After walking outside with Robin, Reno suddenly stopped and turned to look at her. Thoughts raced through his mind: in a few days, he needed to head to Marineford to complete a check-in task. Taking Robin with him might not be the best idea.
Marineford was no ordinary place it was the Marines' stronghold. If something went wrong, Reno could escape on his own without issue. However, escaping with Robin in tow would be a different story. Even though his spatial coordinate abilities allowed him to open a portal to safety, the process took a few seconds. For a powerful opponent, a few seconds were more than enough to intercept them.
Scratching his head in frustration, Reno looked at Robin and said, "Robin, I need to go to Marineford soon. It's not really suitable for you to come along. How about I find a place for you to stay temporarily? I'll pick you up after I'm done."
He considered taking Robin to Windmill Village to stay with Rouge and Ace. However, Reno hesitated Makino was also in Windmill Village. If Robin and Makino met, sparks might fly.
Robin thought for a moment before nodding with a gentle smile. "Husband, whatever you decide. I'll listen to you."
Relieved by her understanding, Reno decided Windmill Village was still the safest option. He explained, "Alright, then. I'll take you to a place where someone I know lives. You'll stay there until I come back."
With Robin agreeing, Reno led her toward a secluded area while explaining who she might meet in Windmill Village, including Rouge and little Ace. Reno didn't plan to return with her immediately but intended to leave for Marineford directly from there.
Reaching a quiet spot by the sea, Reno surveyed the surroundings to ensure no one was around. Then, with a wave of his hand, he summoned a glowing golden energy that gradually formed a shimmering portal.
Gesturing toward the portal, Reno said, "Robin, remember everything I told you. On the other side of this portal is where you'll stay. Be good and wait for me to come back."
Robin stared wide-eyed at the glowing portal, almost unable to believe what she was seeing. Reno hadn't mentioned how he'd take her to the location, and she'd assumed they'd sail there. But this magical, direct route was beyond her expectations.
"W-what is this?" Robin stammered, pointing at the portal.
Reno chuckled and patted her head. "This is a spatial portal. It lets you travel long distances instantly. This time, I'm sending you to a small village in the East Blue. Someone I trust lives there. Just tell her my name and what I told you to say, and she'll take care of everything. She's easy to get along with, so don't worry."
Hearing Reno's explanation, Robin gradually calmed down. After bidding him a reluctant farewell, she stepped into the portal, glancing back every few steps. "Husband, promise you'll come back soon!"
"I promise. At most, I'll be a month or two. I'll come for you as soon as I'm done," Reno assured her.
With that promise, Robin finally stepped through the portal and disappeared from Reno's sight.
Windmill Village
In a quaint little yard, Rouge was sitting with little Ace, staring intently at the glowing portal that had appeared. She thought Reno might be returning, and her face lit up with a smile. Over the time they had spent together, she'd come to think of Reno as family, and his return would undoubtedly bring her joy.
Little Ace, now just a year old, didn't understand much but was fascinated by the glowing portal, his curiosity keeping his eyes glued to it.
Rouge, speaking to herself, said, "Makino just left, and now this portal appears. She's the one who wants to see Reno the most, but now she's not here. What a twist of fate!"
Since Reno left, Makino had been visiting the house more frequently, clearly hoping to hear news of his return. Though she never said it outright, Rouge could easily tell her intentions.
The portal shimmered for about a minute before a small figure emerged a young girl with dark hair and an innocent look. Rouge blinked in surprise, realizing that the person stepping out wasn't Reno but someone she'd never met.
As the portal faded and disappeared, Rouge turned to the girl, confused. "Where's the one who opened the portal? Why are you here alone?"
Robin hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and introducing herself, relaying Reno's instructions. As Rouge listened, her confusion turned into understanding, and she smiled gently.
"Well then, welcome. You're safe here. Let's get you settled in."
Robin heard Rouge's question but didn't answer immediately. Instead, she observed for a moment, silently guessing: This person must be the "Sister Rouge" that my husband mentioned, right?
Thinking of this, Robin answered truthfully, "He has other things to take care of. What he's doing isn't convenient for me to be a part of, so he let me come here to live for a while. He'll take me away from here soon!" Robin didn't mention anything like her husband sending her here, as Reno had told her on the way over that their future as a couple couldn't be revealed to others. "In private, it's fine to address him that way, but not openly," he had said.
Reno's reason for telling Robin this was simple he wanted to avoid any conflicts in his personal life. He could stir up trouble everywhere, but putting out fires wasn't his specialty.
Rouge listened to Robin's explanation, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "Since little Reno sent you here, just settle down and live here comfortably. If you need anything, just let me know. You're little Reno's friend, so there's no need to be formal with me!"
Rouge didn't doubt Robin's story. After all, only Reno could open the door to this place, and Reno would never let just anyone know about it. Only people Reno trusted were aware of the door's existence.
Anyone Reno trusted was trustworthy in Rouge's eyes. After all, Reno could predict the future. If Robin were untrustworthy, Reno would definitely have noticed. Therefore, Rouge had no concerns about Robin.
Robin, feeling grateful, responded, "Thank you so much for taking me in. Don't worry, I won't bother you for long!"
Hearing this, Rouge smiled and said, "Actually, there's no need to say that. This house belongs to little Reno. If anything, I'm just borrowing a place to stay myself!"
"Ah?!" Robin was dumbfounded. Reno hadn't told her about this. He had only mentioned that the people living here were easy to get along with and that she could stay for a while.
After Rouge's explanation, Robin finally understood. It turned out that this mother and child were the wife and son of Reno's friend. Reno had saved them and arranged for them to live here.
Afterward, Rouge asked about Reno's recent activities and carefully introduced Robin to the place.
When the two finished talking, two hours had passed. Seeing that it was getting dark, they worked together to prepare a room for Robin to stay in for the night.
[Ohara Coastline]
Several large ships were docked along Ohara's shore, and people were boarding them one after another. The passengers wore various outfits, appearing to be ordinary civilians.
These ships belonged to the Revolutionary Army. Boarding now were Ohara's civilians, along with a group of scholars and researchers.
At first, Dragon only intended to rescue the scholars and retrieve the books from the Tree of Knowledge. He hadn't planned to take the civilians. However, considering that the World Government might retaliate against the people of Ohara after he evacuated the scholars, Dragon decided to evacuate everyone on the island.
Initially, progress was slow. After all, no one wanted to leave the place they had called home for so many years.
However, after the scholars explained the situation and the potential consequences, the civilians reluctantly agreed to leave. Though there were grumbles of complaint, they cooperated and didn't cause trouble during this critical moment.
As the Revolutionary Army organized the civilians boarding the ships, a small figure, appearing to be a lone child about seven or eight years old, walked toward them from a distance.
Standing on one of the ships, Kuma, who was reading a book, immediately noticed the approaching figure.
Kuma glanced toward the child and quickly recognized him as the same boy from the library earlier. Kuma silently wondered: He already escorted that little girl away. Why is he here now? What does he want?
The approaching figure was none other than Reno, who had just seen Robin off. After sending her away, he headed straight for the Revolutionary Army's ships.
Reno came here because he had thought of a way to reach Marineford, but he needed Kuma's help.
Strolling leisurely to the edge of the ship, Reno waved to Kuma and asked, "Hello there, big guy! Good afternoon. By the way, is the long-faced guy back yet?"
Kuma was momentarily stunned by the question but quickly pieced it together. The "long-faced guy" Reno was asking about was undoubtedly their leader, Dragon.
Internally, Kuma chuckled to himself: The leader's face is a bit long, but it's not as exaggerated as a horse's, is it?
Still, this kid seems to know Dragon and appears to have an unusual relationship with him. Only someone close would dare to call the leader a "long-faced guy."
With this in mind, Kuma replied with a stoic expression, "The leader is still intercepting the Navy's warships. It'll take a while for him to return. If you have something to discuss, just tell me."
Though Kuma didn't know the nature of Reno's connection to Dragon, he felt from their interaction in the library earlier that Reno wasn't an enemy. On the contrary, Reno might even be an ally. Therefore, Kuma saw no reason to hide anything from him.
Most importantly, Reno already seemed well-informed about the operation, including Dragon's current actions. There was no point in concealing the details. Thus, Kuma decided to be upfront with Reno.
When Reno heard that Dragon was still intercepting the Marines, he didn't press further about Dragon. After all, he wasn't here to find Dragon; he had come to ask for Kuma's help. Asking about Dragon was just an icebreaker.
Reno didn't want to waste time, so he directly asked Kuma, "Your ability allows you to send people to other islands, right?"
Reno planned to use Kuma's ability to send himself to Marineford. As for how he would remain there, with his silver tongue, he was confident he could handle those old Navy veterans.
Although the Marines might be suspicious due to the Roger incident, as long as Reno denied everything, they wouldn't be able to do anything to him for the time being. Even if they investigated his background, he was just an innocent civilian. There would be no way for them to pin anything on him.
If he could dispel their suspicions, perhaps he could even spend a few days playing as a Marine at Marineford for fun.
When Kuma heard Reno mention his ability, he was momentarily shocked. However, remembering that Reno knew Dragon, he relaxed a little. He assumed Dragon must have told Reno about it.
Little did Kuma know, Reno not only knew about his ability but had also seen techniques Kuma hadn't even developed yet.
Believing that Dragon had informed Reno, Kuma didn't hide anything and replied honestly, "I can indeed send people to a specific island. But during the journey, they must remain within a protective energy bubble. If the distance is too far, there's a risk of starvation along the way."
Reno, who had a system inventory filled with food and water, wasn't worried about starvation.
As long as Kuma could use his ability to send him to Marineford, the rest was manageable. Food and water were the least of his concerns.
After hearing Kuma's explanation, Reno asked, "During the journey, is there any risk or danger?"
Reno had seen Kuma's ability in action in the original story, but that was over twenty years into the future. Just because it was safe then didn't guarantee it was safe now.
After all, Devil Fruit abilities required development. Who knew if Kuma had refined this technique to the level seen in the future?
Even if there were an accident, Reno wasn't worried about his safety since his telekinesis wasn't just for show. However, dealing with unexpected problems would waste valuable time, so he needed to confirm everything upfront. If Kuma hadn't fully mastered the technique or if it was prone to mishaps, Reno would consider other ways to get to Marineford.
Seeing Reno's cautious expression, Kuma understood that Reno lacked confidence in his ability. To reassure him, Kuma confidently explained, "There's no danger during the journey. The person being sent is protected by an energy bubble the entire time. I can guarantee absolute safety."
Hearing Kuma's description, Reno finally felt at ease. Kuma's explanation matched what he had seen in the original story. Since there were no risks, he decided to proceed with Kuma's help to reach Marineford.
With that in mind, Reno straightforwardly said, "I want you to send me to Marineford. It's quite far from here to the Grand Line. Can you do it?"
Kuma immediately became alert upon hearing Reno's request. He silently wondered: Why does this kid want to go to Marineford? Could he be a Marine?
After thinking it over, Kuma dismissed the idea. He recalled Reno's earlier words and expressions from the library. Those weren't the actions of someone pretending; they were genuine.
Though Kuma put aside his suspicions, he still asked, "That's Marineford. Why do you want to go there?"
Reno couldn't explain the real reason, so he simply brushed it off, saying, "I have something to do there. Don't worry about the details just send me there!"
Kuma still had many questions, but seeing Reno's unwillingness to elaborate, he didn't press further. After all, even if he asked, Reno likely wouldn't answer.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, Kuma appeared beside Reno, his speed almost like teleportation. Raising his palm, he said, "I wish you a pleasant journey!"
Before Reno could react, Kuma slapped him. In an instant, Reno disappeared without a trace, as if he had never been there.
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