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

Chapter 323 The Sixth Top Executive, Kuzan!

Hey, what's that sound?

Aokiji shuddered and froze in place.

Slowly turning his head, he saw a black-haired woman with a quiet and elegant demeanor sitting at the desk closest to the stairs.

She held a thick ancient book in her hands, looking at him with a half-smile, her expression calm and composed.

“…Oh dear, those were the words I was supposed to say.”

Aokiji scratched his head, feeling a bit of a headache.

"It's been a long time, Nico Robin."

He sighed, "...I really should have thought of that sooner. After all, this library is named Ohara, so it's highly likely that I would run into you here."

"It hasn't been that long, has it?"

Robin chuckled, closed the book, and casually placed it on the table. "We met on the Grand Line just a year ago."

"It's only been a year, but back then you were still panicked and wanted to fight me or get as far away from me as possible."

Aokiji gave a wry smile, "But now..."

Fate is truly unpredictable.

Who would have thought that the girl he was silently watching back then was the one who was constantly running around and could only hide in the shadows?

But now it can be the other way around.

With such elegance and confidence, how could she scrutinize this lonely soul with nowhere to go?
"Because this is the territory of the fallen."

Robin picked up the coffee on the table, took a small sip, and said calmly, "And you are no match for my captain, are you?"

"..."

Aokiji's eye twitched.

unacceptable.

This poor kid looks nonchalant, but he's probably holding a grudge quite a bit!

Despite his frustration and amusement, he had no choice but to surrender.

After all, although he had silently protected her for a long time, he had indeed let her down.

In front of Robin, this person can never stand up straight.

"It seems you're doing quite well here."

Aokiji simply changed the subject. He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the people reading quietly in the library, before finally returning to Robin. "It's even better than I expected."

"Isn't this just natural?"

When that name was mentioned, Robin smiled slightly, a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes:
"After all, what Lord Xia Nuo gave me was a real home, a real place to belong, not just temporary shelter."

Aokiji had just nodded subconsciously when he noticed the change in Robin's gaze.

He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and click his tongue inwardly.

There's more to this than meets the eye.

Hmm, why do I feel a little sour for some reason? It's like seeing my own cabbage being...

Sigh, never mind, by any standard, that guy is the greatest hero of his time, and he has nothing to do with pigs.

"That man is truly remarkable."

After thinking for a moment, Aokiji said this.

"Is it so great that it would attract a former naval admiral like you all the way here?"

Robin raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on the expert badge on Aokiji's chest. "But why insist on using that scholar's identity to conduct your investigation when you could have entered openly and honestly?"

Aokiji looked down, embarrassed, and removed the name tag that the lemon-faced girl had put on him at some point. He then shrugged.
"Oh dear, I've seen right through you."

"It was Michita who greeted you, wasn't it? It seems that the cute little fool mistook you for someone else and wasted her time. I need to call her and have her go back to the dock to greet the real scholar."

Robin dialed the Den Den Mushi and asked with a laugh, "So, what are the results of your investigation, you fake scholar?"

Aokiji remained silent for a moment, then got up and went to the window, gazing at the bustling streets and busy crowds in the distance.

"To be honest, it's even better than I expected."

Aokiji said quietly, "Everything here—the order, the prosperity, the development... and the smiles of the people—has surprised me greatly."

"Accident?"

Robin hung up the phone, staring at his retreating figure, and couldn't help but stammer, "Oh, do you really think that all the positive news we heard about the Fallen Ones before was just us exaggerating and bragging?"

"That's not the case."

Aokiji shook his head. "Seeing is believing, and what you see with your own eyes is always more shocking."

There was something else he didn't say in person.

Whether in the past, present, or future.

On this vast ocean, there has never been a shortage of people who constantly talk about ending the old era and ushering in a new one.

But those who can truly put their ideals into practice and change the world step by step are the ones who truly achieve them.

Perhaps, that man is truly the only one left.

Robin's eyes flickered slightly as he listened to these words.

She closed the book in her hands and said softly:

"So, Mr. Kuzan, now that you've seen the true face of the Fallen Ones' territory, what are your plans next?"

Aokiji turned around, leaned against the window, and stared at the ceiling behind his sunglasses, seemingly deep in thought.

After a while.

He suddenly smiled and asked:
"What do you think? Knowing me as you do, what should I do?"

Robin picked up his coffee cup and gently swirled it:

"If it were the old Admiral Aokiji who upheld 'lazy justice,' he might have chosen to continue observing, or even left due to various concerns."

"But now that you, Mr. Kuzan the Traveler, have stepped into this place, you probably already have the answer in your heart, right?"

"Yes, we already have the answer, so what are we still hesitating about..."

Aokiji murmured.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes were bright, as if he had finally made up his mind.

"I want to see Shano. Please introduce me, Nico Robin."

Robin smiled slightly, seemingly unsurprised by the answer: "Of course, but before that, you need to answer one question for me."

"what is the problem?"

"Your stance."

Robin looked directly into Aokiji's eyes, her tone becoming serious and earnest, "As a result, what is your capacity to meet my captain now? A former Marine Admiral? A lost traveler? Or..."

"A seeker of truth who has finally found his way."

Aokiji thought for a moment and then laughed, “Someone who wants to witness the new era firsthand, and even wants to participate in it personally.”

"Kuzan who is no longer confused sounds terrifying."

Robin smiled and said, "Welcome to the crew of the Fallen Ship headquarters, Mr. Kuzan, the sixth highest-ranking officer of the Fallen Ship."

"Your room on the ship has already been prepared, right next to Bear's. If you can't find it, just ask him. Also, there will be a welcome banquet in the Milky Way tonight, so remember to come and attend, don't be late!"

"Eh?"

Aokiji was dumbfounded.

What's happening here?
It's like the curtain falls, they predicted his arrival long ago, even dug the toilet in advance, just waiting for him to come and poop?

"That's it, that's it?"

Aokiji scratched his head. "Don't I need to meet with Xia Nuo? Don't I need any assessment or test?"

"Looking for the captain..."

Robin rested his chin on his hand, smiling as he looked out the window in a certain direction. "They're probably very busy right now, but we'll meet at the banquet tonight anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"As for the assessment, the captain should have told you about it back in the East China Sea. As long as you are willing to come, there will always be a place for you in the Fallen Ones."

It seems there really is such a thing...

As Aokiji was pondering this, Robin's voice suddenly came again: "Oh, right, the captain also asked me to pass on a message to you, which I prepared for you a long time ago."

"what?"

"Welcome home, Kuzan."

Aokiji was stunned.

After a long while, he finally let out a soft breath, his expression gradually softening: "I see..."

"Then, please take care of me, my partner and senior, Nico Robin."

……

Stepping out of the library, Aokiji's mindset was completely different.

He tried to adjust to being a part of this place, walking down the street with a smile. Lunchtime had just ended.

The sun is just right.

In the distance, the laughter of children chasing and playing in the square could be heard, and the air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked butter from the bakery.

In this sea area protected by the man named Xia Nuo, even time seems to have become gentler.

"That's great."

Aokiji sighed.

As he approached the dock, he saw two tourists and smiled as he took the wallet back from a member of the garrison.

Can you even get your lost wallet back?

The blue pheasant was greatly surprised.

It seems that the little girl named Michita was right; the security in the Fallen City is so good that it's almost unsettling for him.

He also noticed that behind the garrison members, there was a surveillance Den Den Mushi (snail) about one meter tall, slowly chewing on vegetable leaves.

It's clear that finding the wallet played a significant role in that.

He remembered this thing; he had seen it before on the flying island of the Golden Lion.

However, the Golden Lion used it to monitor the people and ensure that his oppressive rule was foolproof;
But in the hands of those who have fallen from grace, they can be used to benefit the people.

What an interesting comparison.

So, this trip of mine has come to an end.

Next, as the highest-ranking executive of the Fallen Ones, I'll ride my bicycle to the venue for the banquet.

next moment.

Aokiji stopped in his tracks, stunned as if struck by lightning. He ripped off his sunglasses and stared at the empty shore, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.

Eh?
No!

Where is my bicycle?
------

You sacrificed Kuzan's bicycle and gained 4000 points.

[Offering: Kuzan's bicycle]

[Quality: Epic]

[Appraisal Comments: This bicycle, purchased just a year ago, has just suffered the same fate as its predecessor, despite the hard-won bond and affection between its owner and the vehicle.]

[Remaining points: 12495 → 16495]

"The feelings weren't deep enough."

Xia Nuo closed the system panel and commented with a regretful look, "It's actually 500 points less than the last car."

At this moment, he has just returned to Mist Star Island, the southern gateway to the Milky Way, which is also the island where the Pirate Challenge Tournament is being held.

As I passed the island where the Ohara Library is located, I suddenly sensed a familiar presence and saw a familiar bicycle.

Then, for some reason, the bicycle suddenly came running towards him, looking pitiful, and insisted on following him home.

There's nothing more to say, I guess I'll just have to bring it along.

—Consider it a welcome bonus from the company for the newly appointed top executive, Comrade Aokiji.

dong dong.

A knock sounded, and the next second, the door creaked open.

There was only one person who dared to push open the door and come in without asking a single question.

Xia Nuo didn't even need to look up to know who it was:

"What, have you finished selecting those pirates?"

"Yes, Master. A total of 16,300 pirates signed up for the challenge. After the initial screening, 13,400 qualified individuals remain."

Angewomon respectfully handed over a statistical document.

"Of the 16,000, there are more than 13,000?"

Xia Nuo put down her teacup, raised an eyebrow, and said, "The percentage is so high? It's over 80%."

His thoughts were indeed just as Aokiji had guessed.

He's already beaten the Marine Headquarters so many times that it's about time they could turn their attention to cleaning up the pirates in the New World.

But the sea is so vast.

Even though the current leader is now a large and powerful family with no shortage of manpower, his efforts to suppress bandits are ultimately too inefficient.

So why not lure them into a trap? Perhaps many clever and shrewd pirates will see through his ill intentions.

But that's okay, this is actually an open and aboveboard scheme.

There will always be ambitious people who will fight tooth and nail to get into this trap.

The intelligence department will carefully screen the information, based on previously collected intelligence, and further confirm it through Angewomon and Shiryu's abilities during the on-site registration.

These people were eventually divided into three groups—

Those who use the name of pirates but haven't done anything bad will be politely refused and advised to leave.

Those who have committed wrongdoings but whose crimes do not warrant the death penalty are more suited to being imprisoned or undergoing ideological reform.

And pure villains whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent people and who are utterly wicked.

Only the third type will be allowed to enter the challenge area.

To avoid wrongly accusing innocent people, the screening criteria are actually quite lenient, which inevitably means that some will slip through the net.

Even so, more than 80% of them were classified into the third category!

can only say.

As expected, the New World is the New World; the concentration of scumbags here is just too high.

"Yes, Master."

Angewomon nodded respectfully. "Also, Robin just mentioned to me about Mr. Kuzan joining us..."

"I already know about Aokiji's situation."

Xia Nuo waved his hand, "We've invited everyone to the banquet tonight. Before that, I'll go and deal with these pirates first."

He stood up, glanced at the bustling scene outside the window, and grinned:

"Let's go and see those arrogant scumbags."

…………

The venue for the challenge tournament was chosen to be Mist Star Island.

This is because there is a huge ancient arena on the southwest coast of this island, large enough to hold tens of thousands of people at the same time.

However, it's different from the one in Dressrosa.

This place had been abandoned decades ago and was only recently put back into use.

Tens of thousands of pirates gathered here, creating a noisy and chaotic scene.

Among them were many notorious pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million Berries, and the two highest bounties even exceeded 800 million Berries, their eyes gleaming with greed and ambition.

After waiting for a long time without it starting, some people became impatient and began to make a fuss.

"Hey! When are you coming out, Xia Nuo?!"

"Could it be that he's scared? Haha!"

"Exactly! No matter how strong he is, he's still human. He probably didn't expect so many of us to come all at once. Hehe, we could drown him with just a spit from each of us!"

Amidst the noise, suddenly—

boom!
A bolt of black and red lightning struck down, shattering the entire arena and sending dust billowing everywhere. The pirates fell silent instantly.

As the smoke cleared, a tall, slender figure stood in the center of the arena.

Her black hair flowed freely, and her cloak billowed in the wind.

Xia Nuo put his hands in his pockets and calmly looked around.

But no one dared to meet his gaze.

Those pirates who had been shouting the loudest earlier were now all sweating profusely, heads bowed, afraid that they would be noticed by this big shot as soon as they arrived.

Why did it suddenly become so quiet?

Xia Nuo finally withdrew his gaze and spoke calmly:
"So, who comes first?"

------

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(End of this chapter)