Who told him to become the Pirate King!

Chapter 57 The Born Evil Demon Child, I'm Here Now (Please read on! Please vote!)

Rainy ground, rainy banquet.

Like a drop of water piercing through rocks, Storm openly "sneaked" into the true stronghold of the sand crocodiles.

Compared to the magnificent exterior of the Rain Banquet Pyramid, the interior decoration of the pyramid is equally luxurious.

Storm strolled through the spacious, brightly lit passageways of the Rain Banquet Pyramid.

His eyes flashed with a blazing red light, and his [Observation Haki], activated throughout, firmly locked onto his target.

He was getting closer and closer to the most powerful "voice" in the Rain Banquet Pyramid.

And while Storm moves toward the target object.

The other party seemed to have noticed his approach and began to move quickly, constantly changing its position.

"Interesting. Have they already noticed my approach?"

Storm looked around.

Having trained in the extreme environment of Impel Down for a period of time, he was confident in finding all the surveillance Den Den Mushi (snail phones) around him.

However, Storm did not find any trace of the surveillance Den Den Mushi on the road he had just passed.

Some were just a few scattered pieces in the blind spots...

petal?

Storm narrowed his eyes slightly, a suspect coming to mind.

He continued walking forward, and the "sound" was not far away!

A few minutes later.

Storm had just turned a corner in an aisle.

Just then.

His gaze briefly met that of someone behind the corner.

The latter had her arms crossed in front of her chest, and the moment she saw Storm, she activated her ability without hesitation.

"The Spinning Flower!"

Without any medium, the power of the Devil Fruit strikes from afar.

Suddenly, two slender human arms sprouted from Storm's shoulders.

The two arms intertwined and overlapped, wrapping around Storm's neck on either side.

Storm seemed startled by the sudden change; he stood frozen in place, motionless.

Under the control of the ability user, both arms suddenly exerted force and twisted heavily in the same direction in perfect unison.

Click!

It's like picking a ripe red apple from an apple tree.

Storm's head was ripped off by those two arms!

"call……"

The perpetrator, seeing Storm's head so easily removed, couldn't help but take a step forward.

"It worked?"

"What a pity, just a little short."

A ghostly voice echoed behind the ability user.

Storm appeared behind the other party without anyone noticing.

He raised his right hand, and white clay surged out, binding the ability user instantly like octopus tentacles.

Strom's ability was activated so quickly that the opponent couldn't react in time.

In the blink of an eye, she became Storm's prisoner.

"Was that the power of the Paramecia-type Flower-Flower Fruit?"

Storm's voice rang out once again.

"So, you are the 'Devil's Child' with a bounty of 7900 million Berries."

"Nicole Robin?"

Nico Robin's pupils instantly contracted to pinpoints when her identity was immediately recognized by the enemy.

She didn't know when the other person appeared behind her.

But the person in front whose head has been removed...

Nicole Robin took a closer look.

That person, and his head, had somehow turned into two lumps of clay!

boom!

Suddenly, a tremendous force struck.

Nicole Robin felt a sharp pain in her neck as her carotid sinus was struck, and the intense dizziness forced her to lose consciousness instantly.

Standing behind her, Storm remained in the same position as when he swung his knife, letting Nicole Robin fall to the ground.

Silver Trophy: Nicole Robin

[Tournament Star Rating: ★★★]

"Ara la la..."

Storm looked at the unconscious Demon Child on the floor and mimicked his boss's catchphrase.

"Has Nico Robin now joined Crocodile's team?"

Storm took out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket, hesitating whether to call Aokiji.

He knew all too well the complex feelings Aokiji had for this "devil's child".

The reason why Aokiji transformed from a passionate Marine who believed in "burning justice" into a wage thief who believed in "lazy justice" is because...

It's all because of the "Ohara incident" more than a decade ago!

In the "Ohara incident".

Aokiji witnessed Akainu bombarding the refugee ship carrying civilians, and for the first time began to doubt "justice".

The elite naval vice admiral, who was supposed to be in charge of carrying out the "Buster Call of Ohara," completely disregarded the World Government's orders.

Following the shelling of the refugee ship.

Aokiji not only protected his friend and Navy Vice Admiral Haguval D. Saul, who was hindering his mission, but also protected him.

Furthermore, they let go of the only survivor of the Ohara incident—the devil's child, Nico Robin.

Despite the fact that in the following decade or so...

Aokiji has never appeared in Nico Robin's life.

But Storm knew very well.

Aokiji has always kept a close eye on Nico Robin!

"What a twisted relationship..."

Storm hesitated for a moment, but finally dialed the Den Den Mushi.

"Moshi moshi..."

"Ah! Storm! Why is it you again?"

Aokiji answered the Den Den Mushi, his complaints evident in his voice.

"Who's the superior here? Or am I? It feels like you're the one always giving me things to do."

"...General Aokiji."

After a moment of silence, Storm exposed the other party directly.

"Are you just being grumpy in the morning?"

"Ara la la..."

The Den Den Mushi vividly mimicked Aokiji's expression as he looked away.

"You've got it wrong. I wasn't sleeping in. I was just lying down contemplating life."

"I'm so envious, 'lazy justice'..."

After a few casual words, Storm got straight to the point.

"Admiral Aokiji, I've seen Nico Robin!"

"……who?!"

Aokiji's eyes, which had been a little dazed, suddenly widened.

"Who are you talking about?"

"The sole survivor of the Ohara incident, the Devil Child, and the user of the [Hana Hana no Mi] (Flower-Flower Fruit) ability."

Storm revealed Nico Robin's information one by one.

Not content with just saying that, he raised his fist again, assuming an attack stance.

"This born evil demon son, I will—"

"Wait! Wait a minute!"

Aokiji quickly called for a halt.

Upon hearing this, he immediately realized that his attitude had been a bit too tense.

"Ahem! Um, what? Storm! You can't just kill pirates like that anymore!"

What does it mean to be confused by concern?

This is what they call being blinded by concern!

"Stromb said in a low voice."

"Admiral Aokiji, are there any Marines on the high seas who don't kill pirates?"

"Yes! It's Professor Zephyr!"

Aokiji stubbornly insisted on his point, so he quickly changed the subject.

"How did you run into Nico Robin? Did she go to the South China Sea?"

"South China Sea? No."

"Stromb said."

"I met and arrested Nico Robin in the rainy lands of Alabasta."

"Alabasta?"

Aokiji frowned, puzzled.

"Weren't you in the South China Sea? How did you end up in the Grand Line? Is it... the Tyrant's [Paw-Paw Fruit]?"

"That's right."

Storm steered the conversation back on track.

"The focus right now isn't on the 'Paw-Paw Fruit,' it's on the 'Devil Child'!"

"Admiral Aokiji, what should I do with Nico Robin?"

On the other end of the Den Den Mushi (a type of electric scooter).

Aokiji was in a real predicament.

To be honest, ever since the Ohara incident, he no longer believed that the Navy's justice was truly "justice".

If even the navy that bombards civilians can be called "justice", then what are pirates?

In Aokiji's view.

Ohara scholars who violate the laws of the World Government and secretly study ancient history may not actually be guilty.

But even if the scholars are truly guilty.

What do their sins have to do with the ordinary people on Ohara Island?

Furthermore.

What does the sin of the scholars have to do with Nicole Robin, a little girl who is only eight years old?

After the Ohara incident ended.

Aokiji fell into a long period of confusion.

It's because of his perception of the Navy's "justice," and the "justice" that the Navy should possess in maintaining the rule of the World Government.

A fierce conflict has arisen between two opposing ideas of "justice"!

But ever since the moment "Burning Justice" completely transformed into "Lazy Justice".

Aokiji is no longer the vice admiral who blindly obeys the World Government's orders...

On the island of Ohara in the past.

Aokiji was able to fake Saul's death and also let Nico Robin escape.

Now, there's even less reason for him to do anything to Nicole Robin...

"That's settled then, Storm."

"that's all?"

Storm was puzzled by Aokiji's answer.

"So what?"

That's it.

Aokiji continued.

"Nicole Robin, I'm leaving her to you."

"Huh? What do you mean 'Leave it to me'? You—"

Storm wanted to say something more.

However, Aokiji's Den Den Mushi had already hung up.

"Hello!?"

Stromto, holding the Den Den Mushi that had lost signal, was very unhappy with Aokiji's attempt to shift the blame.

He looked at Nicole Robin, who was still unconscious, and inexplicably felt as if he had received some kind of "entrustment from an old father"...

"An illusion! It must be an illusion!"

Storm shook his head vigorously, trying to banish this inexplicable association from his mind.

He dialed Aokiji's Den Den Mushi again.

Unfortunately, the green pheasant seemed to have anticipated Storm's move and simply stopped answering the phone!

"Damn it!"

Storm put away the Den Den Mushi and looked at Nico Robin with a conflicted expression.

"Give Nicole Robin to me... but she has a boss now!"

"That bastard Crocodile, why isn't he home yet?!"

Just as Storm was muttering about the sand crocodile.

Crocodile had just returned from the port of Rapeseed Flower, carrying a large bag of treasure on his shoulder, looking like an old farmer who had just finished harvesting leeks.

The crocodiles, laden with their catch, rode the wind and sand, returning directly from the rapeseed flower port to the rainy land.

But when he entered the Rainland and saw his own lair—the Rain Banquet Pyramid—his expression instantly became bewildered.

Where is that huge golden banana crocodile on top of the Rain Banquet Pyramid?

Where did this white dragon come from?!

(End of this chapter)