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

Chapter 117 Robin Joins the Ship [6.2K]

"Well……"

Robin suddenly heard a faint murmur coming from his knees.

Woke up?

She looked down and found that the black-haired boy was still sleeping soundly with his eyes closed, only muttering something under his breath.

So you were talking in your sleep?

Robin was overcome with curiosity. He hesitated for a moment, looking left and right, but in the end he couldn't resist.

She quietly and carefully leaned down, close to her ear—

Then I happened to hear this:
"The ocean is vast, and one day, a partner will appear to protect you..."

!!!

Robin's pupils contracted, and his breath suddenly stopped.

how come……

How did he know that?
In a daze, painful and dark memories surged back like a tide: the burning homeland, the people desperately fleeing, and that enormous figure laughing loudly, "Hey hee hee hee hee!"

Is it a coincidence, or...?
Just as my mind was in turmoil, I heard Xia Nuo's groggy voice again:

"My path to my dreams is fraught with too many enemies..."

"I want to live! ...Take me with you to the sea!"

"..." Robin blinked and quickly calmed down.

These two sentences have absolutely nothing to do with me.

really.

You're overthinking it; it's just a coincidence.

She gazed silently at the boy's face, then looked at the newspaper lying to the side. The bounty of 540 million Berries on the wanted poster was so terrifying...

Such a powerful being, and such a fortunate fellow with a large group of companions...

Could it be that back then, you also walked alone in the darkness, enduring endless loneliness, just like I have?
……

The wind on the turtle's back suddenly stopped.

Shano's eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes on Robin's lap.

The sunlight slanted across his brow bone, making his dark pupils appear bright.

Good morning.

He stood up, yawning as if nothing had happened, turned around and smiled, "Thank you, this sleep was much more comfortable than sleeping on the rocks."

His gaze immediately shifted to the newspaper, and he became intrigued. "Wow, the bounty is out so quickly this time? Let me see..."

With a whoosh, he unfolded the newspaper.

"Tsk, only 500 million Berries... I guess they won't give much if you don't go to the New World. Huh, even Nami's increased to 80 million Berries?"

Robin pursed his lower lip.

This reaction... is wrong.

If a normal person wakes up and finds themselves lying on a strange woman's lap, shouldn't their first question be, "Who are you?"
Recalling what the other person had said yesterday, she simply asked, "Do you know me?"

"what?"

Xia Nuo peeked out from behind the newspaper. "Of course."

Nicole, Nicole, he could recognize her even if she were burned to ashes.

He shrugged and said, "You've been following us around the whole way, haven't you?"

Robin paused slightly, a hint of surprise in his eyes: "You...you already knew?"

"nonsense."

Xia Nuo casually folded the newspaper and said in a nonchalant tone:
“We noticed it from Whiskey Peak. Someone was following us from a distance. Although they were well hidden, they would occasionally slip up... We just didn’t know it was you at first.”

I just didn't know it was you at first?

Robin keenly caught the remark, but remained outwardly calm: "How rude of me, being a stalker is not a compliment."

"That's true, but you really are a complete stalker!"

Xia Nuo grinned, approaching step by step, looking down at Robin below, who was clearly flustered but still trying to maintain a calm and composed demeanor:

"Your ability should allow you to grow any part of your body anywhere within your field of vision... like eyes?"

Xia Nuo suddenly leaned down and stared closely into her eyes.

"If I hadn't mastered Observation Haki, I really wouldn't have noticed at all. I watch when I'm practicing my punches, when I'm eating and drinking, and when I'm fighting. What am I doing...? Tell me, you weren't spying on me when I was taking a shower, were you?"

"..."

Robin suddenly smiled and winked: "Guess?"

"Just kidding, after all, you're not Sarutobi Ayame."

Xia Nuo chuckled dryly and straightened up. "But your nervous and embarrassed look is quite amusing."

Who's really nervous? Robin was speechless for a moment, then whispered:
"Since you discovered it a long time ago, why didn't you expose me?"

"Hey, don't try to take the initiative in this conversation," Xia Nuo said, displeased. "Shouldn't I be the one asking that? What exactly are you doing following us?"

"..." Robin pursed his lips, not answering immediately.

What should she say?
He said he was desperate and wanted to find a new boss?

He said he admired their bond and wanted to be a part of it?
But someone of her status, a monster who only brings trouble to others, could she really be qualified...?

"It's better to be honest with each other."

Shano's voice rang out, interrupting her thoughts, "Nico Robin, the Devil's Child, the last survivor of Ohara, a genius scholar who earned a doctorate in history at the age of eight and has a bounty of 7900 million Berries on her head from the World Government..."

he knows!
He knew it all along!
Robin's pupils suddenly contracted, and his body stiffened for a moment, his fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of his clothes.

For sixteen years, this identity had brought her only disaster and betrayal, and this scene suddenly became familiar. Over the years, she had been exposed in this way countless times...

"take it easy."

Xia Nuo reached out and ruffled her hair. The movement was so natural and smooth that Robin was stunned for a moment, and Xia Nuo herself was also stunned for a moment.

Huh, why can't I control this darn hand?

It's all Robin's fault. Twenty years of comic book companionship made him feel too close to him, and meeting him felt like seeing a long-time friend.

Besides, he had already ruffled the hair of Luffy, Nami, and Zoro and Sanji...

It's become a habit; as I was talking, I just started kneading it myself.

"I'm sorry."

He casually withdrew his arm, chuckling, "I'm so used to comforting my younger sister like this that I forgot you're older than me. It's really inappropriate. Anyway... I'll reveal your identity..."

Xia Nuo suddenly crouched down, looking Robin in the eye: "It's not to threaten you, but to tell you—"

"From today onwards, those days of living in constant fear and hiding are over!"

Sunlight danced on his eyelashes, casting a warm glow on the boy's cheeks. He stretched out his right hand and chuckled.

"Hey Robin, wanna come aboard my ship? I'm actually quite interested in the Poneglyphs and I've been looking to collect a few more, but I'm missing a proper archaeologist."

"..."

Robin stared blankly at the black-haired boy in front of him.

I hadn't even figured out how to bring it up... I'd even given up on the idea, but then I was invited aboard?
Sixteen years...

For the first time in sixteen years, someone who knew all about her dark past offered not swords, but a warm palm.

Those years of being hunted by the World Government, those days of wandering among the forces of darkness, all seem so distant now in the face of this absurd tenderness.

She remembered the bright smiles on the wanted posters, and the scenes of them playing around the campfire in the small garden...

That warmth was a dream she thought was unattainable.

just now……

Is it right in front of me now, reaching out its hand so close?!

"I……"

She subconsciously and slowly extended her right hand, but just before touching it, she suddenly pulled it back as if she had been burned.

"What are you doing?" Xia Nuo glared at her, annoyed. "At a time like this, you're still cowering and hesitating. Put it up here!"

"You, you don't understand."

Robin's eyes dimmed, her voice so soft it was almost carried away by the sea breeze, "My very existence is a calamity... The forbidden flames of Ohara will burn your ship, and the World Government will haunt each and every one of you like a shadow..."

She lowered her eyelashes, casting a faint shadow under her eyes. "The smiles you see now, the campfire, the comrades you fight alongside... one day, they will all turn to ashes because of me."

"So long-winded."

Xia Nuo rolled her eyes, suddenly grabbed her wrist that was halfway back, pressed her warm palm against the back of her cold hand, and forced her to give a high five.

"Alright, now you're officially on board. Pinky promise, no running away. From now on, you'll have to call me Captain."

Xia Nuo then sat down again, and, under Robin's stunned gaze, said with a grin:
"What taboos and flames? What nonsense are you talking about? Haven't you read the newspapers? Didn't you see how much my bounty is now? Huh?"

"Five, five hundred million..."

"That's 540 million Berries!"

He held up six fingers. "Your bounty multiplied by six isn't even as high as mine. After you get on the ship, your bounty will only be second to last. If the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up. Who will have time to keep an eye on you and catch you?"

"Can……"

"Are you trying to emphasize Ohara's special characteristics again?"

Xia Nuo scoffed, "Naval Headquarters, World Government, they sound terrifying, but what can they do? The ocean is so vast, can they really mobilize the entire force to encircle and annihilate us? At most, it'll just be a Buster Call!"

He sneered:
"One general and five lieutenant generals, that's about the standard setup for the Buster Order. I just fought a general and even killed or crippled two lieutenant generals... Hmph, in short, anyone who overestimates themselves and tries to capture you will have to get past me first!"

The boy's voice echoed across the sea.

A sea breeze swept by, and suddenly the tortoise shell fell silent.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?" Xia Nuo laughed heartily. "Were you impressed by how cool I was?"

Robin paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

She lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips lightly brushing against the fabric of her dress, which had been wrinkled by someone pressing down on her knees, her voice as soft as a sigh:

"Yes, he's very handsome."

—Of course he's handsome, so handsome that it brought tears to her eyes.

So... those shadows that had weighed on her heart for sixteen years were nothing more than scraps of paper that he could crush at will?
“Captain,” Robin suddenly spoke.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Xia Nuo grinned. So, he finally accepted it? That title, "Captain," was really comforting to hear.

"Your poison has flared up again..." Robin said quietly.

ha?
Xia Nuo was startled and hurriedly went to the edge of the turtle shell, looking at his face against the sea. A creature that looked like a hybrid of Thanos and the Hulk was staring at him.

His expression froze instantly.

and many more.

Was this the face I just wore when I threw out those cool and suave lines in front of Robin?
"Ah ah ah ah ah!"

A desperate scream echoed from the tortoise shell: "Robin, why didn't you say so sooner?!"

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 cold wind howled, and snow fell like goose feathers, covering the mountains of Cigu Island in a layer of silver.

A sea turtle, pipe in mouth, slowly swam along the river into the depths of the island.

The tall coniferous forests on both sides were bent over by the weight of the snow, and occasionally chunks of snow fell with a "whoosh".

"This place is freezing cold..."

Xia Nuo rubbed his arms, and the white breath he exhaled instantly condensed into ice crystals. He turned to look at Robin, who was pulling his cloak tighter around himself, shivering, and the tip of his nose was slightly red from the cold.

"Can it hold up?"

Xia Nuo couldn't help but say, "There should be a town not far ahead. The first thing we'll do is find a clothing store and buy you a few more winter clothes."

That's just how the climate is on the Grand Line—unpredictable and ever-changing.

Just a day ago we were in the warm tropics, but now, because we are close to this winter island, the temperature has suddenly dropped to minus forty or fifty degrees Celsius.

That's right, it's been a day now.

After a full day's journey, they finally arrived here.

"Magnetic Drum Island".

When Shano saw those mountain peaks that looked like giant chimneys in the distance, he suddenly realized that the so-called "medical superpower" that Robin was going to take him to find a doctor for treatment was actually Chopper's hometown.

Stereotypes are unacceptable!

Sister, you really need to update your intelligence.

Can this country, which has now expelled the vast majority of doctors and left only "Doctor 20" to serve the king, still be called a medical superpower?
“I’m fine, Captain.” Robin shook his head slightly. “The toxins in your body are more serious; we need to find a doctor right away…”

She paused when she said the word "captain," still feeling a little awkward.

In the past, she had addressed many people with similar titles, such as "captain," "boss," or "leader," but all of them were insincere and concealed countless calculations and suspicions.

Only when facing this boy who was a few years younger than himself and calling him "Captain" did he feel a strange sense of security and reliability.

"What kind of doctor is this? Didn't I tell you? This kind of poison poses no threat to me."

Xia Nuo interrupted her impatiently, "If we weren't so close to this island, I wouldn't have bothered coming here! Listen to me, let's go buy clothes first! Don't argue!"

"..." Robin had no choice but to nod in agreement, unable to persuade him otherwise.

Xia Nuo squatted down again and looked at her face back and forth in front of the mostly frozen river surface.

Fortunately, the toxins haven't surfaced yet.

He had already checked it carefully on his way here.

The toxins remaining in that madwoman's body, aside from the toxin deposits on her skin, posed no real threat to her.

Even with the accelerated return of life, complete detoxification still takes time; he estimates it will take at least half a month.

In other words, if left untreated, his face will continue to develop unsightly bluish-purple tinges for the next two weeks or so.

This was at most a little annoying. Shano had already lost face in front of Robin once, so cosplaying Thanos once or ten times made no difference, and he didn't really take it seriously.

If we can find a doctor along the way, we'll get treatment; if we can't find one for a while, it doesn't matter.

but.

"We're already very close to this island" was just an excuse for Xia Nuo. The main reason he ultimately landed on Drum Island was this—

Xia Nuo glanced at the backpack.

The Devil Fruit detection radar inside was flashing a yellow light, a sight it hadn't shown in a long time.

This means that there is a Devil Fruit within a ten-kilometer radius.

However, the Flame-Flame Fruit was found last time by the entire crew searching together. This time, with only him and Robin, finding it in this vast snowy landscape will not be easy.

Hope everything goes well.

Xia Nuo leisurely looked up at the snow falling heavier and heavier.

Hasn't there been a rumor about this for a long time?

Devil Fruits are things that choose their own masters and appear before their destined owners.

…………

The old sea turtle landed on the shore and exhaled a puff of smoke rings.

"The road ahead is completely frozen, we can't get through. We'll have to trouble you to wait here, Mr. Binch."

The two left the turtle's back and stepped onto land, crunching through the snow as they headed toward the distant lights.

The minus fifty degrees Celsius temperature didn't affect Xia Nuo much. He walked ahead shirtless, clearing a path through the forest and also shielding Robin behind him from the wind and snow.

Creak, creak, the same sound came from the other side.

A huge polar bear, at least five or six meters tall, walked towards us, leaning on a trekking pole.

"This is the Faraway Bear, a friendly animal that only appears on Winter Island in the Grand Line."

Robin recognized him immediately and whispered a reminder from behind:

"They are very friendly to humans. If you encounter them in the mountains and forests, you don't have to worry about them attacking you. Just nod to each other and give each other a slight bow."

Really?

Xia Nuo stared curiously at the large polar bear.

After hesitating for a moment, he nodded, and the polar bear immediately bowed slightly before continuing to walk away, leaning on his trekking pole.

Wow, that's really polite.

"If Nami were here, her first thought would be to roast it and eat it, which would be such a spoilsport."

Shano turned his head and said with a grin, "It's wonderful to have a knowledgeable partner, Robin."

"The town entrance should be just ahead."

Robin pointed to a path on a distant hillside, its lights flickering in the wind and snow. "Huh?" she suddenly squinted. "What's that?"

On the snowy slope, a little blue-nosed reindeer was running away in a panic, chased by five or six soldiers with guns.

"Stop! Blue-nosed monster!"

"Fire! Fire! We absolutely have to catch it this time!"

"Try not to hit vital areas, just cripple their legs! We still need to get through this monster and catch that damned, unscrupulous doctor, Kureha!"

Amidst the stern shouts, the sound of flintlock muskets followed immediately.

boom! boom! boom!
The little reindeer stumbled and fell into a snowdrift, scattering various herbs from its medicine basket all over the ground. It turned around in fright, its big, wet eyes reflecting the approaching crowd.

"You can't run away now!"

The soldiers surrounded them, and the squad leader, with a sneer, pulled the safety back and pointed his gun at the little guy on the ground.

"Speak! Tell the truth! Where exactly is Kureha? Right now, in this country, only this old woman is still resisting His Majesty the King's orders!"

Swish!
The blade suddenly flashed.

The sharp, cold light pierced through the wind and snow, and before the soldiers could react, their flintlock muskets snapped in two.

"..." Robin stared at the figure that had landed on the ground, somewhat surprised. "Captain, you really are a swordsman?"

"...What are you saying! Have you forgotten what my nickname is on my wanted poster?" Xia Nuo glared at her displeased.

“But that was clearly just a disguise,” Robin smiled. “Your forte is actually various hand-to-hand combat techniques; wasn’t that sword just for deceiving the enemy?”

"..."

It's boring. Finally, there's a smart woman on the ship, but that's the downside.

Xia Nuo pursed his lips, not wanting to reply, when the squad leader suddenly let out a howling scream—it was because Xia Nuo's swordsmanship was not precise enough, and he chopped off the squad leader's wrist as well.

"Tsk, that's a bit of a shame," Xia Nuo raised an eyebrow, but didn't feel any guilt.

One thing he remembered very clearly was that, apart from Dalton, who was a rare person with a conscience, the rest of Wapol's guards were all loyal lackeys. They were ruthless in harming and capturing doctors, but they were cowards when facing foreign enemies. When Blackbeard invaded, Wapol was so scared that he went to sea to become a pirate, and these soldiers actually followed him all the way.

"It hurts, it hurts so much!!!"

The squad leader glared at them, his eyes red, "Who are you two bastards! How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Kingdom Guard? Aren't you afraid King Wapol will arrest you and feed you to the cannons?!"

Before Xia Nuo could speak, a commotion suddenly broke out on the other side.

A soldier stared at his face, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he grabbed the squad leader's sleeve, whispering something in his ear.

"what?"

The squad leader was stunned for a moment, then seemed to have been doused with ice water, forgetting even the excruciating pain of his severed arm. "You mean this guy is a notorious pirate with a bounty of 540 million?!"

"There's no mistake!" the soldier said fearfully. "His picture has been all over the newspapers these past few days! Even a vice admiral from the Marine Headquarters and a Shichibukai died at his hands!"

"What?!!!"

The soldiers erupted in panic and retreated in terror.

"Run...run!" The squad leader, his earlier arrogance gone, his voice trembling, shouted, "Retreat! Retreat immediately!!"

The soldiers frantically scrambled to support their captain, who had lost an arm, and scrambled away, fleeing into the distance without even daring to pick up the fallen gun.

Xia Nuo chuckled and sheathed his sword. Robin, standing beside him, frowned slightly. "No need to..."

"No need."

Xia Nuo shook his head and looked at the tallest mountain in the distance, which was about 5,000 meters high. "Let them be messengers. I want to see how Walbourne will react when he finds out I've come to this island."

Robin then realized what was happening and quietly lowered his crossed arms.

"It's alright now, little raccoon. They won't dare to bother you again."

She turned to look at the little blue-nosed creature, smiling gently, and asked, "Where do you live? Would you like us to take you home?"

"..."

The little reindeer remained silent, staring at her warily. Suddenly, it grabbed the basket of herbs from the ground and darted behind the thickest tree.

Then he peeked out and secretly observed.

only……

"You're hiding in a bad way, aren't you?" Robin blinked. "Who hides their head behind a tree and sticks their whole body out?"

Right!

The little reindeer panicked and quickly adjusted its posture, hiding its body inside.

(End of this chapter)