Chapter 148: Such Fast Hands!
Silence.
Everyone on the deck stood with their mouths agape.
79 million Berry?!
This figure was higher than the combined bounties of the entire Straw Hat crew!
No wonder she could be Crocodile's partner…
And Robin's reaction was even more telling.
Her smile froze.
For the first time, shock appeared in those always-calm eyes.
Then, fear.
If he had only seen her wanted poster and knew her bounty, that would be one thing.
She had encountered plenty of people like that.
But "the sole survivor of Ohara"…
That identity was taboo.
It was a history the World Government wanted to erase completely.
Those who knew this identity were either witnesses from that time or…
Government agents.
Almost instantly, Robin's mind reached a conclusion.
Combined with Ralph's ghostly speed earlier.
That movement style closely resembled the "Six Powers" of the Government's intelligence agency, CP.
This man was with the Government!
Once this thought surfaced, fear flooded her like a tide.
After twenty years on the run, she had an instinctive fear of the word "Government."
So, she moved.
"Swish, swish, swish—!"
Several arms "grew" from Ralph's body.
From his shoulders, chest, waist, thighs… slender yet powerful arms emerged from every joint. These arms grabbed his joints and twisted them in the opposite direction, as if trying to twist his entire body into a knot.
"Hana Hana no Mi: Clutch!"
The people on the deck finally understood what ability this woman had used against them earlier.
Growing arms from someone else's body…
This ability was too bizarre!
But Ralph's reaction once again defied everyone's expectations.
He didn't struggle.
He didn't even move.
He simply stood there quietly, letting those arms grip his joints.
Then, his skin began to change color.
From its normal hue to pitch black—
Armament Haki!
If Ralph's Haki were strong enough, he could have completely nullified Robin's Devil Fruit ability on his body.
But whether it was because Ralph's Haki wasn't strong enough or Robin's Devil Fruit ability was more proficient, the Haki failed to suppress the ability.
Thus, this situation arose.
Robin wanted to use those arms to perform joint locks, twisting Ralph's joints, spine, and even his neck.
But Ralph resisted with Armament Haki.
Strength clashed in the unseen struggle.
Ralph could feel the arms growing from his body trembling.
Robin's ability was skilled, but her physical strength… didn't seem particularly strong.
More importantly—
This was an excellent "whetstone."
Ralph closed his eyes, channeling his Armament Haki with all his might.
He could feel that power surging within him, battering against a certain bottleneck.
Basic Armament Haki could only cover the body's surface, enhancing defense.
Intermediate…
Could be projected outward.
Could reinforce weapons.
Could achieve much more.
"Hah—!"
Ralph let out a low shout.
[Ding!]
The system's prompt echoed in his mind:
[Armament Haki has broken through from "Basic" to "Intermediate."]
[New extended abilities acquired: Armament Haki Projection, Armament Haki Infusion.]
It's here!
The moment the prompt faded, Ralph's aura surged dramatically.
An invisible shockwave spread out from him as the center, the wooden planks on the deck groaning with a creaking sound.
The arms that had seized his joints instantly dissipated.
Robin's pupils contracted sharply.
She felt it—her ability... had been forcibly interrupted!
And Ralph had already moved.
His right hand, covered in pitch-black Armament Haki, shot out like lightning—
And grabbed Robin by the neck.
The moment they made contact, Robin realized in horror that her ability... could no longer be activated!
It was being "suppressed."
It was as if an invisible barrier had cut off her connection to the Hana Hana no Mi.
"You..."
Robin managed only a single syllable.
Then, she felt her body go weightless.
The world spun around her.
Thud!
She was flung by Ralph from the second deck, crashing heavily onto the first deck.
This throw was deliberate.
Not too light, not too heavy.
Robin could sense that he had held back when throwing her.
Otherwise, with this man's strength, he could have easily left her severely injured, or even killed her.
She tried to get up.
But an ornate, gilded gun barrel pressed against her forehead.
Ralph stood before her, looking down with a faint, wicked smile at the corner of his lips:
"Whoever you are now, you can't act arrogantly on my Going Merry."
His tone turned cold:
"Invading our ship, attacking my crew, and stealing our Lufia's straw hat—for these three things alone, you've already earned yourself a death sentence."
On the deck, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Nami patted her chest:
"As expected of Ralph, still so reassuring."
Usopp wiped his sweat:
"That scared me... that ability just now was too bizarre."
Zoro tightened his grip on his sword hilt, thinking to himself:
"It seems my training isn't enough... to have my sword knocked away so easily."
Sanji fell into an even deeper internal conflict.
On one hand, he was angry at Ralph for "brutally beating" this beautiful woman;
On the other hand, he was shocked that he himself had actually attacked her earlier.
As for Princess Vivi...
Her eyes shone with even greater hope.
Igaram did not die in vain.
Our choice was indeed the right one.
This Pirate ship truly possesses remarkable strength.
They effortlessly captured the second-in-command of Baroque Works.
And... Ralph's identity as the "former boss" is likely true.
He actually knows Miss All Sunday's true identity.
The reason Miss All Sunday didn't recognize Ralph at first might be because her rank wasn't high enough when Ralph was the boss.
It was only after Crocodile became Mr. 0 that she was promoted.
After taking action, when Miss All Sunday revealed her true identity as Nico Robin, that look of shock and fear...
It perfectly matched the expression of a "traitor facing their former boss."
Just as Princess Vivi was lamenting how deep the waters of Baroque Works ran and how their previous investigation had been insufficient—
"Let her go."
A voice spoke up.
It was Lufia.
She walked over to Ralph, glanced at Robin, who was being held at gunpoint, then looked at Ralph and said seriously:
"Let her go back."
"What?!"
Princess Vivi exclaimed involuntarily,
"How can that be? She's an important executive of the enemy!"
But since when would Lufia listen to others' opinions?
As is well known, her willfulness and dictatorial nature are absolutely on the level of the "Pirate King."
"Tell Crocodile," Lufia looked at Robin, "to wait for me. I'll find him myself and defeat him!"
Her gaze was resolute as she added:
"When the time comes, the debt for the curly-haired uncle, Ralph's debt, everyone's debts—I'll settle them all with him!"
The gun muzzle moved away.
Robin lay on the ground, still somewhat dazed.
She had imagined countless possibilities for boarding this Pirate ship.
But she never expected this outcome.
She thought she had seen through Princess Vivi, seen through this Straw Hat Pirates.
Never did she imagine she had misjudged one person.
Ralph holstered his gun, took a step back, and made space for Robin.
Robin slowly stood up, her long black hair slightly disheveled, but her expression had already regained its calm.
"Interesting."
She looked at Lufia, then at Ralph, and finally swept her gaze over everyone on the deck:
"I originally thought... I would point out a safe route for you. Bypassing Little Garden and heading directly to Alabasta."
She smiled self-deprecatingly, "It seems that won't be necessary now."
After all, with such "monsters" present, they could go wherever they pleased.
She walked to the ship's railing and whistled.
A massive sea turtle emerged from beneath the sea, with a seat and parasol fixed to its back.
Robin leaped lightly and landed on the turtle's back.
The turtle began to swim, heading into the distance.
Robin looked back, taking one last glance at the Going Merry.
Under the moonlight, the small sailboat gently rocked on the sea.
The figures on the deck gradually blurred.
She withdrew her gaze, sat in the chair, and fell into deep thought.
The brief encounter just now had given her a preliminary assessment of the man named Ralph.
Powerful.
And... aware of her true identity.
But what concerned her most was not these things.
Instead...
Suddenly remembering something, she reached into the chest pocket of her close-fitting denim vest and pulled out an item.
It was a small note.
An ordinary piece of white paper, folded into a neat square with tidy edges.
She distinctly remembered there was nothing there before boarding the ship.
When did it...
She unfolded the note. On it was only a single sentence:
"Exchange Baroque Works for the Void Century."
In that instant, Robin's pupils contracted to their absolute limit.
Her fingers instinctively tightened, nearly crushing the note.
What an outrageous trade.
What audacity.
What swift hands...