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~~Around Twenty Days Ago~~
Haven Isle, West Blue
The searing midday sun cast its scorching rays upon the tropical island.
The island, once a peaceful settlement, now roared with chaos as cannon fire, gunshots, and the shouts of Marines filled the air. Smoke billowed from destroyed buildings while the remaining pirates were being rounded up.
"Secure the perimeter!"
"The captain has been captured! Keep searching for stragglers!"
Marines flooded the island, taking control, while their warships loomed in the distance.
Among the chaos, Luffy, Rear Admiral of the Marines, stood leisurely at the center of the battle. His signature carefree grin was plastered across his face.
"Oi, Luffy!" Hina's voice cut through the noise as she approached. "We've almost captured all of them. Shouldn't you be doing something instead of just standing there like a king?"
Luffy just laughed, "Relax, Hina. You guys got it covered."
But his amusement suddenly shifted into sharp intensity as he picked up an extremely subtle but distinct aura retreating toward the island's edge with his Advanced Observation Haki.
Luffy narrowed his eyes. "Hmm?"
A small ship was moving discreetly away from the island, carrying only one person.
This aura...
"Ohhh..." Luffy's grin widened, his pupils dilating with predatory amusement. "Well, hello there... My dear Nico Robin."
Without hesitation, Luffy vanished, stepping onto the air with his form flickering away in a crackle of lightning, leaving Hina momentarily stunned. "Oi, Luffy! Where the hell are you— Tch... seriously, that guy."
----
On the other side
Robin's hands gripped the oar firmly as she rowed the small boat with remarkable speed. Her chest heaved slightly, her damp raven hair sticking to her skin. Her expression was unreadable — though deep within her gaze was the familiar flicker of dread.
"Damn it..." Robin muttered, her voice heavy with bitterness. "Why now of all times..."
She had thought the Marines would be too busy catching the remaining pirates to notice her discreet escape. Yet here she was exposed, vulnerable, and alone.
"I'm not going back..." She whispered to herself. "I can't be caught again..."
But her heart dropped when she suddenly heard a sharp crackling sound behind her.
BZZZT!
In an instant, a lightning flash erupted just meters from her boat.
Robin gasped in sheer terror, her body stiffening as the figure of a young man materialized from the light — his towering presence instantly covered the entire boat, suffocating.
"Ahh..." Robin's voice caught in her throat. "Lightning...?"
Luffy stood there, clad in his Rear Admiral uniform, his raven hair swaying lightly from the static discharge. His carefree smirk never left his face as he casually raised his hand and greeted her.
"Yo~."
Robin's blood ran cold as she instantly recognized him.
"T-the... Divine Fist..." She whispered. Her mind rapidly spiraled in panic. "The monster Rear Admiral... Monkey D. Luffy... the one who had hunted and killed countless pirates in just two years..."
'I'm dead!'
Her body tensed, and without hesitation, she raised her hands. "I surrender."
"Huh?" Luffy blinked, his head tilting in confusion. "Surrender?"
"I... I know I can't win." Robin swallowed hard. "I've heard about you. Rear Admiral Luffy... the man who beat Edward Weevil and brought him to Impel Down. You had single-handedly pushed back a ship of Four Emperor Big Mom, defeating the cadre... I have no chance against you. So... I surrender."
For a moment, silence stretched.
And then, Luffy was unable to control himself as he burst out in laughter.
Pffft!
"Bwahahaha!" Luffy clutched his stomach, laughing hysterically like she'd just told the funniest joke ever. "Oh my god—! You seriously thought I came to arrest you? Hahahaha!"
Robin froze. "...What?"
"Geez... woman," Luffy wiped a tear from his eye. "You're seriously paranoid. I'm not here to arrest you, Nico Robin."
Robin's mind screeched to a halt. "...Then what do you want?"
Luffy's mischievous grin deepened. "A favor."
"A favor...?" Robin's voice hardened, her walls instantly snapping back up. "A Marine Rear Admiral... asking a wanted criminal for a favor? Do you think I'm stupid?"
"I don't think you're stupid," Luffy chuckled darkly. "I think you're the smartest woman alive."
Robin's lips parted slightly. "...What?"
"I know who you are, Nico Robin. The last living survivor of Ohara. The only person who can read Poneglyphs... and the key to finding the Ancient Weapons."
Robin's blood turned to ice. "And you're telling me... you don't plan to arrest me?"
"Nope." Luffy grinned, his sharp canines on full display. "I want you to teach me."
"...Teach you what?" Robin whispered, dreading the answer.
"How to read Poneglyphs."
Robin's entire body jolted. "...What!?"
"You heard me," Luffy leaned forward, his gaze turning lethal. "Teach me the forbidden knowledge. The true history of the world. I want it all."
Robin's jaw dropped. "You're a Marine!"
"So?" Luffy scoffed. "Doesn't change my ambition. I'm still gonna be the Pirate King."
"WHAT!?" Robin's mind shattered. "Are you insane!?"
"Yeah, probably."
Robin's fingers twitched slightly as she studied the boy in front of her. "You're a Marine Rear Admiral… and yet you want to overthrow the World Government by becoming the Pirate King?"
Luffy gave her a lazy grin, arms crossed. "That's right."
She narrowed her eyes. "And you think I'd help you?"
"You will," He said, as if it were a simple fact.
Robin let out a breath, barely restraining her frustration. "Do you even realize what you're saying? You're fighting against the very system that raised you. You're in a position of power, yet you want to tear it all down?"
Luffy shrugged. "I never cared about the Marines. I just did what I had to do to get stronger. Being a Rear Admiral makes it easier to move around, but it's not what I want."
His voice dropped slightly, gaze unwavering. "I want to be free."
Robin folded her arms. "And you believe becoming the Pirate King will make you free?"
Luffy nodded. "The Pirate King is the one who stands above everyone. No rulers, no orders, no one to tell me what I can or can't do. The World Government controls too much, and they'll never let someone like me exist unless I break their grip on the world."
Robin studied him in silence. His conviction wasn't blind ambition; there was certainty in his voice, as if he had already seen the path to his goal.
Then he dropped the next bombshell.
"I already know where the Ancient Weapons are."
Robin stiffened. "You… know their locations?"
"Yeah." His expression was unreadable, something between amusement and indifference. "But I don't care about them. Destruction isn't my thing."
Robin's mind raced. 'The Government spent centuries keeping those weapons a secret, and yet this boy spoke as if it were common knowledge.'
"Then why are you telling me this?"
Luffy tilted his head. "Because you care about history, don't you? If you're looking for the weapons, I can tell you where they are. But I'm more interested in something else... the truth about the Void Century, the meaning of the 'D.' in my name, and the location of Laugh Tale."
His grin returned, sharp and full of certainty. "Once I find that, I'll be the Pirate King."
Robin exhaled slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. This boy, this reckless, ridiculous boy, was walking a path that no one dared to tread.
"You're insane," She whispered.
Luffy grinned wider. "Yeah… but that's why it's gonna work."
"If that's the case... then why stay in the Marines!?" Robin's voice cracked.
"Tch. Do you think I want to?" Luffy grumbled and cleared his ear with his pinky, looking annoyed. "I am stuck in my training and have no other option. So, I joined the Marines to grow stronger."
Robin's heart twisted violently. "...You're serious..."
"Dead serious."
Robin's resolve crumbled. "Why... why are you telling me this?"
Luffy smirked. "Because I want you to join my crew. I need you."
Robin's brain short-circuited. "W-WHAT!?"
"You heard me." Luffy grinned.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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