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Flames still raged on the water, devouring the ship like a malevolent specter. Not far away, on the back of the giant turtle, the shadows of Robin and Wukong swayed erratically in the flickering orange firelight.
Upon hearing Robin's words, Wukong—who was currently utterly devoid of strength—rested his chin on the turtle's shell and turned his eyes toward Igaram, who lay right beside him. Seeing Igaram's chest rise and fall rhythmically, the boy's tense face relaxed into a grin. "Ha~ It's true, he's still alive."
Most of the anger in his heart dissipated at once. The reason it didn't completely vanish was that Robin was still holding his tail, having played with him like a toy just moments before. Seeing how weak he was and sensing his murderous aura had subsided, Robin curved her lips into a subtle, charming smile.
"Little fellow, if you promise me you won't make any more trouble and will have a quiet chat with me, how about I release your tail?"
She wasn't afraid Wukong would go back on his word. Aside from her confidence in being able to subdue him again, she had observed him enough to know he was remarkably earnest. Wukong nodded shakily, the feeling of powerlessness too unbearable to endure for another second. "I… I promise you."
As promised, Robin made the hands gripping his tail and limbs vanish. Feeling the surge of strength return, Wukong instinctively jumped backward to put distance between them.
Splash!
His feet met empty air, and he plummeted toward the river. "Waaah!" Because it happened so suddenly, his mind went blank, and he completely forgot he could use Moonwalk. Just before he hit the water, a hand composed of multiple sprouted arms grabbed his clothes and pulled him back onto the turtle.
"Ah, thank you," Wukong said, sitting down and politely offering his gratitude. The vigilance remained in his eyes, but it was no longer the sharp hostility from before.
"You're welcome," Robin replied, maintaining her composed demeanor.
"So who are you? Why did you blow up Igaram's ship?" Wukong asked, puzzled.
Robin smiled. "Me? I'm Miss All Sunday, the Vice President of Baroque Works."
Wukong's expression changed instantly. "You really are an enemy!" He grabbed his Ruyi Jingu Bang and stood up, but seeing Igaram alive, he paused. "But you didn't hurt Igaram, you just blew up his ship. And you said you had no ill intentions."
Robin didn't explain that by destroying the ship, she was actually protecting Igaram from the certain death he would have faced acting as a decoy for the rest of the organization. Instead, she looked at the boy with genuine interest. "Little fellow, you and Vivi weren't acquainted before today. Why go to such lengths? Why risk your life for someone you've known for less than half a day?"
Wukong replied without a second of hesitation, "Does helping people need a reason? I help because I want to! Besides, that Crocodile has done so many bad things, I have to defeat him!"
Robin was momentarily stunned by the purity of the answer. She chuckled softly, covering her mouth. "What a simple little fellow. What if I told you that if you went, he would definitely kill you? Would you still go?"
Wukong patted his chest, full of fighting spirit. "Don't underestimate me! I'm very strong, and I won't be afraid of him!"
A Gift and a Warning
In the distance, the Dream Chaser was speeding toward them. Robin glanced at the approaching ship, then pulled a glass-encased device from her cloak and threw it to Wukong. "This is an Eternal Pose pointing to the closest uninhabited island near Alabasta. It's a secret route that will allow you to avoid pursuers and reach the kingdom safely and quickly."
Wukong caught it, looking at the compass in confusion. "Are you helping us? So, you're a good person?"
"A good person? Heh heh." Robin didn't answer. She informed him she was taking Igaram with her, promising again that he wouldn't be killed. Before Wukong could protest, she used her Hana Hana no Mi ability to sprout an arm behind him, tossing him safely onto the riverbank.
"You don't need to ask too many questions," she called out as the turtle began to swim away. Just as Wukong prepared to give chase, an arm grew from his own back and grabbed his tail one last time, causing him to slump weakly to the ground.
"Oh, right," Robin's voice drifted back across the water. "Although your courage is commendable, I want to remind you of one thing: your tail is a huge weakness. If you face Crocodile with that flaw, you won't have any chance of winning."
By the time Wukong recovered his strength, Robin had vanished into the night mist. He sat up, looking at the Eternal Pose. "This woman is really strange; I can't figure her out."
Ten minutes later, on the Dream Chaser, Vivi was in a state of shock. "Miss All Sunday... she's the number two person in the organization! What is she trying to do by giving us this?!"
Nami, examining the Eternal Pose, offered a different perspective. "Vivi, maybe she really is helping. If she wanted us dead, she wouldn't need a secret route; she could just wait for us at the next island on the Log Pose. This is a shortcut."
Vivi bit her lip, torn between her hatred for the organization and the practical need for safety. Nami noticed her hesitation and turned to the young Saiyan. "Wukong, what do you say? You're the Captain, so you should decide our path."