One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 116 Fame Spreads Far and Wide [8K]

As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten with the first hint of white, the first light of day appeared on the horizon.

The editors at World Economic News worked through the night to finally finish the article.

Newsbirds flapped their wings, carrying reports printed overnight, and joyfully flew to various places.

They swept across towns, ports, and ship decks, scattering newspapers like snowflakes in all directions.

The headline on the front page was so striking and glaring that—

The Four Seas, the first half of the Grand Line, the New World...

In almost every place, the newspapers were snapped up instantly upon arrival.

This series of news, as public opinion rapidly fermented, swept across the entire ocean like a hurricane, stirring up huge waves!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On the Moby Dick in the New World.

"Gurala la la—"

The hearty laughter shook the deck slightly. Whitebeard tilted his head back and took a big gulp of wine, then casually tossed the newspaper to Marco. "Look, Marco, those guys in the Navy really lost face this time!"

"The Fallen Pirates, Shano..."

Marco took the newspaper, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow slightly: "That Akainu guy... he's actually injured?"

"Eh?"

"Is there such a thing?"

"Let me see too, Dad!"

The other team leaders were shocked and quickly came over.

"Wow?!" Diamond Jozu was the first to widen his eyes. "540 million Berries... to have such a bounty right after entering the Grand Line, that's even more outrageous than Shanks' growth rate."

This level of bounty is among the highest, even for captains like them!

"He's a swordsman, too!"

Izou turned his head with interest. "A swordsman that even Akainu couldn't capture personally... Hey, Vista, this guy's swordsmanship is probably better than yours, right?"

"What the hell are you doing, you bastard Izou?!"

Vista the foil was furious. "How could such a thing be possible? Don't compare me to a kid who just entered the park!"

Despite saying this, Vista's gaze kept shifting back and forth between that handsome face and the long katana behind the other person.

A pure swordsman who hasn't eaten any fruit?

To reach this level solely through swordsmanship.

Indeed... it's been a long time since I've encountered a guy like this!
Vista squinted, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of his sword.

Get into the new world soon, kid! When we meet, let's have a good swordsmanship match and see what you're really made of!

"Dad."

Marco closed the newspaper, deep in thought: "Should we make contact? We can't let the other companies snatch up such a super strong newcomer first."

"No rush, let's wait until he enters the new world!"

The white-bearded man grinned and waved his hand.

"These things depend on fate, you silly son, guralarara... Anyway, let the navy have their headaches first! This sea is finally going to be lively again!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Oni Island, Skull Castle.

"Hahaha, Xiao Pei! Why are you running away? I'm not going to eat you!"

"..."

Two figures were running back and forth among the pillars.

At the very top of the hall, the candlelight cast a long, enormous shadow.

"Hey, Quinn, what are you looking at now?"

Kaido lay drunkenly on the main seat, holding a sake jug in his hand, glancing sideways at Queen, who was holding a newspaper and looking completely surprised.

"Boss, there's some really big news from the amusement park."

Quinn, with a cigar in his mouth, handed over the newspaper with a smile.

"Look at this kid, who's only eighteen years old, he almost caused chaos and gave the Navy Headquarters a huge headache."

"Oh?"

Kaido lazily took the newspaper, squinted at the report, and then fixed his gaze on the bounty poster.

"Eighteen, a few years younger than Yamato, huh, that's interesting..."

Kaido's gaze lingered on Shano's face for a moment before he suddenly asked, "To be able to withstand Akainu for so long... are you a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user?"

"Uh?"

Quinn paused, scratching his head. "According to the intelligence, it seems not... This kid is a pure swordsman, he hasn't even eaten a Devil Fruit."

"...?"

Kaido suddenly became interested and sat up abruptly. "You really didn't eat?"

"No, didn't you see what the newspaper said? They jumped into the sea to escape..."

"Ugh! Who would look closely at something like that!"

Kaido's drunken eyes gleamed with excitement, "At such a young age, to be so strong just by relying on his physical strength, he's a rare find!"

"Hey, Quinn!"

He grinned. "Keep those fruits we talked about earlier for now. Keep a close eye on this kid. Report back to me as soon as he enters the new world! I'm going to take the fruits and go find him myself!"

"This……"

Queen wiped his sweat. Kaido is great in every way, except... isn't he a little too fond of recruiting talent?

Is this the kind of treatment a newbie who has just entered the Grand Line is supposed to receive...? He can even choose any Devil Fruit he wants?
Although he had to admit that Xia Nuo did indeed have the qualifications.

He already has a bounty of 540 million Berries before even arriving in the New World. That's really outrageous.

Jin's bounty has already surpassed 1 billion, while his current bounty is only 10 million Berries, just over 7 million more than his opponent's!
If someone were truly willing to pledge allegiance to the Beasts, their status would likely be second only to the two head constables once they joined...

Tsk, what should the new title be then? Drought-stricken Shano?

at this time--

Two figures finally rushed into the banquet hall.

"Damn it, Xiao Pei! Why are you avoiding me!"

Runti chased her younger brother all over the hall in a flurry of activity.

"Sister, calm down!" Page One ran away, covering his head. "Lord Kaido is discussing serious matters!"

"Hey." Quinn's forehead veins bulged, and his cigar crunched as he bit it. "You two..."

The first time, he held back.

The second time, his fat face began to twitch.

When Runti whizzed past him for the third time, knocking over his treasured wine with a crash—

"It's so noisy!!!"

Quinn flew into a rage, his obese body displaying astonishing agility as he grabbed the siblings and roared:
"You two idiots, if you want to cause trouble, go outside! You're going to deafen Kaido's ears!!!"

“…Waaah…” Runti was sprayed with saliva. She stared blankly at Quinn, her big eyes suddenly welling up with tears of grievance.

"You're the one who deafened me, you idiot!!!"

Thud! Kaido slammed his spiked club into Queen's head, causing the latter to fall backward, his hands that were holding the siblings going limp and hanging down.

"Take your brother out with you." Kaido then looked at Runti. "This place is too small; it's really not suitable."

"Yes! Thank you so much, Lord Kaido!"

Runti bowed to Kaido with a grin, then made a slight face at Queen, grabbed her brother by the ear, and dragged him out.

Kaido silently watched the siblings leave.

Quinn rubbed his head and sat up: "Ouch...that hurts. Was it necessary, boss? Aren't you spoiling these two brats a bit too much...?"

"They're both underage yet, let them be from now on, don't do this anymore! I promised Hanafuda that I would raise them properly!"

Kaido snorted coldly, then suddenly remembered something and frowned, saying:
"By the way, go and contact Hanafuda yourself and ask him why this season's Devil Fruits haven't been delivered yet."

Friendship is friendship, and business is business.

That guy promised to send three Zoan-type Devil Fruits each time, but it's been several days past the deadline, and there's still no sign of him!
"Yes, boss!" Quinn scrambled to his feet. "Something must have gotten in the way... Don't worry, I'll go and urge him right away!"

[Flower Card Painting]

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

IWC.

A sea breeze blew as Katakuri sat alone atop the mast, staring at the newspaper in his hands.

The bounty is high, and the strength is formidable. It's been a long time since such a monster-level newcomer has appeared on the high seas.

However, what he cared about most was still...

Does this guy also have two younger sisters?
You can take your sister with you without having to worry about anything, and live a free and unrestrained life, venturing out to explore the world.
"Ah……"

Katakuri looked on with envy, thinking of his mother's recent attempts to force his sister into an arranged marriage... He tugged at his scarf and leaned back wearily against the mast.

What an enviable kid!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On a tiny, pitiful sailboat.

Squeak-!
Tashigi flung open the hatch, clutching the newly delivered newspaper in her hand, her cheeks flushed with excitement:
"Mr. Mihawk!"

She rushed to Hawkeye, fluttering open the newspaper: "Ta-da! Look! Lord Shano has some new news!"

Hawkeye paused slightly as he was wiping Black Blade Night.

He looked up and scanned the news reports—Akainu wounded, Crocodile killed in battle, the naval fleet returned empty-handed… Each report made his hawk-like eyes gleam.

Did I underestimate myself?

So that guy's swordsmanship was actually that powerful?

"interesting."

He murmured to himself, a long-dormant fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.

Since that unsuccessful duel with Shanks, no one on this sea has ever made him so eager to draw his sword.

The black sword, Night, trembled slightly in its sheath, as if sensing its master's emotions. Hawkeye suddenly raised his eyes and gazed into the depths of the Grand Line, speaking:

"Let's part ways after tonight."

"Eh?!!"

Tashigi, who had been happily holding the newspaper, widened her eyes upon hearing this. "Why, Mr. Mihawk? Isn't our goal to find Lord Shano?"

"Your ship is ultimately too slow."

Hawkeye shook his head slightly. "At this rate, we'll never catch up to that guy."

"Your ship is fast, but it sinks fast too," Tashigi grumbled, looking aggrieved. "What do you mean you think the ship is slow? You're clearly just annoyed by how noisy I am!"

"..." Hawkeye rubbed his temples, looking exasperated. "You know that much."

These days, Tashigi has been pestering him every day, wanting to become his apprentice and learn swordsmanship, which is really bothering him.

As for why he was on the same boat as Tashigi...

That story begins on the day we left Loguetown.

He then set off for Reverse Mountain to continue his pursuit of Shano's ship.

As a result, during the sprint down the mountain, the whale Laboon inexplicably disappeared, causing him to be distracted and lose focus on the matter, which led to the boat capsizing.

He fell into the sea and got soaked to the bone, and the boat crashed into the Twin Points coastline and shattered into pieces.

Just then, Tashigi, who had set off before him, was sunbathing and resting on the grass at Twin Capes. This embarrassing scene was witnessed by the sword-obsessed girl in front of him, who stared in disbelief.

His first reaction was to knock the girl unconscious and then leave on her boat.

But then I remembered what that little girl had said at the port of Loguetown…

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

And so, things turned out this way.

He became a hitchhiker.

The clueless girl Tashigi was overjoyed after recognizing him and pestered him every day to teach her swordsmanship. She would even squat outside the cabin door in the middle of the night with her sword in her arms.

As a result, she couldn't stay awake and fell asleep, still mumbling in her sleep:

“Mr. Mihawk…please take me as your apprentice…only by becoming stronger can I be qualified…to follow in Lord Shano’s footsteps…”

—It's incredibly annoying.

He was used to being alone and always disliked being disturbed, let alone the troublesome matter of taking on apprentices.

But strangely, he never actually chose to leave.

He didn't know why either.

Perhaps... it's because this sword-obsessed girl's pure dedication to the way of the sword is so much like my own back then?
"..."

Hawkeye paused for a moment, then suddenly spoke:
"That's good."

Tashigi suddenly looked up, her eyes wide open, and she held her breath.

“Before I catch up with Xia Nuo,” he said calmly, “I will teach you a few moves every day, and then check on your progress the next day.”

Tashigi's pupils lit up instantly.

"If I'm satisfied, it's not impossible for me to take you as my apprentice in the future."

“But…” Hawkeye looked down at her calmly, “if you progress too slowly, and make me think you have no talent, you’re wasting my time—”

"I promise I won't!" Tashigi stood up abruptly, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "I'll practice like crazy! I definitely won't let you down! I'll go get the knife right now!!"

She dropped the newspaper, turned around and was about to rush out, but tripped over the threshold of the cabin door and fell flat on her face.

"..."

Hawkeye watched the clumsy guy frantically searching for his glasses and couldn't help but close his eyes, wondering if he had made a terrible mistake.

Xia Nuo, oh Xia Nuo.

Where are you? Or stop for a moment and let me catch up with you as soon as possible...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Naval Headquarters, Marinevando.

"What did you say?! Garp!!"

Sengoku slammed the newspaper down on the table, his incredulous roar nearly lifting the roof off the marshal's office. "Did I say something wrong again?"

Garp was taken aback, then continued picking his nose nonchalantly, "But it's true, I've known this kid for a long time, and I even taught him Armament Haki."

"That's exactly what I care about!"

Zhan Guo gritted his teeth, wishing he could punch this old scoundrel in front of him:
"Such a big thing, and you only found out about it after seeing the bounty poster? Your good disciple has now become a huge problem for headquarters, killing two vice admirals and taking down a Shichibukai!"

"Can this be considered my disciple? I only taught him some basics to pay off my debts back then."

Garp shrugged, glanced at the close-up of Akainu's injury on the newspaper, and suddenly chuckled:
"But... to push that Sakazuki kid to this point, that's really impressive, hahaha!"

"Garp!!"

The roar of the Warring States period shook the windows: "You still have the mood to laugh?!"

Why are you being so fierce?

After picking his nose, Garp casually stuck his hand to the goat next to him. "Onigumo got himself killed, didn't he? You know exactly what happened. And that Bulmaia, she's a complete madwoman, isn't she?"

"They're both dead, why should I be sad? On the contrary, I feel the air in Marineford is much fresher to breathe..."

As for Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Karp clicked his tongue. He had met the guy a few times in recent years, and his intuition told him that the guy had never reformed.

He was once a powerful and ambitious pirate, but after arriving in Alabasta, he put on a respectable act and became even more eager to capture pirates than the Marines...

Who knows what kind of tricks are going on behind the scenes!

But it's that Xia Nuo.

After setting sail, they never raided towns or robbed merchant ships. Even the title of "pirate crew" was a label forcibly imposed on them by headquarters.

"Anyway, I don't have any ill feelings towards this guy. Of course, if I happen to run into him on the way, I'll still take action and bring him back!"

Garp grinned. "Speaking of which, since you're so eager to solve this problem, I have a plan. There's a vacancy in the Seven Warlords of the Sea, so why not recruit him as a new one?"

It's killing two birds with one stone!

This will stop the brat Shano from causing trouble for the Navy, and give the Seven Warlords another member who won't bully the people just because he has the right to plunder.

It's a good thing no matter how you look at it.

"Shichibukai..."

The Warring States period ended with a dark expression.

It must be said that this is indeed a feasible method.

In fact, Garp didn't even need to come up with a suggestion; he had already considered it, and even used it as a preliminary plan when Crocodile had just died.

But not now!

Not in the short term!

Zhan Guo stared at the World Economic News newspaper on the table, his temples throbbing.

That bastard Morgans... this time he even went so far as to publish an extra issue overnight, distributing the newspaper all over the world before headquarters could put pressure on him!

The Navy suffered a crushing defeat! Two vice admirals were killed and wounded, and Admiral Akainu was also seriously injured!

The death of Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, has been confirmed, and the mastermind behind it all is the same person!

The highest bounty in the history of the first half of the Grand Line has been set! 540 million Berries!

They added fuel to the fire and fanned the flames.

Each line of the title was like a slap in the face, landing hard on the Navy Headquarters.

Sengoku could even imagine the gloating and maniacal faces of the pirates in the New World after seeing the newspaper.

In the midst of this media storm, what if the Navy turned around and extended an olive branch, recruiting the other party into the Seven Warlords of the Sea?
What will become of the navy's reputation?

Where does he put his old face now?!
"Let's wait and see..."

Sengoku took a deep breath and looked back at the bounty poster on the table.

In the photo, a black-haired boy stands with a sword on his back, a carefree smile playing on his lips. His sharp black eyes seem to pierce through the paper, looking straight into the depths of his soul.

Mocking.

A blatant mockery!

It's as if mocking the navy's massive encirclement operation, which ultimately ended in a disastrous failure with the admiral wounded and the fleet returning empty-handed.

Sengoku's fingers tightened unconsciously, causing wrinkles to form at the edges of the bounty poster...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Grand Route, a certain sea area.

On the deck of the Fallen Ship, everyone huddled together, carefully reading the newspapers they had just bought, occasionally whispering excitedly among themselves.

"Ha, I knew it!"

Nami was the first to finish reading, then put her hands on her hips and laughed triumphantly, "What kind of Marine Admiral is he? He's nothing special, he can't do anything to my brother at all!"

Everyone was quite worried because they couldn't get in touch with the Den Den Mushi.

Fortunately, the World Economic News Agency acted quickly this time, bringing them the good news that Xia Nuo was safe and sound early in the morning.

"is it?"

Kuina raised her head expressionlessly. "How come I remember that if I hadn't knocked you unconscious with a chop to the neck, you would have rushed back long ago?"

I'm afraid Akainu would blast a hole in his chest the moment he shows up. What's the difference between that and just being a freebie?
"I……"

Nami was speechless for a moment, but quickly retorted, "Well, I was just too worried! How dare you say that to me? Who was it that stood on the deck with a sword, facing north, all night last night? Their neck must have been stretched to the limit!"

"..." Kuina's ears turned bright red instantly.

Damn it, why did they have to say it in front of everyone?!

"Hey, you two."

Nojiko tried to interject, but was interrupted by a commotion across the table—

"Woo, woo... Awooo!"

Suddenly, Ah Yin stood up and excitedly patted the newspaper with its front paws. Everyone looked over and saw a large stack of bounty posters falling out from the newspaper's inner lining.

The first one is Ah Yin's; the bounty figure is astonishing—

"150 million Berries?" Kuina turned her head in surprise. "Wow, Gintoki, that's quite a boost."

"You're not bad either." Nojiko handed over the next bounty with a grin, "One hundred and forty million."

Kuina raised an eyebrow and compared the images to the ones that followed.

Is he second only to Lord Xia Nuo?

The Navy thinks highly of itself, and has suddenly distanced itself from Uncle Zeff and The Chainsmoker.

As for being inferior to A-Yin... she felt that was normal, because her strength was still slightly weaker than A-Yin's, and A-Yin was the most outstanding presence in the battle at the dock.

"What about me? What about me?!"

Nami raised her hand high, her eyes full of anticipation, "I also did a great job this time, the Navy should know I'm a Logia-type Devil Fruit user by now, how much has my bounty increased?"

If I don't have 100 million, then 90 million... no, if all else fails, 80 million Berries will do!
"Let me help you look... Wow, the captain's rank has risen to over 500 million Berries? But with such achievements, giving him this much is only fair... Oh, found it, the captain's below is yours."

The others immediately leaned over to take a look.

Then they all turned their heads and cast pitying and sympathetic glances at Nami.

"Hey……"

Nami squinted, a bad feeling flashing through her mind. "Why? Why are you all looking at me like that...?"

"80000 Berries!" Nojiko slapped the bounty poster in front of Nami, barely suppressing a laugh. "Congratulations, that's ten times more than before!"

Nami's expression froze instantly.

She counted one, two, three, four… over and over again, confirming that the bounty poster really only had four zeros. Her vision blurred, and her whole body trembled: “Why, why?!”

"Are all the Navy's staff incompetent idiots who just hold meetings?!" she screamed in despair. "Didn't you see the wall of fire I released? Where's the Fire Serpent? Where's the Fire Phoenix? I even defeated a Navy captain who tried to stop me one-on-one!"

"Uh, well, based on the battle reports and Ah Yin's new nickname..."

Smoker flipped through the newspaper. "Probably, perhaps, it should be... that the Navy mistook your Flame-Flame Fruit ability for Gin's and released it."

Ah Yin?

Nami suddenly turned her head and stared intently at Gintoki.

What are you doing?
Gintoki was sprawled on the ground, stretching lazily, when Nami approached step by step with a dark expression... and he immediately looked completely bewildered...

……

Two minutes later.

"Gintoki, Gintoki, Gintoki... Gintoki!!!"

Nami, her face bruised and swollen, knelt on the ground, gritting her teeth and crying as she repeatedly pounded her left arm, on which was a Gintoki sticker that had been recently applied.

Nojiko stood to the side and sighed.

This little sister is such a complete idiot.

This appearance wasn't caused by Ah Yin.

Gintoki couldn't bear to lay a hand on his master's sister, so he kept avoiding her. As a result, Nami bumped into several corners during the chase, ending up with a bruised and swollen face...

"Woooo..."

Nami suddenly looked up and said pitifully, "Nojiko, help me! Help me beat up Gintoki to vent my anger!"

“Logically speaking, as the older sister, I should pat your head and shout ‘Of course!’ right now.”

"But no."

Nojiko sighed, "Because even with me, the two of us together can't beat Gintoki."

hateful! ! !

Nami sniffed hard, feeling even more aggrieved. Her pet had stolen her battle achievements and become the second highest-bounty pet on the ship, while she was treated like a pet by the Marine Headquarters...

Is this justified? !
When my brother gets back, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind and complain about him!
"Want to confide in me, brother?"

Nojiko saw through it at a glance, "We can't get in touch with him yet. We've discussed it, so we'll continue sailing aimlessly like this until we reach an island, then stop, store up magnetic energy, and wait for my brother's call."

"As for when the call will come."

Nojiko gazed at the distant sea:

"Just wait and see. It's only the second day. Knowing my brother as I do, he's probably exhausted and fast asleep somewhere on the sea..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Huh, huh..."

Xia Nuo was indeed still fast asleep at that moment.

But it wasn't floating on the sea; it was lying on soft laps.

Robin rested his chin on his hand, leaning back on the sofa, with thick clothes spread on his legs, and Shano lying on top of them.

There was no other way; the seat on the turtle's back had so little space. This posture, while not elegant, at least made both of them more comfortable.

As for throwing Xia Nuo onto the hard, uncomfortable tortoise shell next to him...

Robin shook his head slightly, a slight smile playing on his lips.

—She would never do such a thing.

She tilted her head slightly, gazing gently at the handsome sleeping face before her.

For some reason, the bluish-purple toxins on the boy's body would surge up one moment and then disappear without a trace the next.

This is probably the body's internal resistance fighting against the highly toxic substance?
Robin guessed that since his breathing had been quite stable and they were getting closer to that medical superpower, there was no need to worry too much.

And now, we are back to normal.

The boy's black hair was scattered messily across his forehead, his eyelashes cast faint shadows under his eyes, and there was a faint smile on his lips, as if he was experiencing something interesting in his dream.

"Really..."

Robin couldn't help but reach out and gently brush away the stray hairs on his forehead with her fingertips, murmuring softly, "He just went through a great battle, yet he's sleeping so soundly."

—Despite being a “heinous criminal” who gave even the Navy Headquarters a major headache, he was a terrifyingly powerful individual who easily killed his former boss, Crocodile.

At this moment, nestled in his arms, she seemed like a completely unguarded child.

"Heh." Robin chuckled.

Such a contrast is truly inexplicable...

She's incredibly protective.

She suddenly remembered what happened last night.

I had just lifted the other person onto the turtle's back and hadn't driven far when the other person suddenly opened its eyes, glanced at my face in a daze, and said, "Oh, it's you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he collapsed and fell into a deep sleep.

too weird.

Isn't that a bit too much trust in oneself?
Aren't you afraid that she might be a malicious enemy who could turn around and take her to the Navy to collect a bounty?

And what does this sentence mean? Does it mean that you already knew yourself?

It doesn't make sense...

On the other hand, there's no problem; she did know the other person a long time ago.

Even before that phone call with Crocodile, I couldn't resist gathering information about this black-haired boy.

When Crocodile went to Whiskey Peak to ambush them, she, having already completed her mission, became even more interested and quietly set off to follow him from a distance.

And then right after.

He witnessed Crocodile's killing, practiced boxing with Titans in Little Garden, and single-handedly covered the retreat on Tohru Island, letting his companions go first while he stayed behind to fight Akainu. In the end, he even achieved an amazing feat that shocked the world...

If we're talking about the beginning...

She only continued to follow the story out of curiosity, coupled with the fact that Baroque Works had gone bankrupt and she had nowhere else to go, hoping to find a new boss to protect her.

Now, what she cares about more is not just the powerful strength displayed by the Fallen Pirates, but the atmosphere of companionship on the ship that she envies.

Freedom, trust, and bonds.

These things, which she had never truly possessed in over twenty years, seemed so natural on this ship.

If I could get the other person to accept me and make me a member of the crew...

A gentle sea breeze swept by, and she suddenly snapped out of her reverie, laughing self-deprecatingly. How could someone like me... start fantasizing about such things again?

But why does the other person know me?

Robin lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips unconsciously stroking Shano's forehead.

Perhaps he was too tired and his mind was clouded, so he mistook himself for a familiar person who looked similar.

That was all she could guess.

(End of this chapter)