— — — — — — — —
"Really...?"
Robin's eyes turned red, tears welling up as she asked in a trembling voice.
She never expected to hear such incredible news from Kaito today.
Saul was still alive. To her, this was nothing short of a miracle.
It felt like she had been given hope and salvation.
"Of course!"
Kaito nodded firmly. "If you want, we can leave right now!"
"But, I haven't set a teleportation point in Elbaf yet, so we can't warp directly there. We'll have to fly on the Ninja Dragon. It will take some time."
"Have you decided? Do you want to go now?"
"Yes!"
Robin nodded without hesitation, looking at Kaito with pleading eyes. "Please, Lord Kaito! Take me to see Saul!"
After speaking, she bowed deeply to him.
"Alright! No need for formalities. Let's go right away!"
Kaito quickly helped her up, placed his hand on her shoulder, and once she nodded in confirmation, he activated his teleportation ability.
In the blink of an eye, they vanished from the floating island and reappeared in the closest mapped location in the New World near Elbaf.
Then, he immediately contacted the Ninja Dragon through the communication space.
Whoosh!
In no time, the Ninja Dragon appeared out of nowhere.
Its massive form materialized suddenly, startling Robin.
"Let's go!"
Kaito chuckled at her reaction, then instantly teleported them onto the dragon's back. He patted its scales and said, "Set course for Elbaf! Fly as fast as you can!"
As he spoke, he waved his hand, forming a protective barrier around the dragon's back to shield them from the turbulent airflow.
"Alright! Hold on tight, we're taking off."
The Ninja Dragon's voice echoed in their minds before it flapped its enormous wings, soaring into the sky. Within moments, they were thousands of meters high, racing toward Elbaf at full speed.
At its maximum speed, it took them only half a day to reach the skies above the Kingdom of Elbaf.
Kaito extended his spiritual perception and quickly locked onto Saul's location.
"Ninja Dragon, you can head back now. Thanks for the ride!"
Kaito expressed his gratitude before dissolving the protective barrier. Holding Robin's hand, he activated his teleportation ability, taking them off the dragon's back.
Once they were gone, the Ninja Dragon wasted no time and teleported back to the West Blue.
"Huh?! Who are you?!"
The sudden appearance of Kaito and Robin gave Saul a huge scare. He immediately became alert, eyeing them cautiously.
But soon, his gaze locked onto Robin. His whole body trembled slightly—shock, disbelief, and hope flickered in his eyes. His lips quivered as he asked in a hoarse voice, "You… You're Robin?"
"Yes!"
Robin's eyes turned red as she bit her lip, staring at Saul's familiar figure. Hearing his shaky voice, she couldn't hold back her emotions. Tears welled up and began to fall uncontrollably as she nodded vigorously.
"It's me, Saul! It's been so long… I thought… I thought you died back in Ohara!"
"I never imagined… You were still alive!"
"This is… This is amazing!"
She couldn't contain herself any longer. She burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
Tears streamed down her face like a broken dam, flowing endlessly.
She cried, but it wasn't just sorrow—it was also relief.
Kaito could feel it—years of pain, suppression, and loneliness locked inside her heart had finally been released.
A weight she had carried for so long had finally been lifted.
"Yeah! It's truly amazing! I honestly thought I was dead back then too!"
Saul wiped the tears from his own eyes and let out a hearty laugh.
"It was all because Kuzan couldn't bring himself to kill his old friend!"
"In the end, he held back…"
"Thanks to him, I survived."
"But because of that, I didn't want to bring trouble to him. So all these years, I've been in hiding here in Elbaf. I didn't dare to set sail and search for you."
"But I always asked Kuzan to keep an eye on you, to ensure your safety whenever possible."
"A while ago, he sent me a message saying you had disappeared, and I was really worried!"
"I never thought I'd get to see you so soon!"
"Seeing you safe, seeing how much you've grown… It makes me so happy! Wahaha!"
Tears continued to stream down Saul's face as he reached out and gently patted Robin's head, his voice filled with emotion.
Then, he turned to look at Kaito.
"You must be Uchiha Kaito, captain of the Uchiha Pirates, right?"
"I've heard of you. I've even seen your bounty poster."
"I didn't expect that Robin-chan would end up in your crew! And now, you've brought her here to see me. I truly owe you my thanks!"
"I can tell—she's been living well."
Saul had no doubts about Kaito's intentions toward Robin.
If Kaito meant any harm, Robin wouldn't have been doing so well all this time.
And he certainly wouldn't have brought her here to reunite with him.
It was clear that Robin had found real companions who cared for her.
That reassured him completely.
"Haha! It was just a happy coincidence!"
Kaito chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "Robin-chan is a sweet and kind girl. She shouldn't have had to suffer so much at such a young age, constantly on the run, always in danger."
"You two go ahead and catch up—I'll take a look around," he said before stepping away, leaving them to their reunion.
Saul watched Kaito with growing admiration. Old friends always had a lot to talk about, and it wouldn't be right for him to stay and intrude. So, he started asking Robin about her experiences over the past years.
Robin, trusting Saul completely, shared everything except Kaito's secrets. Her respect and gratitude for Kaito had skyrocketed, almost reaching an overwhelming level of appreciation. Even as she spoke to Saul, her heart swelled with warmth for the man who had given her safety and purpose.
This was exactly what Kaito had hoped for—his mission was accomplished.
After a long conversation, Saul let out a deep sigh. "Wow… you've really been through so much. That must have been really hard on you."
"Kuzan never told me most of this. He probably kept it from me so I wouldn't worry—or worse, so I wouldn't get reckless and leave Elbaf to search for you."
He shook his head with a bitter smile, his heart aching even more for Robin.
"It's okay! It's all in the past now, isn't it?" Robin beamed. "Right now, I'm safe and being taken care of. I'm learning and growing, and I feel truly happy!"
"More importantly, seeing you alive and well is more than enough for me."
Hope changes everything. As long as there is hope, past sufferings become bearable.
"You're a good kid, Robin," Saul said, ruffling her hair affectionately. "So, are you planning to stay with Kaito?"
"I didn't see your name in the news alongside his crew. And judging by how you two just appeared out of nowhere, it looks like some kind of teleportation ability? It doesn't seem like you've been traveling with his pirate crew."
Thinking back to how suddenly they had arrived, Saul realized that Kaito must have a Devil Fruit ability related to space manipulation. That would explain how the Uchiha Pirates had risen so quickly in such a short time—defeating even the likes of Aokiji and Garp.
Back when Saul saw that news, he had been completely shocked. As a former Vice Admiral, he knew exactly how strong Aokiji and Garp were. They were top-tier warriors on par with the Emperors.
"Yeah!" Robin nodded. "Kaito-sama has placed me on Skypiea, where the Marines can't reach. It's a safe place."
"Skypiea?" Saul's eyes widened. "No wonder Kuzan couldn't track you down! That place is a perfect hiding spot."
But he knew Robin wouldn't be content staying there forever.
"Still, you're not planning to stay there your whole life, are you?" Saul asked knowingly.
Despite their brief time together, he understood Robin well enough. She was strong-willed, and after witnessing the destruction of Ohara, she could never let go of that history. He was sure she wanted to uncover the truth.
And just as he expected, Robin nodded firmly. "I plan to set out once I'm strong enough, to search for the Poneglyphs and uncover the truth behind the Void Century—the history that got Ohara destroyed."
"Then, I'll share it with the world."
"Kaito-sama supports my goal. In fact, when he goes to Laugh Tale in the future, he promised to take me with him!"
"I already agreed to go with him."
Saul sighed, both understanding and feeling helpless. He wanted to stop her—this was an incredibly dangerous path, one that would make her an enemy of the World Government.
But he knew he couldn't. This was Robin's choice, and nothing could change her mind.
At least she wasn't alone. The Uchiha Pirates were willing to protect her, and with their strength growing rapidly, they might actually be able to keep her safe.
So, instead of discouraging her, he simply gave her a heartfelt reminder. "Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to stop you. Just promise me you'll be careful. And always listen to Kaito—understood?"
"Mm!" Robin smiled warmly and nodded repeatedly. Even if Saul hadn't said it, she would have done so anyway.
To her, Kaito was an irreplaceable benefactor.
She had no reason to let go of his protection.
Moreover, Kaito had earned a place near Saul in her heart—someone she could trust completely.
So why wouldn't she rely on him?
.
.
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