"You're Nico Robin, aren't you?"
Robin had just emerged from the ruins when the voice that suddenly sounded behind her startled her into stillness.
It had been a little while since Crocodile had piloted what was presumed to be the Pluton battleship, the golden ship, out of the underground ruins.
The reason Robin only now came up was that she had quickly read the contents of the Poneglyph within.
She hadn't quite finished it, but she no longer had the mind to continue, as the battle outside was too intense; the entire underground space was shaking and could collapse at any moment.
Presumably, that Crocodile fellow had definitely encountered a formidable enemy.
This was a good thing for Robin, who wanted to escape his control.
So, Robin planned to leave the royal capital of Alubarna and escape Alabasta's troubled waters before the battle ended.
But just as she stepped out of the underground passage, the voice from behind her froze her in place.
Although Robin hadn't awakened Observation Haki, her intuition was sending her frantic warnings.
Danger, extreme danger.
Sweat beaded on Robin's forehead. She resisted the urge to flee and slowly turned around.
Then, she heard another gasp.
"Rear Admiral Rorschach, she... she's Ms. All Sunday of Baroque Works, Mr. 0's, that is, Crocodile's, partner!"
Vivi, standing beside Rorschach, frowned, looking at Robin's face.
"Rear Admiral Rorschach?"
Hearing this familiar name, Robin's body trembled slightly. Her gaze slowly rose, and she saw the tall and slender Rorschach.
Snow-white Marine uniform, black military boots, a large Justice cloak, long silver hair, and a pair of sky-blue eyes.
For some reason, at the moment she saw this Marine Rear Admiral, another Marine's figure emerged in Robin's mind.
Their appearances were completely different, but at this moment, Robin felt a commonality between them.
Tall in stature, with an aura as profound as an abyss.
Undoubtedly, this was an extremely powerful man.
Marine Rear Admiral Rorschach, wasn't he the Marine rookie extensively reported in the newspapers recently?
He killed the great pirates Chin Jao and Gulliver, caused the death of Daz Bonez, inciting Crocodile's rage, even causing him to launch the Utopia plan a few years earlier, and form an alliance with another Shichibukai, Gekko Moriah, to hunt down this young man.
"You haven't answered my question yet, madam," Rorschach said again when he saw her still in a daze.
Robin pursed her lips, glanced at the chaotic battlefield in the distance, and frankly said, "Yes, Rear Admiral Rorschach, I am Nico Robin."
"It's you, indeed, the sole survivor of the historical holy land of Ohara. I heard you can read ancient texts?" Rorschach nodded slightly.
Robin didn't speak, seeming to confirm it.
"I'd like to trouble you to translate the text on this slab for me."
Rorschach extended his left hand, grabbing at the empty space in front of him.
Whoosh!
A mottled golden slab, flying from somewhere unknown, was caught in his hand with a thump and presented to Robin.
Along with the golden slab, a piece of paper and a pen were also offered.
Robin hadn't expected Rorschach to be so direct and was momentarily stunned, but she quickly took the paper and pen, picked up the golden slab, and sat on the ground, beginning to write down the corresponding translated text from the ancient script on the paper.
Robin's cooperation saved Rorschach a lot of effort.
He squatted down, watching Robin write lines of elegant script on the paper, and then spoke softly: "Nico Robin, I have two questions for you."
Robin's hand paused, then continued writing.
"Ask away."
Rorschach thought for a moment and asked his first question.
"Do you believe you are guilty? I mean, regarding the things you did for Crocodile during your years as the acting president of Baroque Works in Alabasta."
Beside him, Vivi stared at Robin's face without blinking.
The pen in Robin's hand moved across the paper, producing a scratching sound.
Robin was silent for a long while before quietly saying, "I am guilty."
Rorschach said nothing, quietly awaiting her continuation.
"Since joining Baroque Works, I have done many things against my conscience to gain Crocodile's protection. Crocodile himself didn't show his face; as his partner, I was the one who conveyed his unjust orders to Baroque Works over the years. Therefore, for this country to become what it is today, for so many people to die, I bear a share of the guilt."
Robin did not make excuses for herself.
Her voice was very light, as if she were talking about something unrelated to her.
Vivi felt angry because of this and glared at her.
But in Rorschach's Observation Haki perception, Robin's emotions at this time were actually of deep guilt and pain.
Her inner turmoil was far from as calm as she appeared on the surface.
"Then do you think the Marines are guilty? Regarding... the Ohara Buster Call incident."
Rorschach then asked his second question.
Crack!
With a crisp sound, the pencil in Robin's hand snapped into two.
Her body was visibly trembling slightly.
"Guilty? Heh, who dares to criticize what you Marines do? Aren't you afraid of incurring a Buster Call purge?"
Robin sneered, looking directly into Rorschach's eyes.
Her eyes were somewhat red, but her gaze was filled with pain and anger.
Rorschach's second question made her recall her unforgettable tragic childhood once more.
Ohara, buried in cannon fire.
Rorschach looked at her expression, slowly nodded, and stood up from the ground.
Robin's brow furrowed slightly; she didn't understand Rorschach's intention in asking this second question.
Was he trying to find out if she still harbored hatred for the Marines, or was there some other purpose?
Did Aokiji tell him to ask?
"After you finish translating the text on this golden slab for me, leave Alabasta. Stop being a pirate; that profession truly doesn't suit you."
Rorschach took out a small piece of paper from his pocket, flicked it with his finger, and the paper flew onto the slab in front of Robin.
"Dial the number on it, and someone will pick you up. I believe that as a historian, you will find your true calling there."
With that, Rorschach, regardless of what Robin might be thinking, strode towards the still raging battlefield.
Robin picked up the piece of paper with the Den Den Mushi number and stared at it for a long time. Watching Rorschach's tall figure walk away, she suddenly called out loudly: "Crocodile and Gekko Moriah, along with the Flower Country in the West Blue, have formed a three-way alliance to hunt you down. Just over two hours ago, Gekko Moriah called him and said he would arrive at the royal capital with the Flower Country's army and his subordinates within twelve hours."
Rorschach's footsteps paused, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Heh, I didn't expect that twist. That Crocodile guy, he's playing dirty with me, isn't he?"
After a brief pause, he resumed his stride, electricity swirling around him. His tall figure flashed and vanished, instantly crossing a hundred meters and bursting into the depths of the chaotic battlefield where lightning and sandstorms intertwined.
Instantly, a volcanic burst of aura erupted from his body, transforming into a black and red energy sphere that surged outwards.
Crocodile, who had been fighting a difficult battle with Enel but was already showing signs of fatigue, felt his mind roar, his thoughts momentarily sluggish.
In that fleeting moment of stupefaction, a heavy punch wrapped in deep blue Haki shattered the lightning and yellow sand, striking him squarely in the chest.
Bang!
A powerful explosion ripped through the air. Crocodile's chest caved in, over ten ribs shattered, and blood spurted from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He was sent flying like a cannonball into the desertified ground.
Rorschach flexed his wrist, then reached out a large hand and grabbed Crocodile's hair, lifting the dazed Crocodile from the ground, having been knocked silly by a single punch.
"Alright, I'll wait for that fat Moriah here. I remember his bounty was quite high, hmm, I wonder if the bounty of a defeated Shichibukai can be counted towards my assessment mission."
(End of Chapter)
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