Chapter 116I did it just for you.If it's a choice between an ancient weapon and a single person, ninety-nine out of a hundred people would choose the former, right?And Luffy is that one percent.Robin then chuckled softly, reaching out to pinch and stretch Luffy's rubbery cheek with a mix of fondness and teasing."Luffy, you...""Mmph, Robin?"Luffy's words were muffled by the pinching. He instinctively tried to lean back, lowering his voice to complain about this sudden assault.However, Robin didn't stop. Instead, she leaned in further as he tilted his head back.Luffy's back was against the cold, hard surface of the golden bell. There was nowhere to retreat.Robin showed no intention of stopping her advance. She leaned in closer as Luffy's head tilted back. Her flawlessly beautiful face loomed larger and larger in his vision, so close he could count her long, thick eyelashes, feel the warmth of her breath gently brushing his skin, its unique, fragrant scent dominating his senses.What was she doing?This woman was using her looks to bully him!Alarm bells rang in Luffy's head.And it was only at such close proximity that he truly realized, for the first time, that someone could be this beautiful.Wasn't it said that distance creates beauty?Robin had always been beautiful, but he had never thought about it in this way before, simply viewing her as an important nakama.And what did Robin think he was, pressing forward like this?He was the Captain, a man who would become the Pirate King!So, steeling himself, he tried to hold his ground, his voice slightly tense. "What you're doing isn't right."In Luffy's expectation, Robin should have stopped upon hearing this. Then, perhaps with her usual inscrutable smile, she might have asked why it wasn't right or something similar. That would have given him the brief opening he needed to push her away in one swift motion!Think it's that easy?It's not something money can buy.I'm not Nami!Contrary to his expectations, Robin didn't retreat. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, the corner of her lips curving into an even more playful smile as she countered, "And what exactly am I doing wrong?"As she spoke, her other hand gracefully lifted, pointing to a corner of the poneglyph behind Luffy."There's a message left here by someone else, besides the poneglyph. I just wanted to show you."Luffy blinked, then his face fell into a look of utter frustration upon realizing the truth—he'd been tricked!Robin wasn't what he had thought at all; she was purely teasing him.Robin watched the dramatic shifts in Luffy's expression with an amused, knowing smile, pressing her advantage. "So, what did you mean by what you said earlier?"She continued on her own, suddenly reaching out. Her slender fingers gently took hold of Luffy's chin, forcing him to look directly at her face, which had drawn close once more.Seeing Luffy's rare mix of embarrassment and defiance, Robin couldn't help but let out a low, pleased chuckle from her throat.She had been interested in Luffy since their first meeting. Later, she discovered he could read the poneglyphs just like her, and possessed that nearly unbelievable learning ability.Robin found herself wanting to get closer and closer.But now, she realized she was enjoying teasing Luffy more and more.Watching him show expressions different from his usual ones because of her actions gave rise to an indescribable sense of satisfaction and intimacy.Having spent so many years in the world of darkness, Robin had never experienced the feeling of being cared for unconditionally, of being protected under someone's wing. But once she tasted it with Luffy, it became addictive, something she couldn't let go of.Just as Robin was admiring Luffy's flustered state, thinking it was about time to gracefully withdraw, she suddenly felt a powerful arm wrap tightly around her waist!She looked down, stunned.Luffy was grinning at her with an utterly confident smile.The next moment, before Robin could react, an irresistible force pulled her even closer.Then, a kiss, filled with blazing heat and reckless boldness, was forcefully returned to her!The kiss was brief yet full of declaration. Luffy soon released her, still grinning, watching a thoroughly stunned Robin, whose cheeks were now tinged with a rare blush.Chapter 164 What Kind of Lewd Talk Is That"What did I mean?""I meant exactly this."Luffy raised his eyebrows triumphantly, as if he had just won a great battle.The best defense is a good offense!Grandpa didn't lie to me.In high spirits, he turned around, no longer looking at the petrified Robin, and focused his attention back on the poneglyph, searching for the message she mentioned."Alright, let me see who left words here."Luffy quickly found a line of engraving at the base of the stone tablet, its style distinctly different from the ancient poneglyph.Robin finally snapped out of her daze from that sudden counterattack. She took a deep breath, suppressing the unfamiliar emotions churning in her heart, and walked over to Luffy's side. Her voice regained its usual calmness, though a careful listener might detect a barely perceptible tremor: "I have come here and guided this text to its final destination. The one who left this message is Gol D. Roger!""The Pirate King was here?!"Luffy's eyes widened in disbelief.And the fact that the Pirate King left this message meant he could read the poneglyphs, just like Luffycould?!Didn't Robin say that there were only two people in the world who could master the poneglyphs?Well.Luffy thought about it. The Pirate King was dead, so didn't that mean only the two of them knew about the poneglyphs now?He found all of this getting more and more interesting.Sky Island, the golden bell, the poneglyph, the Pirate King's trail... it all felt like interconnected clues in an adventure."Luffy, you will become the Pirate King too."Robin's voice came from behind him.She stepped forward, gently embracing Luffy from behind with a smile. "I truly believe it.""Of course I will."Luffy puffed out his chest.But then he felt a heavy pressure on his head and couldn't help but protest, "But Robin, can you stop pressing down on my head?"Because Robin was quite a bit taller than Luffy. Hugging him from behind like this meant a certain soft weight was almost entirely resting on his head.Robin, however, wore a sly, innocent-looking expression as she feigned ignorance and asked, "After you did something like that to me just now, why can't I be allowed a little resistance?""Huh? That was me resisting, wasn't it?""Who's the one at a disadvantage here?""..."Was I not at a disadvantage?Women are so unreasonable!You started it!Luffy screamed internally.At that moment, Luffy's keen Observation Hakidetected a faint, clashing aura erupting from below."What's wrong?" Robin asked, sensing his shift."It seems like a fight's about to break out down there. We need to go check." Luffy decided to take the golden bell down with him.He reached out and wrapped it around his hand.Robin smiled, very consciously extending her arms to wrap around Luffy's neck, snuggling close to his side. Her tone carried a hint of coquettish teasing: "Then please take me down, Captain-san.""I could carry you on my back.""I prefer being in front."Luffy: "..."What kind of lewd talk was that?The way Robin addressed Luffy was always changing.From the distant 'Captain-san' at their first meeting, to the slightly more familiar 'Luffy-san', then to simply 'Luffy'—it marked the progression from formality to closeness.And now, from 'Luffy' to various affectionate and teasing nicknames, it was undoubtedly proof of an even more intimate, inseparable bond....God's Island, also known as Upper Yard.This place had historical baggage. It was originally half of Jaya island, but its area was more than three times larger than Angel Island, where the Skypieans lived.It was originally the land of the Shandians' ancestors, but it was occupied by the ancestors of the Skypieans, who drove the Shandians away.The environment here was originally the same as Jaya in the Blue Sea. But after staying on Sky Island for four hundred years, influenced by the unique environmental substances of the sky, it had undergone earth-shattering changes. The most obvious was the gigantification of various animals and plants. There were behemoths like the Lord of the Sky, as large as Sea Kings. Even an ordinary beanstalk had grown thousands of meters high, reaching up into the clouds above Sky Island.On this land with a long history of conflict, two groups were now facing off.On one side were the Shandian warriors, led by the 'Berserker' Wiper. Their eyes were sharp, weapons gripped tightly, bodies bearing wounds from battles with the Divine Soldiers. The longing for their homeland burned in their gazes.On the other side were the Skypiean residents, led by Gan Fall, equally vigilant.Although Gan Fall yearned for peace, the estrangement and conflict of hundreds of years couldn't be resolved overnight.Originally, defeating Eneru was a cause for celebration. But the struggle for the land of God's Island wouldn't stop just because Eneru was defeated.After learning the whole story from Gan Fall, Namiand the others weren't sure what to say or how to get involved.This seemed like a historical leftover issue belonging to the Skypieans and the Shandians.Gan Fall was still calling for peace, especially after experiencing Eneru's brutal rule. He hoped for genuine reconciliation.But the Shandians had strong objections to this.Back then, the Skypieans, armed with all sorts of strange shell-based weapons, had caught their ancestor Calgara off guard. The Shandians were shamefully driven from their own land.What followed was centuries of war. The Shandians, with inferior weapons and fewer numbers, had struggled to achieve victory.This was their ancestral home.Eneru was an enemy, but in the eyes of the Shandians, the Skypieans weren't much different from Eneru.At this moment, Wiper was somewhat silent, but his gaze, occasionally flickering towards the Blue Sea people, was full of wariness and scrutiny.According to Gan Fall, it was these Blue Sea people who had defeated Eneru.If they sided with Gan Fall, the Shandians likely stood no chance.A major battle was on the verge of breaking out.Vivi watched this scene, her delicate brows tightly furrowed, anxiety written all over her face.It was almost like the situation she had witnessed in Alabasta. A civil war was about to erupt, bloodshed and sacrifice imminent.She disliked seeing war and hated the thought of anyone dying.And this was a situation that could be completely avoided if they could just communicate properly."Hey, what are you all doing?"Accompanied by a clear, sharp question and the heavy thud of the golden bell being placed on the ground, Luffy landed steadily from above, Robin in tow.The entire battlefield seemed to be put on pause. Everyone's movements halted as all eyes focused on the straw-hatted boy who had just landed carrying the massive golden bell."That's the golden bell!""Why is it in that man's hands?""Is he the one who defeated Eneru?"
