"My my… what an interesting pirate crew you have found Mr. 2." Everyone immediately turned toward the source of the voice.
A tall elegant woman with long black hair stepped forward wearing a purple cowboy hat and a fitted dark purple outfit, staring at them amusingly with her calm blue eyes and faint smile.
Nico Robin, or rather… Miss All Sunday.
Sitting quietly on the railing of the deck with one leg crossed over the other, she watched everyone with an unreadable smile.
Everyone immediately became alert, none of them had sensed her presence until she willingly revealed herself.
Bon Clay turned toward the woman and instantly froze.
"B-Boss lady—!"
He nearly bit his own tongue before hurriedly correcting himself.
"I mean… Miss All Sunday?! Why are you here?!" At that hint, the atmosphere on the deck changed somewhat.
Leo narrowed his eyes toward the beautiful yet dangerous woman, immediately understanding her connection to Baroque Works.
Yet despite the tension surrounding her sudden appearance, Robin herself remained perfectly calm beneath everyone's piecing gazes.
Leo ignored her for a moment and glanced toward Bon Clay with questioning gaze.
"Explain." The crossdresser immediately raised both hands defensively.
"I swear I didn't tell her about our location! Miss All Sunday is one of the highest-ranking officers in Baroque Works…" The woman elegantly raised one hand, stopping Bon Clay from rambling further.
"My codename is Miss All Sunday," she introduced herself gracefully. "An agent and assassin working under Baroque Works. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Captain Leo of the Conqueror Pirates."
Naturally, nobody recognized her true identity.
Her wanted poster still used a picture from when she was a child, making it nearly impossible to connect the elegant woman before them to the infamous Devil Child hunted by the World Government.
Even after Robin silently signaled him to stop talking, Bon Clay still leaned toward Leo and whispered urgently into his ear.
"In Baroque Works every male officer is paired with a female partner except me! But Miss All Sunday is different! She's the direct partner of Mr. 0 himself!"
His voice lowered dramatically afterward.
"And only she and Mr. 1 know who the boss actually is…"
'This organization is far more secretive and deep-rooted than I thought…' Leo mused as his interest in Baroque Works grew even further.
Leo studied Robin quietly for a few moments before finally asking the obvious question.
"How did you find us in the middle of the sea? Wait…" His eyes shifted toward the strange turtle still speaking with Laboon nearby. "That thing belongs to you?"
Robin gave a soft amused smile at the question.
"I was originally dispatched to retrieve Mr. 2 after reports arrived about his unfortunate shipwreck near this region," she explained casually. "Tracking him to the Holiday Island was not especially difficult."
Her gaze slowly shifted toward Bon Clay afterward.
"Though I must admit… I did not expect to discover him enjoying a vacation alongside such a handsome and powerful man." Nojiko's eyebrow twitched at that.
"Oi, Miss Sunday." She narrowed her eyes on Robin.
"Stop trying to seduce my handsome captain."
Robin lightly covered her lips while smiling politely.
"My apologies."
"…You're absolutely not sorry," Nojiko muttered silently.
"You came to rescue me, Miss All Sunday… so many people still care for me in this world, I am so happy."
Meanwhile Bon Clay looked moments away from collapsing from overwhelming emotion.
"You mean to say you were on the Holiday Island this entire time and we never noticed?" Leo looked at Robin with growing amusement. "I like you."
Nojiko instantly became flustered hearing that.
'I like you?!' What exactly does he mean by that? He never said it to me?' Meanwhile Robin simply maintained her calm professional smile.
"I hear that a lot… Thank you," Robin replied, accepting the compliment with a faint smile, but Leo could tell she was lying. Anyone she was sent after could hardly escape alive.
Which only made her more interesting in his eyes.
At Leo's request, Jojo nervously hurried over with another lounge chair before respectfully placing it beside Leo.
Robin thanked him politely before sitting down.
"You have a surprisingly welcoming atmosphere," she commented while crossing her legs relaxing feeling the faint heat of bonfire against her cold skin.
"Compared to certain straw hat wearing pirate I recently encountered."
"You met Luffy?" Nojiko asked, startled.
Robin nodded faintly.
"I merely attempted to help them and suggest an easier route towards Alabasta Kingdom," she said calmly. "Unfortunately they chose the more troublesome path." Nojiko crossed her arms cautiously.
"You didn't harm them, did you?"
Robin smiled reassuringly at her.
"They are perfectly fine."
Then after a brief pause she added.
"Though Mr. 3, Mr. 5 and their respective partners are likely not enjoying themselves at the moment after allowing Straw Hats to escape."
"…Ah." Bon Clay winced hearing that, recalling his orders to eliminate them.
"Forget about them." Before the conversation could drift further toward the Straw Hats, Leo waved the topic away and leaned back while keeping his eyes fixed on Robin, clearly signaling his real interest.
"You still haven't answered my question."
The cold ocean breeze flowing through the deck gently moved Robin's hair as her mysterious smile deepened.
"You are very perceptive, well the real reason I came here…" She reached into her coat and pulled out a small Den Den Mushi.
"After hearing the reports regarding your actions in East blue and Grand line, Mr. 0 has developed quite an interest in you."
The tiny snail slowly opened its eyes.
"He personally wishes to speak with you." For the first time since the conversation began, genuine interest appeared in Leo's eyes.
In the corner, Bon Clay quietly broke into tears after realizing the real reason Miss All Sunday had come was to recruit Leo… not rescue him.
Robin placed the Den Den Mushi onto the table.
"Shall I connect the call?" Leo smiled hearing that.
"Go ahead."
***
Author Note: Please comment if you want robin to join the crew...