Chapter 139: Cipher Pol 9 (Patreon)

Chapter 139: Cipher Pol 9

Inside the cabin of the Ark Maxim.

Snap—Snap—

The crisp sound of a whip lightly striking the table echoed through the room, carrying a unique rhythm.

Sadi sat upright on the carpet, her peach-colored leather bodysuit askew from the lashes, her exposed back and arms crisscrossed with red marks. Her curly golden hair was damp with sweat, and beneath her heavy bangs, her dazed eyes shone with an unsettling brightness.

"That's enough for today."

Bahr raised his hand to stop, the tip of the whip tapping lightly against his palm before he casually tossed it onto the coffee table. He then walked over to the sofa and sat down, loosening his collar.

Thankfully, in this pirate world, flesh wounds heal quickly. Otherwise, this kind of treatment would ruin even the best physique and skin.

He tilted his chin slightly, his eyes signaling a command: "Come here."

Sadi understood instantly, moving faster as she approached Bahr’s side. Her slender fingers naturally reached for his waist.

Bahr looked down at her, threading his fingers through her smooth hair before suddenly letting out a low chuckle.

The laughter was unusually clear in the silent cabin, carrying an indescribable tone—mockery, satisfaction, and a hint of relaxation even he hadn’t noticed.

Sadi had once been the Warden Chief of Impel Down, wielding the power of life and death without hesitation. Countless prisoners had wailed and begged under her whip, all dismissed as mere "discipline."

Bahr still remembered his days in Impel Down—he hadn’t been spared her "care."

Back then, she probably never imagined that one day, the tables would turn. What she had inflicted on others would eventually come back to her in another form.

This wasn’t some mystical cycle of fate—just a simple truth. The way you treat others is the way you should expect to be treated in return.

Two days later, at Mermaid Cove.

Sunlight spread across the sea like molten gold, the shimmering waves dazzling to the eyes. Bahr lounged in a massive seashell chair, his half-open shirt fluttering in the sea breeze. The hollow of his collarbone flickered in the shifting light.

"Guild Master, you really are laid-back."

Jimbei stood nearby, his thick arms crossed over his broad chest as he observed the scene—so unlike the infamous "Blasphemer." His voice carried a mix of amusement and resignation.

After spending these past few days together, Jimbei couldn’t shake the feeling that Bahr was a completely different person. The ruthless figure who had turned the world upside down in rumors now spent his days either lazing on the beach or soaking in Mermaid Cove, leaving all the serious work—recruiting, planning—to Robin and Enel. He was practically a man with no ambitions.

"Jimbei, don’t take life too seriously," Bahr’s voice emerged lazily from the crook of his arm, softened by the sun. "Being too serious is exhausting. When it’s time to enjoy yourself, you should go all out."

He lifted an eyelid to glance at the azure sea and sky. "Look at this sunlight, this ocean—isn’t it much more comfortable than scheming all day?"

Truthfully, if he hadn’t fallen out with the World Government, he wouldn’t have bothered with something as troublesome as the Cross Guild.

"The Guild Master speaks wisely." Jimbei burst into hearty laughter, the sound blending with the crashing waves. "I suppose I’ve been too stubborn."

He had spent his whole life running around for Fish-Man Island and his comrades, never truly experiencing such "idleness." Watching Bahr's relaxed demeanor now, he couldn't help but feel there was some merit to this way of living.

Just then, Nico Robin's figure emerged through the coconut grove. As she approached the lounge chairs, her gaze swept over Bahr's comfortably curled-up form, and the corners of her lips curled helplessly. "Boss, there's a bit of a problem with the recruitment."

Bahr lazily rolled over, his voice tinged with the indifference of someone disturbed. "What kind of problem could there be with recruitment?"

In his view, the Cross Guild wasn't some rigid prison. Those who wanted to join just had to follow the rules—if they couldn't, they could leave. There shouldn’t be so much unnecessary trouble.

"Among those who want to join, a few are former members of Cipher Pol 9," Robin said, pausing to twirl the ends of her hair lightly between her fingers before adding, "Who's-Who got into a fight with them. It’s already escalated. Enel said it was 'too damn noisy' and moved to sunbathe on the nearby rocks instead."

Bahr raised an eyebrow, his fingers tapping a lazy rhythm on the armrest of the lounge chair. It wasn’t surprising that Who's-Who, who had been imprisoned because of a Cipher Pol 9 mission, held a grudge against them.

A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. "Cipher Pol 9 members? Who’s bold enough to come here looking for trouble?"

"Their leader is Rob Lucci," Robin said, a faint ripple of emotion passing through her gaze as she spoke the name. "He’s called a once-in-a-century genius of Cipher Pol 9. After a mission failure, he was hunted by the World Government and now has nowhere to go. That’s why he and a few of his comrades came to try their luck here."

"Wait—Rob Lucci?" Bahr finally sat up, his eyes openly stunned.

Was this the same Rob Lucci he was thinking of?