Chapter 223: Wood's Unconsciousness and Rosinante's Suspicious Position

With the "Birdcage" lifted, communication devices were back in operation, allowing Wood to summon Ruth and the others via a Transponder Snail.

During the days Wood was missing, Ruth and the crew were deeply anxious. Robin, in particular, was so distraught that she almost forgot her usual routine of reading. She was restless, unable to focus on anything.

If Wood hadn't left behind his Vivre Card, Robin might have believed that she had been abandoned once again.

When Ruth and the crew followed Wood's instructions and brought the Dark Pill II to Minion Island, they were greeted by the sight of Wood standing on the shore, waiting for them, surrounded by numerous large crates.

As soon as they docked, Robin couldn't contain her urgency and rushed off the ship, immediately inspecting Wood's condition.

Judging by his tattered clothes and the numerous wounds on his skin, it was clear that Wood had once again gone off on his own to do something dangerous.

"Wood! You promised me before we parted that you wouldn't do anything dangerous. So why have you ended up like this again...?"

Robin had initially intended to scold Wood with the stern demeanor of a concerned caretaker. However, before she could finish her sentence, Wood's body suddenly collapsed into her arms.

It took her a moment to realize that the figure who had just been smiling at them moments ago had now lost consciousness.

Panicking, Robin quickly urged Ruth and the others to load everything onto the ship and get away from the island as quickly as possible.

There was a good reason Wood hadn't fully confronted the Donquixote Family. He knew his condition better than anyone. Doflamingo's sudden Devil Fruit awakening had caught him completely off guard.

The power of the "Heart of the Gods" was indeed formidable, but it came with a significant cost. Continuing to fight Doflamingo might have led to an uncertain outcome for either of them.

So, to maximize his gains, Wood agreed to the negotiation with Doflamingo. During the battle with the World Government's forces, Wood made sure to put on an impressive show of overwhelming power.

But in reality, by the time Wood had kicked Vergo away, he was already running on empty.

His outward bravado was nothing more than an act, designed to make Doflamingo believe that Wood had an unshakable confidence, preventing him from making any rash moves.

However, once Robin arrived and Wood's mind relaxed, he could no longer maintain his composure and collapsed directly into her arms.

The "Heart of the Gods" drained his life force, and excessive use of this power inevitably led to extreme fatigue afterward.

Wood's unconscious state lasted nearly an entire day—an unusually long time in a world where even ordinary people often displayed extraordinary physical resilience.

When Wood passed out, the first thing Robin did was strip off his clothes—not out of any impropriety, but to check for any severe injuries.

After cleaning all of Wood's wounds, Robin found no serious or life-threatening injuries on him. The only strange thing she noticed was a set of unfamiliar symbols on his chest.

Robin, who had grown up in Ohara and was knowledgeable in many languages and scripts, was puzzled by the mysterious runes on Wood's chest—something she had never seen before.

The crew had no dedicated doctor on board, and while Ruth and the others knew basic first aid, they were at a loss seeing Wood breathing steadily yet remaining unconscious. This left Robin deeply worried.

Just as Robin and the crew were preparing to head back to the first half of the Grand Line, aiming for the renowned medical nation of Drum Island to seek treatment for Wood, Rosinante, who had been brought back to the ship with them, regained consciousness first.

Strictly speaking, he could no longer be called "Corazon," as he had been expelled from the Donquixote Family. Now, he was simply Rosinante.

Robin and the others had seen the crates Wood had brought back. When they opened them, they were utterly shocked to find each one packed with money—5 billion Berries in total.

Five billion Berries in today's economy, long before any inflation set in, was enough to buy a small kingdom.

Robin had no idea where Wood had acquired such a fortune, but it was clear that Rosinante, found alongside the money, must have been involved.

This suspicion put Rosinante in a difficult position. Since they couldn't be sure whether he was friend or foe, Rosinante was shackled with Seastone cuffs and subjected to Robin's interrogation.

Why did Ruth and the crew have Seastone cuffs? They had found them on the warship they had seized earlier. Considering the warship had once guarded Impel Down, it wasn't surprising that it would carry a few pairs of Seastone restraints.

"Who are you, really? What's your relationship with our captain, Wood? What happened on the island? And why is Wood still unconscious?"

After being knocked out by Wood, Rosinante had been searching for Law as soon as he woke up, only to realize in shock that he was no longer on Minion Island but adrift on the open sea.

Faced with Robin's barrage of questions, Rosinante could only repeat what he had said before.

"My name is Rosinante, and I'm a partner of Captain Wood. We encountered another pirate crew on the island. As for why Captain Wood is unconscious, I really have no idea."

Having been undercover for many years, Rosinante could tell right away that Robin and the others weren't "in the know," so he had no intention of revealing Wood's identity as a Marine spy.

As for the events on Minion Island, they were far too complex to explain, so Rosinante decided to keep his answers vague.

Ruth and the others had worked at Impel Down before, so they had witnessed plenty of interrogation techniques. However, Rosinante's claim of being Wood's friend complicated matters. They were wary of going too far, fearing they might accidentally kill the weakened, Seastone-restrained Rosinante.

After watching Ruth and the others interrogate Rosinante for a long time without getting any clear answers, and with Wood's continued unconsciousness causing her increasing concern, Robin decided to step in and take over the questioning.

At first, neither Ruth nor Rosinante took Robin's interrogation seriously. After all, she was young, and with her harmless appearance, she seemed far less intimidating than the burly men of the crew.

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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