I thought for a moment. Whether I needed Robin or not. If I left her be, she would become Luffy's crewmate, do well on her own, and eventually reach Laugh Tale. And I have zero interest in Poneglyphs; thanks to the [Lingua Franca] ability, I can easily read any language, so I don't need Robin's help at all. But I also had fan sentiment, and I felt sorry for her having to run since childhood. And she's a beauty too.
"Should I decide after seeing?"
I took out [Jack Sparrow's Compass] from my inventory, set the direction, and moved quickly. In a forest not far from where the Ilusia Kingdom was located, I saw Nico Robin running away, breathing heavily. Behind her, kingdom guards were chasing. The Marines weren't visible yet.
"Huff huff huff"
"Catch her!"
"Ugh! Damn it... Tres Fleur~"
Robin seemed to have sprained her ankle, starting to limp, and when it seemed she'd be caught, she sprouted arms between trees to trip the chasing guards by their legs.
"Agh!"
Crash!
After that, she started running away hard again while limping, but as I watched from a tree, there were troops ahead too, so it seemed she'd be caught before long.
'Huh, that's weird... Is she supposed to escape successfully here?'
As expected, she was caught by the kingdom guards before long. Perhaps she didn't have much stamina left, as she couldn't use her ability many times.
"Let go of this!"
"Stay still!"
Thump!
"Ugh!"
When the guard tried to tie her up, Nico Robin struggled to break free but only got hit. Seeing her being dragged away tied up, I had no choice but to change my outfit with [Nano Buckle], put on a mask, then teleport to cut the rope Robin was being dragged with using a sword, and picked her up.
"Ah! Who are you?"
"Prince Charming on a white horse."
I immediately teleported to an uninhabited island and set Robin down.
"Ugh..."
Robin couldn't stand properly due to her painful ankle and sat down with difficulty, using one leg.
"Stay still for a bit."
I saw Robin's ankle was swollen, so I placed my hand on it and used [Heal].
"Huh, the pain..."
Seeing the pain in her ankle disappear and the swelling go down, Robin was surprised, and finally seeming to have some breathing room, she looked around and spoke.
"But strange-ability Prince with no white horse, where is this?"
"An uninhabited island."
I asked what went wrong for her to get caught there.
"How did you get caught there?"
"I was originally planning to leave yesterday, but since there was a delivery from the Merchant's Island, the merchant ship's departure was delayed, and I was found while hiding."
"Where were you trying to go?"
"Alabasta."
Just like in the MCU, my intervention here was gradually twisting the original story. That meant Robin might not meet Luffy and could just get caught or die. After thinking for a moment, I decided to just take her with me.
"Sigh~ No choice. Keep it a secret."
I took off the mask and restored my clothes to their original state. Robin looked at me and said.
"Oh my, you're 'Merchant King' Taejin?"
"Yes."
After five years of activity, even my appearance was widely known. Someone always wearing a suit with a handsome face, dark silver hair, and golden eyes—there's probably no one else like me.
"Prince with no white horse was quite a big shot, huh?"
"Nico Robin, I'll hide you. Work as my secretary on the Merchant's Island."
"Rumors say there are even Marines on that island. And I have a reason to go to Alabasta."
"Because of the Poneglyph? To learn about the Void Century."
Nico Robin was briefly surprised, then regained her composure and said.
"I don't know how you knew, but yes."
"That Poneglyph doesn't write about the Void Century; it's written where the Ancient Weapon 'Pluton' is."
Nico Robin said in confusion.
"How do you know that?"
"Because I read it myself. You don't arrogantly think you're the only one who can decipher Poneglyphs, do you?"
I mixed in a slight lie in my story.
"That's..."
"Why are you so obsessed with Poneglyphs? Does knowing change anything?"
"You probably can't understand, but I just want to finish what the Ohara scholars were researching."
After thinking for a moment, I said.
"Hmm... Okay! I'll take you to Laugh Tale. In return, work for me for life. I'll pay a good salary."
"What? Don't lie. How can you take me to Laugh Tale?"
Robin didn't believe it, but I had already found Laugh Tale. While making satellite maps, I once discovered an island always surrounded by storms; strangely, only the area around that island was calm. So I analyzed it with a satellite and zoomed in; its appearance was completely identical to Laugh Tale from the original anime. I thought about going once, but worried it might diminish the fun of enjoying the worldview, so I hadn't gone. Honestly, the Merchant's Island and Devil Fruits were important; I had little interest in Laugh Tale.
"That's because I know where it is."
"You're not the Merchant King but the Braggart King. Fine! If you really take me to Laugh Tale, I'll work for you for life as you wish."
"It's decided then."
I immediately took out the Talaria camper vehicle from my inventory. Opening the door and entering, I gestured to Robin.
"Get in!"
"Where on earth does this come from..."
Nico Robin boarded the vehicle in amazement.
"Talaria, target is 'Laugh Tale'. Plot a course moving to space and descending into the eye of the storm."
[Understood. Master.]
"Gasp! Who's that?"
When the AI spoke, Robin was momentarily startled. She had a lot more to be surprised about.
"It's this vehicle. It can talk."
"I, I see. Hello, I'm Nico Robin."
[Nice to meet you. Nico Robin. I am Talaria.]
"Wow~ Amazing. I've heard sailors' rumors. The fairy 'Klabautermann' that only inhabits ships truly cherished and loved."
Robin seemed to misunderstand it as a ship inhabited by a 'Klabautermann' like the Going Merry, so I thought about how to explain AI but just gave up. Robin seemed curious, constantly standing and looking around, so I offered her a seat on the sofa.
"Have you eaten? Or perhaps some tea?"
"A meal, please. I haven't been able to eat properly for days while running away."
I placed the food I had prepared on the table. Robin seemed to try to eat with proper manners, but the speed at which the food disappeared was no joke.
"Ahem... Eat slowly. Here's a drink."
I also placed a glass of beverage on the table.
"Ah, such rudeness... I was just too hungry."
After finishing the meal like that and cleaning up, we departed.
"This, is it a flying ship?"
"Yes."
She said in surprise again. There was still more to come. Talaria continued to gain altitude. Robin, seemingly a little scared, gripped the sofa tightly and spoke.
"Ugh... How high are we going?"
"To space."
"Where's space?"
"Above the sky."
"Gasp... Are we going to the moon?"
The difference in scientific knowledge made Robin say strange things. Meanwhile, we reached space. Robin floated up and spoke in wonder.
"Huh, my body..."
I could stand normally due to [Telekinesis] and the gravity manipulation ability of the [Gura Gura no Mi]. Robin floated in the air and flailed. Finding that funny, I just watched, and Robin urgently said.
"Don't just stand there, grab me."
At her words, I grabbed Robin's arm, sat her back on the sofa, and fastened her seatbelt.
"Robin, look at the window."
"Gasp! The place we live is round... that mad scholar was right... And why is the sky so dark? Wasn't it daytime?"
There must have been someone like Galileo Galilei in the One Piece worldview too. And the World Government or Vegapunk would probably know.
"Yes, it's daytime. It's complicated to explain, so I'll explain later."
"You must explain."
True to being a scholar, Robin started continuously asking about things she was curious about.
[Arrived above target. Now descending. Sudden gravity may cause injury, please mind your safety.]
Talaria seemed to have arrived above Laugh Tale and began descending. Checking below on the monitor, Laugh Tale gradually came into view.
"There it is, Laugh Tale."
When I pointed below, Robin hurriedly pressed against the window to see Laugh Tale.
"We really came... What on earth are you?"
"The Merchant King. Or maybe the Pirate King now? Hahaha."
Talaria landed in an empty space on Laugh Tale. We got out of the vehicle and looked around Laugh Tale.
"Hahahahahaha"
"Why are you laughing suddenly?"
"Just felt like I should laugh when coming here."
Robin looked at me like I was crazy, then went inside Laugh Tale. Robin was absorbed in deciphering the letters on the walls, similar to Poneglyphs.
"Gasp! The whole world will be submerged!? Then the remaining time is..."
Squatting on the floor, Robin calculated and then spoke with a despairing expression.
"Less than 10 years left... There must be a way."
Robin deciphered the pictures and letters engraved on the walls again.
"Ah... I see... This island itself was the treasure. We came too early. This is why Gol D. Roger started the Great Pirate Era. Then what about the Void Century?"
It seemed it would take a while, so I took out popcorn and watched while eating. Honestly, with me here, the One Piece worldview was safe. If I stored all the seawater in my infinite inventory, the world wouldn't perish. But that was a last resort. Because I wanted to enjoy the One Piece worldview too.
"How could this be... The ancestors of the Celestial Dragons attacked the world using Ancient Weapons, causing continents to sink beneath the sea... The history they erased to portray themselves, the rebels, as creators was the Void Century..."
Nico Robin, perhaps with a headache, touched her forehead with her hand and slumped to the ground. I laughed again.
"Hahahahahaha"
"You can laugh even after learning this fact? You! You knew, didn't you?"
"Yes, I knew almost everything."
"Then, why haven't you told people?"
"Do you think people who have lived like dogs and pigs under the World Government until now would believe such a story? This absurd tale? And do you think the World Government would just watch? Knowing that, isn't that why Gol D. Roger only started the Great Pirate Era?"
"Still, if we inform them quickly, a solution..."
"What solution? And Robin, powerless outcries are, you know, just the sound of a dog barking. Think about what the World Government did to you."
Robin thought for a moment, sighed, and spoke.
"Sigh... Right... You're right, 'A truly funny tale (Laugh Tale)'—they named Laugh Tale well. Hahahaha~"
Robin laughed weakly. It seemed like a despairing laugh at the reality of being unable to do anything even after learning the truth.
"But that doesn't mean there's no way. We just need to overthrow the World Government. How about it? Simple, right?"
"Goodness... Prince, you say it so easily."
"I'm going to build a nation. A nation without discrimination using overwhelming scientific power and economic strength. Let's become the rebels this time."
Robin looked at me with an absurd expression for a while, then laughed.
"Pfft! I think I met someone not in their right mind today. Okay, I'll help you with that crazy plan too."
I took Robin's hand and helped her up. Then, using [Matter Conversion], I changed Robin's hair to dark silver like mine, her eyes to gold, and brightened her skin tone.
"Huh? My hair color..."
I took out a mirror from my inventory and gave it to Robin. Robin received the mirror and checked her face. She spoke in surprise.
"How is this possible?"
"It's my ability. And eat this too."
I attached a [Penalty Removal Coupon] to the [Warp-Warp Fruit] I had obtained before and handed it to Robin. The [Warp-Warp Fruit] has an ability similar to my [Teleportation]. I had been debating whether to eat it or not, so I just left it in my inventory.
"Is this a Devil Fruit? I already ate one, so I can't eat another."
"Trust me and eat it. We need to change your identity; there's no choice."
"O, okay... I'll trust you."
Robin ate the fruit nervously. Of course, nothing happened. But perhaps due to the taste, she made a face.
"Tastes awful."