Sailing: I Open Treasure Chests in the Pirate World

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to come along, since it's the East China Sea..."

"I am one of your crew members."

Robin gently stroked the head of the little cutie in her arms and smiled.

"Captain, although we don't have a ship yet, as crew members, we should all work together, shouldn't we?"

What you said... makes a lot of sense.

Ian nodded, then suddenly sighed.

"So, it seems I shouldn't have split up with them in the first place..."

"them?"

Robin blinked and asked curiously.

"Captain, are you referring to your previous crew members? Like Mr. Edward?"

"More or less. Edward was my first crew member, as for the others..."

Ian raised his right hand and released the power of the Clay Fruit, attaching the illusionary effect of the Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit to the clay.

"Bartholomew Kuma, Eustace Kid, Kira, and finally this little guy..."

"Her name is Joelle Bonney, and I'm not entirely sure yet whether she counts as one of my subordinates."

"However, the three people in front are indeed my subordinates."

Robin looked at the four unfamiliar figures that suddenly appeared in front of him: "one large cup, two medium cups, and one small cup".

She first recognized the "tyrant," then glanced at the red-haired spiky man and the blond wavy-haired man, before finally focusing her gaze on the little girl.

"This little girl looks about the same age as Elsa."

"Joelie Bonney is a year older than Aisha. She's in a bit of 'trouble' right now, and Kuma is taking Kid and Killer to the East Blue to find a solution. By the way, Kuma and the others are all from the South Blue."

"South China Sea? Captain, are you from the South China Sea too?"

"Me? Hmph! I'm not a native of the four seas, I live at Marine Headquarters!"

"...Captain, if you don't want to say it, you don't have to. There's no need to make up lies to deceive people."

Upon hearing this, Robin immediately shook his head.

The dignified Shichibukai, Haku, actually lives at Marine Headquarters?

Why doesn't the captain mention that his family has been in the navy for three generations?

What kind of joke is this about the ocean?!

This kind of lie is so obvious that it can't even fool a child.

Robin abandoned her idea of ​​learning about the captain's past and changed the subject directly.

“Captain, you just said that Mr. Bartholomew, Mr. Eustace, and Mr. Kira are all your ‘subordinates’.”

Robin astutely pointed out a problem.

"But you also said that Mr. Edward was your 'crew'."

"So, is Mr. Bartholomew's situation the same as mine before?"

Robin was also once Ian's "subordinate".

It wasn't until yesterday that Ian officially recruited her, treating her as a "crew member".

According to Robin's understanding, "crew members" should be a higher rank than "subordinates"...

"No."

Ian shook his head and explained.

“Their situation is different from yours. That’s why I call them ‘subordinates’…”

"Actually, it's because when I recruited them, I didn't have the idea of ​​forming a pirate crew yet."

If you're not forming a pirate crew, what kind of crew members are you recruiting?

Robin tilted her head, looking at Ian in surprise, and tentatively asked.

“Captain, if you want to say it's because you didn't have a boat then, I can understand, since you don't have a boat now either.”

"...Why are you so obsessed with ships?"

Ian was somewhat puzzled. He put away the clay figurines of his subordinates and transformed the clay into a blue-eyed white dragon.

"Is the Blue-Eyes White Dragon not handsome enough?"

"Flying is certainly an enviable ability. But Captain, you can't fly forever, can you?"

Robin said calmly.

"Besides, I can't fly, Mr. Edward... but I look like I can."

"What about Mr. Bartholomew and the others? Can they fly?"

"Captain, you can't possibly take all the crew with you on every mission, can you?"

"On the high seas, a sturdy enough ship, a ship capable of supporting long-distance voyages, is still very necessary."

Ian fell silent, then waved his hand to shrink the Blue-Eyes White Dragon before placing it on his shoulder.

"……you're right."

Almost all of Ian's previous plans were based on the idea of ​​"going it alone".

But now he's recruited Kuma, Kid and Killer, and Robin...

The mindset of a lone wolf is very different from that of a pirate crew.

Ian had to admit it.

Robin's suggestion was indeed very reasonable.

"However, although it makes a lot of sense, I don't want to hear it."

"what?"

Robin was momentarily dumbfounded.

She wanted to say something more.

But just ahead, near the settlement of the Shandians, a sudden clattering sound of fighting came from nearby.

Robin immediately abandoned the idea of ​​talking.

"captain!"

"Yes, I heard you. Don't worry."

Ian said calmly.

"That person is stronger than Wapa, but only by a limited margin."

Robin soon saw "that person" that Ian had mentioned.

It was a tall, elderly man dressed in silver armor, holding a huge knight's lance in his hand.

Robin only glanced at the old man before her attention was immediately drawn to the strange creature beneath him.

It was a strange-looking "horse".

Its entire body is covered in pink fur with dense black spots, which at first glance could easily kill someone with trypophobia.

At the same time, it has a bird's face, and a pair of white, bird-like wings grow on its flanks.

To the average person, this is a bizarre creature that is too grotesque to look at.

But it just so happened to hit Robin's aesthetic.

"Kawaii..."

"Hey Hey hey!"

Ian couldn't help but grab Robin's shoulders and shake him vigorously.

Don't make everything "kawaii"! Making everything "kawaii" will only harm you!

"Besides, what about that pink creature that's neither horse nor bird can be described as cute?"

Just as Ian and Robin were talking.

The old man also spotted the two of them.

He was the former god of Sky Island.

Gan Faure.

As for that strange creature that resembles neither a horse nor a bird.

Actually, it was Gan Fall's pet.

Pierre, a bird unique to Skypiea that ate the Zoan-type Horse-Horse Fruit.

"Choo Choo Choo--"

Pierre let out a sharp cry, flapped its wings, and carried Gan Fall to Ian.

"Outsider".

The ancient gods of the Sky Island introduced themselves to Ian.

“I am Gan Fall, the Sky Knight of Sky Island.”

Tell me your name, and make me laugh.

Ian smirked and nodded to Gan Fall.

"Ian Adrian".

Before Gan Faure could utter his next sentence.

The current chief of the Shandians walked over, accompanied by Wapa and other members of the Shandian guerrillas.

"Lord Ian, I'm so sorry, but this guy has some mental issues."

Chief Shandia apologized to Ian first, and then spoke to Gan Fall.

"Gan Fall, don't do anything foolish! And don't offend Lord Ian!"

"Otherwise, all the Shandians will regard you as their enemy!"

"It doesn't matter."

Gan Fall gripped his lance tightly.

"I am the god of the Sky Island. Enel is dead, so I should continue to protect this island of the gods—"

"Stop using such flowery language."

Ian interrupted Gan Fall.

"What do you want? Do you want to challenge me? Do you want to take this island back from me?"

"Correct!"

Gan Fore nodded sharply, and he was about to spur his horse and charge the enemy with Pierre.

But Ian was much faster than him.

"Grinning and chirping."

Ian raised his right hand, and an octopus-like clay tentacle flew out, grabbing Gan Fall and his mind-polluting pet with lightning speed.

"I'll take you to the White Sea right now, and you can play fishing games with the sky lampreys. Maybe that will clear your head a bit."

Before Gan Faldo could say anything...

Ian manipulated the clay directly, flinging him into the distant white sea.

The old gods of the Sky Island made their grand entrance, only to disappear just as quickly.

In general.

Ian wouldn't do anything to the elderly, children, or women.

Unless the other side truly deserves to be hit.