"After all, it was intentional of me to let you follow me, so that you could find out the BOSS's true identity~"
Hearing the mysterious woman's words, Nami couldn't help but feel confused and turned to look at Vivi.
"What's going on?"
"What she said is true... but don't be fooled by her! She was the one who informed the BOSS that his identity was exposed!" Vivi gritted her teeth.
"Why?" Nami was confused and didn't understand.
Not only her, but Vivi also couldn't guess what this woman wanted to do. Just like the first impression she gave, she was mysterious and elegant.
"You were the one who defeated Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine..."
The mysterious woman's eyes wandered, her gaze fell on Nami and then swept over the people present, finally stopping at Luffy.
"You're the captain of the Straw Hat Crew who rose to fame in the weakest sea, East Blue~ Monkey D. Luffy."
"That's right. Good evening." Luffy laughed lightly.
Suddenly, it seemed like a flower was dancing in the air above their heads.
The mysterious woman at the window waved her hand, and the straw hat on Luffy's head flew up and landed on her fingertip.
"You're so polite. Good evening, Straw Hat Captain. It's impressive to have a bounty of 71 million in the weakest sea, East Blue~"
She extended a finger and twirled the straw hat in her hand, then put it back on her head.
Luffy: "..."
He was always the one who teased others, but today he was being teased by someone else.
This was unbearable.
"What do you want to do to Luffy-sama, you stinky woman!"
Zoro's eyes sharpened as he drew his sword.
"You stinky woman, how dare you insult Luffy-sama!"
Bartolomeo, the number one subordinate, couldn't help himself either.
"Is this straw hat special? Why are you so nervous... It's so rude to call me a stinky woman~"
Once again, flower petals appeared and danced in the air. The next moment, everyone's weapons fell from their hands.
Usopp's slingshot, Zoro's swords, and even Bartolomeo's head were hit, leaving them dumbfounded.
Luffy's mouth curved slightly, a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
"That straw hat belonged to the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and then it belonged to one of the Four Emperors, Red-Haired Shanks, and now it's mine. You still have time to apologize, Nico Robin."
When her real name was revealed all at once, Robin's figure stiffened slightly.
But compared to her own name, the other two names were even more frightening.
Pirate King Gol D. Roger? Red-Haired Shanks?
Could this inconspicuous straw hat have such an important legacy?
"Nico Robin?" Vivi was stunned. "I seem to have heard that name somewhere!"
"Twenty years ago, on the island of Ohara, which was destroyed by the Marines with a Buster Call, she was one of the survivors of the incident, a Devil Fruit user with a bounty of 79 million at just 8 years old."
Luffy smiled and looked at Robin, revealing his past in detail.
Teasing me, let's see if you can handle it!
However, everyone's focus was clearly different. Their emphasis was on Ohara.
The rest of the Straw Hat crew, including Vivi, were shocked by the 79 million bounty and the 8-year-old's age.
Her bounty is higher than Luffy's!
"...How do you know that?"
Robin did not disappoint with her previous attitude. Her smile completely disappeared, and her expression became calm and frightening.
Twenty years ago, when she was still young, she lived in the world of darkness, experiencing all kinds of betrayals.
Gradually, she learned to betray others before being betrayed.
That was how she survived.
In order to survive, she had to learn to disguise herself. Because she was weak, she created her own unique way of disguising herself.
But at that moment, she gave up a part of her disguise.
"In the Ohara incident twenty years ago, Vice Admiral Sengoku, who is now one of the three Admirals along with Aokiji and Akainu, launched the Buster Call. Aokiji and Akainu were two of the five Vice Admirals who participated in the Buster Call at that time."
Luffy spoke expressionlessly, "Isn't it strange to hear such sensational news?"
Hearing the titles Aokiji and Akainu again, Robin's expression became somewhat artificial.
The events of that year became a psychological shadow, scenes from that time appeared in his nightmares at night.
The kind-hearted Dr. Clover, the archaeologists who celebrated their anniversary with the Tree of Knowledge, the innocent civilians on the island...
The faces of the people who perished in the artillery fire, their expressions of pain, once again appeared in Robin's mind.
The sound of a residual scream echoed in his ears...
Nico Robin felt an immense pressure and had difficulty breathing.
She handed the straw hat back to Luffy and gasped, saying, "Your next destination is Prehistoric Island Little Garden. It's not a good place. The Unlucky Duo has already reported the situation here to the boss, and the assassins will catch up to you soon." As she spoke, she took out a standing pose from her chest and threw it to Nami. "This is the closest uninhabited island to Alabasta, a route that even the boss doesn't know about..." Before she could finish her sentence, Luffy reached out and stopped Nami, catching the standing pose. Then, with a bang! It shattered. Nami was stunned. Robin was also stunned and asked, "What are you doing?" Rarely did she gently point out a safe route to them. "The adventurous journey will eventually come to an end. Why rush to take shortcuts?" "That's how it is..." Robin hesitated for a moment, finding the ambitious man interesting. She regained her smile and said, "Then, good luck to you, Straw Hat Captain, Monkey D. Luffy."
With that, she was about to leave.
Vivi, seeing this, hurriedly shouted, "Why are you here, Miss All Sunday?"
"I just saw how serious you guys are, sincerely wanting to defeat Crocodile, so I subconsciously helped you this time."
This was not an answer, and the others still couldn't understand her actions.
Assuming a hostile posture, but doing the job of an ally.
Deliberately reminding them of the pursuers and even giving them a permanent pose of a safe route.
But it wasn't entirely an ally… she was truly a mysterious woman!
"I also wish you and your kingdom good luck, Princess Vivi. Well then, farewell…"
Robin smiled and was about to leave the dining room.
"You can't leave."
At that moment, Luffy disappeared and immediately crouched down on the windowsill.
He leaned close to Robin's face, almost within their reach, their breaths blowing on each other's faces. Robin's pupils constricted.
How fast... when did he arrive!? What greeted her was a faint smile.
"Since you're going to betray Crocodile anyway, why don't you join my crew?" Luffy had made the invitation right away.
And of course he would. As long as he wanted to dominate the Grand Line and reach the final island, Nico Robin was an indispensable force.
Without her, they wouldn't stand a chance! After all, she was the only person in the world who could decipher the poneglyphs.
Hmm, no, wait, it seems like there's one more person? But that person is just an alternative, with a much lower priority than Robin.
Hearing those words, Robin's expression went blank.
What is this man talking about? He knows her identity and still invites her, or rather, he is trying to steal her. At this point, she is still Crocodile's subordinate, or more precisely, a collaborator.
"And if I refuse..."
"You only have two choices: accept or agree."
There it is! A choice between two options!
Nami recalled the first time she met Luffy.
Although she didn't know why Luffy invited this woman, she felt that there must be a reason behind it.
Because she was the third person to be actively invited.
The first was her, the second was Zoro, and the third was this woman.
"Are you serious?"
Robin took a deep breath, looking at Luffy, who was so close, and asked: "Do you know the burden I carry?"
"Do you know what burden I carry?" Robin's eyes flashed with confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You are being persecuted simply because you can read the true story and potentially uncover the 800-year-old history that the World Government has buried," Luffy explained.
"And I have consumed a Devil Fruit that the World Government has hidden for 800 years."
"You pose a threat to the World Government, as you can reveal its dark history."
"And I possess the power to topple the Celestial Dragons from their pedestals."
Although Robin did not fully understand the meaning of the World Government's search for the 800-year-old Devil Fruit, she understood the general meaning that Luffy was trying to convey.
In short, they both shared the same situation.
Is this man sympathizing with her?
No, not purely.
Just like Crocodile, he also needs her knowledge to decipher the true history.
After realizing this, Robin regained some confidence.
"I see, but do you know what Crocodile wants?"
"He simply wants Pluton, but I can tell you for sure that Pluton is not in Alabasta."
Luffy jumped out of the window and returned to the table.
Although Robin was not stopped from leaving, she did not rush to go.
She turned and followed Luffy's gaze, saying with interest, "You seem to know everything, Straw Hat Captain."
She stepped forward and walked to the opposite side of Luffy, smiling at Sanji.
"Can I sit here for a moment?"
Sanji's heart skipped a beat, unable to resist the charm of a mature older sister. He immediately stood up and made a gentlemanly gesture.
"Thank you." Robin thanked him and sat down, once again propping his chin and looking intently at Luffy.
Luffy picked up an empty teacup and handed it to Nami, who promptly poured a sober cup of tea.
"Luffy, what is this Pluton you mentioned?" she asked curiously.
"One of the three Ancient Weapons, Pluton," Luffy replied casually, taking a sip of tea before continuing,
"Pluton is in Wano Country. You can go back and tell Crocodile about it."
"Don't you want me to join your crew?"
"Well, you already called me captain," Luffy chuckled.
"You're already my crewmate. Don't be shy, you can call me Luffy from now on." I clearly called him Captain Straw Hat...
Robin couldn't help but laugh. She had never met someone so shameless before.
Really interesting.
"You were under Crocodile's command and did many bad things in Alabasta, but you felt guilty in your heart. When you saw Vivi struggling so hard to save her kingdom, you deliberately exposed Crocodile's identity to her. Is that so?"
"Then, when you saw her find allies, which is us, you gave her a permanent pose and wanted to help her again."
"You already betrayed him and even prepared to be killed by Crocodile!"
Hearing this analysis, Vivi and the others were shocked.
"So you really are a good person!" Usopp exclaimed in surprise.
Robin was not happy. The feeling of having her inner thoughts exposed made her very uncomfortable.
She didn't want to be a good person. Good people wouldn't survive in the dark world!
"I hate it when you say that."
"Even if my entry makes you a target of the World Government? Even if I've carried the darkness for 20 years, you still want to invite me? Are you... willing to be the enemy of the World Government?"
Robin's expression turned serious.
"I don't mind," Luffy smiled faintly. "No one is born to be alone. In this vast sea, there will always be someone willing to accept you. You don't have to be so pessimistic."
Just like Saul said...
Robin's expression became distant, her thoughts returning to a day 20 years ago when flames rose into the sky.
The cries of her savior echoed deep in her mind:
"Even if you are alone now, one day you will definitely find companions. The sea is endless, and there will always be someone to protect you..."
Being born into this world means never being alone forever!
Snapping back to reality, Robin revealed a charming smile. She grabbed Luffy's hand and took out a pen from somewhere, writing a series of numbers on her palm.
After finishing, she stood up and left.
As she reached the door, she turned around and made a phone gesture.
"I will consider it, Captain! I will relay your words to Crocodile. Then, see you in Alabasta~"
Her tone was light and cheerful, even giving her a seductive look.
Luffy: "....."
Intentional, that was definitely intentional.
Nami looked at her, wondering what that woman was doing.
"What do you mean by 'consider'? Stupid woman, what attitude do you have towards Luffy-sama!"
Bartolomeo couldn't bear it. "You should kneel down and ask to join, and then Luffy-sama, in his great compassion, will agree!"
Hearing this, Luffy couldn't help but laugh.
She was prepared to die, how could she kneel down and beg...
Shaking his head, he wrote down the Den Den Mushi number on his palm.
Robin's attitude at that moment meant she had already agreed, seeing through the surface to the essence.
If she hadn't agreed, she wouldn't have given out her contact information.
Could this be a female reserve? A female pride?
"Get ready, as soon as the Log Pose is fully charged, we'll set sail for the next island!"
Several hours later, around 7:00 PM.
The Straw Hat crew, fully rested, returned to the ship, ready to set sail.
Vivi had a permanent pose pointing directly at Arabasta, but she handed it over to Igaram.
For safety's sake, the captain of the royal guard decided to split the group and leave early as bait.
Vivi finally agreed to his request.
Luffy didn't mind this one bit. He didn't want to go straight to Alabasta, after all, the islands along the way offered adventure rewards!
Besides, that kingdom was already in ruins, a few more days wouldn't make a difference.
Unlike the original story, Robin didn't go to bomb Igaram this time, so Vivi and the other Straw Hat Crew members didn't have as much animosity towards her.
In fact, Robin actually helped Vivi a lot.
After everyone was gathered, a duck appeared on the Merry. It was Vivi's mount, and it came along as well.
When Luffy saw this thing, he couldn't help but marvel at the high intelligence of animals in this world, almost equal to that of humans.
This time, he also stayed on the Merry.
"Alright, everyone's here. Raise the sails, pull up the anchors... SET SAIL!!"
"OK!"
...
On the other side, in the Drum Kingdom.
"If a pirate named Luffy lands here later, remember to tell him that I'll be waiting for him in Alabasta for 10 days."
Ace, wearing a brown windbreaker in the freezing snow, said to a few men.
"Pirate Luffy? Oh, what's your name?"
"I'm Ace. If you say that, he'll understand. Well, then, goodbye."
Ace gestured and turned to leave.
At that moment, the restaurant owner ran out, shouting, "Get this guy, this son of a bitch ate without paying!"
"If it's money you want, ask Luffy. Goodbye!"
Ace seemed calm for only three seconds before quickly running away, disappearing into the snowy night.
(End of chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉