Robin silently gazed at Hawke.
The crisp white Rear Admiral's uniform fit him as if it were made for him.
His tall, upright figure stood as straight as a pine, his facial contours sharp as if carved by a blade, and his deep, tranquil eyes calmly rested upon her.
Yet beneath that calmness... it felt like an endless ocean was hidden there.
"What a handsome Marine Rear Admiral..."
But what did that have to do with her?
From the day Ohara was destroyed, she had been like a drifting waterweed, wandering the vast ocean called "betrayal" for twenty years.
One shelter after another.
One betrayal after the next.
She was tired.
Truly tired.
From one cage to another, stronger one—what difference did it make?
So be it.
Whether it was Impel Down or public execution, she had already resigned herself.
Just as Robin was about to abandon all thought and surrender her fate to whatever judgment awaited her, Hawke finally spoke.
" Nico Robin, there's no need to be nervous."
"It was Kuzan-san who sent me to find you."
"!!!"
Robin's body tensed instantly.
Kuzan...
The man who, amidst the inferno of Ohara, used his freezing powers to grant her a chance at life.
The Marine Admiral who upheld "Lazy Justice," carrying an air of indifference to nearly everything.
And yet... this man was connected to the one standing before her now—a rising hawk of the Marine Headquarters whose methods were as fierce and scorching as fire?
Two completely opposing visions of justice... how could they possibly intertwine?
"..."
Hawke caught every subtle change in Robin's expression.
He knew that Kuzan entrusting her to him was born of a complex trust and responsibility.
And indeed, he had a far greater plan.
The Marines' current military power had reached an unprecedented Peak.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, Instructor Zephyr, Vice Admiral Tsuru... these titans were the anchors of stability, the spiritual pillars of the Marines.
The three Admirals, in their prime, represented the absolute zenith of the Marines' power.
And leading the younger generation—himself, Zoro, Sanji, Dane, Hibari...
These seeds of the future were thriving, destined to become the towering pillars holding up the next era.
From top to bottom, from veterans to rookies, the Marines' hardware as a war machine had become formidable.
But no matter how powerful the hardware was, it could not hide the deficiency of the software.
The essence of the Marines remained unchanged—it was still, at its core, a pure instrument of violence.
Violence could destroy the old order, but it could not create a new civilization.
To truly plant the seeds of Justice across these seas, what was needed was not more swords and cannons, but more education, more schools, and more minds capable of independent thought.
That was the only way to fundamentally change this ocean.
"..."
Hawke gestured politely, inviting Robin to walk with him.
"Tap—"
The two walked side by side along the pier.
"Robin... this ocean is hollow," Hawke said calmly. "Thousands of years of history, yet even today, the vast majority of people remain illiterate."
"To them, reading a newspaper is a luxury, let alone books... or independent thinking."
"The voice of history has been silenced."
His tone was calm, yet every word cut like a scalpel, laying bare the festering wounds deep within this world.
"History has been severed. The threads of culture have been violently erased."
Hawke turned his head, his deep gaze locking onto Robin's face, and spoke each word with solemn weight:
"This ocean's heritage does exist."
"But it has been deliberately... erased."
"..."
"!!!"
Robin froze where she stood.
Her limbs went cold, and it felt as though the blood in her veins had turned to ice.
Her eyes widened, staring at Hawke in shock and disbelief.
He... what was he saying?!
A Marine Rear Admiral.
A high-ranking officer under the World Government.
And yet, here he was, openly speaking about the rupture of history.
Speaking of the "Void Century"—the most forbidden subject in the entire world, listed as the World Government's highest taboo!
Was he insane?!
Did he not know that anyone who dared research such things would provoke the World Government to unleash a Buster Call, reducing everything to ash?!
The flames of Ohara seemed to blaze once more before her eyes.
Her mother's dying smile, the scholars' unyielding cries...
For twenty long years, she had fled like a hunted criminal, branded the "Devil's Child," all because of the very knowledge this man was now speaking of so openly.
This man... what did he intend to do?
Could it be...!!!
"Yes. The Marines are undergoing a transformation."
Hawke saw straight through her fear and doubt, continuing steadily:
"Kuzan-san entrusted me with full authority regarding your future."
"I know he wants me to persuade you to join the Marines—to join a new kind of Marines, one that is changing, so that you can witness the transformation of this world with your own eyes."
"But I have a different idea."
Hawke's gaze turned sharper, more resolute than ever.
"The spread of culture and the preservation of knowledge... they are critical. Not just for the Marines, but for the entire ocean."
"As the world's last living archaeologist capable of deciphering the Poneglyphs, your knowledge—your very existence—is a treasure trove."
"Power and ideology alone aren't enough. The Marines need a stronger cultural foundation as well."
"I plan to establish a new department—the Marine Bureau of Historical Culture and Education."
Hawke stopped walking and faced her directly.
"Nico Robin, I sincerely invite you to join the G-3 Marine Branch."
"I need you to take charge of founding and organizing the Marine Academy within the G-3 Branch."
"Soldiers need more than just daily combat training. They need cultural education. They need to understand the true history of this ocean. They need to know what the Justice they fight for truly means."
"From the G-3 Branch, we'll rekindle the flames of knowledge within the Marines."
"And then... we'll spread it to the entire world!"
"To pass down history...?!"
Robin's heart pounded wildly, beyond her control.
Every word he spoke struck deep into her very soul.
This... this was her dream.
This was the lifelong dream of every scholar of Ohara!
And yet...
A Marine Rear Admiral, speaking so openly about changing the world... was this truly possible?
This sounded more like a naïve, ridiculous fantasy.
"Hah—"
Hawke noticed her doubt.
He didn't argue further. Instead, he silently reached into his coat... and pulled out an object.
It was a golden Den Den Mushi.
"!!!"
The instant Robin saw it, her pupils shrank to pinpoints.
No one understood better than she what that object represented.
It was synonymous with annihilation.
It was the symbol of the Marines' ultimate authority.
It was... the very weapon that had erased Ohara from the map!
"A Buster Call...?"
Her voice was hoarse, trembling uncontrollably.
Hawke nodded, his tone disturbingly calm, as though stating something trivial.
"Yes. A Buster Call."
"And I have four of them."
"!!!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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