"Doctor, are you okay?!" Robin came running over, crying. Seeing that Dr. Clover wasn't shot, she finally broke down in tears. That moment had truly terrified her. Dr. Clover was someone who accepted her, someone she respected deeply—not just as a mentor, but more like family.
"I'm fine. Robin, what are you doing here?" Clover gently stopped her from crying, then turned to look at Rosinante.
"I remember now. You're the man with a bounty of 800 million—the national traitor, Rosinante! I've seen your wanted poster," Clover said, staring at him.
Robin's eyes widened in shock. A bounty of eight hundred million? The most powerful pirate she'd ever heard of in the South Blue had a bounty of seventy million… and that was already terrifying. Compared to that, Rosinante's bounty was incomprehensibly high.
"Rosinante, are you trying to interfere with the execution of Ohara's scholars?" The voice of the Five Elders came through the Den Den Mushi. "Don't forget… you were once a Celestial Dragon!"
"Celestial Dragon?!" Clover and the others turned to look at Rosinantein disbelief.
"Rosinante-nii was a Celestial Dragon?!" Robin gasped.
"You said it yourself—was," Rosinante replied flatly. "Now I'm nothing more than a pirate you're hunting."
"That was your father, Donquixote Homing Saint's decision," said the Five Elders coldly.
"I don't regret his decision at all. In fact, I'm grateful for it," Rosinante chuckled. "If not, I'd probably still be living like a pig, being fattened in Mary Geoise."
"Rosinante… Ohara knows too much. It cannot be allowed to exist," the Five Elders said sternly. "If you insist on protecting them, then you'll be buried under the Buster Call with them. Imagine that—a Celestial Dragon dying at the hands of a system meant to serve him. How ironic."
"Don't act so self-righteous," Rosinante said with a grin. "I can hear how excited you are. But don't think your Buster Call scares me."
"Rosinante, are you sure you want to interfere?" the Five Elders asked. "There's still time to back out. Once the Buster Call begins, even you won't be able to escape unscathed."
"To be honest… I've got my eyes on the books in this place," Rosinante replied. "Since you're planning to destroy them, I'll take them off your hands. Besides, this is a good chance to repay a certain debt. So I've decided to protect these scholars."
"Then… initiate the Buster Call," the Five Elders ordered coldly.
"With pleasure," said Spandine as he took out a golden Den Den Mushi granted to him by Admiral Sengoku. Without hesitation, he pressed it.
Rosinantedidn't try to stop him. He knew it would be pointless—if Spandine didn't issue the order, the Five Elders would do it themselves.
"I must say… what a pity," said the Five Elders. "A former Celestial Dragon, destroyed alongside Ohara."
With that, the call ended.
"The Buster Call is underway. Government agents, retreat! Take the woman with us. There's information only she knows," Spandine ordered.
Now that the Buster Call had been issued, Spandine felt no fear. To him, Rosinante was just another corpse waiting to happen. Even with an 800 million bounty—even as a former Celestial Dragon—under the wrath of the Buster Call, he was nothing.
The CP9 agents hoisted Olivia and prepared to leave.
Robin looked at her face… and a vague memory surfaced.
"Mom…? Are you… are you my mother?" Robin's tears flowed freely.
Hearing that word—mother—Olivia bit her lip hard and refused to answer.
"Are you really not my mother?" Robin asked again, her mind racing through all the lonely years, the constant bullying, being called a monster because of her Devil Fruit… the isolation… the longing. And now, the familiarity she felt toward this woman—it was too strong to ignore.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as her heart cried out, I just wanted to meet you.
"You… have a child?" Spandine asked with a sneer.
"No. Sorry, you've got the wrong person," Olivia said quickly, covering her face, tears slipping through her fingers.
She couldn't let the World Government find out that Robin was her daughter. That secret had to be kept—no matter what.
"What a strange child. Let's go!" Spandine barked. He was eager to leave. Despite having two CP9 agents beside him, the presence of Rosinante still made him uneasy.
"Still not done?" Rosinante pulled out a Den Den Mushi and asked.
"Still working, Your Majesty. There are just… too many books! We're moving as fast as we can!" came a voice from the other end—it was Bins.
After Rosinante had alerted them, Bins had brought the Bloodsworn Guard to the island. Once the World Government found the Poneglyph, Rosinante had sent the order: quietly subdue the agents, then begin transporting the Tree of Knowledge's books using Bins' wormhole powers. But there were so many books, even with all of Pica's temple troops helping, it wasn't enough.
"…I'm Robin. I've grown up. Don't you remember?" Robin's voice trembled.
"I waited for you to come home for so long… Aren't you really my mother?"
"I always wanted someone to hold my hand while walking through the streets. That's why I worked so hard to become an archaeologist… I can even read the Poneglyphs!" Robin sobbed uncontrollably.
Everyone went pale.
The archaeologists were terrified—if the Government learned Robin could read the ancient language, she'd become a target. Spandine, on the other hand, was stunned. A child? This child could read Poneglyphs? Whether it was true or not, they couldn't risk letting her live now.
"So please… stay with me. Please, Mom… don't leave me alone anymore…" Robin cried desperately.
Rosinante's expression shifted. He didn't know why, but his heart—which had grown hard after years of being hunted—softened upon hearing Robin's plea.
"We're out of time," Rosinante said seriously.
"No matter what it takes—get those books out of here." He cut the call.
Then, slowly, he walked over to Robin and placed a gentle hand on her head.
"Remember this, Robin," he said softly. "You'll never be alone again. You have me now. And in the future… you'll have many companions. You'll never be alone."
"Rosinante-nii!" Robin broke down in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Hey, CP9. Can I ask you to hand that woman over to me?" Rosinante asked calmly.
"No way!" Spandine snapped.
"I said—hand her over," Rosinante repeated, his voice low and firm.
An overwhelming aura surged from his body, crashing toward Spandine like a tidal wave.