Chapter 228: Has Wood’s True Identity Been Exposed?

When Ruth mentioned that the Den Den Mushi on Wood was shaped like a goat with a beard, Rosinante already had a suspicion in his mind. However, to be certain, he asked about other characteristics.

"It seems to be wearing round glasses. Why? Do you know who this Den Den Mushi is connected to?" Robin responded. If it weren't for Robin changing Wood's clothes, no one would have known about the existence of these two Den Den Mushi. Now, not only did Rosinante know about the mysterious one, but he also seemed to recognize who it was used to contact. This naturally made Robin feel curious.

"Please, hand over that Den Den Mushi from Captain Wood. I can call in powerful reinforcements to help us get through this crisis!" Rosinante declared. With Robin's confirmation, Rosinante was almost certain—the Den Den Mushi on Wood was definitely used to contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku of the Marine Headquarters. The features were just too distinct; there wasn't a second person like that in the entire Marine Headquarters.

Contacting the Marines for help would mean exposing Wood's identity as an undercover agent. But in the current situation, Rosinante believed they had no other choice. Wood was in a coma, surrounded by enemies on all sides, and they didn't even know if they could keep him alive. There was no time to worry about maintaining cover.

"Please believe me. We're all in the same boat now, and I truly stand with Captain Wood! If I can call for reinforcements, not only will we all be safe, but we might even be able to keep the Berries," Rosinante said earnestly, as he knelt down in a formal bow of submission, known as dogeza, to convey his sincerity.

After a moment of hesitation, Robin finally retrieved the small Den Den Mushi from Wood's room and unlocked Rosinante's restraints. That's right, Robin decided to trust Rosinante. As he had said, they had no other options left. The Fish-Men of the Sun Pirates alone wouldn't be enough to ensure their survival through this ordeal. Robin, who had struggled to survive in the harsh seas from a young age, knew that survival often depended on seizing every opportunity.

Rosinante clearly had some knowledge about Wood, and he was in the same predicament as them. Unless he had a death wish, he would make the right choice.

Taking the Den Den Mushi, Rosinante, under the watchful eyes of Robin and Ruth, activated his Calm Calm Fruit ability, creating a soundproof barrier around himself. This was something Rosinante had agreed upon with Robin earlier: he could use the Den Den Mushi, but only in front of them, with no funny business allowed.

Rosinante adhered to the agreement, but as Ruth and the others watched him dial the Den Den Mushi, mouthing words they couldn't hear due to the barrier, they began to grow angry, feeling as if they were being tricked. Just as Ruth and the others were about to step in and beat Rosinante for fooling them, Robin stopped them.

"Uncle Ruth, he hasn't broken our agreement," Robin said, causing Ruth to pause in surprise. Since when had Robin become so understanding? Wrong—completely wrong! Just because Rosinante had a Devil Fruit power didn't mean Robin didn't.

Inside the soundproof barrier, as Rosinante confidently dialed the Den Den Mushi, he failed to notice an ear appearing on his back, courtesy of Robin's Hana Hana no Mi (Flower-Flower Fruit) ability. While Rosinante's Calm Calm Fruit could block out sound from the outside, he didn't anticipate that Robin's ability allowed her to manifest parts of her body elsewhere.

Buru Buru Buru!

Back at Marine Headquarters in Marineford, the Fleet Admiral's office was filled with tension. Sengoku was pondering whether to answer the distinctively ringing Den Den Mushi. He had a pile of issues concerning Minion Island and the Donquixote Family, which he had wanted to discuss with Wood. But before he could reach out, Wood had called him instead. This had pleased Sengoku initially, thinking that Wood had grown more responsible and was proactively reporting in.

However, before Sengoku could voice his praise, the voice on the other end—a young female voice—made Sengoku fall silent. He quickly hung up the call. Wood's identity as an undercover Marine was highly sensitive, and given Wood's cautious nature, there was no way he would hand over his contact Den Den Mushi to someone else. The appearance of an unfamiliar female voice on the line clearly indicated that something had gone wrong.

Either Wood had lost the Den Den Mushi, or something else had happened on that end. Sengoku found himself growing increasingly anxious and confused, contemplating calling back several times. However, doing so might expose Wood's identity if the Den Den Mushi had indeed been lost.

But if he didn't call back, Sengoku would continue feeling uneasy. After the Enies Lobby incident, he had begun grooming Wood as a future admiral candidate. Losing Wood because of the Minion Island situation would be an unacceptable waste in Sengoku's eyes.

Just as Sengoku was caught in this dilemma, the Den Den Mushi rang again. After a brief moment of hesitation, Sengoku decided to answer, but he didn't speak first. He wanted to hear who was on the other end.

"Hello, is this Fleet Admiral Sengoku? I'm Rosinante, codename Corazon. After the mission on Minion Island, we've encountered some problems. Captain Wood is currently unconscious after fighting the Donquixote Family, and now we're…"

Rosinante began briefing Sengoku on the situation at Minion Island, unaware that outside the soundproof barrier, Nico Robin's expression had grown complicated.

Truth be told, Robin had no love for the World Government or the Marines. After all, they were the ones who had destroyed her home. However, her feelings for Wood were more complex. As a young girl in her formative years, she had seen Wood as a godlike figure who had descended to save her. She had come to trust Wood implicitly, believing him to be the true friend Saul had told her about.

But now, hearing that Wood wasn't a real pirate, but a Marine undercover agent with the rank of Captain, it was impossible for Robin not to feel shaken.

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 350+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a