Chapter 261: Kuzan: Please Die Here!
The sea had frozen over.
Not just a thin layer, but thick enough to stand on.
As far as the eye could see, the waters around Long Ring Long Land were completely frozen, a vast expanse of white.
The temperature plummeted, and their breath turned into white mist.
All members of the Straw Hat Crew stared at the man who had arrived on a bicycle.
Kuzan.
A Navy Admiral, codenamed Aokiji.
There were three Admirals in the Navy Headquarters:
Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji.
They were known as the Navy's strongest combatants.
Each of them possessed terrifying power.
Ralph knew that this Kuzan before them was a Logia Hie Hie no Mi User.
The scene just moments ago was proof:
Three pirate ships and a thirty-meter-tall tyrannosaurus, instantly turned into ice sculptures.
It was a power that seemed almost inhuman.
Ralph's palm was still pressed against the ice encasing Munch-Munch.
The ice was cracking, and Munch-Munch struggled inside.
But it would still take time to break free completely.
However, the situation didn't seem too dire yet.
Because the esteemed Navy Admiral was currently lying on the ground, pushing up his eye mask as he spoke to the Straw Hat Crew.
"Don't be nervous," he emphasized, "I said, I only want Nico Robin. Everyone else can leave."
Yet, no one believed him.
Kuzan pushed his eye mask up to his forehead and looked at Lufia.
"Though you're a girl, you and your grandfather are quite similar in some ways! I recognized you at a glance!"
Lufia frowned:
"You know my grandfather?"
"More than just know."
Kuzan sat up, scratching his head, "I've received quite a bit of 'care' from your grandfather..."
As he said this, his tone carried a hint of resignation and respect.
Lufia's mouth fell open, and then she suddenly shivered.
It seemed she had recalled the painful memories of being trained by her grandfather as a child.
Especially when the word "care" was mentioned—she could relate all too well.
In Lufia's memory, "Grandfather's care" meant being thrown off cliffs or being sent hungry into the jungle to fight wild beasts.
The others were shocked by Lufia's rarely mentioned grandfather.
Just what kind of person was he, to command such respect even from a Navy Admiral?
Kuzan chuckled.
Then he turned his head, shifting the topic back to Robin.
"Nico Robin."
Robin stiffened.
"Wanted by the World Government since the age of eight, with a bounty of 79 million Berry."
Kuzan recounted the girl's tragic childhood with forced calmness,
"From then on, she drifted through various criminal organizations, from the underworld to dark forces. Everywhere she went—"
Suddenly, Ralph cut in:
"Every criminal organization, without fail, was wiped out."
Kuzan raised an eyebrow, glancing at Ralph.
"She is a cursed woman," he continued, "Wherever she goes, disaster follows."
Ralph chimed in again:
"Exactly. The disaster is that the government chases after her, erasing everything related to her."
Ralph's words were clearly meant to contradict Kuzan.
Kuzan was recounting Robin's past to tell the Straw Hat Pirates, "You don't truly understand this woman's history."
But Ralph deliberately interrupted, partly to tease this good-natured Admiral and partly to show that they knew Robin well.
They were prepared to accept her.
Kuzan's expression turned serious.
He stared at Ralph, scrutinizing him carefully.
Then he looked at Robin and delivered his final line:
"Her very existence brings disaster to the world."
That's the truth.
Any normal person hearing this would reconsider getting involved with this woman.
But the Straw Hat Crew aren't normal people.
Lufia tilted her head, thinking for a long time.
"Isn't this just Robin's story? An 80 million bounty at eight years old!"
She pointed at Robin.
"No matter how many times I hear it, it's still so amazing!"
Sanji blew out a smoke ring, his eyes turning melancholic and sentimental.
"Why must such a beautiful woman have such a tragic fate?"
He murmured to himself.
"I wonder if my love could add a little color to her dark life..."
Zoro simply nodded.
"A Navy Admiral has no reason to lie."
He stated firmly.
"So the information is true."
He looked at Robin.
"I always felt you had an agenda for boarding this ship."
"Now it's confirmed."
"You really had nowhere else to go."
In other words, in this vast world, only Ralph and Lufia, only this ship of ours, could accommodate her.
As for the Cowardly Trio.
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper exchanged glances.
Enemy of the World Government.
They understood what that identity meant.
But so what if they understood?
Nami sighed:
"Even though I knew letting Robin on board would be trouble, if Lufia and Ralph agreed, what could I do?"
Usopp trembled but still managed to boast:
"The World Government... sounds really scary... but Captain Usopp has even fought a Seven Warlords of the Sea, so adding the World Government shouldn't be a big deal, right?"
Chopper nodded vigorously:
"Robin is a nakama! Pirates don't abandon their nakama!!"
Robin stood in place, tears glistening in her eyes, her body trembling slightly.
Boss Ralph had said similar things to her.
But it was too reserved, and it was only Ralph alone.
Today, she heard all her nakama defending her.
She had been on the run since she was eight.
For twenty years, no place was willing to accept her.
Everyone saw her as a harbinger of misfortune, a tool, a bargaining chip to be sold.
But these people—
She lowered her head, her bangs covering her eyes.
Her shoulders trembled even more violently.
Kuzan watched this scene, his expression changing.
The laziness on his face vanished, replaced by a hint of gloom.
Frost began to form on his cheeks, a chilling aura emanating from him.
"It seems you've found yourself some good nakama."
"Quite a spirited bunch."
"If left unchecked, you're bound to cause major trouble."
Seeing the hostility in Kuzan's eyes, the Straw Hat Crew all assumed combat stances.
But Kuzan didn't attack immediately.
He turned his head, looking toward Tonjit hiding behind a tree in the distance.
"That old gentleman."
Tonjit peeked out with half his head.
"The sea around Long Ring Long Land is frozen."
Kuzan pointed at the ice.
"You can walk across the ice to the next island. Leave now, don't get caught up in the upcoming battle."
Tonjit was stunned.
On one side were the kind young people he'd just met, on the other was a seemingly amiable Navy officer.
Both sides were good people, yet they were about to wage a great battle on this island.
Before he could figure out how to handle this complicated situation, his white horse, Shelly, bit his collar, flung him onto her back, and took off running. Her hooves clattered crisply on the ice.
Foxy, Hamburg, and Porche also seized the chance to slip away, running faster than anyone else.
All the bystanders were cleared out.
Seeing Aokiji's actions did not harm the innocent, the Straw Hat Crew's opinion of him rose a few notches.
As expected of an admiral—he was indeed different from those Navy officers who oppressed the common people.
However, trying to take away our crewmate was absolutely unacceptable.
Kuzan turned back and looked at the Straw Hat Crew.
"Where were we just now?"
He scratched his head.
"Oh, before you cause any major trouble, I'd better ask you to die here."
The battle between the Straw Hat Pirates and Navy Admiral Aokiji was about to erupt.