

"It was a buffet for catching bad guys. Bounty hunters, sheriffs, Marines, you name it. They were here. A lot of unfortunate souls were hauled overseas in wooden boxes, but even more pirates stormed the shores. The government's last hope was sending in who they labeled the Lone Star Rangers; excellent soldiers who would do anything to make this place free of pain and suffering. It wasn't enough, though. Their numbers dwindled, and the gold dried up. Life here decayed with it."

Robin smirked and relaxed back into the couch's cushions with her legs crossing. One of the customers who was enjoying a drink had a worker wrap her hands around his wrist and start leading him away to an available room. "So you're suggesting the lost art of assassination."

"I didn't suggest anything. I just gave you the reason why we were flourishing. Turning in bounties is easy money."

"Agreed. Well, where should I start?"

"I'd visit Sheriff Garrett. He was one of those rangers I was telling you about. The World Government turned their back on him and left him here, but that hasn't stopped him from doing his job."

Getting a name was what she wanted, and she got it. She could penetrate the hierarchy of power starting with this specific man. The only concern for her was how this lone ranger was a Marine. Would he willingly point them in the right direction, or would he be insubordinate because they were pirates?

Robin thanked Madam Silks for her time and got up to retrieve Nami, who had been approached by a new customer. She slipped away to rejoin her crewmate. "Good timing," she said with relief.

"It went much smoother than I thought," Robin replied. "At least we know your disguise works."

She groaned. "Unfortunately. Anyway, what's the plan?"

"We're looking for the sheriff–" She glanced at Nami. "He's a Marine."

The second part of her answer quashed her readiness to find the Chupacabra. Working with their natural enemy was not a good plan. Hopefully their disguises were convincing enough for someone who was familiar with wanted posters. But knowing Luffy, that would be impossible.